Feb. 20, 2019

COLLEGE OF DUPAGE STUDENT NEWSPAPER — 20 FEBRUARY

20

2019

VO L U M E 5 3

FORMER ASTRONAUT MARK KELLY VISITS COD NEWS

FEATURES

SPORTS

Q&A with SLC President Yasmine Issa

The Amazing Adventures of Plant Hunters

Probation: How Long Did They Know?

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COLLEGE OF DUPAGE WEEKLY WEATHER FORECAST Made Possible by the COD Meteorology Department WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

36°F 24°F

100

%

SNOW

34°F 13°F

0

%

PARTLY SUNNY

39°F 29°F

30

%

PARTLY SUNNY

40°F 32°F

70

%

RAIN

SUNDAY - TUESDAY RECAP

After the period of nice and quiet weather to end this week, numerical model guidance remains consistent on developing another area of low pressure across the southern plains late on Friday and into the day on Saturday as it moves northeast.

Right now, model agreement is fairly good on this system being a rain maker across northern Illinois, beginning early Saturday morning and continuing into the evening hours before it moves off to the northeast. If the system were to track a little further southeast, which is certainly possible, then snow chances would increase some over the weekend. The pattern will once again repeat itself with an area of high pressure then returning to the Midwest by Sunday afternoon and evening with a period of tranquil weather heading into the start of next week. Daytime highs will be warmest on Saturday and Sunday in the upper 30's to low 40's before temperatures drop back to near normal early next week.

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INDEX

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NEWS······················ 04

Q&A with SLC President Yasmine Issa

FEATURES··············· 06

Album Review: Thank U, Next

OPINION·················· 12

The Insomniac Special: What is Family

SPORTS··················· 16

COD Officials had Longstanding Knowlege of Athletic Problems

COFFEE BREAK······ 18

Crossword and Sudoku Puzzles

COD Courier Student Newspaper

@codcourier

@codcourier

ON THE COVER THE TEAM

Former Astronaut Mark Kelly visits COD for a Speech (see more on page 7)

SRC 1220 • 630-942-2689

Alison Pfaff

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF···························· Tessa Morton ASSIGNMENT REPORTER················· Joey Weslo NEWS EDITOR································· Madison Venckus NEWS CORRESPONDENT················· Karla Villegas Pineda OPINION EDITOR····························· Kimberly Wilson STAFF WRITER································ Miguel Contreras III STAFF WRITER································ DeAnte Washington HEAD PHOTO EDITOR······················· Alison Pfaff ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR·············· Lindsay Piotter GRAPHICS EDITOR··························· Brandon Beckwith ASSISTANT GRAPHICS EDITOR········· John Noonan SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER················ Brooke Shapiro ADVISER - Jim Fuller fullerj103@cod.edu

ABOUT US 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. One copy free, additional copies available upon request.

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.

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NEWS

SLC President Yasmine Issa

Alison Pfaff

STATE OF OUR STUDENT LEADERSHIP Q&A WITH SLC PRESIDENT YASMINE ISSA Karla Villegas Pineda, News Correspondent What is your favorite part about being in SLC? My favorite part of being a part SLC is having the opportunity to meet amazing people and learn from them along the way. I enjoy being a part of a group where we What drove you to run for can bring our ideas to the table and create something we are proud to your SLC position?

I am very inquisitive in nature so share with the school. the first time I was informed about What significant contributhe Student Leadership Council I wanted to know who they were and tions has SLC made to COD what they do. Upon my first encoun- during your term? ter with the council, I was captured SLC has accomplished many by the idea of SLC. A student orga- milestones this year internally and nization that really focuses on grow- externally. With the help of stuing other leaders while allowing you dents, one of them was registering to develop yourself at the same time. over 700 students to vote last seI told myself that this is what I want- mester. Also, with the departure of the former COD president, SLC ed to do.

The Courier recently spoke with current Student Leadership Council (SLC) president Yasmine Issa about her experience with SLC, as well as her most rewarding experiences working for the student body.

members sit on the Presidential It has been a wonderful term so Search Committee to seat a new far and there are so many experiences that deserve to be called the president. most rewarding, but to pick one I Why do you think it is im- would say Advocacy Day because it portant for students to be in- is a great representation of the stuvolved with decisions regard- dents’ voice. ing COD? I think students should be involved What is your piece of adwith decision making regarding vice for incoming members COD because students are what of SLC/the next president? make COD COD. They are the This is an experience for life. ones that walk through the halls dai- There is an abundance of opporly. They are the life and soul of the tunities out there professional or school so they most definitely have not, where leadership ties into great insight into what matters and all of them. This is a chance you what can make a difference. have been blessed with to develop yourself alongside with your peers.

What was your most re- Great leaders are the ones who warding experience from be- start. Make this the beginning of ing in SLC? new discoveries.

NEWS NEWS COD TO HOST STUDENT ELECTIONS FOR STUDENT LEADERSHIP COUNCIL POSITIONS Karla Villegas Pineda, News Correspondent This spring, the Student Leadership Council (SLC) will host elections for the positions of president, vice president and student trustee.

All students enrolled in at least one credit hour will be eligible to vote.

SLC, which aims to bridge the gap between COD board members and students, serves as the representatives of the student body for decisions regarding the development of the college.

Students who applied to run for the offices have certain criteria that must be met, specific to each position. For example, the president and vice president must meet a GPA requirement of 2.5, and the student trustee must live in District 502. The terms up for election will run from May 2019 to May 2020.

While the number of potential

candidates fluctuates yearly, the competition for each position is difficult to gauge so early in the campaigns.

“We really encourage students to take out information packets and to apply, but we don’t always know until [the application due date, Feb. 15] how many people are running officially for the positions. We hope for two to three people per position,” said Stephanie Quirk, SLC adviser.

As with any election, it is important to be well-informed about the candidates as well as the duties of each position. Additional information can be found on the front window of the SLC office, SSC 2214.

Elections are set for mid-March.

The Courier reached out to current SLC President Yasmin Issa and received no response.

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FEATURES

THANK U, NEXT

ARIANA GRANDE’S NEWEST ALBUM TOPS CHARTS Karla Villegas Pineda, News Correspondent Earlier this month, Ariana Grande released her fifth studio album, “thank u, next.” The album, which debuted at the top of the Billboard 100, was recorded amidst her breakup with SNL star Pete Davidson and the death of her ex-boyfriend, beloved rapper Mac Miller.

Grande’s new record features songs about self- empowerment and growth as well as addresses some of the pop singer’s personal faults.

The opening track, “imagine,” is a love-letter to Grande’s dream relationship. Many fans speculate it was written about her relationship with Mac Miller, as some of the lines draw parallels with Miller’s track “Cinderella,” which has been confirmed to be about Grande.

Regardless, the song is catchy and shows off Grande’s impressive whistle-note range. “needy” is a confession of Grande’s faults. In “needy,” the lines “I admit that I’m a lil’ messed up/ I’m obsessive and I love too hard/ Good at overthinking with my heart” are harsh truths for Grande to admit, which contrast with outro’s delicate violins and string plucking.

“NASA” and “bloodline” are about learning to be happy by yourself, without external love.

While “NASA” features gentle lyrics that appreciate that external love, “bloodline” pushes away the lover, saying “I know what you need, won’t be me/ Don’t you in my bloodline.” Both are upbeat, feel-good songs. “fake smile,” is about Grande’s refusal to put up facades, and her strong inclination for being transparent about her feelings. The song’s bridge and outro, however,

Wikimedia Commons

are a bit lackluster and do not flow naturally with the peppy chorus.

In “bad idea,” Grande talks about wanting a new lover only to “numb the pain” caused by her exes and herself. The song is in a minor key and features a slightly aggressive beat, adding to the imagery that getting a new lover for the purpose of forgetting past memories is not good. “make up,” draws parallels with the ups and downs of relationships, and features puns about cosmetics with lyrics such as “highlight of my life, just like that Fenty Beauty kit.”

The bridge flows naturally to and from the chorus, and also possess-

es a satisfying fade out that will be sure to keep the melody playing in your head. “ghostin” and “in my head” are about being hung up on past love.

Despite being about the same topic, the songs are very sonically different. The gentle melody in “ghostin” reminds me of a lullaby, yet pairs with sad lyrics such as “What was done and what was said/ Leave it all here in this bed with you” to make a raw, hard-hitting song, sure to be featured in plenty of pop breakup playlists. “in my head,” on the other hand, highlighted by a smoothly syncopated beat and has a faster moving melody.

The final three tracks, “7 rings,” “thank u, next,” and “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored,” are all higher tempo, and are therefore a bit more suited to pure jamming than the other tracks. The three tracks, along with “imagine,” were released as singles before the rest of the record, and are very popular among the pop-listening community.

In all, I’d give Grande’s new album 4 out of 5 stars. Some of the tracks shine more than others, but they are definitely a stellar showcase of her talent as a songwriter and vocalist.

FEATURES

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ASTRONAUT MARK KELLY THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN SENATOR Joey Weslo, Assignment Reporter “It’s an amazing thing to see, this big, round, blue planet in the blackness of space. The first time I saw this, it really hit me: all 7.5 billion of us live on an island in our solar system. We really need to take better care of this planet.”

Former astronaut Mark Kelly discussed the life-altering lessons amassed over his career for NASA, a Navy pilot and marriage to former Arizona Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Speaking before the McAninch Arts Center of College of DuPage on Feb. 17, Kelly explained the cosmic perspective one experiences while orbiting the world and watching the sun rise and set every 90 minutes.

Launching on four space shuttle missions, Kelly commanded both the Endeavour and Discovery Space Shuttles. Spending more

than 50 days in space, striving to push humanity forward, Kelly has now decided to serve his country in another way.

“What I learned from my wife is how you use policy to improve people’s lives,” said Kelly in his launch video, declaring his official campaign for senator of Arizona. Kelly is running for the Democratic nomination to fight for the vacant seat left by Republican Sen. John McCain’s death.

Kelly’s video addresses affordable healthcare, wage and job growth, the economy, and climate change as central tenets to his platform. He expressed the willingness to confront partisanship and polarization while working to eliminate gerrymandering and corporate money in politics.

Carrying the video’s spirit of combatting what many Democrats

view as the current administration’s political retreat from science, data and facts, Kelly enlightened the audience with tales of his illustrious career.

While never mentioning his senatorial campaign, Kelly expressed all the qualities that position him for a career further serving the American people.

Describing his humble upbringing in 1970’s New Jersey, Kelly explained the honor and inspiration he felt in his mother becoming one of the first female police officers in the state’s region.

“This was the first time in my life I saw the power of having a goal and plan, and what it meant to work hard at something,” said Kelly. He attributes this motivation for giving him the encouragement to challenge unlikely odds.

He praised this determination

for helping him through his initial struggles as a Navy pilot after graduating with highest honors from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1986.

“How good you are at the beginning of anything is not an indication of how good you can become,” said Kelly. “I’m a prime example of someone who was able to overcome a serious lack of aptitude with practice, persistence and not giving up.”

He paralleled this defiance when asked by an eighth-grade girl from the audience how to become an astronaut.

“Don’t let anybody deter you from getting there,” Kelly told the student. He recommended she study math and science, get operational experience and never be afraid to pursue her dreams. continued on page 8

Photos by Alison Pfaff

FEATURES NEWS

8 continued from page 7

Kelly continued to explain crucial qualities he’s developed from the context of his life experiences.

Learning to focus on a military target while avoiding Iraqi surfaceto-air missiles during the Gulf War in 1991 helped Kelly compartmentalize objectives. Avoiding being shot down taught him to focus on what he had control over, and not worry about things outside his control. His efforts to dodge artillery included a lapse in communication, resulting in his plane being labeled an enemy combatant by Navy radar and almost being shot down by friendly fire.

“I’ve thought about that night in every job I’ve had, whether in

the Navy or NASA,” said Kelly. “I learned there is never an excuse for not communicating with the people you work with. Timely and accurate communication is important in everything, especially in things that are operationally complex.”

When questioned by an elementary student from the audience about the best part of being an astronaut, Kelly highlighted working as a team to accomplish difficult goals.

“Teamwork is how we need to solve all problems, whether it’s a problem in space or a political problem on Earth,” said Kelly.

Kelly’s political passion is inspired by his wife, who survived an assassination attempt while serving in Congress. Following the 2011 mass shooting, which killed six peo-

ple and injured 13 more, the couple became prominent gun regulation advocates.

Together they founded the Giffords Organization, established after the 2013 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which took the lives of 20 children and six school members. In an attempt to reduce gun violence, the organization has worked to close gun-purchase loopholes and implement background checks for every sale.

After the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, killing 59 people, Kelly preached for political action.

“We don’t have to accept this as normal; it’s not normal; it’s not inevitable. It’s an epidemic that needs to be cured,” Kelly insisted before a mourning crowd.

Following Gifford’s remarkable recovery, the couple showed their solidarity with the survivors of the 2018 Parkland high school mass shooting at the March for Our Lives rally in Washington D.C. Before the COD audience, Kelly proclaimed Gifford’s strength demonstrates the power of the human spirit and the willingness to survive against any odds.

“Despite putting a bullet in her head, (the shooter) hasn’t put a dent in her spirit and her desire to make the world a better place,” said Kelly.

Giffords told the shooter at his trial she would trade her own life to bring back any of the six individuals who lost their lives, especially 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green.

Her stoic commitment to help others was displayed seven months after she was shot, traveling to Congress to vote on a bill to raise the debt ceiling.

“I could not be more proud of my wife, after everything she had been through, to be there that day just to do her job,” said Kelly.

During her emergency surgeries, Kelly was suddenly responsible for making primary caregiver decisions. He had to quickly acclimate to making executive choices under immense pressure. Kelly carefully studied how the doctors made decisions, how their process-making operated.

Kelly observed how to work as a team, yet depend on the lower-expertise workers for advice, eventually working up the chain for deriving the greatest input of opinion.

He believes this collaborative, yet independent structure of teamwork is crucial for defeating the decision errors associated with groupthink.

Kelly attributes such errors in judgment as leading causes for NASA’s Challenger disaster in 1986, costing seven lives, and the Columbia disaster in 2003, killing seven astronauts.

“To improve decision making, NASA built a new conference room for the mission management team, said Kelly. “On the wall, it says, ‘None of us is as dumb as all of us.’”

Kelly believes this mentality ensures every voice gets heard equally and all precautions and risks are

I’m a prime example of someone who was able to overcome a serious lack of aptitude with practice, persistence and not giving up."

-Mark Kelly

Photos by Alison Pfaff

FEATURES best addressed.

“As a commander of a space shuttle flight, one of the things I do to decrease risk is pay attention to the details,” said Kelly. “We focus on risk reduction with every decision. We try to put the best team together, whether it’s the people working on the spacecraft, people in the mission control center or the astronauts onboard the vehicle.”

Teamwork is exemplified between crewmembers and also international astronauts. Kelly said the International Space State has brought allies and political advisories together for one common goal.

Everyone’s voice is united in maintaining their objectives and ensuring the safety of all those involved.

Kelly requires all training crewmembers to constantly question his decisions. Anyone who has a different opinion on safety or mission success is always encouraged

to speak up.

Kelly said collaboration is crucial for reducing risk because launching into space is almost as dangerous as the WWII soldiers who stormed the beach at Normandy on D-Day. Contemplating this risk, Kelly had to decide whether to fly back into space for his final mission while Giffords was still rehabilitating.

The audacity of her courage made his decision all but inevitable.

Kelly believes the desire to serve and the strength to sacrifice for the well-being of others must always be held in the highest regard. He looks to make this drive central to his senatorial candidacy.

This commanding sentiment was echoed in Giffords relayed message and Kelly’s final words to the audience.

“Be bold. Be courageous. And be your best.”

North Central will be at College of DuPage on: February 14, 2019 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

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THE EFFECT OF SPACE ON THE BODY Kelly and his identical astronaut twin brother, Scott, participated in a groundbreaking NASA study on the effects of lengthy space travel on the human body. After more than a year in orbit, Scott’s body was compared to Mark’s, which remained on Earth.

“When he came back, he was all messed up. There was a change in his epigenetics, the way our genes turn on and off. It wasn’t really a DNA change, just a change in gene expression. Because all his muscles didn’t have to work in zero-gravity, he dealt with constant swelling when back on Earth. His heart mass shrunk by around 2% in space. It took him over a year to rehabilitate. If we are going to send people to Mars, we have a lot more to learn. We can’t send them on a trip that will kill them. For longer voyages, we might have to create an artificial gravity be rotating the spacecraft,” said Kelly.

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FEATURES

10

THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF PLANT HUNTERS! On February 16, College of DuPage’s Humanities Festival hosted “The Amazing Adventures of Plant Hunters!” at the Morton Arboretum. Rita Hassert, the Sterling Morton Library Collections Manager, led an informative presentation incorporating stories of Plant Hunters and their incredible discoveries around the world.

Photos by Lindsay Piotter

FEATURES

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NEWS OPINION

Photos courtesy of Miguel Contreras

Miguel An gel Contrer as III

Staff Writer

Thoughts, feelings, or spontaneous schemes for world domination?

Let me know! macontrerasiii@gm ail.com

Family is family. That doesn't make it important.

Growing up in a Mexican family, I did not inherit the language or many of the customs and traditions of the culture. I did, however, inherent a lofty value of family. Not only value of my nuclear family but also of nearly every biological relative and relative-in-law.

There’s also every friend “adopt-

THE INSOMNIAC SPECIAL WHAT IS FAMILY? ed” into the family.

My friend Erica is the opposite.

After being asked whether or not she considered her divorced father a part of her family, she replied family was all but irrelevant in her life. Fascinated by this Hispanic heresy, I felt I needed to understand her thinking. I discovered more about myself than I ever would have predicted.

Untangling the conundrum of “what is family” wasn’t easy. The question invites subjectivity. It’s hardly acceptable to define your family as just the blood related relatives you live with without also answering, “OK, but what does that mean to you?”

The word as it’s used today carries with it the weight of greater expectation. Family isn’t just the two sentence definition supplied

by Google’s dictionary. Family is a choice.

But Erica didn’t choose anyone either. Although she distinguished family by shared residence and bloodline, that failed once I started asking questions. Her definition of family fluctuated based on which member of her single-mother, three-sibling household hypothetically moved away. She admitted friends could be considered family, especially if they moved in. Although her cohabitating “residential family” is who she mentioned for the sake of most related conversations, that didn’t live up to her real definition of family.

The answer manifested itself as a mangled mess of personal values, conditioned social stigmas and unrequited emotions. The solution to unraveling it was acknowledging the unthinkable: family just isn’t that important.

Erica ruminated silently about our exploration while I scribbled

notes into my pocketbook. Lost in one of the walls she spoke, “It’s a little bit sad, really thinking about my family like this.”

My pen halted mid-letter.

“It doesn't have to be sad. Just because your family isn’t very important and your friends are more important. That doesn't have to be a bad thing. What matters is that you had those relationships at all.

Those friendships influenced you more; they were present more; they made you feel more.”

She nodded wordlessly. There wasn’t anything on the wall.

The word “family” has no intrinsic value. We assign it meaning.

Each person in a family composes a single strand of an intricate and interconnecting social web who all influence one another. Each connection is just another relationship. It’s between two people who are attempting to communicate

OPINION and relate to one another. For me, that’s an afterthought.

Last weekend, I went out to Luigi's Pizza and Fun Center for the joint birthday celebration of my 1 and 4-year-old-cousins, Josiah and Joclyn. I’ve worn a Luigi’s arcade key on my lanyard for years. But Luigi’s fluorescent game room and ticket-inflated prizes were never its greatest allure. There was always a delicate balance of not asking for too much game room money from dad so he would shell out the cash for the real action: Laser Tag. I’m glad my younger cousins have started growing up. Before, the biggest problem I had was convincing enough people to play, hopping in with someone else’s party, or earning enough tickets for the coveted 30-minute Laser Tag pass in the display case. Now, my only struggle is choosing between listening to either “Ram Jam” or “Dream On” while I’m picking off glowing green vests aged 9-14 from the top floor with phaser fire.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t only the birthday cake that gave me food for thought that night. I used to be one of those fumbling, trigger happy rebels dodging around the arena. Now, I was the juggernaut unleashing beams of destruction on anyone who met my crosshairs.

It probably wasn’t that cool.

The point is, as juvenile as it might sound, I’ll always have playmates. At some point while growing up I thought to myself: some of the games I love to play might go away. When I step into almost any game with my cousins I change its whole dimension. I’m the one to beat. I’m happy to make those experiences memorable for them because I’m having fun, too. That’s family.

Not everyone gets that. Erica’s family relationships are second only to roommates. It’s not unusual for her to talk to her mom once a week. Even when they’re in the

13

same room her family doesn't talk much. For all intents and purposes, her family is a non-factor.

With her family held to such a low standard, it intrigued me that she would say her friends could eventually become family. According to her, friendship was very important. There seemed to be an integral disconnect between her nuclear family, her friends and what she wanted her family to be.

We surmised three pivotal flaws in her residential family interactions that could help elevate it to that perceived ideal: discussion, interest and proximity.

Erica loves to discuss movies with her nuclear family because of the back and forth, building dialogue focusing on a central idea.

They fail to recapture that rhetoric elsewhere.

A lack of interest in the conversation contributes to her lack of emotional fulfillment. That’s even more true when the other family members are not invested or contributing to the discussion.

Being in close proximity to someone helps enhance the authenticity of interactions. In the case of Erica’s family, it had more to do with the lack of proximity and the consequent lack of shared experiences.

Erica’s friendships had all of these things. Yet there was still some intangible factor she felt removed them from the title of “family.”

Sometimes family isn’t important. That doesn't mean we don’t want the same things. Those friendships came at a time when Erica needed them most. At a time when she was down on herself, the insignificance of human existence came just to mock her.

The hours spent talking with her friends after marching band weren’t spent divulging her murkcontinued on page 14

Contreras' four year-old cousin Joclyn rocking her birthday attire.

NEWS OPINION

14 continued from page 13

iest secrets and insecurities. They were light and easy. She just needed to be distracted for a while.

They probably didn’t even know how much she was struggling, but they were someone to relate to.

That alone created the most significant relationships of Erica’s life.

The word “family” in a modern context is used to represent more than just cohabitating relatives.

Instead, it’s used to represent a relational ideal people decide who becomes a part of. That’s not the point of the word.

Words like “family” and “friendship”, have no inherent weight.

They’re terms to describe relationship types. For some reason, people give them significance based on the cultural climate. When we allow ourselves to become so nonchalant with definitions it creates

more than just a etymology problem.

Families and friendships are the synthesis of multiple relationships within the same circle. They do influence one another. However, they are also still ordinary rela-

concept of love because of our inadequate vocabulary about its varied and complex vestiges. Family has no single definition, but not because it’s subjective from person to person. A person should harbor multiple definitions of family. To

Sometimes family isn’t important. That doesn't mean we don’t want the same things. tionships. They should be evaluated for their independent quality, effectiveness and status without needing to be tied to stigmatized definitions of what it means to be a “family member” or a “friend.”

We restrict our vocabularies when discussing these important distinctions. It’s similar to our inability to communicate about the

be properly inclusive of the definitions of family, further sub-distinctions of family is required. They should be treated as unique units even when they overlap.

It’s a problem at its worst when we confine our relationships to standardized conceptions of what words like “family” and “friends” mean within the public eye. In

doing so we may force a relationship to be compartmentalized somewhere it doesn't fit. Rather than evaluating it in and of itself.

This muddled hierarchy of relationship statuses enforces skewed perceptions of relationships. They may be maintained based on how someone treats “friends” or “family” in principal rather than their actual effectiveness in application.

If someone maintains a more inclusive definition of “family” or “friend,” it can be a dangerous precedent if they have a contemporary philosophy like: “Family is forever, and family is the friends that you choose.” Especially in the face of an unhealthy or dysfunctional relationship.

Words like “family” and “friend” define the type of relationship.

Not the quality of its interactions or their significance.

NEWS OPINION

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KEVIN, HAVE A HART Kimberly Wilson, Opinion Editor The upcoming 2019 Oscars will go without a host for the first time in 30 years. Comedian Kevin Hart was initially set to host the awards show but gave up the role due to the controversy surrounding the resurfacing of homophobic tweets he made between 2009 and 2010. It is indeed unfair to continuously punish someone for past transgressions, especially if they’ve already apologized for their misdeeds. But Hart should have done more to show he was truly sorry for his harmful tweets.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences gave Hart the opportunity to remain as host if he issued a statement formally apologizing for his tweets. Hart refused, saying he had apologized in the past and wanted to move on. “I’m not going to continue to go back and tap into the days of old when I’ve moved on, and I’m in a completely different space in my life.”

It’s understandable that Hart wants to move on from his past mistakes and would be uncomfortable talking publicly about his homophobic tweets. We’re in a time where homophobia is becoming increasingly unacceptable.

Hosting the Oscars is a high profile position. By accepting the job, Hart would no longer just be representing himself but an organization that cannot be seen as being OK with his tweets in any capacity. He should have considered this before he refused to apologize.

It was silly of him to give up his dream job just because he didn’t want to swallow his

pride. Especially when one considers he ended up apologizing in a subsequent statement he made regarding his stepping down from the job.

Hart’s refusal to apologize shows he believes he has already done enough to recompense for his hurtful tweets. In reality, he could have done much more to make amends. He could have shown he now knows what he tweeted was wrong and that he wants to show support to the LGBTQ community.

Hart doesn’t need to become the LGBTQ community’s staunchest ally. But even donating to an organization in support of LGBTQ issues or using his voice as a famous actor and comedian to advocate for the community would have gone a long way in showing he was really remorseful.

That’s not to say Hart may not truy be sorry for his tweets.

But many in the LGBTQ community must deal with similar or the same issues he espoused in his old tweets. He is in a po-

sition to help alleviate that in some way. That makes it his responsibility to do so if he is truly remorseful.

Hart must realize there are certain mistakes that, as a popular and influential person, he cannot just sweep under the rug. Even though they were in the past, his words can still have a negative impact because of who he is. As unfortunate as it may be, his homophobic fans or homophobic people in general could see these tweets and think it is acceptable because Kevin Hart said it.

That is why Hart cannot just rely on an apology he made years ago to solve this problem.

He needs to show he now disagrees with what he tweeted, not only to help the LGBTQ community but so people cannot be obliged to use his words as a weapon against them.

Hart’s tweets were a part of the problem so the only way for him to make up for that is to be apart of the solution.

Achieve More.

Together.

• 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.

Learn more about our on-site undergraduate programs: • 3+1 Computer Science degree • 3+1 Criminal Justice degree • Enhanced 2+2 Teacher Education degrees (Early Childhood Education with Endorsements in Special Education and ESL, Elementary, Special, and Combined Elementary/ Special Education)

Scheduled On-Site

3+1 Advising Session

Dates and Room Locations: cod.edu/academics/transfer_programs/ 3plus1_advising_sessions.aspx

(815) 836-5250 • admission@lewisu.edu Photo by Flickr user Eva Rinaldi

lewisu.edu/transfers

16

SPORTS

Photo by Alison Pfaff

COD OFFICIALS HAD LONGSTANDING KNOWLEGE OF ATHLETIC PROBLEMS Miguel Angel Contreras III, Staff Writer In the early days of the 2018 Fall Semester, President Dr. Rondeau released a letter to the public which included: “Due to the self-reported violations, the NJCAA has placed all College of DuPage athletics teams on probation for the 2018-2019 season, which means all teams may continue to participate in the current regular season but are ineligible to participate in any post-season competitions.”

These violations included what Athletic Director Greg McVey and public relations coordinator Jane Duda called “processing errors” that dated back to 2013. What failed to be processed was required student documentation relevant to NJCAA eligibility like required physicals, credit hours, transcripts for transfer students, NJCAA affidavits

and proper high school transcripts.

These violations were discovered by an internal audit conducted on COD by an outside law firm. COD then reported those eligibility violations to the NJCAA themselves.

Based on the violations committed by the institution, the NJCAA ruled that COD would have to return awards earned while fielding ineligible athletes. They also determined that as consequence all COD athletic teams would be on probation for the 2018-2019 season, rendering them ineligible to participate in post season play.

This is despite the fact that, according to a previous interview with McVey, there are no longer members of COD that are responsible for the violations. Meaning that the mistakes of the institution has fallen

on to the shoulders of its athletes.

Further interviewing with McVey and Duda revealed little about the nature of who was responsible for the processing errors. As well as little reason as to why anyone should be confident this will never happen again.

The Courier’s FOIA requests for the internal audits conducted by the College of Dupage on its athletic department from January 1, 2012 to September 20, 2018 were declined later in the 2018 Fall Semester.

The Courier issued several additional FOIA requests pertaining to the overall subject of athletic probation. COD administration declined the requests to release any of the materials produced by Duggan Bertsch, the outside law firm, following the internal audit.

However, the FOIA request to release the contract between COD and Duggan Bertsch regarding the athletic probation was fulfilled.

The contract shows the college was aware there was a problem by September of 2017. A full year before COD informed any current or incoming student athletes. COD did not inform athletes of the athletic probation until two days before the athletic transfer deadline. Insufficient time for most athletes to transfer to a new school and program.

(How the contract suggests that COD knew about the violations a year in advance).

The Courier will continue to issue FOIA requests and investigate as necessary to discern important and undisclosed details surrounding the Athletic Probation.

17

TRANSFER TO NIU

OPEN HOUSE MARCH 1

REGISTER NOW go.niu.edu/COD

18

COFFEE BREAK

80'S MUSIC

ACROSS 1. "Formerly," formerly 5. *Steven Tyler to Liv 8. *"Ebony ____ Ivory" 11. Shakespeare king 12. Depression drifter 13. *One with lonely heart 15. Epiphany guests 16. Sir Mix-____-____ 17. *"Free Fallin" performer 18. *"This is what it sounds like when ____ ____" 20. Day before, pl.

21. Scandinavian fjord, e.g.

22. *"Sweet dreams ____ made of ..."

23. *"Clock strikes up the hour and the sun begins ____ ____" 26. Iceman to cinema 30. Time frame 31. Maximum 34. Greek liqueur 35. Escape 37. Black and white sea bird 38. Razor sharpener 39. Antonym of all 40. Starting time 42. Chowed down 43. Like geometric reasoning 45. Styled with salon goo 47. Decompose 48. Past participle of bear 50. Duck-like black bird 52. *A-ha's hit 55. Folium, plural 56. Argonauts' propellers 57. Container weight 59. Apartments, e.g.

60. Black-eyed legumes 61. Author Murdoch 62. Opposite of paleo 63. Checked at bar, pl.

64. Catholic fasting period

DOWN 1. "Slippery" tree 2. Done between the lines 3. Kind of palm 4. Alex Trebek's forte 5. Big name in fashion 6. Terminate, as in mission 7. Half-rotten 8. Pot contribution 9. In proximity to the Knicks 10. *Def Leppard album, "High 'n' ____" 12. Pork meatloaf 13. Phantom's favorite genre?

14. *"We've got to hold on to what ____ ____" 19. Provide with ability 22. *"Goody Two Shoes" singer, Adam ____ 23. "Tiger Beat" audience 24. Lowest deck 25. Flora's partner 26. Says "what?"

27. Beyond suburban 28. Nitrogen, in the olden days 29. Bicycle with a motor 32. Stake driver 33. *Swing ____ Sister 36. *"Just a city boy born and raised in South ____" 38. Dictation taker 40. Quaker Man's cereal 41. Emerge 44. Itsy-bitsy bits 46. Dal staple 48. Talked like a sheep 49. Ladies' fingers 50. Orange traffic controller 51. Spaghetti aglio and ____ 52. Serengeti antelope 53. Foal's mother 54. "Joannie Loves Chachi" actress 55. *"Oh girls just want to have ____" 58. NYC time

NEWS NEWS MUSIC

19

STAFF PICKS SINGLES ANTHEMS Ridin’ Solo Jason Derulo

Jason Derulo puts a much needed positive spin on being single in his 2010 hit Ridin’ Solo. Throughout the upbeat pop song, he emphasizes the freeness that comes along with getting out of a bad relationship and not being tied down. This catchy track is sure to make anybody who may be feeling down about being single see the many upsides of not being in a relationship, like being able to do whatever you want and not having to answer to anyone..

Kimberly Wilson

I’m Yours Jason Mraz

A month ago, I would’ve been confused to see this track on a “Single’s Pride” playlist. The song’s chorus seems to sing about devotion and a heartfelt concession into being loved by another. With my love-laced history with this beautiful art, I used to think no differently.

That is until my best friend brought an insight that compelled me to a closer second look at the music, “That song isn’t about loving someone else, it’s really about loving yourself.”

“I’m Yours" is a grooving love ballad, but it sings from the perspective of someone who finally learns to give in to love and life’s possibilities right before they do. An internally conflicted instant before someone begins their journey into love and they must resolve their willingness to surrender with themselves.

Open up your mind and see like me. I won’t hesitate no more. Look into your heart and you’ll find love. We’re just one big family. There’s no need to complicate. Our time is short. Open up your plans, damn, you’re free.

In the lines between lines he shares with us practical emotional wisdom.

Reminding us that sometimes we spend too much time staring in the mirror attempting to create the illusion of perfection. So much so that sometimes we fog it up trying to get so close. The best thing we can do is let perceptions of perfection stay blurry. We can be happy with whatever we choose to be instead, and just go with the seasons :)

Miguel Angel Contreras III

Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) Beyonce

Single or not, Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” is always a great song for jamming out to. I’d be shocked if you haven’t heard this song, but if you haven’t I would would compare it to Natasha Benningford’s “Unwritten.” Catchy lyrics, upbeat tune and Beyonce. There isn’t really much else to say.

Madison Venckus

Bobby Darin Mack the Knife

Bachelor on the prowl. Devil in the white hot city. A burning undercurrent pulsates from their heaving bodies. My love is vengeance.

The alleys and streets run smooth with red. When the shark flashes his teeth, “scarlet billows start to spread.” I feed off their sacrifice. My hunger is insatiable. An unrivaled charm comes from intimacy with another’s fear. Wisps of smoke begin to rise and plume across the night sky. Herald the terror-stricken omen. Smoldering in the darkness is the immolation of another burning heart.

Joey Weslo

Love Myself Hailee Steinfeld

Of course it helps that this song is a bop. At first it is easy to jam along to it without realizing quite how explicit the song’s references to self pleasure are. That said, if you watch the music video, you can see that the song is also about loving yourself no matter who you are and what you look like. It shows the importance of embracing and celebrating who you are and what you want.

Tessa Morton

YOU CAN FIND THE COURIER SPOTIFY PLAYLIST AT CODCOURIER.ORG

It is a powerful investment in your future.

OPEN HOUSE April 27

Check-in and events begin at 8:30 a.m.

Meet faculty and students, learn about admission and scholarships, and explore the campus!

RSVP at elmhurst.edu/openhouse

You’ll find a warm welcome and a friendly community at Elmhurst College. More than 500 students transfer to Elmhurst every year, so we understand your needs—and we’re committed to helping you reach your full potential.

ELMHURST IS COMING TO THE COLLEGE OF DUPAGE!

Money and Forbes magazines rank Elmhurst among the top colleges for your money. Plus all transfer students receive scholarship support.

Ask about our Guaranteed Transfer Admission program.

Feb. 27 and March 5 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

2nd floor, near Starbucks

Individual appointments are available.

Email brian.pollastrini@elmhurst.edu for more information.

Office of Admission | admit@elmhurst.edu | (630) 617-3400 | elmhurst.edu/transfer