April 10, 2019

COLLEGE OF DUPAGE STUDENT NEWSPAPER — 10 APRIL

26

2019

VO L U M E 5 3

ROLLIN’ INTO SPRING FEATURES Head to Head: Billie Eilish Album Review p12

OPINION

SPORTS

Fake News Epidemic

Open Intramurals Kicks Off

p15

p16

2

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INDEX INDEX

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NEWS······················ 04

COD Tuition Increases

FEATURES··············· 10

Spring it On

OPINION·················· 14

Biden will be Biden

SPORTS··················· 16

Open Intramurals Kicks Off

COFFEE BREAK······ 18

Crossword and Weekly Spotify Playlist

COD Courier Student Newspaper

@codcourier

@codcourier

stories posed online at codcourier.org

THE TEAM

SRC 1220 • 630-942-2689

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF···························· Tessa Morton ASSIGNMENT REPORTER················· Joey Weslo NEWS CORRESPONDENT················· Karla Villegas Pineda FEATURES EDITOR··························· Alison Pfaff OPINION EDITOR····························· Kimberly Wilson SPORTS EDITOR······························ Vijay Kavuri STAFF WRITER································ Madison Venckus

The Courier is published every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters, except for the first and last Wednesday of each semester and the week of spring break as a public forum with content chosen by student editors.

The Courier does not knowingly accept advertisement that discriminate on the basis of sex, creed, religion, color, handicapped status, veteran or sexual orientation, nor does it knowingly print ads that violate any local, state or federal laws.

Deliver all correspondence to SSC 1220 between regular office hours or mail to the Courier, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, IL. 60137.

ON THE COVER

STAFF WRITER································ DeAnte Washington GRAPHICS EDITOR··························· Brandon Beckwith ASSISTANT GRAPHICS EDITOR········· Jessica Tapia PHOTO EDITOR································ Lindsay Piotter SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER················ Brooke Shapiro ADVISER - Jim Fuller fullerj103@cod.edu

How we roll

Lindsay Piotter

NEWS

4

COD’S TUITION INCREASES BY $1 Alison Pfaff, Features Editor pfaffa72@dupage.edu

College of DuPage’s Board of Trustees voted to increase tuition by $1 per credit hour for the 2019-2020 school year. This increase was decided at the March 21 board meeting, marking the second consecutive year COD has increased its tuition by this amount.

Tuition as of the spring 2019 semester is $136 per credit hour for students within district. With this increase, tuition will go to $137 per credit hour. According to the College of DuPage Fiscal Year 2019 Budget, tuition will increase by $1 per credit hour through the fiscal year 2023. In the past, College of DuPage’s tuition has varied. In 2010, tuition was $116 per credit hour for in-district students.

In 2015, that number jumped to Total In District and Fees per Semester Hour $144 per credit hour. Tuition per $150 credit hour then dropped and stayed the same for 2017 and 2018 school years at $135.

Comparing COD’s tuition to $140 neighboring community colleges, Waubonsee Community College is currently $128 per credit hour $130 for in district students, Joliet Junior College at $146 and Elgin Community College at $132 per $120 credit hour for the summer 2019 semester.

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Compared to 4-year colleges, COD is drastically cheaper. AcYear cording to Illinois State University’s Tuition Rates classes currently ition varies depending on the pro- funding to the college, while still costs $359.47 per credit hour for gram of study. remaining an affordable option Illinois residents. University of This $1 increase is in order to to students, according to a COD Illinois at Urbana Champaign tu- take into account the lack of state press release.

DUNNE & CORRIGAN ELECTED TO COD BOARD OF TRUSTEES Tessa Morton, Editor-in-Cheif editor@cod.edu

On April 2, the people of District #502 elected two new members to the College of DuPage Board of Trustees. Based on the unofficial vote total, with all precincts reporting, attorney and Rhodes Scholar, Maureen Dunne, was elected with 34.35 percent of the votes cast. Annette Corrigan, a Wheaton attorney, was also elected with 27.3 percent of all votes.

Dunne, who is a former College of DuPage student, is a strong advocate for students with autism, and as part of her intended initiative to expand programs for students with autism at COD, she has already created a scholarship for these students.

Dunne also has been involved with a number of projects relating

to entrepreneurship and technology at COD. “When I was a student at COD, the motto was ‘Lifelong Learning,’” Dunne told the Daily Herald. “Due to a rapidly changing employment landscape, it is already becoming commonplace to have multiple careers in one’s lifetime.”

Dunne believes that COD has an opportunity to increase enrolment by providing a place for those in the community who are looking to learn new skills, or are interested in a career change.

Corrigan hopes to further grow the developmental disabilities program at COD. Corrigan has a son with special needs who will be attending classes at COD in the

fall. Corrigan also hopes that this could one way to help address the declining enrolment at COD. “There are so many avenues we can look at before we have to raise tuition or hit the taxpayers again,” Corrigan said at the Board of Trustees candidates’ forum, held on March 18, at COD. Dunne and Corrigan will be sworn in at the next full board meeting on April 25.

Maureen Dunne (above) and Annette Corrigan (left) photos by Lindsay Piotter

NEWS

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CORRECTION TO OUR “LGBTQ…HIJKLMNOP” ARTICLE Joey Weslo, Assignment Reporter wesloj@dupage.edu Corrections have been made to our “LGBTQ…HIJKLMNOP” article published in our Volume 53 edition on March 13. The corrected article can be viewed on our website.

The opinion article discussed whether the abundance of micro-sexual labels in the LGBTQ community impedes solidarity and progress for the movement.

In the article, I misgendered interviewee Chloe Edwards, who is non-binary and prefers gender-neutral pronouns such as “they/them.”

I commend Edwards’ courage in sharing her perspective in an effort to bring greater respect for those who feel marginalized in the

LGBTQ community.

We at the paper strive to celebrate all walks of life and believe this diversity is the school’s greatest strength.

We regret any pain Edwards may have felt and encourage all others to be adamant and strong in refusing to accept any pronoun that doesn’t reflect their true identity. Who you are is beautiful; don’t let anybody infringe on your true self.

We agree with the Associated Press Stylebook’s 2017 decision to accept “they/them/their” gender-neutral pronouns, however, we do have some reservations in how they are administering the practice.

The Stylebook encourages writers to use gender-neutral pronouns sparingly as it leads to confusion for the readers between individual and plural subjects.

“In stories about people who identify as neither male nor female: Use the person’s name in place of a pronoun, or otherwise reword the sentence whenever possible. If they/them/there is essential, explain in the text that the person prefers a gender-neutral pronoun. Be sure that the phrasing does not imply more than one person.”

In an effort to balance between not offending the subject and not confusing the reader, the guidelines strip the identity from

non-binary people and fail to pay them the respect they deserve.

However, we do identify the constraints of the current language being used.

A proper sentence reads, “They believe,” or “They think.” I believe to avoid confusion with plural subjects, the binary “She believes,” and “She thinks,” should be translated to the gender-neutral “They believe(s),” “They think(s).” This may sound strange to the ear, but it carves out a specific quality gender-neutral pronouns can use to distinguish themselves.

We encourage the AP to continue embracing the evolution of language as it conforms to capture the full spectrum of being human.

College of DuPage students are invited to submit their best research work, from papers to posters to presentations, objects and even performances. First prize is $500 and monetary awards will be given to the top-six projects at the symposium on Friday, May 10, 2019.

Student work is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and must be nominated by a faculty member. All participants must submit one or two paragraphs about their research project, a bibliography, and a one to two-page paper explaining their process.

College of DuPage Library

STUDENT RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM Call for Student Research Submissions

Research projects completed during fall 2018 or spring 2019 terms are accepted.

Want to know more? Contact Laura Burt-Nicholas at burt-nicholasl@cod.edu or Ken Orenic orenick@cod.edu with any questions, or go to dc.cod.edu/srs.

The Student Research Symposium is sponsored by the College of DuPage Library and the COD Foundation.

For ADA accommodations, call (630) 942-2141 (voice) or (630) 858-9692 (TDD). Please call two weeks in advance.

6

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NEWS NEWS

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HOW TO SAVE A LIFE

DUPAGE NARCAN PROGRAM TRAINING AGAINST OPIOID OVERDOSE Joey Weslo, Assignment Reporter wesloj@dupage.edu

DuPage Narcan Program community training event hosted in partnership with the Lisle-Woodridge Fire District in March

Provided by DuPage County Health Department

“Joe had been clean for over two years. I felt lucky to have seen him happy, healthy, smiling and making jokes like his old self. It never crossed my mind that I would never see him again.

“Joe’s passing shocked and stunned everyone. It didn’t seem real for a very long time. He was kind-hearted and loved by all who met him. It’s easy to think this will never happen to me, or someone I love, but it happens every day.”

College of DuPage student Jennifer Kurz believes if the opioid overdose antidote naloxone had been more widely available, countless lives, like her long-time friend’s, could have possibly been saved.

“Knowing there is any small chance to save yours, or another family’s loved one, how can you not want to help,” said Kurz.

“Addiction is a lifelong battle; an overdose can happen anywhere at any time. People should be trained and ready to use Narcan [brand-named naloxone nasal spray] in businesses, bars, nightclubs, and especially schools. You never know when you might need to save a life.”

The DuPage Narcan Program will host a free Overdose Prevention Bystander Training sessions.

The two upcoming events are on April 10 at the College of DuPage (12:30-1:30 p.m. Homeland Security Education Center Room 1022), and April 13 at Hinsdale Middle School (10:00-11:00).

The sessions will train community members to recognize signs and symptoms of an overdose, how to administer Narcan and how to properly utilize community resources for opioid addiction

and recovery. Future community training sessions are posted at hopedupage.org.

Project Director Mila Tsagalis, of the DuPage County Health Department, believes it is crucial to reach out to all students including those whose lives have been touched by the opioid crisis, and those who have been spared. The majority of people who have been revived by the Narcan Program are in the 19-29 age-group.

“This is a hard group for medical professionals to reach out to.

It’s good to know the COD police carry naloxone, but students need to be trained as well. Whether in parking lots and vehicles, out on the streets or at home, you never know when split-decision action is needed.”

The events are funded by the Illinois Department of Human Ser-

vices, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery.

Rabia Mukhtar, Community Initiatives Coordinator for the DCHD, believes because of awareness people are willing to talk more openly and act towards ending the epidemic. While national deaths have surged, she attributed the DuPage Narcan Program for keeping county fatalities relatively stable during the past three years.

“If we did not have the Narcan Program in place, all the saves we recorded could have been potential deaths,” said Mukhtar. “The deaths have plateaued, and we hope they will decrease this year with all the support we have in the community and from our first-responders.” continued on page 8

NEWS

8 continued from page 7

According to the CDC, drug overdoses killed 63,632 Americans in 2016 alone. This was a single-year increase of 21.5 percent. Two-thirds of these deaths involved opioids. To put the number in perspective, 47,000 American soldiers died in the entirety of the decade-long Vietnam War. The sharp increase in deaths across all geographic regions and all race and ethnicities has been attributed to the overabundance of prescribed pain-killing medication and the illicit use of synthetic fentanyl [the extremely potent drug that killed Prince], which is often combined with other drugs.

The opioid crisis has resulted in the unprecedented second straight year of life expectancy declining in the U.S. In July 2013, after seeing a corpse a day for two weeks due to heroin overdoses, DuPage Coroner Richard Jorgensen assembled

the health department and chiefs of police to replicate a Boston program involving community outreach.

When the DuPage Narcan Program began in 2014, there were 33 recorded deaths due to heroin and 32 lives saved using Narcan. Since then, saves and overdoses have steadily increased. In 2018, 176 lives were saved, while 98 more overdose deaths were recorded [17 to heroin alone, 30 to fentanyl, 34 to a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, 17 to opioid prescription medication]. Three-quarters of the overdoses were male.

Tsagalis said Narcan serves as an antagonist for opioids, blocking them from working and preventing further brain damage.

However, she stressed Narcan’s block doesn’t last more than 4060 minutes. A call to 911 is crucial for saving the person’s life. Paramedics might need to administer another dose in the box to bring somebody back.

Hinsdale Fire Department teaching life-saving training techniques

Jared Skibbins

Tsagalis said the 911 Good Samaritan Law prevents people from getting in trouble for seeking medical help. If you have a concern about a family member, a friend or yourself, Narcan and many other naloxone products are available at pharmacies without a prescription due to a statewide standing order.

“Typically, Narcan has no adverse effects of usage, so people shouldn’t be afraid to use it,” said Tsagalis. “The antidote should be seen as like the life-saving tool EpiPen, just a normal device that will give a person another chance at life.”

She said the training sessions focus on recognizing the signs and symptoms of an overdose. Time is crucial as slowed breathing may stop altogether, eventually leading to brain damage and death. Signs include a person being unresponsive to voice or touch, with slow, irregular, or stopped breathing.

The eyes will have pinpoint-sized pupils, with the fingernails and lips appearing blue or purple. The person will also appear pale, with clammy skin and a slow heartbeat and low blood pressure.

She believes the training is vital to both students who may eventually work in the healthcare industry and those who just want to help make the world a safer place.

Tsagalis said a federal funding grant provided by the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, enable them to expand the state’s first county-wide program into other counties and communities that don’t offer a program.

The program is available to all police and fire departments in the county.

Tsagalis has been involved with other programs, like RX Boxes, to dispose painkillers and empty the medicine cabinet of opioids that could lead to misuse and a dependency problem.

Last year, 11 million Americans misused opioid pain relievers. In 2016, 66.5 opioid prescriptions were written per 100 citizens.

According to the National Safety Council, misuse puts people at 40 times greater risk for transitioning to heroin. Illinois’ use of a staterun database to monitor prescribing to high-risk individuals has declined prescriptions by 10.6 percent. However, the NSC still judged Illinois as among the 30 states “lagging” in combating the opioid crisis by failing to mandate prescriber education and implement prescribing guidelines.

Tsagalis has been inspired by community efforts to organize events and fundraisers to build awareness and often help fund recovery efforts.

“In the beginning, people were concerned that an overdose was brought on by people’s drug use and is their own fault,” said Tsagalis. “They fear if you provide Narcan, people will feel free to overdose again. However, without Narcan you don’t have the chance to save them and give them another chance at recovery.

“We hear from people who have used Narcan to save someone. We also hear from police departments when Narcan was used prior to their arrival. People need to be courageous to discuss this issue, contact their family or seek treatment. If we fail to communicate with each other and treat the opioid crisis as a medical condition, the cycle will continue.”

FROM THE SCENE OF THE CRISIS “Time after time, parents have had to give mouth to mouth and administer CPR to their own child after they found them blue and unresponsive from an overdose,” said Jared Skibbins of the Hinsdale Fire Department.

“Sometimes they are successful

NEWS NEWS in reviving their loved one, and sometimes they are not. No parent should have to go through that with their child. If they had Narcan, no doubt would it have saved many of these lives.”

The Hinsdale Fire Department is sponsoring the DuPage Narcan Program’s training session at Hinsdale Middle School.

“The DuPage Narcan Program is crucial because it (enlightens) community residents how far-reaching and pervasive the (crisis) is,” said Skibbins. “(The training) provides something tangible they can do to combat the problem by teaching about Narcan and how to use it.”

Skibbins said he was surprised to learn how unaware many in the community still are of the epidemic. He believes many are in denial and fail to realize it affects every race, age, ethnicity, gender

and socioeconomic class.

“We are not just seeing teens overdose; we see mothers and fathers, people with new families and affluent members of the community. Hopefully with awareness and training, we can (help) prevent it from getting to this point.

Skibbins said the fire department carries Narcan on the ambulance and can administer the drug whether they are an EMT or paramedic. Currently, paramedics are allowed to give anywhere from 1-12mg of Narcan depending on the route of administration and the patient’s respiratory rate. He said the police also carry Narcan and undergo annual training on signs and symptoms of an overdose and how to administer the drug.

Skibbins believes constant vigilance and action by all members of the community is the only way to combat the crisis.

North Central will be at College of DuPage on: April 18, 2019 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

April 24, 2019 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

May 1, 2019 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

9 “As a medic, we try to educate people on the best practices for handling acute and chronic pain, instead of immediately getting a prescription for opioids,” said Skibbins. “(We) educate caregivers to not over-medicate their patient and recognize an overdose. (We need awareness) of addiction related to youth sports injuries and resources families (can use) for injuries that require opioids to treat.

We see many young kids that overdose after getting a sports injuring leading to getting hooked on pain medication.”

Skibbins believes we must improve overdose treatment and social programs available to addicts. We must treat addiction as a medical crisis and a disease just like any other. Addicts should be treated with respect and counseling and social services should be provided to anyone in need.

Skibbins hopes community initiatives like the DuPage Narcan Program training sessions can finally help defeat this terrible scourge and make his job a little less tragic.

FOR HELP: Contact Illinois Helpline for Opioids & Other Substances: 833-2FINDHELP or visit HelplineIL.org (for info, support, and a connection to services, call us confidentially).

Crisis Text Line: text ‘REACH’ to 741741 (free, confidential service with trained counselors brought by Naperville’s Collaborative Youth Team)

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NEWS FEATURES

SPRING

IT

ON

Photos by Muhammad Mirza Annas and Lindsay Piotter

BOARD WALK ROLLERSKATING

NEWS FEATURES

11

GAME ON! MINI GOLF

Achieve More.

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• 80 undergraduate majors • Adult accelerated degree completion programs • Counselors on-site to make the transfer process easy Our most popular transfer majors include computer science, criminal justice, education, nursing, healthcare leadership, business and aviation.

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12

NEWS FEATURES WHEN AN ALBUM IS WEIRD, WHERE DOES IT GO?

DON’T SLEEP ON BILLIE EILISH

Billie Eilish’s new album “When we All Fall Asleep, Where do we go?” was released in its entirety March 29 after the early release of singles “wish you were gay” and “bury a friend.” Eilish’s style has always been unique, but her most recent album is unlike anything she’s produced before. Even though Eilish’s album gained a lot of positive attention, I was disappointed.

Eilish, who sung about napalm skies in her first EP “Ocean Eyes,” has quickly saturated her music with dark messages about pain and death. Catchy or not, any song that repeatedly says “I want to end me,” or refers to Lucifer as a friend is going to attract attention. Eilish’s music used to be similar to indie pop, but over the last year she’s created her own electronic, punk pop genre.

I was initially intrigued by Eilish’s music when I heard some of her older songs like “ocean eyes” and “my boy.” Not only was her voice beautiful, but her lyrics were eerily engaging. In her most recent album, however, Eilish is blunt and works darker messages into her lyrics.

I find Eilish’s older songs like “idontwanttobeyouanymore” and even “bellyache” relatable. She still has intriguing lyrics but focuses on more relatable topics like wanting to be her own person. Her style was still unique but didn’t incorporate lyrics about wanting to die. I acknowledge that her newest album is relatable to some listeners, but I couldn’t relate.

With Eilish only being 17, she has very little life experience. It was shocking to hear her sing about heartbreak and loss because she’s so young, but many listeners related to her music. Her new album high-

Billie Eilish’s second album, “When we All Fall Asleep, Where do we go?,” gives me flashbacks of young adolescence and teenage angst. Being a teenager is difficult, depressing, and full of mixed emotions.

Billie Eilish, who is 17, reminds me of 2013 Lorde vibes when she released her album, “Pure Heroine.” I haven’t felt this way about an album since listening to Lorde’s “Melodrama.” Both start with an uprising, the typical selfish teenager, but then drop to the struggles and annoyance of how quickly being a teenager drags. Don’t let that fool you, Eilish has created her own soundplatform for the new generation, dealing with more than just the awkwardness of being a teenager in the 20th century.

The introduction was for fun, I relate to the imperfection of the teen singer who wears Invisalign and laughs at her own jokes. Then we enter the realm, the story begins and I find myself tapping my feet to one of my favorite songs from the album, “Bad Guy.” It’s like being in high school and having that one classmate who always has their feet on top of their desk. Erase the cliché kid dressed in black from your favorite 90’s movie and replace it with the new tomboy who can be just as

Madison Venckus. Staff Writer venckusm1845@dupage.edu

lights similar topics but integrates too much death and horror. Eilish’s song “bury a friend” is about drifting apart from friends but goes too far to talk about killing and burying said friend. Although the stories Eilish tells through her music are fictional, cynical lyrics about murder and death are unappealing to me.

Billie Eilish’s music isn’t for everyone. The unique electric-punk-pop genre she’s developed is unlike anything I’ve heard before but attracts all kinds of music lovers. She’s an extremely talented musician with so much potential. I hope in the future she takes more advantage of her voice and veers away from more sadistic messages.

Jessica Tapia

DeAnte Washington. Staff Writer washingtond1614@dupage.edu

rebellious. The lyrics are killer, and easy to sing along to, “I’m that bad type, make your mamma sad type, make your girlfriend mad tight, might seduce your dad type, i’m the bad guy...duh,” and the attitude lingersleaving me with an attitude after the song is over.

We’re always fascinated by the popular kids and the ones who get invited to the parties, but we always overlook the dangers of the party scenes. Her second song on the album, “Xanny” addresses opioid addiction and how xanax has become a trend in our society today.

Recently, we lost one of our soundcloud rappers, Lil Peep to overdose of xanax. It was soft and raw, filled with loud blurry background noise to show her personality. Even if you don’t particularly like the sound of the song, the message is important and relevant.

The part of the album that gave me chills were her songs that delivered a message, “Listen Before I Go”, “I Love You”, and “Goodbye.” The ending gives insight into suicide, a topic in our society that is sensitive and not discussed enough. It’s beautiful, emotional, and in my opinion makes the album worth so much more. The last song “Goodbye” summarizes the album from the end back to the beginning.

Eilish has always left me speechless with her music since her first album, “don’t smile at me,” released in 2017. She’s only 17, and has more to offer the world. This album took her to a new level, and she is only going to get better. If you haven’t heard it yet, I advise you do. This album should not be slept on.

Available on all streaming apps and to buy in stores.

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OPINION NEWS

14

Jessica Tapia

BIDEN WILL BE BIDEN Kimberly Wilson, Opinion Editor wilsonk767@dupage.edu

Several women have accused Joe Biden of unwanted physical contact in the past few weeks. The former vice president has since issued statements responding to the allegations, saying he does not believe he has ever acted inappropriately. He stated he intends to “be more mindful about respecting personal space in the future” as “social norms are changing.” But what Biden did was just as wrong then as it is now, and moving forward, we need leaders who can acknowledge and take responsibility for their wrongdoing.

Lucy Flores, the first person to accuse Biden of inappropriate conduct, detailed her experience in an op-ed. Flores stated that during a 2014 campaign event, Biden approached her from behind, placed his hands on her shoulders, smelled her hair and

kissed the back of her head. Many have since defended Biden, stating that people were overreacting, and that he just has a “friendly” personality.

We need to realize it’s not Biden’s or anyone else’s place to decide whether or not they made someone uncomfortable. This kind of thinking absolves the accused of all responsibility for their actions while simultaneously encouraging victim blaming.

There’s a difference between being supportive and having no respect for personal boundaries, a difference we should all be mindful and respectful of while communicating with others.

From the Women’s Liberation Movement to the Me Too movement, women all over the United States and the world have made it known this type of behavior iswill

no longer be acceptable.

We need people in power who are going to uphold these principles if they are to eventually be seen as the norm. Seeing someone as influential as Biden’s be disrespectful towards women as okay will perpetuate a toxic narrative.

It will make it more difficult for women to speak out when they are harassed or abused.

Biden’s insistence that he never intended to cause any harm is completely besides the point.

The fact is that he did – on what has been said to be numerous occasions – and he should be held accountable. His responses aeis problematic because in them he makes it clear he does not believe he did anything wrong.

Especially considering our current political climate, we need leadership that is aware of what

the right thing is and can set a good example. We cannot deny the influence the actions of our society’s leaders have on our beliefs and ideals.

Taking on a position of power should mean you have a responsibility to uphold a certain standard.

Furthermore, if Biden cannot admit what he did in this situation was wrong, how should we expect him to own up to any wrongdoing as a potential future president?

Not only will making excuses for Biden’s behavior make it easier for men to engage in misogynistic practices, but it will also encourage an environment in which powerful people can get away with all their wrong doing.

We have already seen the negative consequences that mentality can bring and we should be working towards putting a stop to it.

NEWS OPINION

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AMERICA’S FAKE NEWS EPIDEMIC WE NEED CREDIBLE NEWS SOURCES Karla Villegas Pineda villegaspinedak@dupage.edu

Misinformation in media is a detrimental trend in today’s age.

It’s something we as consumers see spread by people on sites like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. While we may laugh it off when our moms send us a Facebook hoax about some obscure app, the reality is that the consequences behind the spread of false information is a serious issue we need to be aware of.

Recently, “Fox and Friends”, a segment of Fox News, aired a story about the Trump administration’s decision to cut aid to El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. During the live broadcast, the text-scroll at the bottom of the screen referred to the three Central American countries as “three Mexican countries.”

Just last week, White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley referred to Puerto Rico as a country while discussing recent claims by President Donald Trump that the U.S. territory has been receiving “too much money.”

Everyday, Trump tweets false information to the world--he frequently misuses statistics about unemployment rates, immigration influxes and the current economic climate.

Some of these instances have already become memes. My mother showed me a particularly memorable meme in which the countries below Mexico’s southern border were referred to as “South Mexico” and the like.

The presence of these kinds of memes is a reflection of the Americans who wonder if the people reporting and leading the country are well-suited for the task. These occurrences make me curious as to what the rest of the world thinks of

our frequent slip-ups in media.

“Fake news”, as it’s been infamously dubbed, feeds ignorance and misinformation. It can cause viewers to make ill-informed opinions about serious topics.

For example, there has been a recent surge in the anti-vaccination rhetoric, a movement fueled by the false belief that vaccinations cause autism. This allegation has already been debunked by credible and reputable scientific journals, such as the Journal of the American Medicine Association, yet Facebook groups, celebrity influencers and misinformation keep this dangerous belief in existence. Fake news is what is

keeping anti-vaccination trending and is partly to blame for the recent measles outbreaks in fifteen states, including Illinois, despite the disease being previously completely eradicated in 2000.

In the era of the Internet, fake news is easily spread. It is because of today’s technology that we as consumers of media have the responsibility to seek out the most accurate, unbiased sources of news.

Sources like Buzzfeed and Fox News are simply too biased to take for accurate news. These news outlets may be OK for a quick glance at what is happening in the world, but they shouldn’t be our go-to sources.

I urge readers to make sure you are gathering information from reputable sources. I recommend The Associated Press, BBC and Reuters for world news, and the Daily Herald for local news. These media outlets tend to meet high journalistic standards while putting out minimal partisan bias in their stories.

If we continue to allow ourselves to confuse biased, fake news for factual news, we risk the autonomy to make decisions based on our own morals. We cannot allow ourselves to be lied to by the fake news spread hazardously across the internet.

Brandon Beckwith

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OPEN INTRAMURALS KICKS OFF Vijay Kavuri, Sports Editor kavuri@dupage.edu

Open intramurals has become more fun with the introduction of KanJam to the mix.

In addition to basketball, volleyball and bags, KanJam is now playable at COD. Matt Cousins, manager of Chaparral Fitness and COD Intramurals stated, “It’s a great way for students or faculty to stop on by each week and blow off some steam.”

KanJam, which is a flying disc game played with a Frisbee and two cans into which players deflect the disc in to. The game is usually played in teams of two with the winning team scoring 21 points.

Students were playing volleyball and basketball. Student Will Auolio said he came to open intramurals to play basketball as he “enjoys basketball and gets a good cardio workout in.”

He was playing along with student, John Anderson, who is at the PEC almost every day to play basketball. He has been playing basketball since the third grade and has a passion for the sport.

Students and faculty can join in on the fun every Thursday for open intramurals.

Photos by Lindsay Piotter

COFFEE BREAK

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DOODLE PROMPTS

• How are you feeling today?

• Favorite Meme • Carnivorous Balloon Animals

On this blank space, your homework, or a vacant white board, doodle to your heart's content.

Share your doodles with us at @codcourier

THEME:

CRUISING THE WORLD

ACROSS 1. *Measured in knots 6. Kendrick Lamar’s genre 9. High school breakout 13. More lax 14. Female gametes 15. Rice wine 16. Verdi’s output 17. X 18. Chilled, two words 19. *San Diego and San Francisco connection 21. *Budapest and Belgrade connection 23. Greek H 24. H. H. Munro’s pen name 25. ____ De Triomphe 28. Old World duck 30. Accept without proof 35. Through, to a poet 37. What the Big Bad Wolf did 39. TV and radio 40. Observer 41. Letter-shaped girder 43. Month of Purim 44. What hoarders do 46. Tallest volcano in Europe 47. Trending one online 48. *Phnom Penh and Vientiane connection 50. Lazily 52. Antonym of keep 53. Cathedral area 55. “High” drink 57. *Iquitos and Santarem connection 60. *Shanghai and Jingzhou connection 64. Walter Mondale’s nickname 65. A try 67. Like an unwelcome neighbor 68. Hunter’s fake duck 69. R&B Charles 70. Clear the board 71. “Hurry!” acronym 72. Often follows to 73. Bullseye game

DOWN 1. Pig trough stuff 2. The biggest bear 3. Biz bigwig 4. Fear-inspiring 5. Author’s first copies 6. Campus drillers 7. Hail to Maria 8. Bamboo-eating bear 9. Hokkaido people 10. Bed with bars 11. *French Riviera port 12. WSW opposite 15. Opposite of pluralism 20. Iambus, pl.

22. Theodor Geisel, ____ Dr. Seuss 24. Term of endearment, with pie 25. Mr. T and friends 26. Mother Goose’s poem 27. Floorboard sound 29. *Wittenberg and Dresden connection 31. Clothing joint 32. Milk dispenser 33. *Port in Biscayne Bay 34. Dog-____ pages 36. Approximately, two words 38. Ollivanders’ merchandise, sing.

42. *Island country off the coast of Sicily 45. Stylish 49. Government Printing Office 51. Pined 54. Chow down voraciously 56. Greek bazaar 57. Bellicose deity 58. Flexible mineral 59. At the summit 60. Duncan toy 61. One of the Romanovs 62. Marinara quality 63. Beholder’s organs 64. Food safety org.

66. Needlefish

MUSIC

STAFF PICKS PUT SOME SPRING IN YOUR STEP Unwritten Natasha Bedingfield

The winter blues have disappeared and we are welcoming the warmth into our life. It is so easy to imagine the very best version of myself when listening to this song. Roll your car windows down to this feel-good jam and welcome a new season full of greenery and plenty of sunshine.

Lindsay

Saturday in the Park Chicago

Cheesy lyrics about good times. Alison may call it “dad music”, but it only adds to my enjoyment. This song reminds me of those perfect 70° days in late spring. Right before it gets to a sizzling 90° in the summer. Fortunately this song allows me to enjoy those days from an air-conditioned environment.

Brandon

The Way You Make Me Feel Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson’s No. 1 Hits album is my official spring cleaning soundtrack. Nothing is as motivating as this song in particular. I am always reminded of my childhood and watching “Center Stage,” one of the best dance movies ever made, on repeat. Ever since, I have been unable to hear this song without moving my hips and singing along. If you can look past the problematic music video where Jackson stalks a woman through a neighborhood late at night, the song is a classic and will always put a pep in your step.

Tessa

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Yes Indeed Lil Baby & Gunna

I wouldn’t consider Lil Baby and Gunna to be peppy necessarily, but their single “Yes Indeed” is definitely upbeat.

Madison

Sunflower Rex Orange County

What better title to a track that puts spring in your step than “Sunflower?” Rex Orange County’s 2017 pop track is a bright, uptempo song that encompasses the warmth of springtime and the happiness of a first love. The song is dedicated to the artist’s current girlfriend, with whom he lives in South London. I recommend playing this song as you drive home from classes on Friday; bonus points if it’s warm out and your windows are down.

Karla

High Horse Kacey Musgraves

From the Grammy winning album Golden Hour, this track is a country pop disco hybrid jam that makes me feel good every time I hear it. It’s the perfect song to blast in the car with the windows down.

Alison

Here Comes the Sun The Beatles

The water drips slowly upon the awakening soul. Light sheds warmth upon the slumbering senses. A radiance peaks subtly above the approaching horizon. The mind must be open to Love to fill your being with brilliance. The world becomes a projection of your inner-divinity. A rapturous beam of Sun. Life is an everlasting Spring. “To see a World in a Grain of Sand. And a Heaven in a Wild Flower. Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand. And eternity in an hour.” – William Blake

Joey

YOU CAN FIND THE FULL COURIER SPOTIFY PLAYLIST AT CODCOURIER.ORG