Leader
@elmhurstleader
FEBRUARY 23. 2021
@ElmhurstLeader
ISSUE 07 ELMHURSTLEADER.COM
ARTURO MAGALLANES & MARISA KARPES
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STAFF REPORT
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The Leader takes home 14 awards at ICPA competition BLACK HISTORY MONTH: CELEBRATING BLACK FIGURES IN HEALTH CARE ANDREW CRIPE
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“AS MUCH BEAUTY AS THERE IS BLOOD”: A REVIEW ON “JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH” ADVERTISING
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LETTERS & GENERAL
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AFAAF AMATULLAH
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EU STUDENT PROTESTS MYANMAR MILITARY COUP LEADERNEWSEC@GMAIL.COM
NEWS EDITORIAL BOARD MARISA KARPES Editor-in-Chief GIANNA MONTESANO Managing Editor AFAAF AMATULLAH News Editor
Sherry Williams speaks on Black resilience at Martin Luther King Jr. lecture Jared Boekenhauer Staff Reporter
JULIA ZAWITKOWSKA Graphics Editor OLIVIA JANICKE Copy Editor NIKLAS FAULK Sports Editor MICHELLE CABANAS Social Media Manager ERIC LUTZ Faculty Advisor
ASSISTANTS ARTURO MAGALLANES Assistant Graphics Editor SARINA OKRZESIK Assistant Copy Editor
STAFF JARED BOEKENHAUER ANDREW CRIPE SANTÉ DYBOWSKI ISABELLA HERRERA HANNAH HORN NUJAIMAH KHOLWADIA JOSH LABUDA JASMINE LILLIS
CONTACT US The Leader Newspaper Elmhurst University 190 Prospect Avenue Elmhurst, IL 60126 Office: 630.617.3320 GENERAL INQUIRIES & LETTERS TO EDITOR: leadernewsec@gmail.com ADVERTISE WITH US: theleaderadvertising@gmail.com
ABOUT US The Leader is the student-run newspaper speaking to the 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 the university at large. No text, photos, or art can be reproduced without direct permission of The Leader.
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Graphic by Julia Zawitkowska Founder and president of the Bronzeville/Black Chicagoan Historical Society, Sherry Williams, gave a lecture about her experiences in a racially and politically polarized world on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
seeking asylum,” Williams said. “Are we willing and able to move on, or do we walk back to 1968?”
Williams discussed social and legal challenges faced by African Americans throughout the history of the United States, such as the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Williams also shared her own experiences as an African American woman growing up in the United States. “Nothing has been easy for me because of this Black skin,” she said. “Disdain, rudeness, ignoring my presence are a few of the ways that prejudice is shelved upon me.”
Modern political events are, as Williams describes, an “intersection in American society where we can determine the fate of our families, communities, and our nation.”
“I have inherited the very issues that King lost his life for. I am reminded by microaggressions, and just outright racist remarks, how hated we [African Americans] are,” Williams continued.
Williams compared a 1961 federal guideline, which caused many Black families to be separated, to former President Donald Trump’s 2018 family separation policy at the United States-Mexico border.
Regarding the lecture, history professor Karen Benjamin said, “inviting Ms. Sherry Williams to speak demonstrates that we value the wisdom of community voices and not just those representing prestige, wealth, or political power.”
“Leadership should not have to be convinced or shamed [in order] to hear the voices of the disenfranchised, the oppressed, the poor, or those
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The lecture was one of multiple EU events celebrating Black History Month.
02.23.21
NEWS ‘It feels as if I have no country anymore’: EU student protests Myanmar military coup Afaaf Amatullah News Editor On Monday, Feb. 1, the military in Myanmar, formerly Burma, orchestrated a coup against the elected government and began executing mass arrests of political figures, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Protests erupted across the nation in response to the installment of the junta, led by General Min Aung Hlaing.
Thousands march in protest against Myanmar military coup
At least three civilians have been killed during the pro-democracy rallies, yet demonstrators pour into the streets by the thousands, seeming unfettered by the military’s threats of lethal force.
sanctions on military generals and control of U.S. exports to the Southeast Asian country. This week, the European Union suggested subjecting leaders of the coup to similar sanctions.
“The revolution[ary] spirit is almost a Burmese tradition now,” expressed Elmhurst University sophomore, Aye Khant Zaw, who was encouraged by his mom to join the anti-coup resistance. “It is a tragic but a very brave act.”
Targeting the economic interests of the junta is not necessarily productive, according to Hazen. “It will only further push the Burmese military closer to China.”
The military has a long history of intervening in Myanmar’s political affairs, most notably during the 8888 Uprising at the turn of the twenty-first century and the Saffron Revolution in 2007. “The military has stubbornly remained central in politics for decades,” explained political science professor Timothy Hazen. “This is just another episode.” Zaw told The Leader he was returning to Myanmar from the U.S when news of the coup broke out. As a result, Zaw was held back in Korea for five days before landing at Yangon’s newly deserted airport. “As soon as I stepped out of the plane, I felt a sense of dread,” he said. “It felt as if I had no country anymore. The streets that used to be so full of life were dead.” In support of the citizens’ struggle for democracy in Myanmar, President Biden has introduced
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Still, those participating in civil disobedience may benefit from the symbolic significance of sanctions by the international community. “It helps that [the protestors] know the American president, at least verbally, has their back,” noted Hazen. Defying the military’s attempt at repressing the pro-democracy movement does not always entail engaging in demonstrations, shared Zaw, who is utilizing social media to spread awareness about misinformation. “We also bang pots and pans at 8 p.m. every night to show our rejection of the military government,” he added. Zaw encourages international observers, including his peers at EU, to “look out for fake news from the Myanmar military,” when consuming information about the coup from online sources. It is becoming increasingly difficult to voice
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Photo from The Guardian
concerns against the role of the military in overthrowing Myanmar’s previous government. Hours following the military takeover, a temporary internet blockade barred civilians from accessing platforms such as Facebook, which may be used to nurture anti-coup sentiments. The blockade was effective at isolating civilians from one another and disrupting communication. “It showed that the military could cut us off from the rest of the world at will,” said Zaw. “The military also released a draft of a cybersecurity law that would make literally posting anything on the internet potentially illegal.” The bill was distributed to telecom carriers and internet service providers on Feb. 9. Efforts to penalize online speech are unsurprising, as authorities may be “willing to sacrifice some personal civil liberties in the protection of national security,” elaborated Hazen. For Zaw, resistance against the coup falls in line with long-lasting political action to establish a democratic rule in Myanmar. “I am surprised myself at how many parents are willing to send their children to protest,” he said. “It’s very encouraging how united people can be at times like this.”
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NEWS
The Leader takes home 14 awards at ICPA competition
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Staff Report
The Leader won 14 awards at the Illinois College Press Association (ICPA) competition on Feb. 20.
Leader, credits the hard work of staff for The Leader’s success at ICPA.
This year, the ICPA conference and award ceremony took place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Despite the circumstances of this past year, everyone at The Leader made it work and was still able to produce high quality work that ended up getting the recognition it deserved,” said Karpes. “It is an honor to be leading this team and to be part of this paper.”
"I am immensely proud of the work The Leader editors and staff have done this year, particularly in such difficult times, and the recognition they received at ICPA is well-deserved,” said Lutz. “I'm proud to work with such talented student journalists and am excited to watch them build on this hard-earned success."
Eric Lutz, faculty adviser of The Leader for his first year,
Below are the full list of awards The Leader won:
Out of the 14 awards won by The Leader, four were in the Open Category — involving all the competing newspapers in the state. Marisa Karpes, current Editor-in-Chief of The
also took pride in The Leader’s accomplishments.
"Open" category (statewide competition)
Honorable Mention Full-Page Advertisement
Honorable Mention Graphic Illustration
2nd Place Entertainment Supplement
2nd Place Other Cartoon, strip or panel
ARTURO MAGALLANES
ARTURO MAGALLANES
ARTURO MAGALLANES + JACKIE MURILLO
JASMINE LILLIS
Divisional category (schools under 4,000 enrollment)
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Honorable Mention Editorial
Honorable Mention Column — excluding sports
Honorable Mention Feature Story — other than sports
Honorable Mention Sports News Story
Honorable Mention Online News Site
STAFF
MARISA KARPES
GIANNA MONTESANO
JOSLYN GALEAZ
STAFF
3rd Place In-Depth Reporting
3rd Place Headline Writing
2nd Place Feature Page Design
1st Place Headline Writing
1st Place Editorial
AFAAF AMATULLAH
JOSIE ZABRAN
ARTURO MAGALLANES + LEXI HOLMES
GIANNA MONTESANO
STAFF
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02.23.21
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Circle Hall to be renamed after historic gift from Alfred Koplin Afaaf Amatullah News Editor
Feel like your voice isn't being represented on campus? Have your voice heard by joining our award winning newspaper. We took home 14 awards at this year's conference, and next year you could be one of those winners!
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Following businessman and trustee Alfred Koplin’s recent and historic gift to Elmhurst University, Circle Hall will be renamed in the coming months to honor his late wife, Jean. Although the amount remains undisclosed, in an official press announcement, Koplin’s contribution was noted to be the largest from a living donor to the university. Over the past 30 years, Alfred and Jean’s gifts have been used to significantly expand myriad departments at the university, including nursing and communication sciences and disorders. The most recent donation will contribute toward the ongoing development of Memorial Hall, which houses the nursing and allied sciences programs.
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“In the time I’ve been here, Al and Jean gave money to support student research,” President Troy VanAken told The Leader. “They have also been very active in supporting faculty.” VanAken mentioned that the Circle Hall building will be officially renamed in either, “March, or April.” “We are going to wait on a nice plaque,” he added. Beyond their investment in the university, the Koplins have used their philanthropy to bolster medical centers and services that cater to the public, such as the Mayo Clinic. The Koplins have a wing named after them at Hinsdale Hospital, in appreciation for the couple’s contributions. “They have been helpful to organizations that support the human condition,” said VanAken. “[Jean] was a unique, special woman.”
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NEWS Written by Marisa Karpes Designed by Arturo Magallanes
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‘James McCune Smith’
‘Rebecca Lee Crumpler’
‘Daniel Hale Williams’
In 1837, Smith became the first Black person in the U.S. to receive a medical degree. He was also the first Black physician to be published in a U.S. medical journal and to operate a pharmacy.
In 1864, Crumpler became the first Black woman in the U.S. to receive a medical degree. She spent much of her career caring for formerly enslaved peoples, and was one of the first Black people to write and publish a medical book.
In 1891, Williams founded the first non-segregated hospital in the U.S. He is also credited with performing the first successful open-heart surgery.
‘Charles R. Drew’
‘Alexa Irene Canady’
‘Ngozi O. Ezike’
Recognized as the “father of blood banking,” Drew discovered that plasma could be used in blood transfusions and founded two of the first blood banks in the U.S.
In 1981, Canady became the first Black woman neurosurgeon. A few years later, she became the chief of neurosurgery at the Children’s Hospital in Michigan. Despite almost dropping out of college due to lack of self-confidence, she persevered.
As the current director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, she has accompanied Gov. Pritzker at many of his COVID-19 press conferences and has played a vital role in making sure Illinois residents stay safe during the pandemic.
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02.23.21
NEWS The Leader’s guide to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout Nujaimah Kholwadia Staff Reporter
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being represented on campus? Have your voice heard by joining our award winning newspaper. We took home 14 awards at this year's conference, and next year you could be one of those winners!
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Graphic by Hannah Horn
On Dec. 14, 2020, healthcare workers around the country received their first Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccinations. Since then, Americans all over the country have been searching high and low for any way to receive a dose. So, who exactly is eligible for this vaccine? The vaccine is administered in two doses to ensure the production of enough protective antibodies in an individual. Currently in Illinois, those over the age of 65 and frontline workers are eligible to receive the vaccine. The DuPage County Health Department has provided a plan for COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Phase 1a occurred between Dec. 2020 and Jan. 2021, which included healthcare workers (hospital-based and non-hospital-based) as eligible for the vaccine. We are currently in phase 1b. This phase will tentatively last from Feb. 2021 until April 2021.
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Here is a list of frontline essential workers that are eligible for the vaccine: Correctional facility workers and first responders Grocery store workers and workers in manufacturing/factory settings Daycare, K-12, and early education workers Public transit and agricultural workers Postal service workers Non-healthcare residential workers and caregivers of at-risk individuals If you or someone you know is eligible for a vaccine, you can register online at the link below: Covid-19 Vaccine Registration
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CONTACT MARISA KARPES @ mkarp0478@365.elmhurst.edu
TO LEARN MORE AND JOIN!
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ARTS + CULTURE
This Week In GIANNA MONTESANO Managing Editor
KANYE WEST: 99 PROBLEMS AND DIVORCE IS ONE OF THEM KimYe fans have your tissues ready because Kim Kardashian officially filed for divorce from Kanye West, her husband of six and a half years, on Feb. 19, according to court records. In early January, rumors began circulating of the iconic couple divorcing back in December, after a source leaked the couple was going through some trouble and that Kardashian was “done” with West. The two have spent the past few months living separately. West has spent months residing in his Wyoming mansion while Kardashian has been at her Calabasas home with their four children. There’s no word if the divorce is going to be highly publicized or kept private between the two, but rumors are circulating the divorce will be shown on the series finale of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” Kim Kardashian and Kanye West @KimKardashian on Instagram
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Graphic by Arturo Magallanes
02.23.21
ARTS + CULTURE
pop culture Ted Cruz flying on a plane
Kendall Jenner and her new tequlia brand, "818"
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WHAT’S THE "818"? KENDALL JENNER ANNOUNCES NEW TEQUILA BRAND You can smell like the Kardashians, look like Kylie Jenner with her makeup line, and now you can drink like Kendall Jenner. Jenner announced on Instagram that she has been working on "818" for the past four years with tequila distilleries in Jalisco, Mexico. In her Instagram post Jenner said “for almost 4 years I’ve been on a journey to create the best tasting tequila," Jenner wrote. "After dozens of blind taste tests, trips to our distillery, entering into world tasting competitions anonymously, and WINNING. 3.5 years later I think we’ve done it! This is all we’ve been drinking for the last year and I can’t wait for everyone else to get their hands on this to enjoy it as much as we do!" While fans of Jenner were elated to find out they can take shots like their favorite supermodel, people
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were quick to criticize Jenner for how problematic it is for her to be releasing a tequila brand when she knows nothing about the cultural significance of tequila and took little to no care in hiring native Spanish speakers to name her tequila. Jenner has three types of tequila — blanco tequila, añejo tequila, and reposado tequila. The labeling uses English grammar rules instead of Spanish grammar rules, which offended Latinx followers. “I’m laughing that Kendall Jenner spent 4 years making her tequila and the words are placed wrong,” wrote Twitter user @gat0linaa. “Wtf is ‘blanco tequila’ lol.” The name "818" comes from the Calabasa area code where the 25-year-old supermodel has lived most of her life. Jenner has not released a launch date for when her tequila will hit store shelves.
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CRUZIN’ FOR A BRUISIN’: TED CRUZ FLEES TO CANCUN DURING A STATEWIDE WEATHER CRISIS IN TEXAS It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s Sen. Ted Cruz fleeing Texas to sunny Cancun during Texas’ statewide blackout and snow storm. Cruz was seen on a United Airlines flight with his family while Texas residents were left without power or water, many with homes reaching 20 degrees fahrenheit and many residents passing away from carbon monoxide poisoning due to sleeping in their cars to keep warm. Cruz has received harsh criticism from the media and citizens who are appalled by his behavior saying, “#TedCruz is having his Chris Christie on the beach moment. But Cruz’s move is literally and figuratively a lot colder and lives are being lost. #CancunCruz #CruzResign,” wrote Twitter user NWPinPDX. In response, Cruz stated his daughters asked to go on the trip. He took them on the trip with both his wife and his college roommate.
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ARTS + CULTURE
“As much beauty as there is blood”: A review on “Judas and the Black Messiah” ANDREW CRIPE Film Critic
There is a carefully carved edginess to "Judas and the Black Messiah." It is a dramatization that feels more present, more uncompromisingly true, than most period pieces made today. It achieves this by being written with as much beauty as there is blood. It is a story of a crime that, despite taking place decades ago, still asks us how we cope in the country that permitted crimes just like it before — and has so many times since. "Judas" isn't bookmarked with comforting lies like “but that was then, and we are happily living now." Shaka King's debut feature taps into our current timeline and uses it to reacquaint us with that chilling line: "The past is never dead. It's not even past."* We open with a reckless robbery gone wrong. Rather than seem like a hollow effort to hook the viewer's attention with quick action, Shaka King and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt ("12 Years a Slave") masterfully set up the entire movie. The controlled chaos and the suggestion that, for these lives, chaos is always a heartbeat away pries into the viewer's senses, making their expectations feel infiltrated. All the scenes to come, whether they are loud or quiet, follow the same trajectory as the opening, earning the pace a haunting, tense poeticism. King's control is marvelous. The thief, Bill O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield, "Sorry to Bother You"), is caught with an item that can turn his clumsily earned felony into a decade-plus stretch in prison. He's offered a get-out-of-jailfree-card that is so tantalizingly delivered by Jesse Plemons, playing FBI Agent Roy Mitchell, that the viewer quickly understands how a small-minded criminal could be seduced into playing a pivotal role in something awful. The terse, coldly knowing editing by Kristan Sprague and the horror-meets-jazz score of Craig Harris and Mark Isham stack the odds against the righteous winning the day. It is the obsession of the reptilian FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen, only recognizable in voice) to regard the
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Black Panther Party as public enemy number one; to treat them as terrorists, even if their activities are harmless. For a film set in the late 1960s, it is impossible not to hear our previous president lob the same lies against Black Lives Matter. Here, King and co-writer Will Berson make one of their wisest decisions in the telling of this story: Stressing that the Black Panther Party was a humanitarian group, volunteers working tirelessly to keep their brothers and sisters from choking on despair. Without lazily spelling it out, the viewer understands that for much of our lives, we have been lied to about the Black Panthers in rhetoric identical to Hoover’s. The stifling of the Black Panthers’ efforts wasn't about protecting citizens from violence, it was about depriving non-white people across the country of power, control, and hope. The way this story is told feels so different from how one may have expected it to play out from the trailer. It knows we know what’ll happen. Instead of pretending we don’t, King alters our view from death and focuses it on life we are so rarely shown. It is in this space we meet Fred Hampton, played by Daniel Kaluuya ("Get Out"), who makes up for not looking anything like the young adult Hampton by giving the best performance of his life. The film is at its best when we are watching him, because every detail of this performance is excellent. Like the best historical pictures, we wish we had known this man, wish we had been nearby just to hear his voice. It is a difficult thing to make goodness an interesting part of characters anymore. As people, we are more inclined to be interested in figures whose flaws mirror our own (whether we know that or not). But Kaluuya's Hampton is fearlessly loving, and it feels good to love him back. He's funny, caring, fiercely intelligent, and (crushingly for the viewer) hopeful. Hampton's warmth and vulnerability is what gives the film its cruelest edge: No matter how compassionate a human being he was, his trust permitted somebody like Bill O'Neal to infiltrate his orbit. By not giving in to paranoia, he made himself an easy target for enemies he did nothing to provoke, a nation that
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Still from "Judas and the Black Messiah"
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02.23.21
ARTS + CULTURE perceived his Blackness and the love shown to him by many as a threat. Kaluuya's Hampton presents a man who is cursed with naivete but never with stupidity; that what he cannot see is not blindness, but a testament to a rare strain of belief. This biblical attitude is explored in the film's best scene, involving Hampton and his poet-wife, Deborah (Dominique Fishback). Rather than tell us things about Hampton we cannot know for a fact, we disappear into a quiet, private moment involving a man and a woman expressing their love for each other, using words of life and death to seal their pact. It is no mistake that on both ends of this scene, there is violence against a Panther. A quick complaint I had after finishing "Judas and the Black Messiah" is that there weren't enough scenes between Hampton and O'Neal, a criticism largely stemming from my love of both Kaluuya and Stanfield, two of the most original young actors alive. There is a particular moment when Stanfield's nervousness is so apparent it boggles the mind he isn't drawing suspicion (it involves an offer of a drink, and you'll know it when you see it). This is my only major issue: The film acknowledges that O'Neal is feeling guilty, but King has no complex ways of depicting it. The film could have spared more time to explore how O'Neal was internally justifying his deception besides giving us the obligatory "I did something bad, now my dream’s hurt" scene. That's a small complaint when held up to just what a memorable motion picture this is, one that is such a gift to be getting this early in the year; one whose distribution encourages as many people see it as possible; one that doesn't only want to excite, but enlighten and inspire as much as it infuriates. It may seem like overkill to some that a filmmaking newcomer like Shaka King be receiving huge awards season hype (I think of Benh Zeitlin back when "Beasts of the Southern Wild" came out in 2012), but it really isn't every day we get a feature debut that is so confident how it wants the viewer to feel and how it will need to tell its story to achieve that. In my opinion, it will succeed for many, and then some. Don't be surprised if this film becomes part of the way you see the world. *William Faulkner, "Requiem for a Nun"
Stills from "Judas and the Black Messiah"
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OPINIONS
Editorial We need to talk about graduation As we start the spring semester, many seniors have graduation on their mind. But with the COVID-19 raging on as it did around this time last year, seniors are left wondering what that will look like. Even though there are many ways the ceremony could play out, some sort of ceremony needs to happen, and seniors need to be in the loop and part of that ongoing discussion. Last year, the class of 2020 did not get a graduation — neither virtual nor in-person. Graduates were surveyed for their preferences, and had some virtual events around the date when commencement was scheduled to occur. The plan seemed to be that the class of 2020 would, under the right circumstances, get a proper ceremony alongside the class of 2021 in May, but there is no word on if that is still the plan. This year, while still in a world that revolves around COVID-19, we are better equipped to handle it. We have come a long way since May of last year. We know more about COVID-19 as a virus, such as its symptoms, effects, and risk factors. The distribution of the vaccine is in full swing, hopefully making us one step closer to a COVID-19 free world. With that being said, we still need to be cautious when it comes to the virus, as it is still very prominent. Safety does need to be the first priority in discussing options for graduation. Because of COVID-19, many of us have a better understanding of how to navigate the digital
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world. It can be safe to say that everyone’s ability to use technology has been forced to improve, and that can be utilized in putting together commencement. Many schools have taken advantage of putting together virtual graduation ceremonies. For Aurora University’s December 2020 commencement, the university put together a video by pre-recording speakers and putting together individual slides to honor each graduate. There has also been an increased use of drive-thru graduations and opportunities for students to be pre-recorded walking across the stage. Maybe it will not be safe enough for an in-person graduation ceremony come May, but it could be possible come the summer or fall. For example, having a commencement ceremony around Homecoming may be the perfect way to celebrate EU’s newest alumni. Regardless of all the possible ideas for commencement, the most important thing is that students are not left in the dark about what is happening.
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Graduates should not be asking in the EU student group on Facebook where they should be purchasing their caps and gowns — if they should be at all. Graduates need to know if they need to fly their loved ones — or even themselves — to participate in some sort of in-person festivities. Yes, it is understandable that there is still uncertainty for what the upcoming months should look like. However, that should not stop the conversation from at least starting. The university should make a graduation updates page and do the research for what needs to happen for in-person ceremonies (with or without guests) to be possible. They need to be taking the steps — if they are not already doing so — to implement a virtual ceremony if needed — one that credits each individual senior for all the hard work they put in. They need to be transparent about the information they do not yet know and answer senior’s questions to the best of their ability. In these still difficult times, seniors, of this year and last year, need to know that they will still be celebrated. Commencement is a big deal for everyone, especially when it comes to first-generation college students and students that never thought they would make it to this point. The first step into making this situation better for everyone is keeping an open line of communication and not leaving seniors and their loved ones in the dark.
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02.23.21
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SPORTS
NIKLAS FAULK Sports Editor The spring semester is in full swing and the sporting news returns once again. Baseball is right around the corner and Elmhurst basketball is officially underway. Pitchers and catchers reported on Feb. 17, and position players reported on Feb. 22, and exhibition games will start on Feb. 28. The Chicago Bears have taken center stage in the NFL headlines with the rumors of Deshaun Watson and Carson Wentz. The NBA is having an All-Star game on March 7, in Atlanta, Ga. despite negative feedback from players. The NHL has been a mess due to COVID-19. The Blackhawks also continue to quietly slide into a playoff spot.
The Cubs will be reuniting with their former ace, Jake Arrieta, and reliever Pedro Strop. Arrieta was arguably the best pitcher in Cubs history from 2014 to 2016, and was the main reason the Cubs won the World Series. Now 34 years old, Arrieta is not the same as he was and will be filling the fourth or fifth spot in the Cubs’ five-man rotation. Strop will be rejoining the Cubs on a minor league deal. Strop spent six seasons from 2013 to 2019 with the Cubs as a top reliever before spending a year in Cincinnati last season.
star Fernando Tatis Jr. on the cover. The Standard edition comes with the game and 5,000 stubs, and costs $59.99 for pre-order. The most expensive edition of MLB the show is the Jackie Robinson Deluxe version with Jackie Robinson as the cover at $99.99. This edition comes with many perks like 4-day early access, 25,000 stubs that can be used in-game, created player outfits, and two diamond player choices for their diamond dynasty game mode. “MLB The Show 21” is set to release on April 20.
MLB The Show has a new second home
Superstar Searching; Bears in QB trouble
“Play Ball” Baseball returns for spring training workouts The second week of February has come and gone and that means one thing: Baseball is back. Pitchers and catchers reported to their club’s respective spring training facility on Feb. 17, with most players arriving earlier than that. The White Sox start their spring training exhibition games on Feb. 28, against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Chicago Cubs begin their spring training games on March 1, against the San Diego Padres. Both the Cubs and the White Sox will have familiar faces returning for them this season. Adam Eaton is back with the White Sox on a one-year deal to fill their hole in right field. Eaton spent three seasons with the Sox from 2014 to 2016 and was part of a trade with the Washington Nationals that brought now ace, Lucas Giolito, to the Sox.
MLB the Show 21
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Sony and Microsoft have come to an agreement to produce Sony’s premier baseball game, “MLB the Show 21” for Xbox. This is the first time in the franchise’s history that it will be available for Xbox after being exclusively for PlayStation. In the last 10 years, Microsoft has only had two MLB licensed games available for Xbox: “MLB 2k” and “RBI Baseball.” The most successful game for Xbox was the “MLB 2k” franchise that ran from 2005 to 2013. “RBI Baseball” is currently the only active franchise on Xbox, but has received poor reviews for every edition that has been released. “MLB the Show 21” is the most in-depth and advanced baseball game on the market, and will be the biggest baseball video game in Microsoft’s history. Since “MLB the Show'' debuted in 2006, Sony has kept the game exclusive to PlayStation users and had refused the idea of going cross platform with other consoles. Sony did not want Microsoft or other console creators to profit off their game.
Jake Arrieta
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Pre-orders are currently available online with a variety of different editions of “MLB the Show 21.” The most basic standard edition features rising
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Now that the Super Bowl is long gone, the Bears have begun their search for a new starting quarterback after deciding not to re-sign Mitch Trubisky. The Bears’ name has been linked to quarterbacks like Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, and Carson Wentz. With Carson Wentz now gone to Indianapolis, the Bears are stuck with only two options, Wilson and Watson. Watson made his decision to leave Houston a month back, but will cost the Bears an enormous amount in return for him. This trade would likely require the Bears to send a player like Khalil Mack or Roquan Smith to Houston, followed by a fistful of draft picks that they cannot afford to give up.
Deshaun Watson warming up
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Russell Wilson’s name has surfaced in recent weeks after former Bears wide receiver, Brandon Marshall, claimed on a TV show that Wilson is “beyond frustrated” in Seattle. Wilson, who is without question a top-ten quarterback in the NFL, will likely cost around the same as Watson. The Bears currently have backup quarterback, Nick Foles, as the only quarterback under contract until next season. The team drafts twentieth in five of the seven rounds at the 2021 NFL draft.
02.23.21
SPORTS Here come the Blackhawks The NHL set an example along with the NBA for other sports leagues with handling the impact of COVID-19. Throughout their 24-team bubble tournament back in July, they conducted over 30,000 tests and all of them came back negative. The 2020-21 season is just over a month in and the situation has completely changed. The NHL has already postponed over fifteen games due to the COVID-19 and has had teams like the Minnesota Wild and the Buffalo Sabres pause their season for two weeks to quarantine. The Dallas Stars were forced to pause the beginning of their season after nearly their entire roster tested positive for COVID-19. The NHL has been forced to initiate new changes in order to combat COVID-19. Teams have been instructed to remove the glass paneling behind the bench to allow airflow and install air filters behind the bench. The team standings throughout the league are widely scattered because of the amount of games canceled. Teams unaffected by COVID-19 have been able to play 18 games, but teams that have been hit hardest have only been able to play 12 or 13 games. At the beginning of the month, the NHL was forced to reschedule twenty-five of its games due to the impact this outbreak has caused. It is uncertain whether the NHL will pause its season, or if more protocol will be enforced.
COVID-19 wreaking havoc on the NHL
offseason, the Blackhawks were in deep trouble between the pipes. The goaltending situation has been resolved with the play of Kevin Lankinen and Malcolm Subban. Lankinen leads all rookies in votes for the Calder trophy. Since his first start with the Blackhawks, he has allowed four goals or more only three times. Duncan Keith has been logging up valuable minutes on a thin defense and has provided veteran leadership for guys like Nikita Zadorov and rookie Ian Mitchell. The power play is the best it has been in over five years and players are starting to trust head coach Jeremy Colliton more. The Blackhawks are still missing their captain Jonathan Toews, defenseman Connor Murphy, forwards Alex Nylander and Kirby Dach, and defenseman Brent Seabrook who has been on LTIR since 2019. For many, the lack of depth was seen as a serious issue, but the young players and new additions have helped contribute and have provided a cushion to soften the blow of being without their key guys.
All-Star controversy in the NBA The NBA All-Star game is fast approaching, set to take place on March 7. Many players including LeBron James, have voiced their frustration over the league’s decision to have an All-Star game, despite COVID-19. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo also voiced his displeasure of the idea of having an All-Star game. James, among others, mentioned the little time they have with their families already and the fact that no fans would be in attendance.
Welcome back Bluejays
Plus Suter
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While many teams have been impacted by the COVID-19, the Blackhawks have taken advantage of such a unique situation. Despite missing a handful key players, the Blackhawks are currently in a playoff spot and are a top-five team in the league. Young guns like Philipp Kurashev, Pius Suter, and Brandon Hagel have brought the offense for Chicago who was predicted to finish toward the bottom of the central division. Patrick Kane is having another all-star season, currently sitting in the top 3, only points behind Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. After losing Corey Crawford and not signing another bonafide starter to replace him in the
ISSUE 07
With Gov. Pritzker’s announcement in January, stating winter sports could begin playing under COVID-19 guidelines, Bluejay basketball is back. The Elmhurst Bluejays have played the lowest number of games in the conference so far due to postponements, but still hold a top spot in the standings. Their next games are against Augustana College on Feb. 23, and against Carthage College on both Feb. 25, and 28.
Jonathan Zapinksi pulls up for a shot
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“NCAA Football” video game returns SANTÉ DYBOWSKI Staff Reporter The time has finally come: The video game NCAA "Football" will be returning to shelves. The EA Sports game series was discontinued in 2013, but gamers have continued to play it religiously over the years, patiently awaiting a new release. There is no exact release date yet, but we now know a game is currently in the works. ESPN talked to Daryl Holt, vice president and general manager of EA Sports, who confirmed that they are still in the process of creating the game. “I don't think there's a visit where I go outside wearing a piece of EA Sports-branded apparel that someone doesn't go, 'Hey, when is college football coming back?’” Holt said in an interview. EA Sports is currently partnered with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) to acquire the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools, uniforms, and playbooks. EA plans on moving forward even though the NCAA currently prohibits athletes to sell their names, images, and likenesses. When asked if EA Sports has any worries about this rule Holt said, "we'll just keep tabs on everything as it develops, and we'll be ready, that won't be a problem for us. But it's really, that's not an answer for us right now to decide. We're as much passengers as anyone else.” When released, the name of the game is expected to be changed from "NCAA Football" to "EA Sports College Football." This will allow EA Sports to create more branding around the game without having to abide by the NCAA’s rules and restrictions. Denard Robinson, former University of Michigan quarterback graced the cover of "NCAA Football 2014." It is only a matter of time until another lucky college athlete is on the cover once again.
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02.23.21