The Leader -- October 25, 2022 Issue

BY Abbey

MIDTERM ELECTIONS CAN SHAKE UP ILLINOIS: WHAT

NEED TO KNOW BEFORE NOV. 8

Alyssa Padilla (she/her) Staff Writer

As the Nov. 8 midterm election draws near, the race for governor in Illinois is heating up. Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker is up against Senator Darren Bailey, a republican from Louisville, Illinois.

During the first of two gubernatorial debates, the candidates took very different positions on issues concerning Illinois. The subjects of the debates between the two include education, women’s rights, public safety, and taxes have all been.

So, how does each candidate plan to address these issues?

At Elmhurst University, the cost of higher ed ucation affects us all. Both candidates shared how they planned to make education more affordable.

Bailey shared that his plan was to reduce ad ministrative “bloat” in state schools, meaning less money to school officials. Pritzker shared that he has increased investments being made in higher education, as well as an increase in Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants.

Following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe. V. Wade, the topic of abortion has been an important issue to many voters during this election period.

Governor J.B. Pritzker stated that he believes the law we have allowing abortions before fetal viability should be kept in place.

“I have spent my life fighting for women’s rights...and as long as I’m governor we’re going to protect them,” said Pritzker.

Bailey’s response to whether abortions would become banned in Illinois was “nothing’s go

ing to change when I’m governor, I couldn’t change them if I could.”

Bailey’s stance on abortion per his campaign website is that he is, “Proudly pro-life and will always stand up to protect the rights of the unborn.”

The Safety, Accountability, Fairness, and Equi ty Today Act - also referred to as the SAFE-T Act - was signed into law by Pritzker and is planned to take effect Jan. 1, 2023. The act has been met with criticism from Bailey as well as some Illinois residents.

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INTERNET PHOTO

Ryan Windle

When given the chance to elaborate on chang es that can be made to gain more approval for the act, Pritzker stated, “I think there are clarifications that can be made in the law to make sure that everyone understands what this law is about.”

Bailey followed this by stating that he would repeal the SAFE-T Act but didn’t state further what he intended to replace it with.

On the topic of gun control, Bailey is an ad vocate for the right to bear arms and believes

the answers to gun control issues in Illinois are to repeal the SAFE-T act and educate those opposed to gun rights. Pritzker has stated he will ban assault style weapons in Illinois but has yet to do so.

Fees and taxes in Illinois have seen an increase since 2018, and many are wondering what the candidates will do to halt this increase.

Pritzker shared that if budgets continue to be balanced then tax cuts could become per manent. He plans to tax the wealthy more by

WHO DO YOU WANT TO WIN THE 2022 GOVERNOR RACE IN ILLINOIS?

closing corporate loopholes. Bailey’s response to increasing taxes was, “zero based budgeting and dealing with the property taxes.”

When students at Elmhurst asked if they in tended to vote, some shared that they didn’t feel informed enough to vote, while others did plan on voting.

“I am planning on voting in the midterm elec tion,” said senior Isabella Herrera. “Personally, I always vote democrat.”

In a poll hosted by The Leader 74 percent of Elmhurst University community members said that they want current Democratic governor J.B. Pritzker to be re-elected on Nov. 8. 13 percent want Republican candidate Darren Bailey to win, and 13 percent want other candidates to win. However, 84 percent of participants believe that Pritzker will be re-elect ed, while only six percent believe that Bailey will win. Ten percent of participants suggested other can didates or stated that they did not lean a certain way.

WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN THE 2022 GOVERNOR RACE IN ILLINOIS?

In the 31 people polled, the most critical issues brought up were abortion, womens reproductive rights, and the SAFE-T acts. Some also believed that LGBTQ+ rights are critical, especially in regards to trans health care and rights.

Some pollers stated that no candidate is their ideal pick, and expressed concerns no matter what the result will be. “This feels like the most torn our state has been in an election and people are acting selfish in what they want the outcome to be,” stated one poller.

Another poller stated, “I may not vote simply because of how disgusted I am with the incumbent administration.”

This poll is similar to most polls ahead of the midterms, with many people in Illinois preferring a Priztker re-election over Bailey taking over.

JAYS ON THE STREET

Miguel Flojo (he/him) Staff Writer

With this latest edition of Jays on the Street, we asked three different students three different questions to see what exactly is happening on campus.

Have you ever been swayed by what a candidate said in a politi cal debate? Why or why not?

“Yeah, I think when Biden was running for Pres ident he [was] saying things of trying to give transgenders back their rights while Trump on the other hand was trying to take them away, so I think the inclusive language and really including the pronouns is what swayed me.”

Are you nervous about the elec tion results? Why or why not?

“Not really, I feel like I’ve seen enough elections to know that it’s not going to change much.”

What has been the scari est thing about this elec tion season for you? Why?

“The fact that there are still no good political can didates out there.”

Julia Staiano/Sophomore/(She/Her)

Sufyan Khan/Freshman/(He/Him)

Kyle Orczykowski/Junior/(He/Him)

PHOTOS BY Miguel Flojo (he/him)

ASSAULT CRIMES HEIGHTEN ON EU CAMPUS

Emmy Shaffer (she/her) News Editor

On Elmhurst University’s campus in 2021, there were 11 recorded instances of assault and many instances of stalking and dating violence, ac cording to the annual Security and Fire Safety Report. One case came to Public Safety, and two cases went to the Title IX Office.

An email sent to EU students on Oct. 1 ex plained that statistical data is recorded from the previous three calendar years on security and safety policies and crime prevention tips on campus; in other words, this report includes data from 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Other offenses in the report included liquor and drug law violations.

Title IX Coordinator, Cortney Matuszak, feels that students have become more comfort able in reporting assaults due to the campus making efforts to increase education on these topics and assisting students in getting the help they need.

“I believe numbers have increased not nec essarily because the amount of assaults have increased, but rather because students are feeling more comfortable in reporting these situations to the school,” said Matuszak in an email to The Leader.

They continued, “We’ve worked hard to increase education and awareness through our annu al Everfi Sexual Harassment and Prevention trainings, guest lecturing to every FYS section on Interpersonal Violence, and presenting to each athletics team multiple times throughout the school year.”

“This dedication and ongoing outreach efforts are helping to educate students on what con stitutes sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and stalking, which helps them to identify if they or a friend have experienced it and gain the help and support they may need,” said Matuszak.

All EU students are required to complete Everfi training to maintain a welcoming and safe campus and are required by the State of Illinois for university and college students.

Some EU students have felt that this has made them more aware and to be cautious of their surroundings.

“I’m really shocked that this has happened on campus,” said EU student Ellison Michaels.

“This has made me more aware and diligent about making sure I’m safe around campus.”

The Executive Director of Public Safety, John Escalante, explained the advantages of con tacting public safety if a student is experi encing assault or anything of that nature, and how they or the Title IX Office can issue a no

contact order.

“There are a couple of advantages to either coming to public safety or Title IX is that one thing we can do, if it’s another student that’s on campus, is issue a no contact order,” said Escalante.

He continued, “Which means absolutely no contact whatsoever. No conversation, no so cial media, text, or third party, so you couldn’t have a friend go talk to that person on your behalf. A violation of the contact rule could have some very severe consequences.”

If a student is assaulted and needs resources to help them, the Title IX Office can assist and determine what the best course of action is for them if they choose to go that route.

Students can also contact the YWCA Metropol itan Chicago if they experience sexual assault or know someone that has. They provide free counseling, medical options, and review their Title IX rights. The YWCA hotline is 888-2932080 and is available 24/7.

The Elmhurst Hospital Emergency Department and Elmhurst Hospital provide free medical exams for survivors and are confidential to those who make an appointment. They are open seven days a week and can be reached at 331-221-1000.

Public safety office located behind Lehmann Hall.

PHOTO BY Numair Younus (he/him)

ELMHURST UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY EXPRESSES APPRECIATION FOR HSI GRANT

Adriana Briscoe (she/her) Opinions Editor

When Vice President of Equity and Inclusion Bruce King found out that Elmhurst Univer sity was awarded a $3.4 million grant, he felt affirmed for the work he did as part of the Title V Grant Working Group that created the proposal for the grant.

“It never hurts to bring in a $3.4 million grant, so it’s exciting,” King said.

Professor Beatriz Gomez-Acuña, who was also part of the Title V Grant Working Group, felt similarly.

“I felt validated that the State Board of Education believed in our vision for our Hispanic/Latino and underserved students,” said Gomez-Acuña in an email to The Leader.

The grant — which EU became eligible to apply for after being designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution — will be used to support Hispanic/ Latino and underserved students and create

a Center for Excellence and Achievement.

King described the vision for the Center for Excellence and Achievement as a “safe, soft landing” that can connect students and their families with the services they need.

King added that the center will not replace ex isting services — rather, it will serve as a place for students to get quick questions answered and be able to receive some academic and social support services.

King also noted that the center will serve as a space for students and their families to physically gather for community events. He said it will likely include a kitchen and be a space that can, “make a bridge for families and communities.”

According to an announcement sent by Pres ident Troy VanAken on Oct. 7, other goals of the grant include building upon the first-year seminar program, hiring additional staff, pro viding faculty training for incorporating cultural knowledge into curriculums, and establishing

funding for “high impact” opportunities like study away, internships, research, and service learning.

Professor Beatriz Gomez-Acuña explained the benefits of funding high-impact programs for Hispanic/Latino and underserved students in an email to The Leader.

“This grant will ease the financial burden and allow more students to benefit from these transformative academic opportunities,” Go mez-Acuña said.

EU junior Adrian Cortez expressed content ment with the grant. As a member of the Latinx community, he felt the grant was a good step forward in creating a more welcoming envi ronment for Hispanic/Latino students.

“Having that grant be an option now, I feel included,” Cortez said. “I feel that the school makes members of the Latinx community [feel] as though they matter.”

PHOTO BY Numair Younus (he/him)

Lehmann Hall, the central point for Diversity and Inclusion events.

CRIMEAN BRIDGE EXPLOSION CREATES MORE TENSION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

Eve Hvarre (she/her) Staff Writer

On Oct. 5 an explosion on the Crimean Bridge, which connects the territory to Russia, critically damaged much of the structure.

Despite Ukraine denying any involvement, the Russian government was angered, and has since increased its attacks on Ukraine.

Hundreds of missiles and drones have hit areas across the Ukraine Nation, damaging many civilian areas and multiple power and energy facilities.

Ukraine is currently facing a loss to 40 percent of its electrical power and has government officials scheduling “blackouts” in an attempt to conserve what power they have left.

As Ukraine and the world react to Russia’s recent attacks, many countries are coming to Ukraine’s aid, including the United States.

President Biden approved another $725 million in military aid and will be providing Ukrainian forces with more weaponry and ammunition.

While many countries are in support of Ukraine, countries like Iran are offering their support to Russia.

Iranian drones were used by Russia to attack Ukraine during the last weeks. The “kamikaze” drones have caused damage to facilities and civilians alike.

In response to the recent drone identification, the European Union is planning to impose sanctions on Iranian military leaders and the Iranian country.

Amongst all of this, on Oct. 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law introducing martial law in four Ukrainian regions that Rus sia claims to have annexed. The four regions include Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk.

This martial law would allow the Russian Kremlin to impose curfews, seize property, imprison undocumented immigrants, establish check points, detain people for up to 30 days, and forcibly resettle residents to another region.

Putin already planned to resettle residents,

and wants to move up to 60,000 citizens from the frontlines in the Kherson region.

Putin has also already ordered the formation of territorial defense forces, a form of civilian militia, that could cause some Ukraine citizens to have to fight against their fellow Ukrainians.

As things continue to progress, the ongoing war is affecting more than just those involved. It is affecting much of the entire world.

Companies like BP, Shell, Exxon, and many others have withdrawn, or are in the process of withdrawing, from Russia.

The already high prices on oil, gasoline, food, and many other products are going to continue to rise as the war continues to affect inflation rates across the globe.

“Sociopolitical events like this war not only affect folks in the general vicinity, but because the U.S. and other western nations are at the least partially reliant on Russian energy and Ukrainian’s wheat harvest, everyone, even

Elmhurst University students, have and will continue to feel the negative effects in higher gas prices, and inflated grocery prices.” said Elmhurst University professor Scott Braam.

As the effects are being felt and the violence of the war is increasing again, many across campus are taking notice.

“I think it’s vital to know and understand what is going on,” said first year student Alex Rodgers. “Even if it’s not directly affecting us [yet], we need to be aware of what’s going on in other countries.”

Students and staff alike are continuing to keep up with the events as the outcomes are still uncertain.

“I think there will be a lot of uncertainty and lack of closure to this war,” said professor Timothy Hazen. “There are three possible scenarios: Ukraine wins, Russia wins, or the sides navi gate some peace agreement in the middle.”

INTERNET PHOTO

Person in front of Crimean Bridge explosion.

“OUT AND FAITHFUL” EVENT BRINGS LGBTQIA+ AND FAITH COMMUNITIES TOGETHER

Adriana Briscoe (she/her) Opinions Editor

A 72-year-old woman wearing a rainbow head band and a blouse that said “cisn’t” stepped up to the front of the room and grabbed the microphone.

“Hi, my name is Dani Keil,” she said. “I’m a transgender woman. My pronouns are she and her. My question is in regards to safe spaces. I very much do appreciate being here, because I do feel like this is a safe space.”

Keil said this at a gathering called “Out and Faithful: A Multi-Faith Celebration of LGBTQIA+ Spirituality and Call to Advocacy” on Oct. 11, National Coming Out Day, in the Hammer schmidt Memorial Chapel.

Elmhurst University community members congregated to affirm queer people of faith and honor Elmhurst alumnus Rev. William R. Johnson, the first openly gay person to be ordained by the United Church of Christ.

Additionally, the diversity of the stories and opinions shared by both speakers and audi ence members alike showed attendees that there are many different ways one can live as out and faithful.

Keil’s moment in the spotlight stood out to EU sophomore Emerson Azcoitia, president and founder of Above and Beyond, a progressive Christian organization on campus that aims to offer a safe space for queer people of faith.

“I loved her,” Azcoitia said. “I absolutely loved her…it’s really important in the trans community to see elders. ‘Cause oftentimes, you don’t see that.”

Azcoitia continued, “You don’t see older trans people, and it’s really heartwarming to see someone talk about her transition and her journey and not really subscribing to the gender stereotype or subscribing to a stereotype of trans people … so I really did love her.”

The gathering included a panel of six speak ers belonging to various queer and religious communities, followed by a Q&A.

During the Q&A, Keil asked the speakers what their first experiences were like with finding

a safe space to be themselves and how to make the world a better place so people of all identities can find a safe space.

Keil is a partner from HOPE United Church of Christ in Naperville and facilitates Rainbow Faith, a discussion group at the church that talks about faith issues and offers guidance to LGBTQ+ people who have experienced difficul ties at churches that are not LGBTQ+ friendly.

She expressed that the topic of safe spaces is near and dear to her heart.

“That’s one thing that I think about a real, real lot is safe spaces and places where people who identify as either transgender or as other members of the LGBTQ+ community can be safe being themselves,” Keil said in an interview with The Leader. “And it’s one of the things that led me to HOPE in the first place and is something that I think is very, very vital to any member of the community.”

EU senior Grace Wadsworth, president of the Spiritual Life Council, felt that there were benefits of hearing from older LGBTQ+ people at the event.

“Having educated and experienced adults and leaders in religious communities come togeth er for one goal and to spread their different experiences and knowledge and expertise on the topic of just the intersect area between religion and sexuality, gender, all those things, is really important to me,” Wadsworth said.

Rev. Shawna Bowman, pastor at Friendship Presbyterian Church and executive director at Friendship Community Place, was a panel speaker at the event and mentioned their

interest in exploring such intersections.

“I think there has often been a sense of division between religious communities and LGBTQ communities and for good reason — some religious spaces have been really exclusive and harmful to queer folk,” Bowman said. They continued, “But the reality is that there have been queer folk in the church and in other religious communities since their inception, and so any time we are doing a conversation or exploration at the intersection of those, I’m really excited to be part of it.”

Dr. Pamela Lightsey, vice president of academ ic affairs at Meadville Lombard Theological School and associate professor of constructive theology, was also a panel speaker and shared that the content of the event was meaningful to her personally.

“As a queer lesbian woman, I’m interested in the liberation of all oppressed people, and the fact that this was being held at the university was very special to me,” Lightsey said.

Elmhurst alumnus Rev. Sarah Lohrbach, a support staff member from the Illinois Con ference of the United Church of Christ, led the coordination of the event and felt that gatherings like this one are important for queer people of faith.

“We need to be that voice as people of faith that sound out a different message than what people are hearing,” Lohrbach said. “Because we’re here. People of faith who affirm and celebrate LGBTQ persons and their journeys, we’re here, and we exist, and we need to be a louder voice than we are.”

PHOTO BY Adriana Briscoe (she/her)

Panelists in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel for Out and Faithful: A Multi-Faith Celebration of LGBTQIA+ Spirituality and Call to Advocacy.

CHICAGO

DISH: EU SERVES UP CELEBRITY CHEFS TO DISCUSS ADVOCACY AND CHALLENGE

Emmy Shaffer (she/her) News Editor

Elmhurst University held Chicago Dish: A Chefs Roundtable panel which featured ce lebrity chefs Rick Bayless, Stephanie Izard, and Beverly Kim in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel on Oct. 6.

The event was moderated by Monica Eng, a veteran reporter at Axios Chicago that spe cializes in food, health, and culture.

To begin the evening, President Troy VanAken welcomed the audience to the event and announced this year’s cultural season theme, “The Legacy We Leave: Doing Well, Doing Good, Investing in the Future,” which highlights philanthropic impact and creating a culture of generosity and hope.

VanAken explained that these chefs have demonstrated this theme throughout their careers.

Monica Eng, the moderator for the evenings panel, asked each of the chefs questions about their career, such as their philanthropy, what the restaurant business was like during the COVID-19 lockdown, and what inspires them professionally.

Rick Bayless, known for winning Bravo’s Top Chef Masters and Chicago restaurants Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, created the Frontera Farmer Foundation. This foundation promotes small, sustainable farms serving the Chicago land area, and Impact Culinary Training, which helps adults from the west side of Chicago get experience in the restaurant business.

Stephanie Izard owns five restaurants in Chica

go and was named Iron Chef in 2017 and Top Chef in 2008. Izard is board chair of Equality Should Be Normal, an anti-racism group that provides educational opportunities and assists people in need.

Beverly Kim competed on Top Chef in 2011 and co-owns the Michelin-starred Parachute and Wherewithall restaurants in Chicago.

Being one of the very few female chefs and owners, Kim created the nonprofit organiza tion The Abundance Setting, which addresses gender inequality in the culinary field.

In conjunction with the panel, EU sorority Phi Mu conducted a food drive to be donated to the Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry.

At the end of the lecture, audience members were able to ask the chefs questions and pur chase a cookbook to have signed by the chefs.

PHOTO BY Emmy Shaffer (she/her)

Panelists in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel for Chicago Dish: A Chefs Roundtable.

“WEREWOLF BY NIGHT” SCREAMS AS A TOP STREAMING SPECIAL THIS FALL

Gabriel E. Galindo (he/him) Staff Writer

The MCU scores a fresh new hit with its Disney Plus Halloween Special, “Werewolf by Night,” directed by Michael Giacchino and starring Gael Garcia Bernal as the title character.

Well-known for his iconic music scores from films such as “The Batman,” “Jurassic World,”

“Rogue One,” and “The Incredibles” among others, this one-hour special is Giacchino’s first major experience as a director, calling it an “incredibly challenging process,” but one that he loved and enjoyed.

This was Marvel Studio’s first-ever special presentation, focusing on a character that is not a superhero, but a monster.

Before Stan Lee assembled his superhero uni verse, Marvel Comics told atomic-age monster stories in titles such as “Tales of Suspense” and “Amazing Fantasy.” Surprisingly, these monster tales would serve as starting points for the superhero origins

For example, Hank Pym, the first Ant-Man, originally starred in a horror story as a shrunk en-down scientist running for his life from ants.

“The Incredible Hulk,” presented as a monster at first and was inspired by “Frankenstein” and “Dr. Jekyll, and Mr. Hyde.”

These types of stories died down due to cen sorship and the rise of Marvel’s Superhero age in the ‘60s. It wasn’t until the ‘70s that Marvel Studios got back into horror.

With the introduction of villains such as Ag atha Harkness and Morbius, and censorship loosening its grip on comics, writers began to create supernatural horror stories.

These feature characters such as the plant-like Man-Thing, Blade the Vampire Hunter, and Jack Russell, the Werewolf by Night. Russell went on adventures fighting characters such as the Living Mummy, Count Dracula, and even Moon Knight.

However, none of these characters would be adapted to the screens until the late 90s and early 2000s, with the introduction of Morbius and Blade in “Spiderman: The Animated Series”

(1994) and the latter’s titular “Blade Trilogy” (1998-2004).

After that, most of the concepts for marvel horror adaptations went to development hell, until now.

In the streaming special, Jack Russell is por trayed by Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal. Bernal’s interpretation of the character is that of an experienced monster hunter, and monster, who understands and accepts his alter ego, a contrast to most known werewolf horror stories.

Bernal has even read the character’s comic books and watched werewolf films, in addition to researching the mythology behind werewolves.

“I started to investigate a little bit and started to place it also in a kind of a sociological anthropological maybe kind of archetype of society, and where do they fit?” Bernal stated in a video chat with Marvel.com.

Aside from Bernal’s lycanthropic predator, there’s another Marvel monster hidden in the special, one that comic book fans will be thrilled to see on screen.

The plot of this 55-minute special revolves around a group of monster hunters invited for a ceremonial kill-or-be-killed hunt that would determine them, owners of a mystic MacGuffin, known as the Bloodstone.

Under Giacchino’s direction, the special made great use of references and special effects done in the classic Universal Monsters era, with a black and white filter, a vintage opening title, a terrifying soundtrack composed by the director himself, and werewolf makeup that echoes the one used in 1941’s “The Wolfman.”

Yet, with all of these effects, the story of Russell in this monster hunt will make you sympathize more with the monsters than the humans themselves, playing on the question of who’s the real “monster” in this horror tale.

After all, this is Marvel we’re talking about.

Their monsters tend to become heroes in their nature like the Incredible Hulk and the Thing, giants who look terrifying in appearance yet have a voice and identity that connects with

readers and watchers alike.

This applies to Bernal’s interpretation of the character, touching on the themes of family legacy and tradition, both as a monster and a monster hunter himself.

Werewolf by Night truly defines and embodies Marvel’s horror underworld hidden from the metropolitan super heroics and intergalactic adventures seen in current films and television.

It can only be hoped that the tone used here will be applied to future works, such as the Blade reboot currently in development for the future phases of the MCU.

It is refreshing to see Marvel expand their content and genre beyond heroes and aliens.

One can even hope to see these characters crossover with other known characters in later phases, possibly creating the successful shared cinematic universe that Universal failed to adapt with “The Mummy” reboot.

“Werewolf by Night” premiered on Oct. 10 and is only available to watch on Disney Pluss.

GRAPHIC BY Rachel Fratt (she/her)

CLICK THE LIKE BUTTON AND SUBSCRIBE, KWON EUN BI IS BACK WITH ANOTHER MINI ALBUM

Ryan Windle (they/he) Editor-in-Chief

On Oct. 12, ex-IZ*ONE member KWON EUN BI released her third solo mini album, “Lethality.”

KWON EUN BI had a lot of pressure on her back to see if she could top her second mini-album “Color,” which was released in April of this year. “Glitch” caused a shift in K-Pop; now, KWON EUN BI is taking listeners “Underwater.”

This song’s start is reminiscent of a YouTube instrumental from 2014. The marimba/chime has the same melodic beat that was present in the mini-albums instrumental introduction, “WAVE.”

However, I wish the instrumentals that carried “WAVE” were the ones present in “Underwater.”

“WAVE” was powerful and almost took listeners underwater with it. The double bass, violins, snare drums, and electric guitars, made for this epic introduction to “Lethality.” When the simple marimba started “Underwater,” I felt like I had been tricked.

It is so simple. At the beginning of the song, KWON EUN BI is just vocalizing — to go along with the song’s theme of a siren taking its lover under the sea, it really made you focus on the underwhelming beats.

I wish there was a build of the instrumentals. Starting with the marimba beat, then adding the strings, the guitar, and finally, the drums would have made more of an impact for the start of this song.

The song’s structure was all over the place. Being experimental with the layout of the song is not an issue, but building on a song throughout, just to cut it short, takes away from what the song could be.

With the pre-chorus then getting into the chorus, the song builds to distract from the copyright-free marimba that has been annoy ing throughout, but there still is not enough to make the song feel as grand as “WAVE” made it seem like it would be.

Typical synth beats, with some electric chimes to add dimension, are what power through the chorus. KWON EUN BI sings, “My voice

sweeps you away like possessed, pull to the bottom of the ocean.”

KWON EUN BI is right, her voice always will sweep me away; however, the instrumentals are way too loud in the chorus, and it almost is hard to hear her sing at all.

After the first chorus, there is a brief pause, which initially I thought signaled the song’s true start. The song’s first and only real verse has the introduction of drums, but even with this new instrument, my ears still only can hear the marimba.

The chorus follows again and then to my surprise, we are at the bridge. The bridge is the best part of the song instrumentally-wise, with this electric piano stripped down carry ing KWON EUN BI and listeners even further underwater.

The chime also disappeared for a moment, which really made the bridge stand out from the rest of the song.

The final chorus is almost the exact same as the two prior, with no drama really added to distinguish that this was the final moment of the song.

“Underwater” felt rushed. There were no moments for listeners to take in the music — it was like we were at an Olympic 100m freestyle, just having to push through. The song’s instrumentals are what really let it down. It felt like I was watching a beauty tutorial, or “RuPaul’s Drag Race” spoiler video. It just was generic, and there were barely any extra additions to make the song stand out.

It is a disappointment to have the lead single for this mini-album be her worst. It is an okay song, but I was expecting more.

While “Underwater” made me want to drown, she made sure that the rest of the mini-album was her best work to date.

“Croquis” is “Glitch” backward. Using the same instrumentals as her old song, it takes the hyper-pop sound that listeners may know KWON EUN BI for, and elevated it in a darker way.

“Simulation” is the perfect video game smooth jazz song that everyone needs in their life. This song is definitely the most unique out of the mini-album — and the best. The seamless blend between jazz and techno-pop is out of this world.

While there was no “Lethality” in the song’s lead single, the rest of this mini-album is deadly and worth listening to if, like me, “Glitch” has been your song of 2022.

INTERNET PHOTO

ALEENA’S A-LIST

Aleena Antony (she/her) Staff Writer

#PutTheMaskBackOn

Dream is a 23-year-old Minecraft YouTuber whose online presence has been shrouded in complete anonymity since he began posting on YouTube in 2014. During the pandemic, Dream gained a large following, with his YouTube channel now having 31 million subscribers.

On Sept. 19, Dream teased a face reveal on his YouTube community tab. On Oct. 2, Dream finally revealed what was behind the mask in

the video “Hi, I’m Dream.” Within one hour of being uploaded, the video garnered 1.1 million views, and the video now has 42 million views.

On the day of the reveal, the hashtag #Dream FaceReveal trended number one in the United States on Twitter. His first selfie on Twitter accumulated 800,000 likes.

Despite this support, #HESUGLY and #Put TheMaskBackOn trended alongside the pos itive hashtags. This has led to an outpour of support for Dream, with people calling critics baseless and mean.

Although Dream started his Youtube career in anonymity, he did not intend for it to be part

of his branding, as he was launched into fame when everyone was online during quarantine. Dream, alongside his friend and fellow You Tuber GeorgeNotFound, was known for the invite-only Dream SMP (survival multiplayer) Minecraft server. As described by fans, the Dream SMP was known for mostly improvi sation plots, with a long history of alliances, wars, factions, eras, and characters.

With there now being a face to the voice, Dream can bolster his career and chase af ter opportunities without fear of his identity being leaked.

Twitching in Pain

Twitchcon is an annual event that brings to gether professional and amateur streamers to network and socialize, as well as allows fans to meet with their favorite streamers. This year, TwitchCon took place from Oct. 7 to 9.

On Oct. 9, the last day of the event, it was reported that there were multiple injuries at the event. These injuries were allegedly caused by a foam pit in the Lenovo and Intel sponsored booth.

This pit was part of a game of knocking op

ponents off of a raised platform onto foam blocks with a foam noodle. This game was live streamed to audiences, so the moments that caused these injuries were caught on camera.

Adriana Chechik, an adult performer and streamer, participated in the foam pit. Once the game was done, Chechik had leaped from the platform, made a split in the air, and landed on her backside before rolling over in pain.

This leap caused her spine to break in two places, needing a five and a half hour surgery to insert a metal rod.

LochVaness, another streamer who was in the pit with Chechik, has sprained her ankle and dislocated her knee, now needing a wheelchair.

According to voluntary ASTM guidelines, the booth had not followed proper safety proto cols, with there only being less than two feet and lack of proper padding between the pit and concrete.

Despite multiple reports of injuries, Lenovo and Intel continued to keep the foam pit open and accessible to everyone.

INTERNET PHOTO

CARTOON BY Delanie Graziano (she/her)

CARTOON BY Selkie Bodmer (they/them)

EDITORIAL

ACADEMIC ADVISORS SHOULD EXERCISE EXTRA CARE WHEN SUGGESTING COURSES

For some Elmhurst University students, picking courses took place with an advisor over Zoom.

For many, this online appointment went well; however, many students have run into errors after they pressed the red X to log off.

Looking at a course plan, a lot of the time there are classes that are mandated for students to take, yet sometimes advisors miss these crucial courses.

Sometimes, advisors tell us to enroll in courses that we can not even take yet, missing out on the prerequisites one may have to take for the course.

While we understand that academic advisors are human as well and will inevitably make mistakes from time to time, sometimes they fail to double-check that students are getting enrolled in the courses they need.

Academic advisors should take extra steps during advising appointments to make sure their students are on the right track.

For instance, they should ensure that any

credits from AP courses, dual enrollment courses, or courses from other colleges are transferred properly.

Some members of The Leader’s editorial board have gone through course misplacement after their first advising appointment. For us, when we mention our interests, they tell us to take News Reporting or Media Writing, classes that we have already taken at our former colleges. This error could mean the difference between graduating earlier or later for another student. So, it’s vitally important for advisors to dou ble-check all transfer credits.

Additionally, advisors should always refer to the course catalog during advising appoint ments to help students figure out any essential information they need to know about courses, as well as determine any prerequisites they may need to take.

Although browsing the course catalog is something that students can do on their own terms, sometimes it helps to have an advisor

explain parts of the course descriptions that students may have questions about or provide further information about the courses.

Lastly, advisors should work closely with all students to sketch out a course plan for their entire degree path.

Of course, the plan can be made flexibly with room for changes, but working with students to create a rough plan early on can help pre vent confusion or scheduling errors later on.

We understand that a big part of the responsi bility lies on the students to make sure they’re enrolled in all of the courses they need and want. We also understand that a lot of these errors aren’t solely on advisors, some fault also lies with the registration department.

However, advisors must remember that this is a two-way street: ideally, both the student and the advisor are putting in equal effort to help the student achieve their ultimate goal— earning an Elmhurst degree.

Letter to Editor Submissions

Letters to the editor can be submitted below or sent to leadernewsec@gmail. com. Letters must include your full name and Elmhurst University affiliation. All letters should be 300 words or less in length. The editors retain the right to edit letters before publication. Don’t forget to spell-check. The Leader is the student-run newspaper speaking to students, faculty and administrators of Elmhurst University. The Leader is not submitted to any person or organization for prior approval. The contents are the decision of the editor in agreement with the editorial board. Opinions expressed in The Leader do not necessarily reflect those of the paper or its staff, and are not intended to represent those of EU at-large. All text, photos and art cannot be reproduced without direct permission of The Leader.

GRAPHIC BY Rachel Fratt (she/her)

SWING, AND MISS: SPORTS CULTURE NEEDS TO MAKE ADVANCEMENTS IN LGBTQ+ INCLUSION

Ryan Windle (they/he) Editor-in-Chief

Not to perpetuate stereotypes, but I just can not stand sports.

It’s not that I hate the sports themselves — I quite enjoy hockey, I get into football every now and then, and when the Olympics are on, I am always watching.

I cannot get behind sports due to the inher ently homophobic and transphobic culture that surrounds them.

The culture that surrounds sports is very straight. Every time you see a sports-relat ed ad on TV, it is just straight men yelling at the TV while their wives are in the kitchen gossiping or cooking. This makes the culture around sports quite misogynistic, on top of many other things.

I even see these issues at family gatherings. The women of the family and I are outcasted so the men can be together to enjoy sports.

Every time someone with less testosterone comes in, it becomes a huge annoyance to them, as if they cannot just focus on the game.

This straight culture surrounding sports needs to change, and it should have already. It feels as if this is the one thing the world will not change, and it is causing a lot of harm.

While there is a long way to go everywhere for LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion, it seems as if sports is the last industry trying to improve in this manner. Every time an athlete comes out, there is this big news story about how they overcame this straight world to be their true selves.

It should not be so rare to see athletes coming out, or to even see a gay athlete. And when this does happen, we should treat them as in dividuals for the sport that they are passionate about, not their sexuality.

In addition, there are often articles published in the news about LGBTQ+ rights and sports, and seldom in a positive light. Most times, these articles are about trans athletes not being able to compete due to people saying they have

an unfair advantage or another athlete was making homophobic comments.

While these stories get national attention, conversations like this are happening every where, and homophobia is something I now correlate with sports, as it is where I have experienced it the most.

For instance, it seems as if it always comes as a shock that gay people enjoy things that seem “out of character” for them. Liking sports or wanting to participate in sports as a queer individual comes with even more stereotypes, such that you are tougher than the rest and that you are “one of the bros.”

Liking sports does not erase our identity or invalidate it. It is a common interest to have, but for some reason, people can not comprehend that you can be LGBTQ+ and like sports.

Additionally, it is a very common ste reotype to hear that gay people know nothing about sports, whether it be joking that we call a home run a touchdown or goal, or just excluding the LGBTQ+ community from the dis cussion of sports entirely.

In gym class, it seemed as if my peers did not want me to do anything because of who I am. No one ever wanted me on their team, and if I was, it was an instant loss for them, because no one wanted the “gay boy” to drag them down.

Every time I mention sports, it comes as a shock to everyone in the room. While at times I give into the stereo

type just to avoid an annoying conversation, I should not have to act this way just to make everyone around me more comfortable with their image of queer people.

One can only imagine how much worse it can be in the actual industry, and I wonder how many athletes are putting on a front out of fear and how unsafe they must feel.

There needs to be a change in sports culture and the world in general when it comes to LGBTQ+ visibility. We have to start seeing sports for sports, and not associate sexuality or gender with them.

GRAPHIC BY Abbey Mark (she/her)

CROSS COUNTRY

Alyssa Kuehne (she/her) Sports Editor

GRAPHIC BY Abbey Mark (she/her)

ELMHURST UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL BRIGHTENS UP THE NIGHT DURING CHARITY GAME

Alyssa Kuehne (she/her) Sports Editor

Elmhurst University’s football team had their closest game yet on Oct. 15 at the “Bright Up the Night” game against Carroll, losing 31-28. The Student Athlete Advisory Committee hosted the game, giving out glow sticks and T-shirts to the first 250 students. The audi ence’s energy followed the Bluejays all the way to the final field goal Carroll made to finally break the tie during double overtime.

PHOTOS BY Alyssa Kuehne (she/her)

Elmhurst students hand out merch before the game.

#19 freshman Andrey Acosta rushing for a touchdown.

Elmhurst Bluejays face off against Carroll Pioneers.

Elmhurst Wide Receiver catches Carroll’s punt in 3rd quarter.

NBA PRE-SEASON SWITCHES UP THE GAME

Numair Younus (he/him) Photo Editor

The NBA season is not what it used to be anymore, the entire league has changed and it will be a whole different ball game this year. This season has been off to a good start and has been going at a good pace. A lot of teams have been keeping it lowkey and allowing this time to have fun before the real season starts.

The trades that happened earlier this year will make the difference between a winning team, and a losing team.

Every team has been gentle so far in the preseason; during the regular season many teams will pick up the momentum, and that is when the true challenge will begin.

The Chicago Bulls are a great regular-season team, as they can accomplish a good amount against other teams.

Last season, the Chicago Bulls ended up ranking sixth, with 46 wins and 36 losses. Even though they lost one of their star players, Lonzo Ball, they still did a decent job. Hopefully this season they can rank higher with him back on the team and fully healthy.

Even with great star players, the Chicago Bulls are matched against so many teams that have playoff experience, like the Boston Celtics who went toe to toe with the NBA champions of last season, the Golden State Warriors.

This can cause trouble for the Chicago Bulls, but they have a chance with players like De mar Derozan and Zach Lavine, who have been putting up amazing numbers and are reliable against tough opponents.

I believe this season we will see the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season. With great team effort and excellent coaching, the trophy may make its way to Chicago this year.

The Golden State Warriors won last year due to a lot of teams not being at their best. Many players were injured and could not play last season. Now, they are fully recovered and ready to play, which will change the game.

On top of many star athletes coming back to the court this season, new techniques by players will help the teams that could not qualify last

year to potentially make it this year.

The New Orlean Pelicans is a team to look out for this season, as their star player Zion Williamson is an excellent power forward.

Williamson is ready for the upcoming 20222023 season. He already has eye-catching stats and is putting up big numbers for the team.

The Boston Celtics are also a big threat this year. They were the finals contenders last season and held up well against the Golden State Warriors. If they improve their play style, they will have a chance of winning this year.

Historically, the Boston Celtics have always been a threat. They are still the team with the most championships and they have the second most finals appearances out of any team in the NBA.

NBA is coming back, and I’m definitely excited to see what this season is going to bring fans.

This season has the potential to be one of the best yet. There is so much to look forward to, and fans will get to watch basketball in its prime. There are so many players at such an efficient level.

If each team keeps the momentum up, it will be interesting to see which team comes on top.

For the championship, my predictions are as such. The Chicago Bulls will make the play offs, as previously stated, and they will last for a long time. If all members stay healthy and continue to play at the level they have been so far, they can at least make it to the semifinals.

For the champions of the 2022-23 season, there are three teams that come to mind — the first being the Golden State Warriors, who can take it for the second year in a row.

They are one of the most effective teams in the NBA at the moment. They have a great team roster with players such as Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

The younger players will also help carry the momentum that the starters bring to the team. Overall, they are one of the best teams right now.

The second team that I believe can win it all are The Philadelphia 76ers. They always have an amazing regular season and play at a high level that can compete with the Boston Celtics

and the Brooklyn Nets.

The Philadelphia 76ers have a great offensive and defensive team. With players such as Joel Embiid, a great all-around player, James Harden who is a great offensive player, and Tyrese Maxey who is an excellent point guard, this makes for a well-rounded team.

The Milwaukee Bucks are my third pick to win. They are another team that are at their best this year and have some of the best team chemistry.

Last season, the Milwaukee Bucks almost made it to the finals without their star player Kris Middleton, and would have made it to the finals if they had him.

This season will be one to watch as superstar player Giannis Antetokounmpos has a lot to prove.

Let’s sit down and watch this season and enjoy great basketball. This season is going to be packed with amazing moments, and I’m sure we will be very surprised with who brings home the championship this 2022-2023 NBA season.

GRAPHIC BY Rachel Fratt (she/her)

BLUEJAYS SETTLE IN THEIR NEST DURING WINTER PRE-SEASON

Alyssa Kuehne (she/her) Sports Editor

We all love immersing ourselves and cheering at a game, but Bluejay fans may be stomping their feet for another reason — they’re cold. Luckily, as the air gets chilly, winter season sports enjoy the indoors.

In the next few weeks Elmhurst University will be able to see our men and women’s basket ball teams hit the courts, the wrestling team face off on the mats, and the bowling team step onto the lanes once again.

The first men’s basketball game is Nov. 10, and the team is ready to get back on the court after their successful season last year.

“I look forward to playing in front of our great Bluejay fans,” said senior captain Myles Thom as. “We aren’t nothing without our fans and us being able to play in front of a packed crowd on Nov. 10 and making them happy is what me and the guys look forward to the most.”

Thomas continued, “We truly have the best fans in the country.”

As the preseason continues, the coaches will get to have more time with the team, who have been hard at work throughout the offseason under the leadership of their captains.

“We’ve seen major jumps in everyone’s strength and knowledge of the game,” said senior captain Wes Hooker. “We have older guys and great coaches that are able to help all the players out, so we just feed off of each other.”

This season is going to be an interesting one to watch after their success in getting second in the NCAA National Tournament last year, especially with half the team being first-year students.

With the experience from returning members and the work the team has put in so far, Head Coach John Baines thinks they can continue working on the dreams of last year.

“I felt like our campus needed a shot in the arm and I felt like that really helped everybody in a lot of ways and it really pumped a lot of blood into everybody,” said Baines. “I’m hoping we can do that again. I think we can build on what we did last year.”

The women’s basketball team has dreams lingering from last year too. With their first game on Nov. 8, a couple of days before the men, they have been working hard to improve.

Last year’s team was young, considering seven seniors a part of the starting lineup had grad uated a year prior. However, the women on the team got better after each game, according to Head Coach Tethnie Carrillo.

This year they have worked on building where they left off. A majority of the team is still here from last year and they are incorporating the skills of the first-year students who have joined the team.

Senior Taylor Harazin has seen how different the team is from last year and how much they have improved.

“We all have a mindset of “we” instead of “me”, together as a team. I think that us being disciplined and held accountable will help us achieve our goals for this season,” said Harazin.

Carrillo is excited to show how hard the team has worked over this last year and throughout their preseason.

“We have speed at the guard spot, knock down shooters and post players that can demand the paint,” said Carillo. “It is the perfect com bination, and we are working hard to get all the pieces to fit well together.”

PHOTS FROM ELMHURST

UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Senior captain Sophia Micos looks forward to the upcoming season with the work everyone has put in so far during the preseason.

“Pre-season has been a lot of fun, especially with a lot of new talent coming in with the freshmen and transfers but also having a lot of returners has helped to balance out the energy in the gym, and the competitiveness is definitely something that will roll into this coming season,” said Micos.

This expectant energy is influencing the new members on the team too. Freshman Reilly Webb is looking forward to playing with the team and is already reaching for the same goals the team has had in mind since last year.

“I’ve worked towards this my whole life and now that I’m finally here, I am so ready to play, especially with a team like this,” said Webb.

She continued, “I am also looking forward

to working with the coaches. They’ve been so helpful and open-minded with us that I’m really ready to pick their brain about every aspect of the game.”

Webb’s excitement for the collegiate experience links most of the first-year athletes. Freshman Zachary Carter shares similar feelings about the wrestling team.

“Man, I’m just looking forward to being on the team,” said Carter. “It’s my first year; I want to gain this whole experience of college wres tling. Also, I’m excited to actually have a room to work with and improve my game.”

The wrestling team has their first match Nov. 4.

Head Coach Steve Marianetti looks forward to continuing the team’s success from last year.

They were third in the conference champi onships and had two members of the team compete in Nationals, junior Jake Mora and

graduated student Jimmy McAuliffe.

“Every year is just a new challenge with your group of guys, so we’re looking to improve on our conference finish,” said Marianetti.

“We’re always looking to win the conference championship and I think we have a handful of guys who have a real shot of making the national tournament.”

With official practices underway, the team is working hard to achieve those goals and to grow as a team.

“The team is really looking forward to winning and competing,” said junior Matt Schuster. “We form bonds with the team every day and it is a sport that creates a relationship unlike any other when we all have goals and are going through the experience together.”

PHOTO BY Alyssa Kuehne (she/her)

An empty basketball court in R.A. Faganel Hall.