alestle THE
SIU president engages listeners in brand-new office hours podcast
PAGE 2 Men’s basketball wins crucial match ahead of OVC championship
SENATE SCOOP THE
Monday, February 10, 2025 - Mississippi/Illinois Room
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Larkin gives first-ever ‘State of the Student Body’ address
DYLAN HEMBROUGH editor-in-chief
Editor’s Note: Editor-in-Chief of The Alestle Dylan Hembrough addressed Student Government during its open forum regarding the university’s salary sweeps and the effect it has had on The Alestle.
Before its regular session on Monday, Feb. 10, the Student Senate heard Student President Barrett Larkin give a “State of the Student Body” address for the first time in Student Government’s history.
In his address, Larkin gave updates on actions that Student Government has taken over the last semester and how those initiatives relate to the overarching themes of academics, community and mental health — the three “pillars” of Larkin’s campaign last year.
“From campus policing reform to burnout mitigation for pharmacy students, or simply appreciating the successes of student athletes, we have seen more original legislation in one semester than
the past twelve years combined,” Larkin said. “We’ve done 30 resolutions and 45 bills in just the fall.”
Larkin said that the first “Voices are Heard” session, established by a bill in October, had occurred.
“Valuable student perspectives have already been gathered and are being analyzed to come up with better programs and even better questions for future focus groups,” Larkin said.
Larkin also spoke on the im portance of a “syllabus bank,” ap proved in September, in informing students’ academic decisions. He also said that the idea had been thrown around in Student Government for at least four years, but little to no progress had been made until recently.
“Students deserve to make educated decisions about their education. A comprehensive syllabus tool would assist instructors and advisors as well, allowing them to serve students with more polished plans and better recommendations,” Larkin said. “Such a tool shouldn’t take five-plus years to implement.”
The study tactics bank, approved in October, and Student Government’s support of a “dead week” with no major assignments the week before finals, which the Senate voted to support in November, were also key points in Larkin’s address.
“I want students
to implement these smarter study tactics, being focused and not frantic,” Larkin said. “Our academic culture should be about mastering material, not deciding which of your two big back-to-back grades will take the hit.”
For the community pillar, Larkin said Student Government has awarded $23,600 to dozens of student organizations. These funds cover supplies, travel requests and on-campus events.
“Events make the campus lively. The feeling is electric and this vibrance is something we want front and center,” Larkin said. “There are a billion things to see on social media, and campus events are drowned out.”
Mental health was the third pillar of Larkin’s 2024 campaign. Larkin said that, in a Student Government-sponsored survey, 41.5 percent of students at SIUE reported having an anxiety diagnosis, and 28.3 percent reported a depression diagnosis. 25.3 percent of students reported having both.
“I worry colleges are ground zero of what the US surgeon general called
‘an epidemic of loneliness’ in 2023,” Larkin said. “As important as mental health is across the nation and here at SIUE, our agenda has to be equally important. It has to be bold. It has to be an investment of time and funds in students themselves even if it’s a slightly risky one.”
Larkin then announced that Student Government would be providing custom journals to students for self-therapy and time management. These journals will be distributed at the Student Government office and available at Counseling Services.
“It won’t be another app to download or account to sign up [for],” Larkin said. “Writing in these journals will be a tangible, grounded experience that also exposes students to the Student Government office as a resource.”
Larkin finished his speech by saying the student body is efficient and thriving, with Student Government being “energized” and ready to work toward “higher highs and fewer lows.”
see SENATE on page 4
Plans to renew Cougar Village approved by SIU Board of Trustees
SOPHIE HAWKINS reporter
A multi-phase construction project aiming to renew and replace apartments in Cougar Village was approved on Feb. 6 by the SIU Board of Trustees.
“We are continuing to see that students want to be part of living on campus — the convenience of being close, the community, the support that they have — and so it’s important to acknowledge that there will come a time where we’re going to need to replace Cougar Village,” Director of Housing Mallory Sidarous said.
This approval comes after a feasibility study was completed by KWK Architects — an architectural firm that specializes in areas for student life — on the SIUE Housing system. The study focused on Cougar Village and
its long-term viability, including a market and financial analysis.
Results from the study suggested that the university should move forward with a project to renew and replace the apartments.
Residents of Cougar Village agree that the renovations are needed.
“I saw pictures of the ceiling in 405 collapsing this past summer, so I would say there is definitely a need for renovations, and the building right next to where I live was being cleared out for asbestos over the summer as well,” second-year graduate student and Cougar Village resident Ava Austin said.
Cougar Village is significantly older than the other residence halls. Sidarous said the Cougar Village buildings were built in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Woodland Hall is the next oldest of the dorms and didn’t
open until 1994.
The project is very early in the planning stages, but Sidarous said they will start in the next month or so.
“The first step is for us to work with purchasing to go out and do a Qualifications-Based Selection to seek companies that want to submit a proposal for design and architecture work,” Sidarous said.
ation, the National Residence Hall Honorary and different area councils.
“Whenever you’re working with a design and engineering firm, they’re going to want to talk to their customer — which is not just me, it’s also residents,” Sidarous said.
The building right next to where I live was being cleared out for asbestos over the summer.”
Ava Austin Cougar Village Resident
Residents’ input will be used throughout the project as University Housing plans to get feedback through optional surveys and focus groups, as well as potentially working with the Residence Housing Associ-
“Part of those design processes include things like focus groups and surveys and engagement with residents, and then we will also do that as a Housing team as well. We will look for opportunities to get feedback.”
Plans for the renovations come with concerns of more debt
for the SIU System.
“For every positive, there is some cost. We are still recommending that we move forward with that [project] because we believe that [the project] is worth it,” Sidarous said. “Anything that we would do in terms of a renovation would likely be significant in terms of both infrastructure and the facility itself.”
As an auxiliary, University Housing funds their own projects, but Sidarous said groups like Facilities Management, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and others will be part of getting this project started.
“We have a good team of folks that are excited about what this looks like, and I think ultimately it will be really great for residents. We are at the start of the process, but [there are] lots of good things to come,” Sidarous said.
THE student voice since 1960
WSIE introduces SIU President’s podcast to southern Illinois campus listeners
Mahony said he felt having both chancellors was a good way to start the podcast, and he feels not only will local listers care, but the surrounding community will tune in as well.
“Some of the questions I asked them and some of their answers weren’t things necessarily I even knew about them,” Mahony said in an interview.
“Office Hours with SIU System President Dan Mahony” was recorded in one of WSIE’s recording studios. Mahony said the podcast wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Church.
“Jason [Church] even took it upon himself, recorded an intro and an exit for us that sounds just wonderful with the music and everything,” Mahony said. “It’s made it a lot easier. I just have to come in here and ask questions and talk with our guests.”
Church said that the new podcast will do favors to the system as a whole and to bring attention to WSIE as a station.
| Courtesy of Howard Ash
SAM MUREN managing editor
The SIU System president is introducing his new podcast, “Office Hours with SIU System President Dan Mahony,” with the help of General Manager of WSIE 88.7 The Sound Jason Church.
Mahony’s first episode of the monthly podcast released Feb. 6, where he brought both SIU System chancellors on as his guests. SIUC Chancellor Austin A. Lane and SIUE Chancellor James T. Minor joined Mahony to discuss their career paths and give insights into higher education.
The episode focused on the track
each of them took to get to be where they are today.
“One of the questions I get all the time is, ‘Did you always know you wanted to be a university president?’ My response is, ‘I think that would be a pretty strange [thing for an] eight-year-old to think, ‘I want to be a university president someday.’’ So, I was certainly thinking more about being a pro-athlete when I was eight,” Mahony said in the episode.
Mahony asked both chancellors various questions about their pasts and how they decided on a career in education. Lane and Minor both agreed neither had aspirations going into education to be a chancellor, but took the opportunities given to them.
“[It will] let folks know that we are down here [in the basement of Dunham Hall]. This is something we do — not only providing music to the general public for their consumption, but also as a learning facility for students down here and also as an active part of the SIU System,” Church said.
Church said having the company of the system’s top personnel is a bonus for the station.
“It’s really nice because we can show off a little bit — show them what we’ve got down here, the facilities that we have at our disposal — and hopefully they can see that later on as a possible asset, something that they can utilize when they are on campus later on,” Church said.
Church and WSIE aren’t the only group working to produce the podcast. Graduate student in integrative studies Solomon Omondi is the graduate assistant and producer of the podcast.
“Solomon [Omondi] has been fan-
tastic, because he is a consummate professional. In his home country, he was a journalism buff,” Church said. “He has been eager, he has been very attentive, he learns quickly — and I know he didn’t really come from a robust audio background, but just in the couple of weeks that we’ve been working together, he has been able to pick that up quickly.”
Omondi said this is his first time working with podcasts in the four years he has worked in media. He said he feels that audiences are shifting to the podcast world, and he wants to adapt with the times and follow those trends.
“I’m looking at now trying to move within that digital space and do more podcasts and find a different way of telling the story. People want their stories told, but they want their stories told maybe in different ways,” Omondi said.
Omondi said working with Mahony was a little nerve-wracking at first, but he has grown to enjoy working with the SIU president.
“At first I was a little bit nervous, but when I met him, I realized he’s laid back. He’s such a nice person and really wants the best for everybody,” Omondi said. “I feel very free around him. I’m not nervous anymore.”
With the podcast releasing every month, Mahony said he looks forward to engaging with other topics for his audience. He said he sees the podcast as a potential medium for students to learn more about himself and higher education as a whole.
“Being a system president, you’re kind of away from [the campuses]. I’m in Springfield most of the time. I don’t get to be on campus as regularly as I’d like,” Mahony said. “[The podcast] is one of those ways I can connect with students more.”
To listen to the first full episode, visit the SIU System website.
St. Louis-area hospital systems deposit $15 million into credit union’s loan program for minorities
MICHELE MUNZ
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (TNS)
ST. LOUIS — BJC HealthCare and SSM Health, along with James S. McDonnell Foundation, are depositing nearly $15 million into the St. Louis Community Credit Union’s program to assist minority-owned businesses in need of affordable business loans, nearly doubling the program’s capacity.
“Access to affordable loans, especially for Black- and brown-owned businesses, can be hard to come by,” Kirk Mills said, CEO of St. Louis Community Credit Union.
Nine of St. Louis Community Credit Union’s 14 banking locations are located in or near among the poorest ZIP codes in St. Louis and St. Louis County — areas that banks tend to ignore as they look where to best grow their deposits, Mills said.
“Because of historic financial inequities, the majority of depositors we serve lack the same savings capacity as consumers from whiter, more suburban-focused financial institutions,” Mills said. “That means we have to find alternative sources of deposits to meet the growing borrowing needs of small businesses and consumers.”
Centuries of discrimination have hindered Black Americans from building generational wealth. Across the U.S., Black families own about 23 cents for every $1 of white family wealth, according
to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
The health system and foundation leaders say they are willing to make low-interest rate deposits in the credit union because they recognize that financial and health disparities run hand in hand.
“As the largest employer in St. Louis, BJC is committed to addressing the root causes of health inequities inside and outside our walls — and economic well-being and health outcomes are intertwined,” BJC HealthCare CEO Rich Liekweg said.
SSM Health CEO Laura Kaiser said, “Providing high-quality health care services is crucial. But people also need access to nutritious food, safe housing, reliable transportation and strong, stable employment opportunities in order to thrive.”
The impact will be felt for generations to come, they say.
“[St. Louis Community Credit Union] helps drive the inclusive growth that is essential to our long-term vision for shared prosperity that will help all of St. Louis grow,” said Jason Purnell, president of the McDonnell Foundation, whose mission is to improve St. Louisans’ quality of life.
The credit union is a nonprofit cooperatively owned by its nearly 54,000 members who live or work throughout the St. Louis region, a majority of whom are Black.
In 2022, the credit union launched its Community Impact Deposit pro-
gram in an effort to attract new deposits from private, public and philanthropic entities committed to expanding equitable finance opportunities. This latest investment more than doubles its size, Mills said.
These dollars have been used to help fund more than $40 million in business loans, 90% of which have assisted Blackowned businesses, Mills said.
“That’s putting money back into businesses’ pockets, and they are investing in their community and investing in their business,” Mills said. “That dollar recycling in the community is exactly what we need.”
Freddie and Deborah Lee
That includes husband-and-wife team Freddie and Deborah Lee, who over two years ago got a loan through the credit union to open a 6,700-square-foot building in the 1900 block of Carr Street just north of downtown to house their Freddie Lee’s Gourmet Sauces business.
After years of making sauce in the kitchen of their north St. Louis home, the couple in 2010 began renting commercial kitchens, which they continually outgrew. In 2019, they began leasing their own 2,700-square-foot space, but it was still too small.
The Lees had nearly given up in seeking a loan to expand, discouraged by the high interest rates.
“It makes you lose hope, because you work hard to build a business and grow
your business, and once it’s grown and you go the numbers and you got the credit, it’s still like they are walking a tightrope with you,” said Deborah Lee.
Mills said he’s familiar with their story.
“In their case, and in many African American communities, this is what you hear. We’ve heard them say, ‘These things are very opaque, and we don’t understand why we aren’t getting access,’” Mills said. “And it’s real.”
Lenders at the credit union, Mills said, try to help business owners do what they need to do to get approved.
“Most decisions are nuanced, and you have to listen to the stories of people you are lending to,” Mills said.
Deborah Lee said she likens the relationship they now have with their lender to the relationships they have with their doctor and pastor.
“They lend themselves to be a part of your dream, your vision and your business and not treat you like a number, but as a real person that is trying to do something good,” she said.
The Lees’ new business space provides not only a much bigger kitchen, but room for a mini mart and office space to lease. Their seven-member team is able to continue expanding making and packaging sauces for other restaurants.
“We are able to take care of business like we’re supposed to. We’re able to see our goals being fulfilled with this building,” Deborah Lee said. “We are able to believe in the banking system again.”
SIUE Chancellor James T. Minor, one of two guests, joins to talk about his rise in the higher education system with SIU President Dan Mahony on his new podcast.
Tick-tock for the new clock installed at Wedge Innovation Center in Alton
People gathered outside the Wedge Innovation Center in Alton on Friday, Feb. 14, to witness the installation of a new clock on top of the landmark. The event was a significant milestone in the ongoing renovation of the building, which is set to reopen in April. The newly installed clock resembles the original timepiece that was once there in the same spot. The clock weighs approximately 50 lbs and is nearly 3 feet in diameter. It was placed with the consideration of weather conditions to ensure the safety of the installation crew and crowd. According to the AltonWorks, John Simmons, CEO, “Just as the original clock witnessed the vitality of downtown Alton’s past, this new timepiece will mark moments of innovation and community growth that lie ahead.” In addition to the clock, a custom-designed globe now sits atop the structure, replicating the original feature of the building.
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Tahzive Avi Islam / The Alestle
DYLAN HEMBROUGH editor-in-chief
Two years ago, Chancellor James T. Minor directed the sweeping of money from a number of departments on campus. To date, $37,000 has been taken from The Alestle, forcing us to cut back on our publication.
We have chosen to remain silent on this issue thus far in the hopes that administration would work with us to answer our questions and open up an appeals process for getting this money back. Instead, we have been condescended to or ignored for two years.
Minimum wage increases have played a role as well, and cuts in one form or another were in The Alestle’s future anyway. However, the salary sweeps have hastened this process and are setting The Alestle up for failure.
This $37,000 is made up entirely of student fee dollars — money that each student pays for the university to spend on student-focused activities.
The Alestle printed one issue per week from 2010 to 2024. Now, The Alestle prints one issue ev-
online issues every three weeks, and each employee has had to operate under a strict hours cap. This loss has had a tangible impact both on our staff and our ability to deliver timely news to the student body.
Multiple staff members have had to either resign or find a second job to keep themselves afloat financially, myself included. Even operating with multiple open staff positions for months, the amount of money taken has been too large to recuperate from.
Our staff has faced many challenges and continues to push forward for the sake of journalism. I’m proud to have led them this far, and intend to lead them out of this rut.
The Alestle has been the student voice since its inception in 1960. We need the students’ help to call attention to this issue.
SENATE SCOOP THE
Monday, February 10, 2025 - Mississippi/Illinois Room
Four new senators join the ranks following speech
SENATE | COVER
The regular Senate meeting saw the swearing-in of four new senators, the debate and tabling of a bill and several funds requests.
The two new senators for the School of Engineering are Anahi Moreno and Shihab Alseikh. Bruce Wilkerson is the new senator for students with disabilities, and Garrett Ord was sworn in as a senator-at-large. Student Vice President Lucia Knapp said these students sought out Student Government on their own when they saw openings.
Senator for the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior Nicholas Young was appointed student fee commissioner. Young will still have voting power as a senator but now has the added responsibility of serving on the Fee Commission and deciding whether or not to recommend fee increases to the Board of Trustees.
Young also authored a resolution endorsing Counseling Services’ decision to revamp their website. The resolution was approved.
“The current SIUE Counseling and Health Services website features outdated tools like BetterMynd and Rula, which may confuse new students, alongside resources that do not effectively meet their needs, while newer options like TimelyCare should be more prominently promoted,” the resolution said.
Vice President Lucia Knapp releases the stage for President Barrett Larkin.
| Gavin Rask / The Alestle
Young, who is an intern at Counseling Services, also authored a bill calling for collaboration with the department to effectively utilize the $290,000 Mental Health Early Action on Campus grant that Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Miriam Roccia announced last month. This bill also passed.
Senator Gabrielle Allen authored a bill calling for “shoe-free yoga” at the Vadalabene Center. She said she had already spoken to representatives of the Vadalabene Center who denied the request.
Senators Roman Becker, Becca Loftus and Heaven Watkins asked Allen about alternative spaces, such as the Fuller Dome. Allen decided to vote to table the bill to do more research.
Wellness and Equity Officer Zach Entwistle authored a bill calling for the establishment of a Wellness Committee in order to focus the role of the officer and better provide for students’ well-being. The bill passed.
Pi Tau Sigma, the Society of Women Engineers and the Chemistry Club all received travel funds. The Student Art Therapy Association and Eta Sigma Gamma received programming funds. The Society of Women Engineers and Real Adults Real Empowerment both received single-semester allocations.
During the Senate’s open forum, Editor-in-Chief of The Alestle Dylan Hembrough addressed the Senate regarding SIUE’s “salary sweeps” and the effect they have had on The Alestle, which has lost $37,000 to these sweeps.
Officer Aiden Kocher, Senator Mitch Baldwin and Senator Aseanti Boone were absent without excuses. The next Student Senate meeting will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24, in the Mississippi/Illinois Room of the MUC.
02.16.25
Officer advised he thought he saw a fire outside of the East St. Louis campus. East St. Louis Fire Department was contacted. Officer advised there was no fire.
02.18.25
Officer took a report of a subject allegedly sending nude photos via social media. The person that received the photos advised the subject requested money and attempted to exploit the individual.
02.18.25
Officer responded to a report of an alleged unruly subject at the Alton Dental School. Officer advised the subject was not unruly and was upset about not being able to receive treatment. Officer advised the subject left without incident.
SIUE’s Archives preserve history, provide educational resources
TORRE JOURNEY
advertising consultant
Archivists in Lovejoy Library maintain shelves of records of documents, photographs and unique collections that are accessible to the SIUE community.
Located in the basement of Lovejoy Library, the Louisa H. Bowen University Archives and Unique Collections preserves and maintains historic records and documents of SIUE faculty and the surrounding Southern Illinois region. The Archives is a space of information lined with shelves of SIUE’s history and the publications, research and records of the many voices of our school’s past.
Former University Archi-
vist and Unique Collections Librarian Steve Kerber managed all of the records from 1995 to July 2024.
“During those years, the university archives were a part of the University Records management program responsible for managing the academic records of university publications, photographs and also paper format records of organizations throughout Southwestern Illinois.”
Now, visiting Assistant Professor and Digital Archivist Marcella Lees oversees the digitization of SIUE’s archival records, instructs and assists classes in the History Department and assists in directing the Archives department.
“I love what I do. I love working with students, and I really believe strongly in the value of keeping history and making it accessible to others,” Lees said.
“The reason I wanted to be a digital archivist is because I think the digital realm is one of the best ways we have to provide access to our material.”
Many services are provided to the SIUE community by the Archives, including preserving information from local government documents to popular cultural collections. This includes local mayoral records and papers from former East St. Louis Mayor Alvin G. Fields, who served as mayor during a major economic decline in the region due to the
Empowerment and Representation
“And all we do is just continue to break expectations and to go higher and achieve much more than what people would think you would do,” Kaylin Paige, president of SIUE’s Black Girls Rock! said.
Their mission was vividly on display at the 6th Annual Fashion Show, “The Seasonal Affair,” on Feb. 15 at the MUC. Doors opened at 4:30 p.m. to a diverse crowd, a few exclusive vendors and an electrifying vibe enjoyed by everyone.
The show’s powerful message of representation and synchronized energy was on full display as models struck confident poses, reflecting the celebration of resilience throughout the night. The event showed the beauty, talent and strength of Black women, proving that they can — and will — exceed all expectations.
newly built highways.
“The comic books are a part of our rare books department. It is just one example of a project we are trying to do to have longer-term assignments with classes. The students are working on creating both physical and digital collections using the comic books,” Lees said.
The Archives also play a crucial role in helping students build meaningful skills, finding primary sources for research and hosting tours of the various exhibits and collections.
Lees collaborated with the Department of History as a community partner to assist classes. She helped with compiling research, analyzing re-
OLIVIA WHITLOCK copy editor
Even though Black filmmakers have been making movies since the very beginning of cinema, their films don’t often receive the widespread recognition they deserve — not just from within the Black community, but broader. Here’s a list of movies I wish more people talked about and gave their rightfully deserved flowers to.
Please visit websites such as “Does the Dog Die?” to check for potential triggers and sensitive topics before viewing any movie on this list.
‘Set It Off’ (1996)
Director F. Gary Gray
There’s nothing a group of girls can’t do when they put their minds together — especially robbing a bank.
The heist subgenre is a dime a dozen, making it rare to find one that not only has a fresh take but is actually good. This film delivers both while also featuring what I can only describe as one of the most underrated women-led casts of, I don’t know, all time?
The action these four best friends deliver is gripping, the tension is high and the stakes are even higher. You see their struggles, how the odds are stacked against them and you’re rooting for them to succeed. It’s not a perfect and polished crime with gadgets and gizmos — it’s personal.
‘My Brother’s Wedding’ (1983) Director Charles Burnett
I could talk for hours about this movie and its imperfect but good-hearted main character, but I want to address a review that irked me a bit and, in doing so, I think I can sum up what makes this film so great.
I saw someone say, “The acting was bad … really bad.” And I have no clue what they are talking about! Playing a real, regular person is not an easy feat, and not a lot of actors can pull it off well. That’s what I find so charming about this movie — the world-building, the genuineness, the small moments that might seem insignificant actually help shape the feeling of real life in a film.
cords and building digital and physical exhibits of their findings. Lees is hoping to expand their collaborative efforts with more departments.
“I have really enjoyed helping students in primary source literacy and teaching classes. It’s been great to mentor a lot of those students as they start applying to grad school to go on to be archivists later,” Lees said.
“Because it is such a hands-on profession, the earlier you can get experience, the better it is for job prospects.”
To learn more about the digital archives, look out for upcoming classes like History 309 or check out its website.
Underrated movies by Black directors
‘Pariah’ (2011) Director Dee Rees
“I’m not running, I’m choosing.” What a quote.
A closeted teen is living a double life — embracing her true identity with friends and at school while at home, pretending to be someone she’s not. On top of trying not to blow her cover, she’s also searching for her first girlfriend.
I really liked how this film captured the bittersweet process of discovering oneself while having to backpedal to conform, along with the heartbreaking realities a young person may face on their journey toward authenticity.
‘Time’ (2020)
Director Garrett Bradley
Time waits for no one. It slips away before you can fully grasp its fleeting, yet sometimes it can feel painstakingly long, every second dragging on.
This documentary follows a mother and wife through 20 years of footage up to the current day as she fights for the release of her husband and high school sweetheart, convicted for a robbery they committed together in an attempt to keep their business afloat.
It’s a story of how the justice system affects families and how it ripples through them. The story is not linear. One moment you’ll see babies, and the next, full-grown men, which really emphasizes the passage of time and how this family has evolved and persevered through decades of hardship. The family puts up a very strong front — a resilient one — but the deep, emotional pain is evident.
‘Alma’s Rainbow’ (1994) Director Ayoka Chenzira
You know I’m a sucker for a coming-of-age-story.
This film follows a teenage girl caught between her strict mother and free-spirited aunt as she tries to figure out who she is through dance. There are moments of self-discovery and growth, arguments and rebellion, but also sweet mother-daughter moments — everything that encapsulates being a teen.
Tahzive Avi Islam / The Alestle
MARKETS METRO EAST EAST METRO
Bookstore edition
Books can make for a great distraction from real life, and they can provide interesting information. Local bookstores are the perfect place to fnd the perfect book for you.
From non-fction, to graphic novels and BookTok obsessions, these stores carry it all.
We reviewed local book stores from Edwardsville to St. Louis. While the store is the most important component, the perfect experience comes with friendly service and a good vibe. We rank based on ambiance, service, price and selection.
Second Reading — a hidden gem or a hoarder’s nightmare?
Betty’s Books:
CIARA FOLKERTS reporter
When I walked into this secondhand bookstore, I immediately felt more like I had stumbled into a forgotten basement than a place for book lovers to explore.
I visited on a Saturday afternoon, and it was no surprise that the store was completely empty. Upon entering, I was met with books scattered across the floor and tables, making the shop feel cluttered and disorganized. The overwhelming odor of cats lingering in the air didn’t add well to the experience.
While books were loosely categorized by genre, they were not alphabetized by the author’s last name, and
A
none had price labels.
While I appreciated that all the books were secondhand, the selection was heavily skewed toward history, mystery and autobiographies, with little variety for younger audiences.
My experience with customer service was unusual. When I entered the shop, the owner informed me that he was upstairs and couldn’t initially greet me due to comforting his cat in its final moments. Throughout the duration of my visit, the owner would periodically yell down from the upper level to check if I needed assistance.
While I understand his situation, the overall disarray and limited selection made this a disappointing visit.
novel spin on the typical bookstore
SOPHIE HAWKINS reporter
Betty’s Books in Webster Groves is the holy grail of graphic novels, with comics for all ages.
The store is small but stocked with graphic novels, comics, manga and children’s books. Alongside books, they sell stationery, stickers, cards and zines with a section dedicated to products made by local artists.
This bookstore is what I would have dreamed of as a kid, full of bright colors, funky prints and a children’s reading corner with plenty of books. That being said, if you aren’t looking for children’s books or graphic novels, this probably isn’t the place
BRANDI SPANN opinion editor
The Book House in Maplewood, Missouri, is a charming bookstore with a wide selection of new and used books.
There were a few sliding ladders around the shelves and a cat weaving in and out of the displays. The store was crowded from floor to ceiling with books from a variety of genres.
There were rare books, vintage children’s books, books on fashion, religion, business, theory and travel. They had new releases, a young adult display, comic books and a selection of bargain books for $5 or less.
The prices of the used books did not
for you, as that is the bulk of their selection.
I came into Betty’s Books looking for a present for my cousin’s birthday. The person working was very kind and assisted me in my search, giving me recommendations based on my cousin’s age and book preferences. I was able to find the perfect SpiderMan comic that matched his reading level and interests.
The bookstore also gift-wrapped the book with no extra charge. I ended up spending $12.99 on the book, which I felt was a pretty reasonable price compared to other bookstores, especially with the gift wrapping added.
Despite their limited selection, I would definitely come back to Betty’s Books.
seem to be marked down, but otherwise, their prices averaged between $12-$20. The rare and vintage books were priced higher.
It seemed small from the exterior, but once I stepped inside, the nooks and crannies went deep into the two-story building.
While I was shopping, the employees were in the process of training a new hire, and it was clear that they had extensive knowledge on the quality of the books and the strategic placement of genres around the store. The Book House felt cherished and cared for.
I left with a copy of Colson Whitehead’s “The Nickel Boys,” and I would absolutely return to peruse the shelves again.
Brandi Spann / The Alestle
Sophie Hawkins / The Alestle
Ciara Folkerts / The Alestle
Dunaway Books is a unique bookstore with a classical fair
GAVIN RASK photographer
On Grand Boulevard, you’ll find a cozy bookstore filled with a large variety of used books.
Upon entering I was greeted by Leo, the sweetest puppy, wrapped in a cheetah print coat. The store itself had three floors filled with rows of books. They have everything from science fiction to early world history.
Directly left of the entrance was a row of books about St. Louis history. One book that caught my eye was “The Hu-
mans of St. Louis.” It contained stories and photos from local residents.
The bookstore itself was cozy with different pieces of artwork hung about. There were a couple of chairs you could sit in while looking at the books.
One thing that sets Dunaway Books apart from other bookstores is that quite a few of their used books are autographed by the author. Also since the books are second-hand, they are heavily discounted, making them a perfect gift. Dunaway Books should definitely be on your list to check out when you’re in the area.
Left Bank Books: A champion of community and book lovers
TORRE JOURNEY advertising consultant
In the heart of St. Louis, the oldest independent bookstore is amplifying diverse voices and celebrating community.
When entering, I noticed the architecture of the store and the aesthetics of the building, which featured beautiful chandeliers with gentle lighting, lots of merchandise and nooks that were built into the walls and completely filled with books.
The whole store seemed tightly packed with guests and aisles which were
arranged like a maze, offering a whimsical nature to the store. This continues as you enter the bottom level, which is full of twisted aisles of books layered upon one another — an exciting adventure for any book lover.
At checkout, the staff was friendly. I felt pricing was slightly higher than average but was comparable with other local bookstores.
It is also worth mentioning that, apart from the great experience, the store boasts a high level of community involvement that supports alternative genres and authors with events.
The Novel Neighbor: St. Louis’s bookstore gem
Located on the corner of Big Bend Boulevard in St. Louis, The Novel Neighbor is a warm, welcoming bookstore.
I visited The Novel Neighbor on a Sunday afternoon. While the store was busy, there were many employees who were helpful and ready to answer any questions one may have.
While the store is smaller than other bookstores, they offer a wonderful selection. There were a couple of featured sections, such as a shelf of staff picks, a large table of books by Black authors for Black
History Month and a selection of banned books.
The store was well-organized. It was easy to navigate the different genres and find my way around the store.
I was able to find a book called “The Magicians” by Lev Grossman. I had been searching for this book for a long time, and I was happy to have found it at The Novel Neighbor. The book was $19, which I found to be well-priced for a paperback book.
Overall, I loved my visit to The Novel Neighbor. The store is a wonderful spot in the Metro East area.
Afterwords Books: A small but mighty local bookstore
MATTHEW WOLDEN copy editor
Afterwords Books, located in Edwardsville, offers a charming vibe in its quaint yellow house.
The store’s weakest feature is its size, but everything else is great. The many shelves with different categories of books allowed for inside the store to look bright and colorful. They have a historical section, a horror section, a fiction section and more. It is a bit difficult to tell where each section is, as most of the sections are held in one room that is relatively small, and the sec-
tions are shelf-based.
Due to the small size of the store, I did need to ask for some help in properly navigating the area, as the shelves weren’t labeled. Fortunately, an employee was able to explain all parts of the store to me that I wasn’t well aware of, such as a one-dollar book spot that is swapped out with new books every now and again. They also had trinkets you could buy in the check-out area, but I wasn’t interested in them.
I would definitely visit Afterwords Books again with my friends. On my next visit, hopefully I’ll find a book that captures my eye in the dollar section.
Subterranean Books is defnitely not subpar
CHLOE WOLFE
lifestyles
editor
Friendly service, a vast selection and a dog — University City’s Subterranean Books is a must-visit when you find yourself in the area.
Subterranean organizes their books first by genre and then by last name, making them easy to peruse if you’re looking for something in particular or even just exploring. The store carries pretty much any genre from romance, to horror, to biographies and how-tos.
I was looking for a particular book for a class, so I asked if they had the book in stock. They did not, but they immediately offered to order it and have it within the week.
My favorite section to look at is their
“staff picks” shelf. Each book has a description of why a staff member loved a particular book, and they discount it 10 percent off.
In this section, I found Rebecca K. Reilly’s “Greta & Valdin,” which a staff member made sound very interesting.
I can usually stay in this store for hours, browsing books and occasionally petting a small dog named Ricky T that roams the store.
This store offers a rewards program. After your 20th book is purchased, the average price of the books previously bought can be put towards your next book.
If you’re ever in the area and looking for a book, definitely check out Subterranean. Their selection and kindness are unmatched in the Metro East.
Matthew Wolden / The Alestle
Gavin Rask / The Alestle
Torre Journey / The Alestle
MICHAL KATE CASTLEMAN online editor
Michal Kate Castleman / The Alestle
Chloe Wolfe / The Alestle
The Rules: Raylynn, played by junior Ameeriya Lambert, “breaks a rule” by sitting under a tree at her school in Louisiana. The unsaid “rule” is that only white kids can sit under the tree. The next day, the white kids hang nooses from the tree.
Black Theater Workshop takes new direction with ‘Blood at the Root’
AUDREY
O’RENIC
sports editor
Under new creative direction, the Black Theater Workshop highlighted the mutual understanding of the root of conflict through Dominique Morisseau’s “Blood at the Root.”
The group performs annually on an SIUE stage, typically in February. This year’s “Blood at the Root” production ran from Feb. 12-15 in the Metcalf Theater.
“Blood at the Root” is inspired by the real-life events of the “Jena Six.” In 2006, a Black student in Jena, Louisiana asked to sit under a tree where the white kids sat. Three nooses were hung from the tree the next day. Four months later, six
Black boys got in a fight with a white student, resulting in five of the suspects being charged with attempted murder.
“This play challenges us to delve deeper and explore the underlying reasons for people’s thoughts and actions,” Director Adrianna Jones said in a director’s note. “If we only see things in ‘black and white,’ we’re likely to perpetuate the cycle of racism and discrimination, creating divisions in our schools and communities.”
Junior theater performance major Ameeriya Lambert played Raylynn, a Black student who wanted to sit under the tree on campus.
“We’re trying to keep [the message] alive that we are human too,” Lambert said.
Senior theater performance major Justin Campbell portrayed De’Andre, Raylynn’s younger brother. De’Andre gets in a fight with a white boy where he is subsequently arrested — a scene that highlights the racial double standard and injustice faced by the Black community.
FOR MORE ON BLOOD AT THE ROOT, SCAN THIS QR CODE:
Breaking Out: De’Andre, played by senior Justin Campbell, tries to break free from his prison cell. The lighting simulates the walls closing in on him.
Audrey O’Renic / The Alestle
to symbolize the division in sides and unwillingness
meet in the middle.
/
BLOOD AT THE ROOT
Audrey O’Renic / The Alestle
Middle Ground: Ensemble members Ryan Whaley, Alex Lindberg, Frankie Glaspie and Neshay Sanders tug-of-war over the tree
to
Audrey O’Renic
The Alestle
White faculty and staff need to help with anti-racism efforts
THE ALESTLE STAFF editorial board
Faculty of color are largely responsible for handling a majority of anti-racism efforts in higher education. White faculty and staff need to step up and help with these undertakings.
In 2021, American philosopher Cornel West explained to ABC News that there are invisible roles that non-white professors take on at the university.
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Faculty of color want to provide a safe space and mentorship for their non-white students, but this takes extra energy and effort.
Commonly referred to as racial battle fatigue, people of color experience a psychological and emotional impact from the continuous onslaught of microaggressions and
racial discrimination.
Balancing teaching, researching, mentorship and spearheading anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives is too much for one person to balance. This has resulted in higher turnover rates for teachers of color in comparison to white faculty.
“Faculty of color are always asked to serve on diversity, inclusion and equity task forces,” President of the American Association of University Professors Irene Mulvey said. “And as a result, when a faculty of color comes up for tenure, they may have found they didn’t have the same amount of time for research as their white colleagues.”
The oftentimes performative displays of ADEI support that institutions publicize can leave a damaging emotional toll on the faculty as they pick up the slack.
As higher education continues to suffer from constant pushback against ADEI efforts, it is imperative that white faculty and staff are aware of disparities between the experiences of white and non-white members of the community both in school and outside of classes.
Faculty and staff must do what they can to aid in fostering equitable environments for both their peers and students by using inclusive language, offering a variety of educational source material and centering students.
In 2022, the National Center for Education Statistics’ research found that Black academics only made up 7 percent of faculty in higher education, Hispanic faculty made up 6 percent and Asian faculty made up 13 percent.
Student populations were
36 percent Black, 33 percent Hispanic, and 61 percent Asian. Without proper representation for students of color, it is difficult for the increasingly diverse student populations to feel as though they are accurately represented in their future ambitions. If the small number of faculty of color are taking on these demanding tasks on their own, it’s not surprising that they can become burnt out and discouraged quicker than their white counterparts.
SIUE’s Visiting Assistant Professor Angel Jones wrote that intentionality is a significant part of supporting faculty. White people must build relationships with people of color on campus and make an effort to ask how to support these efforts and then put in the work to show up for their peers with intent.
The ‘White Boy of the Month’ trend is preserving racism in
BRANDI SPANN
The following article is in conversation with Hope Harris’ Dialogue and Opinion article, “Your White Boy of the Month Is Perpetuating Racism,” published by University of California, Los Angeles’ FEM Newsmagazine in March 2024.
Despite their impressive work and valuable contributions to art, white male celebrities wrongfully take up a large majority of conversations about pop culture.
Celebrities of color are sidelined by their white counterparts, and fan culture directly attributes to maintaining this subtle but influential racism.
“Teenagers will inevitably gravitate towards celebrity crushes, but imposing restrictive terminology limits who is
worthy of being ‘attractive.’ If we continue to encourage this narrow perspective, our racial biases will never be challenged, leaving us in a white-washed cycle of idolized men,” Hope Harris’ FEM Newsmagazine article said.
The “White Boy of the Month” trend has existed online for over a decade. The trend pokes fun at our cultural tendency to cycle through star after star and forget about them as soon as someone new comes along. What began as a joke about fan culture soon became a staple in how the internet discovers and becomes infatuated with male celebrities.
When white male celebrities become the faces of Hollywood, their starpower draws people to the box office, securing them leading roles in blockbuster films, taking away roles from smaller actors and supporting cast. The same phe-
nomenon applies to singers, producers, models and other members of creative industries.
As Harris mentions, idolizing white standards of beauty and masculinity subsequently exiles celebrities of color.
White male celebrities experience a cultural initiation when they become the internet’s favorite dream boy. Being dubbed the “white boy of the month” comes with perks like becoming a household name and drawing attention to their career and their projects.
Timothée Chalamet has settled into a well-deserved seat in the film industry. Chris Hemsworth has stolen the hearts of fans worldwide. Jacob Elordi, Drew Starkey, Harry Styles, Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, Ryan Gosling and many other stars are frequently adored “internet starlets.”
These stars become subject to a quick shove into the
pop culture
spotlight. While this does have its downsides — stars like Josh O’Conner, Pete Davidson and Jeremy Allen White have been named “hot rodent boyfriends” for their unconventional attractiveness — the quick rise to fame is a major boost to their career. This same favor is rarely allocated to celebrities of color. Harris’ article argues that the satirical lens through which the internet observes and sexualizes white male celebrities is a guise that avoids making any remarkable criticism towards racism in celebrity-fan culture. The racial biases in our culture uplift white male celebrities while ignoring Black performers, Indigenous stars and other creatives of color. To combat this imbalance in treatment, fans must make sure that their consumption of popular culture does not stop at white creatives.
BRANDI SPANN Opinion Editor
SAM MUREN Managing Editor
DYLAN HEMBROUGH Editor-in-Chief
AUDREY O’RENIC Sports Editor
CHLOE WOLFE Lifestyles Editor
HANNAH LEDFORD Podcast Producer
MICHAL KATE CASTLEMAN Online Editor
TAHZIVE AVI ISLAM
DYLAN HEMBROUGH editor-in-chief
Ukraine is back in the news cycle as President Donald Trump and his administration blame Ukraine for a war they did not start.
As Trump moves to provoke long-standing allies at an astonishingly rapid pace, Ukraine and Europe as a whole are grappling with the possibility of a new reality, one where the U.S. is no longer the stable ally and supporter it once was.
Trump recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched the invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago, to discuss ending the war. The problem is, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not included in
Ukraine is still fighting for its sovereignty — we need to keep supporting them
these talks. This is frighteningly similar to Germany’s acquisition of the Sudetenland, a region of Czechoslovakia, in 1938. Czechoslovak leaders were not included in the discussion of their own sovereignty.
Trump said after his meeting with Putin that Ukraine would “of course” be included in peace talks, but this remains to be seen. Russian state media painted the call between Trump and Putin as a victory, saying that “the opinion of Kyiv and Brussels is of no interest to Trump at all.”
Russian state media is inundated with propaganda, but they’re right on this one. Between threatening aggressive and unnecessary tariffs on U.S. allies in Europe and Trump’s disinterest in preserving the sovereignty of Ukraine, the people of Ukraine are being shoved between a rock and a hard place.
As any sovereign nation would — the U.S. included — Ukraine does not want to give up any of its land from before the invasion. Russia stole this land on the false pretense that the population there wanted to be Russian. As indicated by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the U.S. doesn’t see returning Ukraine’s stolen land as “realistic.”
Additionally, Trump has hinted at a contingency for protecting Ukraine — access and ownership over 50 percent of Ukraine’s rare earth mineral resources. This is nothing short of extortion and exploitation.
Ukraine and its people have been through a lot. From the Holodomor in the early 1930s, a Russian-caused famine that killed almost 4 million Ukrainians, to the illegal invasion and annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014, Ukraine
has made cession after cession to Russia.
The U.S. would not tolerate an inch of its land being given over to a foreign country. Why should we expect Ukraine to give up any of its land and people to a power that has historically persecuted them? The U.S. has proven it can no longer be trusted as an ally.
Government decisions do not necessarily reflect the will of the people. As always, the more voices that speak up for Ukraine, the more likely change becomes. There are many ways to get involved locally in advocating for Ukraine and against imperialism in general, such as the Ukraine Advocacy Association at SIUE.
The Ukrainians are people who have suffered for much of recent history. The U.S. needs to honor its promises if it wants to continue portraying itself as a beacon of freedom and hope.
In-person classes or online classes?
Point: In-person classes provide the best opportunity to learn
SAM MUREN managing editor
If you pay more than $50 for a concert, would you choose to watch it in person or over a screen? I would choose in-person every time, so what’s the difference when it comes to classes?
There are a multitude of reasons why students go to college, but the primary reason is to pursue higher education. For students that are academically driven, in-person classes are the only logical choice for true academic fulfillment.
Compared to online classes, the ability to learn in-person is vastly preferable. According to the National Library of Medicine, studies show that most students prefer in-person learning.
Two primary reasons why students value in-person learning are for face-to-face interactions and the overall learning environment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools around the nation implemented emergency remote learning.
“The students considered that the in-person courses enhance their ability to connect and interact with their teachers,” the article said.
The article referenced the fact that students excel better in an educational setting rather than a more distracting home environment.
“Low motivation, low concentration and distraction caused by the home environment are commonly reported problems during [emergency remote learning],” the article said.
Engagement is key for students to learn. In-person classes provide pivotal scenarios that require students to engage with the learning material and peers in similar situations.
Anyone can be easily distracted in their own home, especially when trying to learn new material. Learning isn’t always a comfortable process, and students may be more likely to give up when in an environment that provides unlimited distractions.
The classroom forces students to work through the learning process and provides more readily available resources — like a professor or peers.
Technology can also be an unnec-
essary obstacle for students attempting to learn online. Video conferencing softwares are frequently unreliable. In certain instances, instructors are unable to manage the software, which limits student’s ability to connect with their professor. Others may be able to manage the software but then are undercut by outside technology issues.
Instructors also face limitations, as they are less able to monitor students’ attention during class since a video camera only captures so much. As a result, professors must rely on students to remain focused.
Online courses have been relied on for emergency situations in most cases. COVID-19 was a primary catalyst for institutions to rely on virtual learning more frequently. Institutions should only rely on online classes in case of weather or illnesses to continue educational efforts for students.
However, semester-long courses seem counterintuitive to why students attend their classes. College students should especially recognize the diminished value of a course when it’s online versus in person.
Being enrolled for just one credit hour at SIUE costs an undergraduate student $430.75. Justifying that expense for a class where the educational environment is limited seems impossible. Three credit hours costs an SIUE undergraduate student $1,292.25 — a high price to pay for a limited educational environment.
Students who wish to make academics a primary goal while in college should seek classes that challenge them and help them grow. In-person classes allow students to flourish in an educational setting.
Institutions could consider offering more in-depth engagement in courses rather than focusing on semester-long virtual classes. Providing online capabilities is important for emergency situations. However, to rely and offer that system to students seems more detrimental than helpful.
Of course, each student is different and should speak with their advisors or other counselors when making educational and financial decisions, such as picking classes.
Counterpoint: Online learning offers superior resources over traditional in-person classes
CIARA FOLKERTS reporter
While traditional in-person classes have their merits, remote learning can provide a more inclusive and accessible learning environment for students with disabilities, financial difficulties or limited schedules due to outside responsibilities.
Virtual learning promotes a more personalized education that traditional classrooms often cannot offer. Oftentimes, in-person learning follows a onesize-fits-all approach, which can leave students struggling to keep up while others may become disengaged due to lack of challenge.
New learning technologies have allowed educators to be able to provide a more tailored learning environment for students, making their experience more effective and engaging. Certain technologies such as text-to-speech, closed captions, recorded lectures and the ability to revisit material can assist students.
Additionally, asynchronous classrooms have made it more accessible for those with mobile impairments, allowing students to gain greater independence navigating the classroom through their devices, rather than in-person classrooms. These diverse options not only make learning easier, but have allowed education to be more inclusive than ever before.
Asynchronous classes eliminate physical barriers of in-person learning and help cut down on the financial aspects.
With inflation increasing and the price for higher education following suit, having access to school anywhere you go without the need for transportation can help cut down on costs.
Traditional classes have a more rigid schedule that can deter people from being able to pursue a higher education. Meanwhile, virtual classes give students more autonomy over their schedule and allow them to review the material at their own pace, at times that are best suited for them.
Online learning helps provide a more flexible educational environment, enabling students to balance learning with work or family commitments, making education more accessible to a broader range of people.
Moreover, with online classes not having a set time or location, individuals from rural areas have equal access to quality education as students that live in urban areas. Asynchronous classes eliminate the need to commute, allowing individuals to have access to educational opportunities without the financial or time constraints that travel often imposes.
With a variety of digital resources available, students from different economic backgrounds have access to the same interactive discussion boards, electronic books and engaging materials. This accessibility to education and various features is not just a convenience, but a necessity in a world striving for educational equity.
Despite its many benefits, online learning is not without its challenges. Although online classes can be inclusive and interactive, it lacks in-person social interaction and teamwork skills that are both essential in the academic and professional world.
However, with the incorporation of video conferences, group projects and discussion forums, many online courses have been able to foster collaboration and engagement.
Additionally, concerns have been raised about screen time and how digital fatigue can take a toll on one’s mental health. Nonetheless, schools could take further action to prevent these issues by issuing structured breaks and a balanced curriculum that allows students to be away from their screens.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of online learning and has been rapidly advancing, revealing both its strengths and areas for improvement. While not every subject or student may thrive in an online format, the potential it holds for expanding educational opportunities is undeniable.
Thursday, 02.20.25
Wrestling splits weekend matches, brings record to 7-7
SOPHIE HAWKINS reporter team’s record to 7-6, 4-1 in the MAC.
Wrestling secured a win against Ohio but fell to Central Michigan this weekend, earning a record of 7-7 and 4-2 in the Mid-American Conference.
The Cougars started the weekend with a win last Friday, besting Ohio University with a score of 22-12. SIUE won 6 out of their 10 matches and secured their victory with a pin by redshirt sophomore Danny Martinez in the final round of the night.
Martinez said there was less pressure on his final match since the team was up 4 points going into round 10, but he’s learned to deal with this pressure.
“In college, I’ve learned a lot about mindset and controlling my nerves a lot better, so I went into it the same way I do in every match, so I felt very confident,” Martinez said.
Amongst the winners last Friday was redshirt sophomore Eric Almarinez in the 175 weight class with a 4-2 decision against the Bobcat’s Logan Cravatas.
“It was my first dual meet at home this year, so it was good to get that win,” Almarinez said.
The win boosted the
“Everyone did great on the team — especially our 197 pounder Nick Nosler getting a ranked win — but overall, the entire team did great,” Martinez said.
The Cougars had a quick turnaround with a match on Sunday against Central Michigan University. Martinez said that with the schedule this season, the team is used to quick changes.
“We’ve had a lot of Friday, Sunday matches like we had in California two weeks ago, so I think we’re prepared for this,” Martinez said.
The team failed to find another win on Sunday against the Chippewas, finishing with a final score of 26-6. Drew Davis and Deron Pulliam secured the two wins of the night.
Almarinez said the dual meet score looked worse than the individual matches.
“One dual doesn’t define us as the team we are,” Almarinez said. “Every match we were pretty much in that by a decision or even less.”
Going into the final match of the regular season, the team plans to continue to work hard but also have fun.
“Every day, our coaches
tell us, ‘The people who have success in the post-season are the ones who are most excited.’
So, if we just continue to stay excited, continue to work hard and want to come to practice and want to wrestle every single match, every 7 minutes of that match, we will come out on top,” Almarinez said.
The men’s next and fi-
nal regular season match will be at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22 against Northern Illinois University.
The team hopes to end the season as MAC West Division Champions and has goals for a long post season.
“I want to come out a MAC champion, get a MAC team title [and] qualify for
National Collegiate Athletic Association, and once we get there, National Champ All-American,” Almarinez said. “It’s what everyone strives for at the end of the year. That’s the big goal.”
The MAC Championships will be on Mar. 7 and 8 at CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, New Jersey.
Track and field races toward OVC championship with impressive indoor season
CIARA FOLKERTS reporter
Track and Field is on an upward trajectory this indoor season, setting program records and achieving personal bests across multiple events.
“We’ve been having more and more complete meets as a team over the last few weeks,” Head Coach Marcus Evans said. “We have had several student athletes hitting the top five all time for our program.”
The season kicked off strong at the Saluki Fast Start, where senior Taylor Lehman set the momentum for the men’s indoor track season, making a huge statement in the 60m hurdles at the Saluki Fast Start. Lehman clocked a time of 8.25 seconds, marking a new personal best and the second-fastest time in the SIUE program’s history.
Freshman Payton Carter also made an immediate impact by setting a new pole vault program record, clearing 3.65m in her first indoor collegiate meet.
Throughout the season, the team has demonstrated consistent growth as sophomore Zaria Searcy secured a third-place finish with her standout performance at the Dr. Rick McGuire Invitational, clearing 1.65 meters in the women’s high jump, tying her for fourth-all-time in the SIUE program.
Searcy praised her team’s growth throughout the season and highlighted the team’s strong performances.
The women’s team has demonstrated growth, particularly in jumps and sprints. Searcy, along with newcomers like freshman Teagan Sullivan, have contributed to the team’s success in events such as the high
jump and long jump.
Sullivan had a standout performance at the Bob Teel Invitational, where she won the long jump with a mark of 5.77m, placing fifth in SIUE’s all-time indoor track and field records and third in the Ohio Valley Conference. In the high jump, she finished with a height of 1.50m, ranking 25th in the OVC.
With the OVC Indoor Championship set for Feb. 25, Evans has high ambitions for both teams.
“We are really looking at trying to be top five on the women’s side,” Evans said. “In terms of progression, we have been trying to work towards being in the top half of the programs in the OVC.”
Evans says he has been working closely with the teams to help them reach their peak for the conference, sending supplemental videos on key
focus areas for practice and implementing new drills to sharpen them both mentally and physically.
“Coach Evans has been a huge part of everyone’s growth this season,” Sullivan said. “He has helped me a ton to help me get to where I am right now and I’m really excited for the conference.”
As the track team prepares for the conference meet, Evans acknowledges the challenges on the men’s side but says they are focusing on maximizing every scoring opportunity.
“On the men’s side, [we want to] just place as high as we possibly can,” Evans said. “We have a smaller team than most, and so it’s a little bit more difficult for us to score as many points, because we don’t have the numbers that other programs might have.”
Tucker shares the same sentiment, but said the
team should place more value on overall effort rather than rankings.
“It’s a lot tougher for us to finish top three compared to teams who have a ton of guys, and we can’t fill all those event spots,” Tucker said. “I think we should focus more on how everyone finished, and not so much as to where we ranked on the score board.”
As the men and women’s track team have made grand strides throughout the season heading into the conference meet, they are in a strong position to challenge for top finishes, with realistic goals of securing spots in the top five on the women’s side and maximizing every opportunity on the men’s side.
“Just seeing where we’ve come from and like how much we have improved, I have a really good feeling about this year,” Lehman said.
Redshirt sophomore Danny Martinez takes on Ohio University’s Logan Cravatas in the 175 lbs division on Friday, Feb. 14. | Pedro Henrique G-M / The Alestle
Women’s tennis smashes
Missouri
State 4-0, serves third straight win
AUDREY O’RENIC sports editor
Women’s tennis secured their third consecutive win following a 4-0 victory against Missouri State University on Sunday at the Edwardsville YMCA Meyer Center.
Junior Amelia Gorman and sophomore Stefaniya Anikina led the Cougars in No. 1 doubles, sweeping the Bears 6-0.
The match marks the first appearance of the duo since Anikina was sidelined with a torn ACL and meniscus injury last March. Despite Anikina’s first return to doubles, the pair were honored as OVC Doubles Team of the week Tuesday.
“We just have good communication with each other,” Anikina said. “I think we’re a very good doubles team, so I’m happy to be back playing with her.”
Nearly a minute later, freshman Payton Tomichek and sophomore Chloe Koons finished 6-1 to secure the first point for the team.
With the 1-0 advantage, head coach Adam Albertsen said the doubles point brings the momentum needed for singles.
“We’ve made [doubles] our number one focus, passion [and] mission,” Albertsen said.
Anikina carried the momentum through with a quick 6-1, 6-0 dominance in No. 5 singles.
“This is my first time playing both doubles and singles — I’m trying to manage my workloads,” Anikina said. “It was difficult to get back to the same level of playing, but I think I’m almost there.”
Albertsen said Anikina set the tone for the Cougars.
“It’s great seeing [Anikina] kind of back to her old self. [She played] singles and doubles really well,” Albertsen said.
Tomichek secured a victory in No. 3 singles with a score of 6-2, 7-5. She was also awarded with her first OVC honor as she was named singles player of the week.
“Payton just brings an incredible focus, fight and passion every single time,” Albertsen said. “She locks in and she’s ready to compete right away. She had a great first set and had to really fight in the second, but she doesn’t back down [and] she doesn’t give up.”
Senior Paige Duncan went 6-3, 6-3 in No. 4 singles to clutch the final 4-0 Cougar win.
The Cougars will set out to continue their win streak against the University of St. Thomas — Minnesota at 10 a.m. this Saturday at a neutral site in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Tomichek earned OVC honors following her 6-1,6-0 domination.
Men’s basketball takes on Tennessee State, overcomes struggles for victory
MICHAL KATE CASTLEMAN opinion editor
SIUE men’s basketball regained the No. 2 spot in the OVC after defeating Tennessee State University 84-72 on Saturday.
The Cougars struggled through a tight first half, with the Tigers taking the lead quickly into the game. Near the ten minute mark, TSU had a 13-point lead over the Cougars.
“They really hurt us in transition,” SIUE Head Coach Brian Barone said. “Initially, they had some screens on the baseline that were hard for us to navigate. The good thing was we didn’t get frustrated and hang our heads.”
Junior guard Brian Taylor II led the team in scoring, finishing the game with 22 points. At 1:26 left in the first half, he brought the game up to 39-32 with a steal and a dunk.
“I just want to show up for my team,” Brian Taylor II said. “This is a group of guys that, when you go out and play, you just feel the energy from the crowd and the locker room every single time. I just lace it up. I genuinely want to put myself out there and execute whatever the task is at hand.”
With only 37 seconds remaining before halftime, the Cougars were able to bring the game to a three-point differential after guard Ray’Sean Taylor was able to steal the ball, leading to a dunk by junior forward Myles Thompson.
With one free throw, TSU brought the score back to a four-point lead. However, Ray’Sean Taylor was able to pass the ball to Brian Taylor II, who accomplished a last-second three pointer, ending the first half 39-40.
Within the first few minutes of the second half, the Cougars dominated with another dunk from guard Desmond Polk.
Although the Tigers were able to catch
up 55-50 at 13:00, Brian Taylor II scored two free throws at 8:45, and two more free throws with six minutes left, which boosted the Cougars to a double-digit lead of 7060. The Cougars stayed in the lead for the remainder of the game.
Brian Taylor II said he felt that the turning point for the Cougars occurred through team self-awareness.
“It’s the flow of the game,” Brian Taylor II said. “Sometimes you may not realize it, but with this team, I think the best thing for us is being self-aware in the moment [of] what is working for us. I think we caught onto what was working … and stuck with it. I think that would be our growth as a team, just getting the ball rolling, [doing] whatever is working for us in the moment to stay in that lane and keep working.”
Ray’Sean Taylor ended the game with 15 points total and scored 3-5 for three-pointers and had eight assists. Junior guard Ring Malith and junior forward Kyle Thomas also scored in the double digits for the Cougars.
Defensively, junior center Arnas Sakenis achieved five blocks. Assisted by Polk, Sakenis was also able to dunk the ball in the second half.
Overall, SIUE made 49 percent of their shots, while the Tigers connected 40.3 percent of their shots.
Additionally, Saturday was the “Black Out Cancer” game. The Cougars shared on their social media pages that the lower bowl for the game was sold out.
“The community came out today,” Barone said. “It was awesome. I know everyone there has something to do, and they chose to be there at some point, and it helps.”
SIUE men’s basketball is now 18-9 overall and has an 11-5 conference record, making them No. 2 in the OVC.
The Cougars will be traveling to take on Morehead State University this Thursday, Feb. 20.
Freshman Payton Tomichek battles Missouri State in singles on February 16.
| Tahzive Avi Islam / The Alestle
Junior guard Brian Taylor II moves the ball up court during Sunday’s game against Tennessee State. He led the team in scoring, finishing with 22 points.
| Gavin Rask / The Alestle
Junior Amelia Gorman (right) and sophomore Stefaniya Anikina play their first doubles match together. They secured a 6-0 victory.
| Tahzive Avi Islam / The Alestle