2024.04.17

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EIU student finds self in military

By Kimberly Carroll Reporter | kacarroll2@eiu.edu

Charlie Burtell wanted to make positive changes in his life after realizing in high school that the route he was on was not the best one.

Sports Editor Zaria Flippin densportsdesk@ gmail.com

Assistant Sports Editor Luther Yoder densportsdesk@ gmail.com

Opinions Editor Ellen Dooley denop.eds@gmail. com

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The Daily Eastern News is produced by the students of Eastern Illinois University. It is published weekly on Wednesday, in Virden, Ill., during fall and spring semesters and online during the summer term except during university vacations or examinations. One copy per week is free to students and faculty. Additional copies can be obtained for 50 cents each in the Student Publications Office in Buzzard Hall.

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“When I was 17, I took a look in the mirror, and I was like, I need to change. I need to do something to better myself and my future. I didn’t want to end up in jail or wherever it could’ve gone,” Burtell said.

He decided to join the military and hopes to be a helicopter pilot.

Burtell, originally from Elburn, started schooling at Eastern in the spring semester. He is majoring in business analytics and information on systems with a minor in communications.

Given that Burtell had to be 17 years old to enlist in the military, he had his mother sign the paperwork approving his entry.

“I told my mom, ‘I know I’m doing things I shouldn’t be doing, and I know you don’t want me doing these things. So, I know you’d probably be okay with it, and I need you to sign these for me so I can join the military,’” Burtell said.

Burtell’s mother pulled through with the decision, and he was enlisted on Oct. 26, 2021. He said his life has been 20 times better ever since.

He attended basic combat training and advanced individual training. AIT is similar to trade school, teaching soldiers the technical skills they use in their careers.

He was stationed in Fort Lee, Virginia, for four months for AIT, training as a diesel mechanic-- also known as 91 Bravo or a wheeled vehicle mechanic.

During that time, Burtell was trained in the basics of operating diesel machinery

and diesel-powered cars as well as how to maintain and service them.

He said the military was an escape.

“I never had a very positive home life,” Burtell said. “My parents were divorced, and they’ve always had battles. I’ve kind of had to deal with their battles.”

Burtell’s plan was to get away to protect his mental and physical health.

He said by joining the military, it allowed him to create a character who he wanted to be. He said he’s proud of who he is now.

“I don’t think I would be sitting here doing what I am doing in college, trying to get an education, trying to better my future, trying to build a persona for me and my family and putting respect on my name,” Burtell said.

Another important factor for Burtell was being able to step beyond his comfort zone. He recalled that he used to be a shy person,

but the military helped him become more accepting of other people and comfortable in difficult situations.

When he got to Eastern, he rushed into the Sigma Pi Fraternity.

“Though it can be hard, I take every opportunity I have to finish my college work, and if I’m unable the military can give notice to the school saying I have military work to attend,” he said.

Burtell intends to serve in the military for the next three and a half years. This is a career that he said he hopes to be able to pass down to his future children, he said.

“Thankfully I chose the right option and that was joining the armed forces,” he said. “I’m very happy with what I’ve done.”

Kimberly Carroll can be reached at 581-2812 or at kacarroll2@eiu. edu.

FRONT PAGE COVER BY HARPER HANCOCK

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FILE PHOTO | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

Charlie Burtell is a freshman business analytics major student and a member of the National Guard.

Jay Gatrell reflects upon first year

By Drew Coffey Reporter | akcoffey@eiu.edu

It was only a little more than a year ago when Jay Gatrell was voted as Eastern’s 13th president, following the retirement of 12th president David Glassman.

Gatrell, who acted as provost and vice president of academic affairs for Eastern from 2017 to 2023, said being familiar with the campus helped with the transition.

“One of the benefits of having been here in that prior role is I sort of knew the landscape,” Gatrell said.

According to Gatrell, the year saw plenty of positives when it came to student involvement and university success.

“I’ve had exciting opportunities,” Gatrell said. “I played in the pep band at the OVC tournament, and I’ve had the opportunity to do community office hours and meet with students in the union. By and large, I think it’s been a really good year, as we’ve had Plan 2028 out, and we’ve got a lot of traction.”

Plan 2028 is an initiative that revolves around four central themes of improvement: achieve, engage, create and resource.

The plan also includes inclusivity, in which the university has seen increases in representation within the faculty and staff, Gatrell said.

“Our mission statement has had inclusion in it since 2009,” said Gatrell.

“And so, I’m really committed to making sure we live those values, we invest in those values and that we move the needle on those priorities.”

According to Gatrell, one thing the university is also pushing the needle on is the addition of many new facilities on campus.

“The most important thing is our fa-

cilities plan,” Gatrell stated. “Making sure that we have facilities that meet our students’ expectations but also meet their aspirations.”

These facilities include the $95 million science building planned to be built near the south side of the Tarble Arts Center that will have new labs, classrooms and student equipment.

But these plans and efforts to improve on-campus resources are not just a one-man band, according to Gatrell.

“I have a number of colleagues, sort of like, who are my mentors,” Gatrell said. “I’ve really benefited from the support of the leadership team, the vice presidents. We obviously worked together for a while, and they’ve been enormous support and help to this process to make sure we’re all reaching our goals because if we’re all successful, the institution thrives.”

But despite the support of others, there have been challenges such as the one that is affecting college students all over the country.

“If there’s a challenge, the challenge this year is FAFSA,” Gatrell said. “I mean everybody knows about the FAFSA challenge, but our team is testing the software right now. We’re starting to get some data, and they’re working really hard. I’m pretty excited to see us get past that sort of technological bump and look forward to processing event data.”

Gatrell said the opportunity to connect with students has made the experience of being president one that is worth it.

“Anytime you take a new job, there’s going to be a learning curve,” Gatrell said. “But you know, I feel sort of blessed to have been here and to know this place and the newer students.”

Drew Coffey can be reached at 581-2812 or at akcoffey@eiu.edu.

A glimpse into Harkulich’s theatrical world

By Audra Gullquist Assistant News Editor | agullquist@eiu.edu

From controlling the spotlight to building her own production company, Christiana Harkulich is a jack-of-alltrades in the theater department.

Harkulich became an instructor of theater generalist at Eastern in 2020. However, she has spent her whole life dedicated to the arts.

“I have loved theater for as long as I can remember,” she said. “I consider myself a theater historian, a director, a dramaturg, a producer, and because of that, I know a lot about a lot of different things, which is how I ended up teaching these generalist classes.”

Harkulich teaches classes at Eastern such as contemporary world theater and experiencing the arts using the lenses of drag, gender and body image. While in graduate school, Harkulich was a light designer but eventually decided to branch out into different paths in the arts.

She apprenticed at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, the oldest continually operating theatre in the United States.

In 2006, Harkulich decided to become an entrepreneur and founded To The Wall Productions in Philadelphia.

“A lot of theater people learn a lot of entrepreneur skills, because the way the industry works, if you want to be an actor or designer or director, you’re not just going to work for one company for your whole life,” Harkulich stated. “You’re going to work for many companies. So, you end up being a solo entrepreneur, and your product is yourself and the art you make.”

Harkulich’s company produced gender bending pieces such as her production of Richard B. Sheridan’s musical “The Rival,” which was produced as a drag comedy and named one of the top productions of that year.

However, in 2009, the financial crisis in Philadelphia devastated her company, along with many others and led to her company closing.

Before coming to Eastern, Harkulich taught at Miami University in Ohio as a visiting assistant professor.

But, in 2020 Harkulich’s career was once again impacted by an economic crisis, as COVID-19 caused her to lose her job.

Harkulich said she was immediately attracted to Eastern due to the affordable theater degrees.

“One of my favorite things about here is that I feel ethical telling people to go on and pursue your dream,” she said,

“Study the thing that excites you because it’s not like you’re going into a lot of debt to do it here. Explore your curiosity. If it lights you up inside, why would you deny yourself that?”

Harkulich has never stopped exploring her curiosity.

She has published many research papers and manuscripts on a wide range of topics including Indigenous performance, decolonization, drag performance and even papers on professional wrestling.

Harkulich said that her research projects allow her “to do and explore a lot of different aspects of the world around us and stay current in art.”

More details on Harkulich’s extensive work in the arts can be found on her website.

Audra Gullquist can be reached at 581-2812 or at agullquist@eiu. edu.

FILE PHOTO | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

President of Eastern Illinois University Jay Gatrell in his office in Old Main during an interview with the Daily Eastern News about his first year as president.

FILE PHOTO | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

Before coming to EIU, Christiana Harkulich apprenticed at Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.

MATT BENNETT AT EIU

Matt Bennett brings nostalgia to Pantherchella

By Cam’ron Hardy News Editor | cahardy@eiu.edu

Students waited in line for hours to see the show Matt Bennett, actor known for his role as Robbie Shapiro on the show “Victorious,” had in store for them Saturday night.

Lupita Navarrete, a freshman elementary education major, was the first in line waiting for the show. The doors opened at 7 p.m., but Navarrete created a line around 5 p.m.

Navarrete and her five siblings all watched Victorious together growing up. Prior to the event, she said she looked forward to listening to all of her favorite childhood songs again.

She was also able to take a photo with Bennett prior to the event starting.

Opener DJ Constantine started the night with some nostalgic songs from TV shows and movies like “High School Musical.”

After about an hour, the man of the hour Matt Bennett rushed to the stage and was bombarded with screams of excitement from the over 700 people in attendance.

Bennett’s energy was high throughout the night. His stage presence captivated the attention of those that came out, playing a plethora of songs from the 2010s.

At the beginning of the concert, Bennett said he was going to give a coconut away to the person who had the most energy throughout the night.

The act was in reference to Bennett’s character’s teacher on Victorious, Erwin Sikowitz-- played by Eric Lange. Sikowitz would drink out of coconuts during class.

Abbey Vollmer, a senior communication disorders science major, was given the coconut at the end of the night.

Vollmer was very proud of her accomplishment.

Vollmer came out with a group of friends, and said that they had fun dancing together at Bennett’s show.

“I really liked his stage presence and just how he was as a person,” Vollmer said.

She said that since she is a part of a sorority, she was happy to be able to go out with people in different age groups and have a good time together.

She also thanked the university board, the organization that put the event together.

Kristal Munoz, a senior criminology/ criminal justice major, is the chair of Eastern’s university board.

Munoz said the entire process to bring Bennett to Eastern took about two months.

The process started when the board put out a poll on social media asking what students wanted to see, and the university board members noticed that students wanted more of a musical aspect.

After receiving that feedback, they looked into finding an artist that would cater to all audiences, Munoz said.

“It goes from step one of just finding interest, to making contracts, calling vendors, making sure we have production and everything that [satisfies] the concert that we’re trying to achieve,” Munoz said.

With the help of the student life center on campus, they were able to contact vendors. Student organizations ranked who they would want to see, and Party 101, the name of Bennett’s tour, ranked first among the student organizations.

“And from there, it was really pedal to the metal because we figured that he was going to have a break period in his

tour schedule,” Munoz said. “He’s coming from Chicago down to Indianapolis, and that’s right on track for us over the four days.”

After making sure everything was coordinated, Bennett was on his way to Eastern.

Munoz said it usually takes four to six months to book a concert, but with urgency and help, they were able to accomplish the task in two months.

Aside from working at the event, Munoz said that she enjoyed seeing all of the students smiling and interacting.

This was the first time since 2020 that Eastern has had a concert, Munoz said.

Being a part of the process was moti-

vating for her, she said.

“[It’s] really like one of my proudest moments here on university board,” Munoz said. “I’ve been a part of the board for almost three years now, and I didn’t get to experience a concert here.”

After the concert, Bennett signed autographs and took photos with fans.

Audience member Taylor Moralde was one of the people that took a photo and received an autograph from Bennett.

“It’s like a crazy feeling. That’s my childhood,” Moralde said. “I never expected that. That’s like a once in a lifetime experience. So it was pretty crazy.”

Cam’ron Hardy can be reached 581-2812 or at cahardy@eiu.edu.

BY CAM’RON HARDY | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

University board’s chair Kristal Munoz said the Matt Bennett Party 101 concert took roughly two months to book, half the time compared to the usual four to six months booking a concert takes, she said.

BY CAM’RON HARDY | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS Actor and DJ Matt Bennett, known best for his role of Robbie Shapiro in “Victorious,” performs at EIU Saturday.

Opinions

COLUMN

Educators need to be more valued

By Ellen Dooley Opinions Editor

There is a national shortage of teachers in America.

It has been the same thing we have been hearing since COVID-19 hit, and there seems to be no rebound.

It is because of one thing: teachers are not being valued as they should.

According to ZipRecruiter, a job search website, the average first year teacher salary in the state of Illinois is $42,467.

That is approximately $20.42 an hour.

The nationwide salary is higher than Illinois, but not by much. The nationwide average for first year teacher is $46,590.

Some of the highest paying cities for educators in Illinois include Batavia at $51,536 a year, Champaign at $48,140

COLUMN

a year and Chicago Heights at $48,032 a year.

Not going to lie, it was a little disappointing to see that I could possibly be making more working at a McDonald’s than in I would make in my first year of teaching.

But you know, I just spent three and a half years earning this degree. I guess that is cooler than breaking the ice cream machine.

Now as a college recruiter or teacher of pre-teachers, how great does that sound?

A teenager flipping burgers for a living can make more than you and without paying for school or earning a degree.

Now, your salary moves up the more you teach, but it does not move quickly unless you start picking up more degrees or more certifications.

Now if you are barely making enough for loan, car, insurance or daily living expenses, how are you going to pick up another degree?

If you can barely pay off your current degree, how can you make more payments?

‘The

See how hard it is to get new teachers or people to finish out an education degree?

That is why some teachers adopt the phrases “work of heart” or “in it for the outcome, not income.”

Now, I am going to put this out there.

I am not in education for the money.

I knew that before coming into the field.

I know I am not going to be a billionaire being a special educator, but I would like to at least make car payments.

By Drew Coffey Columnist

I’ll start by saying that I am completely aware that this film is not fully accurate to the real story.

However, this film stands as one of the most entertainingly crafted and sharply made real-life biopics in the last 20 years.

Directed by David Fincher and released in 2010, the Oscar-winning “The Social Network” tells the slightly fictionalized story of how Facebook was created back in 2003.

Alongside that, it reveals the several legal obstacles that came as a result of its creation.

The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake and is based on the book “The Accidental Billionaires” by nonfiction author Ben Mezrich.

The book details the personal relationship between founder Mark Zuck -

erberg and his former friend and co-founder of Facebook Eduardo Saverin.

The film did not consult with anyone from Facebook before hitting the big screen, although Mezrich consulted Saverin to write the book it was based off.

With the film being based on a one-sided telling of the events, I knew to take the film’s presentation of the story with a grain of salt.

Despite this, David Fincher does a masterful job telling this very gripping and culturally significant story of Facebook’s creation.

To start, the first thing I can say about this film is that the dialogue is impeccable.

Written by Aaron Sorkin, the film has a mesmerizing and attention-grabbing flow to it.

Even when the characters are discussing subjects as confusing as coding or software design, the screenplay makes sure to simplify it for general audiences.

Sometimes, the dialogue feels like a constant ping-pong match of wordplay that heightens the progression of the

The cost of living is seeming to never go down.

The price of gas seems to never go down no matter the president.

But teaching is really a field of passion.

No matter the phrases to get you through the day, it really is a work of heart and soul.

“I know I am not going to be a billionaire being a special educator, but I would like to at least make car payments.”

- Ellen Dooley

You may work in a big district or have multiple degrees that get you the big bucks, but for rural American teacher that is rarely true. There needs to be more compensation for teachers and their work. They are literally educating the next generation.

Teachers are such a massive influence on children’s lives, and those kids often are inspired by their teachers. Without educators, who knows where the world would be.

Ellen Dooley can be reached at or 581-2812 or at emdooley@eiu.edu.

Social Network:’ nice guys finish last

creation of Facebook.

The film is also surprisingly funny, witty and sharp when it comes to the characters.

Mark Zuckerberg, played by Eisenberg, is a socially awkward, smug and at times even villainous character who teeters on the line between being completely frustrating and totally despicable.

The chemistry between Zuckerberg and Saverin, played by Garfield, is the highlight of the film for me.

The back-and-forth tension and overall outcome of their friendship create a poignant tale of betrayal.

Of course, the story is elevated with its true story details to make the film more entertaining, and entertaining it truly is.

I think this factor is credited to the extremely dynamic editing.

There is no dead space in this film that lessens the pacing or makes you disinterested in the characters.

I also think the addition of a new character like Sean Parker, the first president of Facebook, played by the famous pop singer Justin Timberlake, plays a crucial role in how the creation

of the immensely popular site became so deeply muddled inside the court system.

Now, referencing back to the first line of this review. Is the movie realistic and truthful?

Well, yes and no.

Like any biopic, the film takes many creative liberties to give a more cohesive plot.

But there are minor inaccuracies such as Zuckerberg’s reason for creating Facebook.

Overall, these factors don’t really change my view of the film.

It still gives a highly engaging and nuanced look into how a monumentally popular and innovative creation caused personal turmoil for most if not all of those involved.

I would go as far as saying that this film is one of those films you need to watch at least once in your life because of how culturally significant Facebook has become even 14 years later.

My overall rating: 4.5/5

Drew Coffey can be reached at 5812812 or at akcoffey@eiu.edu.

EIU softball swept its series over the weekend, winning all three of its games against the University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles.

ATHLETICS

EIU baseball, softball take home wins

By Gabe Newman & Luther Yoder Sports Reporter & Assistant Sports Editor| densportsdesk@gmail.com

EIU baseball won a three-game series over the weekend against the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Cougars, taking two out of three games at Coaches Stadium.

Both wins for the Panthers came on Saturday, as they won both games of a doubleheader.

Game one was a back-and-forth affair, with Eastern taking the lead in the fifth inning and holding on to win 8-7.

Junior right-handed pitcher Casey Perrenoud pitched five innings and earned his first win of the season.

Senior right-handed pitcher Jonathan Hanscom picked up his third save of the season, getting the last six outs of the game.

Game two looked like it was going to be a high scoring game after the first inning, when freshman right-handed pitcher Bryce Riggs allowed the Cougars to score four runs in the top of the first. Eastern countered with three runs of their own, and the offense tied the game in the bottom of the second inning and took the lead in the third.

The Panthers scored a run in every inning they batted in, and Riggs settled down after the first.

He and junior right-handed pitcher Lukas Touma combined to shut the Cougars out for the rest of the game. Riggs went 6.1 innings, tallying six

strikeouts, and Touma fanned five Cougar batters while not allowing a single baserunner. The Panthers won 13-4.

Eastern head coach Jason Anderson said on Saturday that he was happy for his team to be back on track in the Ohio Valley Conference, rattling off six straight wins after starting 0-5.

“After you get swept in the first three games at home, it’s a tough road,” Anderson said. “But they came back, dug themselves out and we’re fighting a lot better than we did earlier.”

It was a historic day for Anderson, who notched his 200th win in his managerial career at Eastern. He joined Bill McCabe, Tom McDevitt and Jim Schmitz as the only managers in Eastern history to accomplish such a milestone.

Anderson was unaware that he was close to 200 until after game two. He was informed via a Gatorade shower during his postgame remarks that he had accomplished the feat.

Game three on Sunday was an unremarkable one for the Panthers, as they struggled against Cougar junior starting pitcher Duncan McLaughlin.

He went 8.0 innings and only gave up three runs, all on one swing on a home run by sophomore third baseman Mike O’Connor. Eastern tacked on two runs late but lost 11-5.

The Panthers sit at an overall record of 11-20.

Their conference record of 6-6 sees them in a three-way tie for fourth place

in the OVC, with their next conference game being a three-game series this weekend in Arkansas, taking on the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

EIU softball was able to extend its lead in the Ohio Valley Conference after sweeping the series against the University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles.

Southern Indiana was second in the OVC behind Eastern before the series. The Screaming Eagles were 10-5 while the Panthers were 11-4.

Now, the Panthers are in first at 14-4 while Southern Indiana is fifth with a conference record of 10-8.

Game one was a pitchers’ duel between freshman McKenzie Oslanzi for Eastern and junior Josie Newman for Southern Indiana.

Oslanzi came out on top in this battle, with the Panthers winning 2-0.

Freshman infielder Karson Davey was the first to score, as she scored on an error in the fourth.

In the seventh, junior infielder, Briana Gonzalez scored on a sacrifice fly from sophomore infielder Kendall Grover.

Oslanzi pitched a complete game while striking out six, walking two and allowing four hits.

In game two, senior pitcher Olivia Price was in the circle.

She also pitched a complete game shutout, striking out six, walking two and allowing four hits.

The Panthers won the game 3-0 with RBIs from Oslanzi, senior outfielder

Aryn Henke and senior infielder Jadin Justman.

Game three was another rematch of game one with Oslanzi and Newman facing off.

Oslanzi came out on top again with the Panthers winning 6-1.

Oslanzi pitched another complete game with the one run that the Screaming Eagles scored being unallowed.

In this game, she had four strikeouts, one walk and eight hits allowed.

Grover was able to score two runs in the third with a two-run home run, and Oslanzi helped herself out with a threerun homer, also in the third.

Eastern got their sixth run in the seventh when utility player Emily Konkle scored on an error after a single from Henke.

In 14 innings of work over the series, Oslanzi allowed zero earned runs, had eight strikeouts and allowed 12 hits. She also had four RBIs. Her record improved to 18-3, first in the OVC, and her ERA dropped to 1.44, also first in the OVC.

Grover had four hits and three RBIs, which puts her sixth in OVC in OPS with 1.019 and 14th in batting average 0.346.

EIU’s softball’s next series is a doubleheader against Valparaiso University on Wednesday, who is 8-27.

The Sports Staff can be reached at 581-2812 or at densportsdesk@

FILE PHOTO | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Eastern women’s tennis headed to OVC

By Patrick Schmitz Sports Reporter | pfschmitz@eiu.edu

The EIU men’s and women’s tennis teams have had a difficult year, having a transition in coaches between the fall and winter season. However, the women’s team is now ready to compete in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

The men’s team was not able to qualify for the Horizon League tournament, but the women’s team is ready for the postseason after winning only one game all year long.

“If you can put together a solid week at the OVC tournament, you can still win the conference and qualify for the NCAA tournament,” head coach Robin Cambier said. “That’s kind of why we haven’t really talked about any results and not even have talked about the tournament yet because no matter who we play or what seed we are, you’ve got to still win three matches.”

The women’s team has only one win as a team, but they have seen some solo success.

Sophomore Aleyla Wooten won the OVC player of the week award twice already, first on March 27 and again on April 9.

“After I got two player of the weeks, it just showed that the hard work that I’ve been doing in practice and out of practice has really been paying off,” Wooten said.

This year, the women’s tennis team saw many new players join. Senior Addison Brown is one of only three other players returning from last year.

As a senior leader, she said she had to hold everyone accountable, as there was no head coach for the first three meets.

“It was a pretty brand new team this year, so it’s been really cool to see just as the matches go on,” Brown said, “You go through some bad days; sometimes girls are crying, and the other teammates are there to lift each other up. Everything just counts in that.”

Brown is also the only senior on the team.

She has been at Eastern for all four years and is excited for her final OVC tournament.

“I know I have more to do, and I still hope for the best for this team,” Brown said. “Even though it’s been a rough year, I think we still have a really good

chance to go far. So, I don’t think it’s really registered that it’s about to be over because it’s not over in my head yet.”

Eastern is looking to make up for a rough season and finish strong.

The Panthers have had many injuries over the year, but they have been looking to get better all year and be fully healthy for the OVC tournament.

“The way that our conference is set up, we can keep focusing on getting better throughout the whole season,” Cambier said. “We’ve kind of been unlucky with injuries and sickness, but overall I think the girls have improved a lot. Now, I would really love to have a fully healthy lineup by the OVC tournament.”

Eastern is the sixth seed and will face the third seed, the University of Southern Indiana, on Friday at 3 p.m. in the first round of the OVC tournament.

Patrick Schmitz can be reached at 581-2812 or at pfschmitz@eiu. edu.

Panthers of the Week

The female Panther of the Week is going to

Aldridge from the track team.

The senior distance runner from Crystal Lake set the second-best time in program history for the women’s 5,000-meter run during the Azusa Pacific Invite in Azusa, California.

Aldridge ended with a time of 16:59.23, and she finished the race in 23rd place out of 78 runners.

Aldridge also finished in 83rd place out of 190 runners in the 1,500-meter run. Aldridge finished with a new personal best time of 4:45.39.

The male Panther of the Week is going to

the track team.

The senior distance runner from Palatine put his name in the record books for the 5,000-meter run during the Azusa Pacific Invite in Azusa, California.

Jacobo finished with a time of 14:15.18, which is the eighth fastest time in program history.

Jacobo also finished in 57th place out of 132 runners in the 1,500-meter run. Jacobo finished with a new personal best time of 3:52.75.

Mackenzie

MACKENZIE ALDRIDGE

Richie Jacobo from

RICHIE JACOBO

BY SIA DEYKOONTZ | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS Sophomore Aleyla Wooten looks to help Eastern succeed in the OVC tournament. Wooten has gotten OVC player of the week twice so far this season.

BY SIA DEYKOONTZ | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

EIU women’s tennis will travel to St. Louis, Missouri, to compete in the OVC tournament on Friday at 3 p.m.

Malone, Gibson enter transfer portal

By Zaria Flippin Sports Editor | zhflippin@eiu.edu

The transfer portal for men’s and women’s NCAA Division I basketball opened on March 18.

Since then, two Panthers from the men’s team have put their names in the transfer portal.

Sincere Malone

The sophomore forward from Chicago publicly announced his decision to enter the transfer portal on Instagram on March 25.

Malone entered the transfer portal with two years of eligibility.

While at Eastern for two years, Malone recorded 234 points, 192 rebounds, 61 steals, 45 assists and 16 blocks.

As of Sunday, Malone has not committed to a new school.

Jaylin Gibson

The junior guard from Evanston publicly announced his decision to enter the transfer portal on Instagram in the afternoon of April 3.

“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity I had at EIU,” Gibson wrote in the post.

Gibson entered the transfer portal with Gibson transferred into Eastern for the 2023-2024 season.

Gibson recorded 76 points, 60 rebounds, 40 assists, 13 steals and two blocks during the season.

Gibson has yet to commit to another school.

Both Malone and Gibson helped the Panthers end the 2023-2024 season with a 1418 record and secure a spot in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament for the first time in five years.

At the end of the 2022-2023 season, eight players entered the transfer portal, in-

cluding Malone.

Ultimately, Malone decided to come back to Eastern to play another year.

After the 2023-2024 season, the team has a few players who are still unsure of their status of staying or entering the transfer portal.

As of Sunday, 10 players from the OVC have entered themselves into the transfer portal.

University of Tennessee at Martin currently has the most players in the transfer portal with five.

At the moment, Eastern has two players entering the transfer portal. Tennessee State University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Morehead State University all have one player entering the transfer portal.

At the end of the 2022-2023 season, the OVC had 37 men’s basketball players enter the portal and transfer out of their respective programs.

Eastern had the most players leave the program that year with seven: CJ Lane, Paul Bizimana, Cameron Haffner, Kinyon Hodges, Nick Ellington, Kyle Carlesimo and Kyle Thomas.

Lindenwood University, Morehead State, Southeast Missouri State University and SIUE all had five players leave their respective programs.

Tennessee Tech University and UT Martin each had four players leave, and Tennessee State had two players leave their respective programs.

Because collegiate basketball is considered a winter sport in the NCAA, athletes that play a winter sport that enter the transfer portal have a 60-day transfer window, as it begins with the given sport’s championship selection.

The transfer portal closes May 1.

Zaria Flippin can be reached at 5812812 or zhflippin@eiu.edu.

By Gabe Newman Sports Reporter | ghnewman@eiu.edu

In baseball, things don’t always go to plan.

When EIU baseball head coach Jason Anderson told freshman right-handed pitcher Slater Wilcox that he’d be a redshirt his freshman year, Wilcox used that as his motivation to improve.

“My mindset was, ‘I’m going to get my redshirt revoked. I’m going to play,’” Wilcox said.

After an abundance of injuries in a short period of time, the pitching staff was starting to thin out.

The breaking point was the series finale

versus University of Dayton on March 17, a game that the Panthers lost 17-11 after walking 16 Dayton hitters.

Anderson knew it was time to make a change, and Wilcox was all for getting a chance to pitch, even if it meant burning his redshirt year.

“I wanna play,” Wilcox said. “I’m here at EIU to play baseball.”

Wilcox got to make his first collegiate appearance as the starting pitcher in the game against the Lindenwood University Lions on March 19.

He pitched five innings, allowing no runs and striking out six batters.

Along with those statistics, Wilcox earned his first career win as well, as the Panthers beat the Lions 20-9.

“It was his time to come help us out,” Anderson said after the Lindenwood game.

Wilcox had a dominant senior season at Eureka High School, just up the road from his hometown of Goodfield.

According to Maxpreps, Wilcox had an earned run average of 0.94 in just 35 innings during his junior and senior years of high school.

During his senior year of high school, Wilcox only gave up six earned runs all season and had 68 strikeouts while allowing only 16 walks.

Despite his offensive production throughout high school, Wilcox decided to give it up and focus on pitching at the college level.

“I’m not opposed to hitting still. I mean that would be awesome to hit,” Wilcox said. “Right now, I’m gonna focus on pitching. I think it would be best for me and for the team.”

Wilcox said his coaches and teammates at Eureka helped him get to the next level of baseball.

“My coaches honestly really pushed me to play college baseball,” Wilcox said. “My love for the game really stemmed from them.”

Since his debut at Eastern, Wilcox has made two more appearances.

He pitched an inning of scoreless ball against Southeast Missouri State University on March 24 and started the final game of the series against the University of Tennessee at Martin on March 30.

In that start, Wilcox went 5.2 innings giving up three earned runs, as the Panthers came back to win 8-4.

Despite the pitching injuries, Wilcox said he doesn’t feel the need to put any pressure on himself but welcomes the pressure when it does come.

“When I pitch, I’m just going out there loose, ready to compete and having fun,” Wilcox said. “I love the pressure. I love when it’s on me. That’s what we train for, and I think those are the moments when I play best.”

Gabe Newman can be reached at 5812812 or at ghnewman@eiu.edu.

FILE PHOTO | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

Sophomore forward Sincere Malone (5) recorded 234 points, 192 rebounds, 61 steals, 45 assists and 16 blocks in his time at EIU. Junior guard Jaylin Gibson recorded 76 points, 60 rebounds, 40 assists, 13 steals and two blocks during his season at EIU.