The Leader - February 18, 2014 by Elmhurst University - The Leader

THE LEADER THE AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT ELMHURST COLLEGE. VOL. 48 FEBRUARY 18, 2014

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Joe Adam resigns, accepts coaching position at Syracuse

Bill Nye talks evolution at EC

Inside this year’s Oscar races

Photo courtesy of Steve Woltmann Photography Joe Adam compiled a 43-29 record during his six-year tenure on Elmhurst College’s football staff.

CHarlie roumeliotis sports editor

Alyssa Poremba breaks track record

For the second straight year, an EC head football coach has resigned to accept a position at Syracuse Univ. joining head coach Scott Shafer’s staff. Joe Adam, who led the Bluejays to a 4-6 overall record (3-4 in the conference) in his only season as head coach, has been added to Shafer’s staff to coach

Syracuse’s offensive line, the position Adam grew up playing. “It was very unexpected because I had hoped and planned on being here at Elmhurst for quite a number of years, for as long as they let me,” said Adam, who succeeded Tim Lester following the 2012 season. “But this is an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up.” In January of 2013, Lester was hired as Syracuse’s new quarterback coach weeks after spear-

heading the Jays to their most successful season in school’s history with a 10-2 record, a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) championship, and their first ever postseason berth. Adam served as the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator prior to becoming head coach and has accumulated a 43-29 record during his six seasons on the Jays coaching staff.

He also mentored 17 all-conference players, including one All-American in Randy Wright. “I thought about where we had come from when I first came here seven years ago to what it’s been built to now, and maybe our record doesn’t show it this past year, but the culmination of everything that we’ve done here … there are a lot of things to be proud of,” Adam said. See COACH on page 27

EC task forces dig for dollars and ideas patrick erwin

news & online editor In the aftermath of last October’s budget forums and board meetings, EC formed several task forces to address urgent money matters and brainstorm ways to improve efficiency. Is there a clear path forward for these task forces? Have any decisions been made about EC’s future? To quote the wisdom of Magic 8 Ball? Reply hazy, try again later. “Later” may come as soon as March, when the next EC Board of Trustees meeting is held. The Leader talked to several of the EC task forces - the Financial Working Group, Transfer Student Task Force and International Student Recruiting Task Force - to get a sense of what’s on their minds Graphic by Kathryn Kuszynksi Unfortunately, the Magic 8 Ball doesn’t have specific answers. The task forces are working on more definitive suggestions.

See TASK FORCE on page 4

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February 18, 2014

ecleader.org

l Loose Stomach l

Revolutionary cake clayton dunlap

Revolutions and civil conflicts obviously have their downside. opinions editor There are accusations of the Ukrainian government torturing an opposition leader, international worries of genocide in the Central African Republic (CAR), and continuous violations and blame trading in Syria, regarding the attacks on caravans of refugees being transported out of Homs. Now this all seems to be painting quite the nasty picture, but honestly, revolution’s a piece of cake, and anybody who’s anybody is trying to get a slice of the action. The conflicts like those in Ukraine, CAR, and Syria always put nations in very vulnerable positions and often lead to international military assistance or some form of aid. Thus, effectively turning them into giant territorial cakes, warm from conflict, ready for the slice of a knife. At this point, the most economically and politically strong states begin to meet, argue and negotiate who’s getting the best slice of intervention--that’s what all these piece-talks are really about (the homophone confusion is purely a rhetorical ploy by the elite “peace”keepers). Now with the US backing the government opposition in both Ukraine and Syria, and Russia supporting Ukrainian president Yanukovych’s regime, and accusing the US of “sabotaging” Syrian piecetalks, tensions haven’t been this strong since the Cold War. And because revenge is best served cold, we may be talking ice-cream cake. And the US is considering all the Putin-free options available. So, Russian friction aside, the US is an opportunist. And when fears of genocide began bubbling in CAR, the former French colony, a meeting with French president, Hollande, had to be arranged. And who better to discuss just desserts, than a nation with such rich culinary history as the French? After what I’m sure began with President Obama apologizing for Freedom Fries, the meeting went well, in what many are calling a renewed strength in Franco-US relations. So well in fact, the US will be sending some piece-keepers of its own to CAR to smooth out some frosting and maybe put the brakes on this genocide thing. Because no one likes homogenized cake--it’s all about the layers and diversity of flavor in the cake. The US will see to it that there’s no more ethnic cleansing, only palate cleansing. And all the while, Russia has been preoccupied with hosting the Olympics and missing out on all this wholesome goodness. So to really add insult to injury, before the Olympics began, the US told Russian security officials to be aware of potential “toothpaste bombs” terrorists may use. I seriously doubt the existence of these bombs. Not only because terrorists would have to have solved the physical enigma of how to get the toothpaste back in the tube, but because toothpaste is obviously an inside joke about cavities caused by the high sugar content of consuming so much cake (something like, “here’s some toothpaste, Russia, for you cavity-free smile from bellies devoid of cake!”) I think it was once said, “one man’s cake is another man’s conflict,”to coin a phrase. That must be the motto the US is using, because it certainly couldn’t be gluttony. No one can have their cake and eat it, too.

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A stray dog outside of an arena at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics

Andy Prignano staff writer

Sochi stumbles in the spotlight The focus of the 2014 Winter Games should be the games themselves, but Sochi has been under a harsh glare of media spotlight because of an apparent lack of preparation for guests. Journalists captured photos of half-finished hotels, rooms with no finished walls, faucet water that looked more like urine, and unconventional groupings of multiple toilets in a room (with no divider). Some visitors to Sochi also expressed outrage at the fact that Sochi’s substantial feral dog population was being euthanized to minimize their presence at the Games. The Sochi games have incurred costs of $51 billion - a new record for Olympic costs.

Violence mars Ukrainian protests The Euromaidan protests, ongoing anti-government protests in the Ukraine, have become increasingly violent in the last few weeks. Though it’s been more than 20 years since Ukraine declared independence from Russia, the current government is seen as having a close relationship with Moscow, creating conflict with EU aspirations that have gained public support. Initial protests were peaceful, but after the Ukrainian Parliament passed leg-

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islation criminalizing the actions of protesters, violence erupted on Jan.19. At press time, 10 people had died and nearly 2,000 were injured or sought medical attention. Perceptions of government corruption and abuses of power have added fuel to the protests, which are occurring every weekend.

Legal Benefits for Same-Sex Marriages Increase United States Attorney General has announced an expansion of federal recognition for same-sex marriages. The benefits will include bankruptcy proceedings, prison visits and survivor benefits. While the decision doesn’t change an individual state’s ability or willingness to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples, it mandates that federal courts in states that lack marriage equality must recognize and confer these benefits to couples who were legally married elsewhere. In a memo, Holder said, “It is the (Justice Department’s) policy to recognize lawful same-sex marriages as broadly as possible, to ensure equal treatment for all members of society regardless of sexual orientation.”

Volcanic eruption in Indonesia Mount Kelud, a volcano on Indonesia’s main island of Java, erupted on Feb. 14, killing four people and forcing thousands of

ABOUT US The Leader is the studentrun newspaper speaking to the students, faculty and administrators of Elmhurst College. 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 College at large. All text, photos and art cannot be reproduced without direct permission of The Leader.

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others to flee their homes. Mount Kelud has been in the early stages of eruption for the past few days causes smoke to fill the Indonesian skies. The blast from the eruption could be heard over 100 miles away, and ash from the blast was scattered over hundreds of miles. Several airports were closed, and residents were told not to return home over concerns about the eruption triggering possible landslides.

Increased strife in Central African Republic Tens of thousands of Muslims have been fleeing sectarian violence in the Central African Republic (CAR), the former French colony, as Christian militiamen have increased attacks, and fears of ethnic-religious cleansing continue to grow. French President, Francois Hollande, is seeking “increased solidarity” from other countries, as Paris has upped French peacekeeping troops to 2,000 strong in CAR. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern that the conflict was worsening to the brink of genocide. Public lynchings and mutilations, among other atrocities, have contributed to spreading fear and mayhem in the area, as a majority of those affected by the sectarian violence have been women and children.

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February 18, 2014

Campus Shortz: Hard news (usually) in 500 words or less sex marriage. The company has donated over $5 million to groups that oppose same sex marriage or work for anti-LGBT initiatives.

Elmhurst Dominick’s to become Whole Foods

Chick-fil-A spokesperson Julie Gutherz distributes free food in the Frick Center.

patrick erwin

news & online editor

Chick-fil-A opens in Elmhurst The Elmhurst location of national fast food chain Chick-filA is now open for business. The new location, on Rte. 83, opened on Feb. 6. Chick-fil-A representatives were on campus on Feb. 6 and during the student groups activity fair on Feb. 13 to pass out free chicken

sandwiches and coupons for free meals. Chick-fil-a is one of several restaurants with local locations that have tried to connect with EC students and staff. Burger chain Meatheads had a free burger day last fall, and other chains, including Chipotle, Papa John’s, Smash Burger and Buffalo Wild Wings have offered coupons or discounts for the EC community. “We are continually trying to work with outside organiza-

Photo by Peter Flockencier

tions and businesses to create and grow relationships,” said Michelle DeFranco, assistant director of the Frick Center. DeFranco added that those business partnerships can go beyond free food and coupons, leading in some cases to opportunities for jobs and internships. Chick-fil-A made news headlines in 2012 when Dan Cathy, president of Chick-fil-A (and son of its founder), publicly stated his objections to same-

On Feb. 3, grocery store chain Whole Foods announced it would open seven new stores in spaces formerly occupied by defunct grocery chain Dominick’s, including the former Elmhurst Dominick’s, at 215 S. Route 83. Dominick’s closed all of its stores at the end of December. The chain, which had a long and successful history in the Chicago market, had been on a long decline after being sold to California-based Safeway in 1998. Increased competition from chains like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods had an impact, as did the launch of the new Mariano’s chain, led by former Dominick’s CEO Robert Mariano. But don’t rush the doors just yet. According to the Chicago Tribune and other media outlets, it’s expected to take 12 to 15 months to remodel the lo-

cations and reopen as Whole Foods.

NCTEAR meets at EC The National Council of Teachers of English Assembly for Research (NCTEAR) met at EC in January for their annual national conference in January. Dr. Ayanna Brown, a professor in EC’s education department, served as the conference’s chair. According to the NCTEAR constitution, the group’s mission is to “promote inquiry into literacy practices” as well as encourage academic research in the field. In several scheduled sessions, attendees met to discuss their research and share their work. The opening ceremonies of the conference included an appearance by the Chicago-based youth poetry group Louder Than A Bomb. The troupe performed a spoken word poetry piece for attendees. A video featuring comments from Brown, and a snippet of the Louder Than A Bomb performance, can be seen on The Leader’s YouTube channel at http://youtu.be/h48O6mNoMGk.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Elmhurst College, Chapter 195 Phi Kappa Phi Student Initiates

Phi Kappa Phi Student Initiates

Ronald D. Altman Sara Baldwin Zachary R. Bishop Lee Michael Borocz-Johnson Philip Bria Alexis M. Brow Agnieszka K. Bucko Mary Rae Butler Lisa Marie Caravelli Sarah Christerson Colin J. Clark Nicole Connet Sergio Cruz Richard Dingraudo Laruen Donile Sophia Duntily Jacqueline Dvoracek Zabrina Ebert Tyler Facker Lina Fouad Naveed Ganjani Lauren Ashley Gaudio Nadya Georgieva Michele Gobber Hannah E. Grebner Anna Grzmil Rabia Hameed Marley Brooke Hartman William C. Heschl Lauren Hunka Angela Nicole Jakobsze Jessica Johnson Sarah Marie Johnston Chelsea Karson Amanda Kelly Patrick W. Kelly Shelby Kohlmann Amanda Joy Kuchenbecker

Rachel Lapp Kimberly A. Lasare Linh To Thi Le Victoria Lewis Paula Marie Marchese Kimberly Martin Michael P. McKenna Aidan Oesterreich Miller Nancy Alexandria Montalbano Michael Nagy Buthina Nouri Jaclyn Pearson Daniel Petrokas Rebekah Dorraine Pierson Laura E. Placzek Kristin Plyer Steven James Polasik Julie Pye Krista Pyrcioch Nicholas Pyrcioch Isidora Race Herma Rahman Linda R. Rempala Jasmyn D. Reynolds Natalie Nicole Rocque Christopher B. Rodriguez Ashley Ruszczak Hillary Schiltz Rebekah Schmitz Riley Seiler Natalya Starcevich Susan Tyler Kathy Wabiszczewicz Stephanie Watson Ragan Wilson Kristina Marie Zappavigna Anthony J. Zary Paul Gerald R. Zurbano

Undergraduate Students

Philosopia Krateito Photon “Let the Love of Learning Rule Humanity” Faculty & Staff Initiates Dr. Nicholas Behm Assistant Professor, Dept. of English Laura R. Castellanos Dept. of Academic Affairs Dr. Bridget O’Rourke Associate Professor, Dept. of English Dr. Katrina Sifferd Associate Professor, Dept. of Philosophy

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February 18, 2014

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Concealed carry raises questions on safety zachary bishop staff writer

If you’re not sleepwalking to that new 8 a.m. class you’re in this semester, you may have noticed new firearm prohibition stickers as you shivered your way to your seat. Those stickers, posted at every building entrance on campus, are one obvious symbol of a new Illinois law, the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, which allows residents over the age of 21 to carry a concealed handgun. The Act took effect on Jan. 1, and the notification posted at entrances are required by the new law. While it grants a number of rights for gun owners, it also comes with a number of regulations and restrictions. “Illinois is the last state to enact a law allowing private citizens the right to carry firearms,” said Jeff Kedrowski, executive director of security & emergency management. “Our law has more restrictions than most.” Applicants are required to hold a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card (FOID card), complete firearms training, and not “not pose a danger to himself, herself, or others, or a threat to public safety” to be sanctioned for a license. Once approved by the Illinois State Police, license holders still cannot bring their handguns in/on a number of public and private spaces.

College and university campuses are on that list, hence the no-firearms stickers being put up at EC. Other areas that are prohibited are elementary and secondary schools, hospitals, public transportation vehicles, any establishment that serves alcohol, park district grounds, and public libraries. But despite all of the law’s regulations, some students are still concerned about the hazards the Firearm Concealed Carry Act might generate. “I believe the law’s dangerous and don’t think people will use it for the right reasons,” sophomore Fabian Vasquez said. “It might also lead to more college violence. Students shouldn’t have to feel unsafe in the classroom.” However, Kedrowski reassures that the law was thoroughly thought-out with college and university students’ safety in mind. “[The Act] was designed to minimize the risk of campus shootings by removing the instant access to firearms on campus,” Kedrowski said. He explained that institutions of higher education were placed on the list of prohibited places due to heavily lobbying on behalf of college and university president—an approach that he agrees is a sensible one. “There’s a lot of good reaSee CONCEALED on page 8

As of Jan.1, concealed carry of firearms is a reality in Illinois.

Photo by Kim McElheny

Snow without end creates chills, hassles

Photo by Peter Flockencier

The snow that just won’t end.

patrick erwin

news & online editor Yeah, we know. We’re not in the Sun Belt, EC isn’t in the O.C., and some snow in the winter should be expected. But almost everyone at EC is coping with a second straight month of snow -- and a long string of cold temperatures. In short, the greater Chiberia area has seen The Winter from Hell. And it’s been an issue since,

literally, the start of J-term. On Jan. 6, the first day of Jterm, classes were cancelled due to inclement weather. (EC closed campus early a few weeks later, during a second instructional day of J-term.) That day was also the beginning of the first “polar vortex,” which brought low temperatures of minus 20 Fahrenheit to the region. The air was so cold that warmer water in Lake Michigan rising into the air gave off

steam - and photographers had a field day capturing the unusual sights. But it wasn’t much fun for commuters, especially for Metra riders, who saw trains cancelled or significantly delayed during the coldest parts of the polar vortex. On campus, the mounds of snow have created some parking challenges. On Feb. 12, the parking lot at Dinkmeyer Hall was closed for snow removal. So what’s happening? WIN-

TER, WHY U NO STOP SNOWING? The Leader asked Professor Victor Gensini, an associate professor of meteorology at the College of DuPage (COD), for the low down on the Winter From Hell. Gensini said there’s no one reason why this winter’s hydrological cycle, and temperatures, have been so intense. “If I had to point to a few main factors, they would be the unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Alaska and the large snowpack that we currently have in Chicago,” Gensini said. “The warm ocean temperatures help drive the position of the polar jet stream and have forced the main source of air in Chicago to originate from central Canada.” He also said that the accumulation of snowfall has had an impact. “Since we received quite a bit of snowfall in December, the land surface now does a great job of reflecting sunlight back to space, creating a positive feedback that enforces cold temperatures in the region,” Gensini explained. “It will be very hard to flip to spring until we melt all of this snow!” Gensini oversees more than 20 meteorology majors at

COD, and they use data from the official weather recording station at O’Hare Airport. He confirmed what we’ve seen with our own eyes and felt as we shivered on our way home from class: we’ve had a epic amount of snow. “If one factors in snow depth, snowfall, and temperature, this winter ranks as the third most severe on record,” Gensini said. “Last year on this date, O’Hare airport only had 10.7 inches of snowfall recorded for the entire winter. This year, a whopping 62.2 inches of snowfall has been recorded.” And how does that compare to usual? “An ‘average’ winter in Chicago only sees 25.1 inches of snow,” he explained. “So we are already 37.1 inches above average.” And according to Gensini, we’re heading into what is usually Chicago’s snowiest month. Oh, great. Damn that Punxsutawney Phil! But while we’re supposed to have a few more weeks of winter, the immediate forecast does give us a window of relief, with temperatures possibly reaching 50 degrees Fahrenheit later this week.

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TASK FORCE from the front page schools in the region. While some channels exist between EC and local and regional two-year schools, the committee is brainstorming ways to encourage more transfers to EC.

“The FWG takes its responsibility very seriously, everyone is trying to think about all employees of the college.” Denise Jones FWG Chairperson & Special Assistant for Finance Operations

File photo The FWG is the task force responsible for balancing the 2016 budget

- and on their meeting agendas.

Money talks: The financial working group The Financial Working Group (FWG) has been perhaps one of the busiest task forces. Their task is a key one: to make recommendations that will balance the budget by financial year 2016. It’s also a tough task, since those recommendations could potentially result in cuts to benefits or even jobs. They’ve met nine times since their first meeting in November, which was just a few weeks after the contentious budget forums. “The FWG takes its responsibility very seriously,” said Denise Jones, EC’s special assistant for finance operations and FWG chairperson. “Everyone is trying to think about all employees of the college.” Jones recognizes the impact of the group’s decisions. “Everyone is involved in these programs, whether they are part-time employees or full professors, whether they are administrators, or faculty, or staff, everyone is touched by this,” she said. “So we are trying to be particularly thoughtful about [our suggestions].” Jones and the FWG are working on a list of objectives, or “charges,” to make recommendations where the College can either cut costs or raise revenue. While all the charges are important, Jones said that decisions about benefits are especially important. “I think the benefits charge

is extremely important to the employees of the college,” she said. Benefits include changes to the EC retirement plan, as well as tuition remission for EC employees. It also includes health care coverage. (Last fall, EC employees were encouraged to change coverage to an HMO plan, which reduces costs for the college.) The FWG held public forums during the first week of February to explain what they’ve talked about so far. The presentation outlined different options that could help reach the balanced budget goal. Ideas still being discussed include requiring EC employees to pay a portion of tuition (with a defined cap), as well as a possibility of employee buyout packages for older employees who may be looking at retirement. The group is also surveying 20 similar institution to capture their compensation and benefit offerings, and is “drilling down” to look at how any changes will impact tax reporting. Jones hopes that by sharing meeting minutes and talking about the FWG’s work in open meetings, any barriers to communication will be broken. “We’re making every effort to try and communicate with the campus,” she said. “I believe there will probably be additional open meetings [during this process].”

Transfer on the EC track The Transfer Task Force is looking at ways to attract more transfer students from other

The task force’s preliminary report, released last month, identifies marketing and recruitment as a key consideration, and suggests more recruiting of military students as minority students, as well as international students. Michelle Adams, EC’s associate director of admissions, is a member of the transfer task force. In an email to The Leader, she said that while some updates have been posted to the EC portal, the group’s work is still in progress. “Any ideas we have worked on thus far are just that ideas,” Adams wrote. “The president and Board of Trustees still have to review all suggestions and this will not take place until mid-March at the board meeting.” Adams said there’s a close

February 18, 2014

working relationship between all of EC’s special task forces. “[The tasks] given to the groups are in so many ways connected that it is important that there is a combined effort,” she said. The task force is examining dual admission programs, where students enroll simultaneously in both a two-year school and EC, taking classes at the community college level that will “bridge” to their planned path of study at EC.

International scope: Recruiting global students As EC looks to expand its student base beyond the traditional student, one possible demographic is to reach out to international students who want to study in America. The International Student Recruiting Task Force is looking at that possibility. At this stage, the group isn’t looking at “How do we do this?” but rather, “If we do this, will the benefits outweigh the costs?” Committee chair Alice Niziolek is the associate director of EC’s international education and international student services. She and the other members have been looking at other schools to compare their results. “We have already spent quite a bit of time looking at those institutions that have been successful in integrating international student recruitment,” Niziolek said in an email to The Leader. International students can be a big bonus for colleges and universities, and their numbers are on the rise. A November 2013 U.S. News ADVERTISEMENT

and World Report article said U.S. colleges and universities saw a record number of international students in the 20122013 school year, with more than 800,000 enrolled. In a January 2014 Chronicle of Higher Education article, “The Allure and Quick Fix of the Full-Pay Foreign Student,” writer Kevin Carey describes one reason why schools may be eager to engage with foreign students. “2007 to 2012 saw the Great Recession and its aftermath, and state appropriations along with family income shrank even as colleges were unable or unwilling to cut costs,” Carey writes. “So when the ‘full-pay’ foreign student appeared like an answered prayer, colleges opened their doors wide.” For EC, expanding recruiting efforts would more likely be one approach of many to diversify enrollment and reach out to non-traditional students. But those recruiting efforts - and the programs and staff needed to support those students - will also cost money. The committee’s interim report, dated jan. 13, 2014, cites a “lack of institutional support for international recruiting in the past.” But Niziolek believes that bringing international students to EC has some positive possibilities. “It seems that a lot of people in our community welcome the idea of bringing more international students to our campus,” Niziolek said. “[And the] few who are already studying here add quite a bit to campus life and classroom discussions.”

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February 18, 2014

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EC spring lecture series kicks off with Bill Nye, and brings more experts to campus geena jacobsen staff writer

A founding father of Facebook, Chris Hughes, and writer Dustin Lance Black, who penned the Oscar-winning screenplay for the 2008 film “Milk,” are among the lecturers who will be visiting EC this spring as part of the Cultural

Season lectures. The spring series already launched with a high-profile visit from Bill Nye, and Director of special events Peggy Stanko said the Nye lecture was a success. “The response was huge,” Stanko said. “Online tickets were sold out within just over a week.”

EC had to get creative to accommodate the high demand for the Nye lecture. “We made arrangements for live streaming into the residence hall rooms and into Founders Lounge for student remote viewing,” Stanko explained. But EC students were front and center at the lecture - liter-

ally. “Approximately 85 percent of the people attending the Bill Nye event in the Chapel were our students,” she said. The spring lecture continues the 2013-2014 theme of education in crisis, and includes a look back at the Columbine shootings After years of lectures being

free and open to the public, EC began to charge the public $10 for admission last year. Some lectures this year have carried a $20 price tag for tickets for the public. (Tickets for students and employees remain free.) Could ticket prices go even higher for the public? “No, not to my knowledge,” Stanko said.

Spring Lectures

All lectures at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise indicated. Tickets for the public for these lectures are $10 each.

Krista Tippett

Thursday, Feb. 27 @ Hammerschmidt Chapel Tippett is the host of On Being, a public radio show heard on NPR that explores issues of faith. Tippett’s lecture will explore the tension between science and faith, and dig deeper into that narrative through the work of Albert Einstein.

Dave Cullen

Sunday, March 9 @ Frick Center Founders Lounge April will mark the fifteenth anniversary of the horrifying Columbine high school shootings. Cullen is a journalist who’s written extensively about the shootings (including a book, “Columbine”), and he’ll discuss that day and the cultural forces that have led to repeated school shootings.

Chris Hughes

Thursday, March 6 @ Hammerschmidt Chapel Chris Hughes might not be a household name, but he’s an accomplished journalist, publisher and entrepreneur. Hughes co-founded the social media site Facebook, and is now editor-in-chief and publisher of The New Republic. In his EC lecture, Hughes will focus on the value of journalism.

Zareena Grewal

Monday, March 17 @ Frick Center Founders Lounge Grewal is a Yale professor and documentary filmmaker. Her film “By The Dawn’s Early Light,” looked at the patriotism of American Muslims through the lens of anti-Muslim sentiment in post9/11 America. Grewal will discuss her writing and studies, including an upcoming book on the global impacts of Islam, and how American Muslims are connected to the home of Islam.

Dustin Lance Black

Julia Keller

Wednesday, April 23 @ Frick Center Founders Lounge Keller’s name should be familiar to Chicago Tribune readers; it’s a name familiar to Pulitzer Prize voters, who awarded Keller the prestigious prize in 2005. She also writes fiction, and has published two books in the Bell Elkins series, aimed at young adult readers. In her EC lecture, Keller will look at the intersection of sciences and the arts.

Thursday, May 8 @ Frick Center Founders Lounge Black is a screenwriter, director and producer in film and television. His list of writing credits include episodes of the HBO series “Big Love” and the screenplay for the film J. Edgar. He’s best known as the screenwriter for the 2008 film Milk, which told the story of the life and career of Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist who became one of the first openly gay people to be elected to office in American politics. Black’s lecture will discuss that film and California’s Proposition 8 law. Internet photos

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February 18, 2014

CONCEALED from page 4 sons why young college students shouldn’t be able to carry firearms,” he said. “They live and go to class in places that are dense with people… they are relatively inexperienced with alcohol.” Kedrowski also pointed out that traditional undergrads are not the only ones forbidden from carrying a firearm at the college. “The law applies to everyone on campus,” he explained. “[That includes] staff, faculty, traditional students, continuing education students, and grad students,” he said. Kedrowski added that someone could bring a handgun on campus by driving into a parking lot with it, but the firearm must be unloaded and secured in the trunk before that person leaves their vehicle. While students can feel confident about handgun-free places on campus, Kedrowski added that they should keep in mind that areas around campus may not be on the list of prohibited places. “The new law will allow permit holders to lawfully carry concealed firearms in areas

closer to campus,” Kedrowski said. “[That includes] public roadways through campus.” The Chicago Tribune recently reported that, as of Feb. 10, 144 Elmhurst residents have applied for concealed carry licenses. A spokesperson for the Elmhurst Police Department wasn’t surprised about the number. “We have 45,000 residents so that’s a small amount,” Elmhurst Deputy Police Chief Jim Kveton told the Tribune. Kedrowski added that no licenses will be issued until March at the earliest. The Office of Security plans to release a statement regarding EC’s response to the law next week. While the act attempts to balance security and safety with the rights of owners, questions remain about how effective a law on the books can be at preventing an inappropriate —or tragic—use of a handgun. “I don’t know how much a sign [and a law] will do to keep someone who’s determined from bringing a weapon into a building on campus,” junior Meredithe Mimlitz said, “It’s kind of nerve-wracking and puts you on edge.”

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Leader adviser goes MIA

Graphic by Nikki Smith, Illustration by Tyle Kerr Professor of English Ron Wiginton, who has served as adviser to The Leader for over a decade has gone on sabbatical, leaving a group of college journalists under the supervision of adjunct and former Leader editor-in-chief Eric Lutz.

Lecture examines race and education Chrissy croft staff writer

50 years ago, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said he hoped that “little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and little white girls as sisters and brothers.” Since his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, barriers have come tumbling down but they may still exist in the classroom, where inequalities in education persist, according Shaun R. Harper, executive director of the Center for Race and Equity in Education at University of Pennsylvania. In the Feb. 12 Martin Luther King Jr. Intercultural Lecture, “We Shall Overcome...When?” Harper, who studies the way race affects the educational experience of students, still awaits the realization of educational equality. “I guess I’m left here wondering when? When might we overcome the persistent issue of race and injustice in our society?” he asked. A report authored by Harper interviewed over 400 young black and Latino male high school students, and found that many colleges and universities weren’t successfully engaging students of color. He said that the racial gap impacts accessibility to higher education. And once they are there, they are not treated equally by their peers and professors. “There is a constant articulation of lowered expectations,” he stated. EC student Rachael Minnick identified with Harper’s assessments. “I feel that being a black stu-

dent here means less is expected of you,” Minnick shared. “It makes my learning experience different here, and not up to par with white students. I have less of a chance.” Fellow EC student Tristan Duff echoed similar sentiments. “I feel less informed about and connected to the college than white students,” he said. Chicago is known as one of the most segregated cities in the country, and the 2010 U.S. Census data found over two-thirds of the city would have to move to settle in an integrated area - a level of segregation that Harper believes has an influence on suburbs like Elmhurst. “I surmise it has a spillover effect onto this campus, onto the norms of this campus,” he asserted as audience members nodded their heads. Harper drew parallels between Chicago’s segregation, and colleges such as EC, where diversifying the campus with underrepresented groups, such as students of color, have been major initiatives. EC launched the President’s Leadership Academy in 2013 to offer academic support to students of color, and to overcome obstacles to retaining students of color on campus. But those initiatives are fighting against serious challenges. Even a robust cultural mix during the admissions process, Harper said, doesn’t necessarily equate to a campus free of segregation. “Even on campuses that were racially diverse, students admitted that they were not communicating substantively across races,” he said.

Shaun Harper delivered EC’s Martin Luther King Jr. Intercultural Lecture.

Tensions have led to conflict at neighboring Wheaton College, where recent enrollment numbers indicate African-American students represent just under three percent of students on campus. In December 2013, a number of Tweets with negative comments about Wheaton’s African-American students appeared, with the hashtag #chapeltweets. (While many of the original tweets have been deleted, screen captures can be viewed at http://tinyurl. com/k8odyhp.) Harper reminded the audience

of the ways that media images construct race and race dialogue. He showed photographs and news coverage of racial issues at various colleges, including a King Day party at University of Arizona that included students in blackface. “This is just one of hundreds of racial incidents that continue in the modern day on college campuses,” he said. One of Harper’s slides was a snippet of the EC mission statement, which says that the College prepares students for “meaningful and ethical work in a multicul-

Photo by Peter Flockencier

tural, global society.” During the Q&A, when a student told a story of when her white friends were uncomfortable public speaking about slavery, he referenced the mission statement as a reason that this is problematic. “When I go back to the values and aspirations that are articulated in your mission statement, I got to say that surprises me,” Harper explained. “It would seem to me that people would be fluent and comfortable in conversations and discourses about America’s racial history.”

NEWS

ecleader.org

February 18,2014

Bill Nye discusses evolution debate at EC

Shows every dedicated Bill Nye fan should watch Bill Nye is one of the best-known men to ever wear a bow tie (sorry, Dr. Butler), but he’s not the first person to make science slick. And while “Breaking Bad” has the whole “It’s science, bitch!” attitude making science seem cool, it takes the right combination of content and host - a special kind of alchemy, if you will - to engage viewers. Here are four programs that might just make the grade.

The Brain Scoop One of the most popular natural science programs happens in our own backyard. The Field Museum’s Brain Scoop channel on YouTube has a dedicated audience (over 200,000 subscribers) and a breakout star in its host, Emily Graslie. The episodes combine Graslie’s curiosity about Field Museum exhibits with an engaging, easy-to-understand delivery that makes dead animals exciting for viewers. Graslie, who was the subject of a recent Chicago Reader cover story, also launched a discussion about women in science in an episode called “Where My Ladies At,” where she called out sexist and crude comments she received on YouTube and via email - comments unrelated to her work and her abilities.

MinutePhysics

Bill Nye spoke to a packed Hammerschmidt Chapel audience.

Brett Peto staff writer

Less than a week after defending evolution in a debate at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky. the star of “Bill Nye the Science Guy” told an overflowing crowd in Hammerschmidt Chapel why he decided to partake in the debate. “I took that debate just to raise awareness, especially in the commonwealth of Kentucky,” Nye said at EC’s Feb. 9 Roland Quest Lecture. “You don’t want to raise a generation of people that don’t believe in modern medicine and food and weather forecasts.” The evolution vs creationism debate that was live streamed on CNN.com pitted Nye against Australian young-Earth creationist Ken Ham, the president of Answers in Genesis (AiG). The AiG group, nonprofit Christian apologetics ministry, built the Creation Museum and is perhaps the most vocal supporter of young Earth creationism. Using the Bible as a timeline, the theory proposes the Earth is ten thousand years old at most, opposes scientific claims that the Earth is 4.5 billion years old and discredits age-verifying techniques like radioactive dating and the geological record. Nye defended evolution as an accurate theory and described his feelings about the debate. “It’s difficult not to get frustrated because some of the

things from the other side are so extraordinary, against everything you can touch and see,” Nye said. While Nye certainly has his opponents, the Q & A session showed that many remain fascinated with the accessible, bowtie-wearing persona that won 19 Emmy awards for his show that ran five years. One audience member asked how society could get more children interested in science. “Blow stuff up,” Nye said. “I, of course, have grown out of it. But what you want to do is have a demonstration that has an unexpected result.” A number of science students at the lecture warmly remembered Nye’s show and described his influence in their lives. “Bill Nye started my love for science and that’s why I’m here as a bio[logy] major going into pre-med,” said senior Linda Kang. Junior biology major Nicole Insko praised him before a meet-and-greet session in Goebel Hall before the lecture. “He is the icon of my childhood and probably one of the reasons I enjoy science so much,” she said. Nye’s persona and popularity among the general public was also recognized by Physics Department Chair Brian Wilhite. “It’s really exciting to have somebody that’s kind of the face of science here on campus,” he said. “He was very good [at] engaging with students.” Nye received a standing ova-

Photo by Kimberly McElheny

tion at the end of his lecture and the Q & A session. And he received a similar cheer when one audience member asked if he would ever consider rebooting “Bill Nye the Science Guy”, and Nye replied that he had recently filmed an as-yet-unannounced program. “It looks like a reality show, but all of a sudden there’s a science demonstration,” he said. Nye’s final demonstration of the night involved a picture taken in 2007 of Saturn with Earth barely visible as a minuscule dot. He pointed out how much those pixels contained. “That’s the Earth, right there,” he said. “That’s the whole deal. Everybody you’ve ever met, everything. Every tree, every sea jelly, every whale, every camel, dandelion, pick something. Redwood tree. Beetle. Spider. Everybody. Even as weird as I always thought he was, my old boss is in there.” The night couldn’t end without a question on bowties. Nye said he owns “over 250” of them and believes they’re the only appropriate tie to wear with formal wear. “These guys wear straight ties with tuxedos? Okay. You’re the host of a thing and you have an unbuttoned shirt? Okay,” Nye said. “Compare and contrast [with a] guy in tuxedo and bowtie. And don’t ask me, ask the ladies.”

Founded by physics student Henry Reich, MinutePhysics posted its first YouTube video in 2011 and since then has created dozens more with just Reich’s voice, white paper, and several colors of Crayola markers. Reich employs stick figures, Schrodinger’s cat, and a surprising number of sheep to explain physics concepts like parallel universes, the uncertainty principle, what might happen if the Earth were hollow, and exactly why the sky is dark at night. Reich founded another channel, MinuteEarth, in 2013 to cover wider topics like biology, ecology, and geology, and he brought his markers with him.

Veritasium A combination of the Latin word ‘veritas,’ meaning truth, and ‘ium,’ a common ending of elements of the periodic table, YouTube channel Veritasium presents science experiments, songs, expert interviews, and Jay Leno-style exposes of how little much of the public knows about science. Australian native Derek Muller started the channel in 2010 and so far has achieved the most success with two slow-motion examinations of how a Slinky, well, slinks. They showed that Slinkys appear to defy gravity when dropped, gaining press attention from NPR, The Toronto Star, and the BBC.

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey As Bill Nye was eager to recite, famed astrophysicist Carl Sagan once said, “When you’re in love, you want to tell the world.” And Sagan did, in his 13-part series “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage,” which aired on PBS in 1980 and introduced a generation of Americans to scientific inquiry into everything from the origins of life to evolution and natural selection to the lives of stars. Now, also-famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who spoke to a sold-out crowd in Hammerschmidt Chapel last April, is releasing his own rendition: “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.” The 13-part reboot begins Mar 9 on Fox and the National Geographic Channel.

Internet photo Brain Scoop host Emily Graslie was a recent Reader cover subject.

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February 18, 2014

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l Editorial l

To the hourly employees: we are sorry

Meet Fred Flintstone, an hourly worker seeking a more progressive work environment.

Illustration by Tyler Kerr

During the flurry of events surrounding last fall’s budget debates, The Leader’s staff tried speaking to as many members of the EC community as we could to fully understand the potential impacts of budget cuts—and we quickly realized that the coverage wasn’t quite what it should be. Our realization came in the form a letter from an EC employee that told us we hadn’t gone far enough. “HELLO!” the author wrote, “there is an entire population on this campus that has no voice...the hourly staff.” (The author did not give us permission to reprint the letter in its entirety, so we are withholding the remaining text, as well as their name.) Well, the author of the letter was right. The Leader seeks to be inclusive of all voices, and our stories in the past have featured hourly employees. So did a video we made at the second budget forum. But clearly, the visibility isn’t there. Our language has overwhelmingly referred to faculty and students, but not hourly employees. As a result, an integral piece of the EC community is not represented in a newspaper dedicated to serving the entire EC community. And for that, The Leader would like to apologize. We take full responsibility for not meeting our obligation on this matter, and we will be working harder to do our job better in future issues. As the letter we received pointed out, hourly employees are the unsung heroes and heroines of life on campus. They are the people who keep our campus safe and those who shoveled snow while the rest of us complained about having cabin fever from staying indoors during J-term. They are the clerks, department secretaries, IT team, and so many more positions that keep this campus running. And yet, higher education institutions do not guarantee hourly workers the same

protection enjoyed by tenured faculty or tuition-paying students. When The Leader reached out to hourly employees in the wake of the budget debates, they expressed discomfort with sharing their thoughts, fearing consequences if they shared grievances, on or off the record. Whether this is due to an unspoken interpretation of the employer-employee relationship at EC, or is the result of hourly employees being told by their superiors to stay away from the conversation, the current environment clearly is not conducive to inclusive dialogue. Even the Financial Working Group (FWG), created as our final vestige for community involvement, does not have direct representation for the hourly staff. Only a member from the exempt staff (not entitled to overtime, paid on salary basis) is included, which means non-exempt (entitled to overtime, no salary) employees are not included. This was a serious oversight in the creation of the FWG. We recognize that collective voices at EC managed to accomplish a great deal last fall during the budget debates. At the very least, those voices acted as a speedbump to slow the adaptation of proposed changes until more voices could be heard, and more ideas considered. From this, a distinct commitment to an unfettered openness was striven for as a community, and anything less than this at any level within the operation of EC, is counter-productive to this purpose. The Leader concludes that the onus is on everyone from the reporter to the administrator to correct the environment of communication for hourly employees. And we should expect nothing short of this, whether we’re talking budget cuts today, or the next Marxist revolution tomorrow.

opinions

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l Under the Microscope l

February 18, 2014

l Convergence l

Diagnosing the Apathy tastes like chicken NFL’s concussion

BRETT PETO

staff writer

The Super Bowl is over. So are the hard hits between offensive and defensive backs. But, now that the last scraps of tickertape have been swept from the streets of Seattle, something else threatens to hit the NFL harder: mounting controversy over concussions and player safety. In the past decade, thousands of players have claimed to suffer debilitating brain damage they say football caused. Many report memory loss, depression, dementia, and thoughts of suicide after retirement. Dozens of such cases have been attributed to a disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Postmortem research says the brains of CTE sufferers contain tangles of tau protein, which strangle neurons and are also found in Alzheimer’s disease patients. Some areas in CTE brains are shrunken, too, like the frontal cortex, where functions like planning for the future, creating long-term emotional memories, and deciding between good and bad are thought to be housed. And this sort of damage leads to major changes in personality, as the family of former Pittsburgh Steeler center Mike Webster knows all too well. Nicknamed “Iron Mike,” Webster is considered by some the best center in NFL history and helped the Steelers win four Super Bowls between 1974 and 1979. But success came with a high price. Over his 25-year football career spanning across high school, college, and the NFL, he sustained the equivalent of thousands of car crashes, not just to his body but also to his head. Which might have led to his choosing to live in his pickup truck and various train stations between Pittsburgh and Wisconsin for several years after retiring in 1990. His youngest son Garrett, then a teenager, acted like a parent to him, as Webster could no longer take care of himself. Then, six months before his death in 2002 at just the age of 50, his wife Pamela divorced him. She blamed herself as Web-

ster became “a moody, explosive man who tore through all the family’s money and would lock himself in the bathroom for hours at a time,” according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. But a postmortem diagnosis has shifted the blame to CTE. It’s done that for former veteran linebacker Junior Seau, who killed himself in 2012. It’s done that for one-time Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, who had numerous run-ins with police before his death in 2009 from a car accident and was the first active player to be diagnosed with CTE. What’s clear about CTE and concussions is they are a serious concern for every football player of every age.

“Over his 25-year football career ... [Webster] sustained the equivalent of thousands of car crashes, not just to his body but also to his head.” What’s also clear is that not enough long-term research is available to absolutely conclude the kinds of impacts, large and small, that occur in football can accumulate over the years into CTE. But it begs the question of whether the NFL, and football in general, should be given the benefit of the doubt while some players’ mental health may be in danger. To those who say the danger is slight, I’ll leave you with this. A study published last June in the journal Pediatrics surveyed 235 people between the ages of 11 and 22. All of them had recently visited an emergency room after suffering a concussion. For those with no history of concussions, average recovery was 12 days. Those with a history of concussions recovered within 24 days. The worst was patients with a concussion in the past year. They took 35 days. And when concussion symptoms subside, the study found, the brain is much more vulnerable to injury for years to come. While the NFL’s current return-to-play protocol is improved over prior versions, it’s nowhere close to accommodating these timeframes. There were a lot of hard hits in this Super Bowl. There are a lot of hard hits in the NFL. And, it seems, there were a few too many for Mike Webster.

PATRICK ERWIN

news & online editor So, the city of Elmhurst has a new Chick-fil-a. I’m sure this is a bonus for Elmhurst. More jobs. More on the tax rolls. Chick-fil-a openings have become an elaborate affair of bread and circuses. Even in the brutal cold, people camped out to get free chicken for a year. EC students got free chicken sandwiches and gift cards! Free shit! It’s awesome! And amidst literally dozens, if not hundreds, of students lining up for freebies, a little voice inside my head said, Isn’t anyone wondering why Chick-fil-a is here? It’s a fair question wondering why the college that was the first in the nation to ask applicants if they’re lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) would welcome a national chain that was mired in controversy over its leaders’ opposition to samesex marriage, and a company

foundation’s funding of anti-gay initiatives. I don’t blame the college, really. We’re building relationships with businesses, right? And we’re a place that welcomes all voices, even ones that don’t always agree with the College’s mission. I don’t really blame other students. It’s free food. We all have soul-crushing student loan debt ahead of us. A free sandwich is a welcome thing. It’s tough to live in a bubble of moral absolutism, isn’t it? Chickfil-a probably isn’t the only company that has made decisions with which customers may not agree. If we stopped going to every place where that kind of conflict existed, we’d probably have to give up going grocery shopping or eating out, right? It’s a free country, and everyone should have a choice to eat where they want. I completely support that. Let’s also talk about an indisputable fact: Chick-fil-a is indisputably delicious food. Their chicken sandwiches are decadently good. Their waffle fries are addictive. I totally get that. I haven’t had any for years, though. And I’m not a person who usually passes up carbohydrates, man. But to spend money at a place that funnels that money to antigay initiatives is, if you’ll forgive my bluntness, pissing in my own face. I guess I’m not angry at the city, or the College, or the stu-

dents. Not really. I’m just wondering why the voice in my head was, to the best of my knowledge, the only one I heard. Didn’t anyone else—anyone, anywhere, in the administration, in the student body—stop and say, “Hey, wait a second. Does this work with our mission?” Denying Chick-fil-a access to campus isn’t the point here. It isn’t the only valid answer. It just concerns me that no one seems to have posed the question. I remember reading the College’s mission to bring “underrepresented” populations on campus—people who would bring a different perspective, and share different perspectives with students. People who weren’t necessarily members of that normative majority. People of various faiths. People of color. People with different sexual identities and gender identities. People like me. No one had to say no to a free sandwich, or shut the welcoming gates of campus. But those alternative perspectives were meant to lead to critical thinking and empathy for other cultures and other lives. And so the new question in my head is this: if no one even raised their hand to pose this question, how successful has that critical thinking initiative been?

l Deal with It l

Stop fearing the F-word

Katie Matthews staff writer

“Feminist.” If you say it enough times, a hairy butch lesbian will come out of your bathroom mirror and burn all your bras. I’m just kidding. A hairy butch lesbian will never come out of your bathroom mirror, but I’m not kidding because a hairy butch lesbian WILL tell you to shut up if you say it like it’s a dirty word. I can’t believe how many times I’m faced with people who utter it like it’s a second F-word. It hits close to home for me. My friends complain about their professors who are “too feminist.” I’m asked frequently with a venomous tone if my gender and communication class is only about feminism. I am constantly asked why I am a feminist when we are living in a “postFeminist society.” 2013 brought with it an as-

tounding 250 bills to restrict women’s reproductive rights, with at least 30 becoming law. Approximately 150,000 women in Texas have lost access to reproductive health care due to antichoice legislation. After all this, I am still told that feminism just isn’t necessary anymore. Quite frankly, I’m tired of it. I’m tired of people’s working image of Feminism as something made out of straw. “Straw Feminism” might as well be an effigy, because people love trying to burn feminists to the ground. I’m tired of having to correct peers that Feminism isn’t a dirty word. Let’s think why feminism is viewed so poorly. Is it because some women yell back at men who catcall? Is it because we have the audacity to demand to be treated as equal to our male counterparts? How dare I seek autonomy over my own body and choices, which has never been questioned for men? How dare I shut down sexist or racist comments that only contribute to oppressive power structures? Or do men just inherently hate feminists because their success means they’d have to actually treat women as equals? It’s not just men who say it like they might as well be summoning a demon, but there’s women who do it, too. Women make me the

most upset. It means that the pervasive sexism and misogyny present in our popular culture has filtered down and been internalized by the very people who are being subjugated by the dominant. In short—they won. I am a 22-year-old white woman at a liberal arts college in the suburbs of Chicago. I’m going to get a Bachelor’s degree and end up working at a job where my male counterparts will make thirty-three cents more than I will. I will make approximately twenty cents more than my black female counterparts. That’s why I’m a feminist. Men in Congress are making decisions about my body for things that they’ll never encounter or experience. There are women being raped and abused and no one seems to think it’s a problem with men, but merely how the women were acting or dressed. I’m a Feminist because lesbians are constantly told that they can be “turned straight” by sleeping with a man. I’m a feminist because women are not yet seen as whole agents of their bodies and minds, and it’s exhausting to constantly fight that oppressive power structure. I’m a feminist because it isn’t a dirty word. I am a feminist. Deal with it.

February 18, 2014

Beat

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Beat

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Internet Photo In addition to a spot for CBS’s “Survivor,” Blood Red Boots also had two songs featured on The CW’s “90210.”

ian walker beat editor

Most bands dream of becoming big enough to earn a spot performing at the stage of the Grammys, obviously. While Blood Red Boots, a rock band made up of EC students, may not have made it to the stage, they ended up having a little Grammy moment of their own. “War Paint,” a song off of their second EP, “Love + Destruction” has been recently featured in a series of promos for the CBS show “Survivor,” the first of which aired during the Grammy awards telecast on Jan. 26. The song, a mix

of Green Day guitar riffs with a touch of Muse-like singing, represented something the band knew they could get excited about. “When we recorded the song, we knew it was very epic and powerful,” said Eric Hays, the band’s keyboardist. “We were thinking it could be used for football or some other sport. Our singer Keith, though, had a connection with CBS, so he was the one who pushed the ‘Survivor’ thing. He got in contact with them and made it happen.” “When the commercial aired, we didn’t know we had the licensing agreement set up yet. Although we were pretty

sure, we weren’t anticipating anything,” said guitarist William Heschl. “So we were watching the Grammys, and it was right before Macklemore came on. We were flipping through the channels and when we saw it we weren’t expecting it, it was a surprise. We kind of lost our minds.” In addition to Hays and Heschl, the band includes singer Keith Patrick, bassist Cyrus Johnson, and drummer Joel Baer. The group started out as a collaboration between Hays and Johnson dating back to late 2011. It was during that time when Hays met Heschl during a music theory class, and asked him to join the

band. “When Eric first asked me, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a part of it,” said Heschl. “But then I played a practice with them and I was like ‘I want to be in this band.’” Previously, the band had two of their songs off of their self-titled first EP, “Lost” and “Greatest,” featured in an episode of The CW’s “90210.” It was an experience that was a little different than the one the band is having now. “With the ‘90210’ thing, we saw a couple of people post on our videos who had seen the episodes,” he said. “With this, it actually hasn’t brought in a whole lot of people. This commercial is still a good way of putting out our message and saying ‘hey, if you like the tone and the mood of the music in the ad, we hope you check more of it out.’” However, it is not lost on the band mates the difficulty of having their music break through to the nationally televised level, and is grateful for the opportunity. “When it comes to these commercials, there are committees who pick these things,” said Hays. “To have us know that one of these TV committees picked our song over anybody else shows that we did something right. It’s really gratifying to know that our music made that cut.” As for the future, the band is working on their third EP, “Countless Nights,” which they plan on releasing in March. They’re also continuing to play gigs, (their next one is at York High School as part of their Fine Arts day on April 14) and enjoying the thrills associated with being in a band.

the Beat

TV commercial features song by EC rock band Blood Red Boots

February 18, 2014

“Most musicians talk about how performing is like a drug, you play a show and you get hooked,” said Heschl. “That’s what motivates the band the most. The commercial was fantastic and it’s cool that it’s out there, but now we gotta focus on other things, like writing and performing music. It’s really exciting.”

Internet Photo From left to right: drummer Joel Baer, singer Keith Patrick, keyboardist Eric Hays, bassist Cyrus Johnson and guitarist William Heschl. The band has released two EPS: a selftitled debut and a second EP titled “Love + Destruction.”

Best Picture “12 Years a Slave”

“American Hustle”

“Captain Phillips”

“Dallas Buyers Club”

“Gravity” “Her” “Nebraska” “Philomena” “The Wolf of Wall Street” One of the most competitive Best Picture fields in years comes down to a three-way race: the special effects artistry of “Gravity,” the gut-wrenching and brutal honesty of “12 Years a Slave,” and the flashy and fun, in-your-face pomp of “American Hustle.” Unfortunately for “Gravity,” movies don’t win Best Picture on technical chops alone (ahem, “Avatar.”) While “Hustle” has an undeniable sense of style and place that’s vibrant throughout the whole film, it can’t match the deep emotional punch of “12 Years a Slave.” This is a movie that takes an unrelenting clench on the viewer’s soul with its brutally honest and powerful depiction of 1860’s slavery, and leaves them gasping for a deep breath after the credits roll. A rich and deep portrayal of such terrifying subject matter done so well is what resonates with Academy voters, and will propel the film to take the gold on Oscar night.

Why this years lineup

For movie fans, it doesn’t get more exciting than the Oscar to theater as possible throughout the first few months of the and performers earn that distinguished title of “Oscar Winn mances that seemed destined for a walk to the podium from the momentum is constantly shifting, including the most c Old Men” vs. “There Will Be Blood” battle of ‘07. Below are Th

Best Actor Christian Bale, “American Hustle” Bruce Dern, “Nebraska” Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Wolf of Wall Street” Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave” Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club” The most difficult of the acting races to call this year. Ejiofor and DiCaprio deliver performances that greatly showcase the quiet resilience (Ejiorfor) and bombastic arrogance (DiCaprio) of their respective character’s personalities. In the end, however, it will be Matthew McConaughey’s name called to the podium. His Ron Woodruff in “Dallas Buyers Club” completely anchors the movie in a way none of the other nominees do. He’s a Texas cowboy full of swagger and machismo, cut down by an HIV diagnosis, and during the film he turns that simmering anger towards the fate he was dealt into determination to help himself and the HIVinflicted community. The McConissance will continue, and men and women alike will swoon when he gives another charming acceptance speech. All right, all right, all right.

The majority of students who took our survey believe that “12 Oscar for Best Picture

Philommena Nebraska 12 Years a Slave Her Dallas Buyers Club Captain Phillips American Hustle The Wolf Of Wall Street

Best Supporting Actor

Best Supporting

Barkhad Abdi, “Captain Phillips”

Sally Hawkins, “Blue Jasm

Bradley Cooper, “American Hustle”

Jennifer Lawrence, “Ame

Micahel Fassbender, “12 Years a Slave”

Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Year

Jonah Hill, “The Wolf of Wall Street”

Julia Roberts, “August: O

Jared Leto, “The Dallas Buyers Club”

June Squibb, “Nebraska”

This race is the biggest lock of the night. Jared Leto will win for his performance in “Dallas Buyers Club.” It’s not just that he plays a transgender woman, it’s that he transforms into one where any semblance of the actor behind her is gone. None of it is played for camp, and all of it is grounded in reality that makes the audience believe the transition. Rayon has charisma from the moment she appears on screen, and never lets up on the sweet southern charm, regardless of any difficulty she faces. Not bad for a guy who took six years off from movies to pursue his rock and roll dreams. (Leto is the lead singer for the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars.)

There’s a very real chance that A could go for back-to-back wins credible feat for an actress who ping for somebody else on Osca slave that her master has an eye none of the actors in the movie lutely kills doing it. Incredibly, this be her ticket to Hollywood by m

Gravity

These numbers show which movie was most watched by EC students who completed our survey.

Best Director Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity” Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave” Alexander Payne, “Nebraska” David O. Russell, “American Hustle” Martin Scorsese, “The Wolf of Wall Street” This is the place where “Gravity” will take home a big prize. Much like last year’s winner Ang Lee, who managed everything from fantastical space whales to tigers at seas in “Life of Pi,” Alfonso Cuaron will win for bringing the sheer magnificence and wonder of outer space so effortlessly. If he comes out the big winner, it means that the illustrious group of directors known as the “Harry Potter directors” will finally have an Oscar winner amongst them. No such luck for Chris Columbus (movies 1-2), Mike Newell (4) or David Yates (5-7). (And does that mean “Prisoner of Azkaban” automatically jumps to the top of the HP power rankings?)

p is worth watching Ian Walker

beat editor

rs. The annual tradition of cinephiles cramming as many trips e year pays off in a night where they watch to see which films ner.” This year’s crop of nominated films feature some perform the moment they appeared onscreen to some races where competitive Best Picture race since the great “No Country for he Leader’s picks for who will take home the gold on March 2.

Best Actress Amy Adams, “American Hustle” Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine” Sandra Bullock, “Gravity” Judi Dench, “Philomena” Meryl Streep, “August: Osage County” Four out of the five nominees here are previous winners, so there’s some serious star power here. The lone non-winner, “American Hustle’s” Amy Adams, could remain the dark horse in this category, but the statuette will most likely go to “Blue Jasmine’s” Cate Blanchett. As a New York socialite whose opulent lifestyle has just been ripped from her, Blanchett shows a vulnerability that slowly inches more and more off kilter. In other words, she goes a little nuts, whether its extremely passive-aggressive conversations with her sister, or incoherent mumblings to herself. It’s a really fearless role for her, and a lot of fun to watch. Look for the audience to get a little squeamish when she gives the inevitable Woody Allen shout out for writing great female characters.

2 Years a Slave” should win the

Actress

mine”

erican Hustle”

rs a Slave”

Osage County”

”

America’s Favorite Person, Jennifer Lawrence, for “American Hustle,” which would be an ino is only 23. However, look for JLaw to be clapar night, namely Lupita Nyong’o. Her Patsey, a e for, has a sense of raw and trembling fear that e get to display so thoroughly, and she absos is her first film role ever, and one that will likely making it an Oscar winning role come March 2.

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Best Animated Feature “The Croods”

“Despicable Me 2”

“Ernest & Celestine”

“Frozen”

“The Wind Rises” Is there any way this doesn’t go to “Frozen”? It’s more than just a charming and adventurous animated movie. It’s the first Disney movie in long to time to truly capture that “Disney magic” that was so vibrant and real in the studio’s films from the early 90s, like “Beauty and the Beast,” and “The Lion King,” while simultaneously bringing Disney storytelling into the 21st century, showing that a movie about princesses doesn’t always have to be about finding true love with the perfect guy. Plus, the movie’s got an incredible soundtrack, with the film’s big show stopping number, “Let It Go,” instantly becoming a classic Disney tune.

Nebraska Philommena Her Dallas Buyers Club Gravity Captain Phillips 12 Years a Slave The Wolf Of Wall Street American Hustle

Graphics and layout by Nikki Smith

These numbers show students’ thoughts on which movie should win Best Picture

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February 18, 2014

patrick erwin

news & online editor In honor of the upcoming Academy Awards, our first Sound Roundup brings up the bright lights on some notable movie soundtracks. “Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit” Sure, the reputation for this movie isn’t the greatest. It has a 7 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and the whole deal was

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Welcome to the first edition of Sound Roundups. For this first one, this is all my list and my opinions. However, we hope future editions of Sound Roundups will feature a mix favorites from EC students and employees. We’ll be asking about your favorite new albums, as well as other questions that fit whatever theme our demented minds think up for that issue. If you’d like to be a part of our next Roundup, shoot us an email at leadernewsec@gmail.com. all time, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.”

rious paisley realness. Giving us angry face on a motorcycle.

“Magnolia” Aimee Mann’s music makes

Britpop bands like Pulp, Blur and Elastica appearing along with classic tracks from Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and New Order. The sounds of “Trainspotting”

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an excuse to get Whoopi Goldberg in a nun’s habit again, but it’s on this list anwyay, mostly for the music - and because it was the first time we heard Lauryn Hill, who would go on to great fame as a Fugee and make one of my favorite albums of

joseph kok staff writer

up nearly all of the soundtrack for this Paul Thomas Anderson movie. The movie itself is surreal (frogs rain down from the sky, people!) but Mann’s music gives the movie a clear emotional baseline. I’m still peeved that “Save Me,” a great song from this collection, was passed over at the Oscars for some heinous Phil Collins song. “Purple Rain” It’s Prince. Serving some se-

WHY DO WE SCREAM AT EACH OTHER? OK, Prince isn’t much of an actor, but the musical genius makes up for it, and few soundtracks are as deeply intwined with their movie as this one is. Every song tells a story. And it’s the Revolution! With Wendy! And Lisa! The water IS warm enough! “Trainspotting” This movie was an intense, bleak look at the lives of young heroin addicts in 1980s Scotland, and the music frantically captures a lot of that time, with

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proved to be so popular a second soundtrack was compiled and released. “Sparkle” (1976 version) Most of us know the 2012 version of this movie, which was the final film performance of the late Whitney Houston (no stranger to soundtracks herself ). But this earlier version is a collaboration made in heaven: music by soul legend Curtis Mayfield, and voice

by the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin. It was also the first time we heard “Giving Him Something He Can Feel,” which would later become a big hit for En Vogue. What are your favorite soundtracks? What did we miss? Sound off in the comments on our Web page or on Facebook.

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Getting you through the dull days separating our bi-weekly issues... Because we care.

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A touch of the literary If you want to take a walk on the first spring-like afternoon we get, visit the Elmhurst Historical Museum. The current featured exhibit highlights the decade in the 1920s that Carl Sandburg spent living in Elmhurst. Although most people know him as a poet and author, you can discover how much of a renaissance man he was for his time. He gained fame as he won 3 Pulitzer Prizes, and it’s worth it finding out more about one of Illinois’s own. Tue-Sun, 1-5 p.m. (exhibit runs until April 20) FREE 120 E. Park, Elmhurst

Photo by Joseph Kok

Anthology of films Need to plan a fun city outing? The Music Box Theatre regularly has films for every interest. They will soon feature a week showing the full slate of Wes Anderson films. They are in order from first to last, with early ones including “Rushmore” (1998) and “The Royal Tennebaums” (2001) to “The Darjeeling Limited” (2007) and “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012). Fans of Luke or Owen Wilson will be happy, as they are well used throughout many of Anderson’s films. Fri, Feb. 28 – Thu, March 6 $9.25 Music Box Theatre 3733 N. Southport, Chicago

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Jazzin’ in the chapel The 47th annual Elmhurst College Jazz Festival is coming this weekend. This festival presents some of the best college jazz bands from across the country performing throughout the weekend. As well, some of the most renowned jazz performers in the country are brought in as guest artists and judges. Even jazz novices can come and enjoy; it is a great opportunity to come out and hear some great music performed at low cost. Thu, Feb. 20 – Sun, Feb. 23 $10 students Hammerschmidt Chapel

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Host an Oscars party The Academy Awards, a.k.a. The Oscars, are coming March 2nd. Gather a group of friends/roommates/people from your floor together to watch the show. Look at the fashions that rule (or ruin) the day, or figure out movies you may have wanted to see and never gotten around to while they were in theaters. Most are now available on DVD to watch before the awards show. For those not able to see them beforehand, make a list of the award winners to watch over your weekends or spring break. Sun, March 2 @ 7 p.m. ABC

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February 18, 2014

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February 18, 2014

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“Robocop” lacks depth under shiny surface VERDICT 2.5/5 Peanuts

kevin garcia staff writer

It seems like filmmakers have been going to the ‘80s a lot recently. At this point it’s second nature to ask, “Has this film provided anything new to the audience that the original hasn’t?” Unfortunately, the answer with “Robocop” is nope. In the film, Alex Murphy, played by Joel Kinnaman, is a Detroit cop who has been severely wounded due to a threat against his life by criminals. In an effort to restore him, becomes part man, part robot due to huge technology conglomerate OmniCorp’s investment in him.

“This film seems like more of a video game with glossy exteriors amidst a clean atmosphere, which really is wrong when the story is set in super-murky Detroit.” Action movies like these are made for the sake of entertainment. The 1987 verison is a great example of that, thanks to the ‘80s style of popcorn action and its R rating. What drags this version down is its PG-13 rating. The original “RoboCop” had to actually cut out some footage for it not to have a NC-17 rating. The original version seemingly had realism, a dystopic Detroit setting and, due to the advancement of technology of the time, a “machines taking over the world” theme all working for it. This film seems like more of a video game with glossy exteriors amidst a clean atmosphere, which really is wrong when the story is set in super-murky Detroit. The most interesting element of the film was the idea of free will, exploring the question of “Is it possible for a cyborg to override the system?” The film goes into that specifically with Gary Oldman’s character, where he plays Murphy/Robocop’s doctor (or creator). While the main focus of the story is the corruption that goes on within OmniCorp and the vengeance Murphy feels towards them, the underlying story is his will to survive. What could have been a dynamic angle to explore, however, is instead overlapped with a simple premise that is stale. Samuel L. Jackson had the most convincing role in the film by portraying Pat Novak, a Bill O’Reilly figure, who hosts his own show called “The Novak Element.” That gave way to

some refreshing political material throughout the movie, showing how news anchors and shows can be swayed or biased toward one theory, specifically pushing the idea of favoring machine usage for law enforcement in America. For example, Novak cuts off footage on his show if it looks threatening to the ideals he is trying to portray, or cuts off

“The most interesting element of the film was the idea of free will, exploring the question of “Is it possible for a cyborg to override the system?”

other political individuals if they do not agree with him by saying, “Ok, well thanks for that now back to American Justice.” On the one hand this is funny to see but it’s also true because there are people and channels like this in American society. Again, it’s another interesting angle that could have taken place but doesn’t really work. All in all, when the action works it’s cool and enjoyable as hell. When its not, though, it’s lethargic and uneventful. Although the film could have been much worse, it ultimately doesn’t to live up to its potential. Nice shot, Mr. Roboto.

Internet Photo This new Robocop, played by Joel Kinnaman, hunts down a bad guy in his flashy cyber-suit.

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February 18, 2014

“Man of Steel” follow up creates more skepticism with Eisenberg casting

kevin garcia staff writer

In what initially looked like another big-budget superhero sequel, the follow-up to last year’s “Man of Steel” has turned into quite the hero extravaganza. The movie now looks more like a “Trinity” film featuring the iconic three DC heroes of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. But on Jan. 31, 2014, one of the most anticipated films received heavy backlash when news broke that Jesse Eisenberg had been casted as Lex Luthor. Eisenberg is one of many unusual casting choices, but the sequel to “Man of Steel” might still be worth anticipating. Eisenberg, though an unusual choice, might have the potential to create a Lex Luthor we have never seen, a Luthor that has the same smarts and goals but approaching and acting upon them in untraditional ways. At least Eisenberg knows how to play an intelligent, snobbish, arrogant, and mischievous person, all of the things that make Luthor great; that was apparent in his role in the “Social Network.” You could even argue that the way he plays Mark Zuckerburg could be considered a modern day Lex Luthor. Even though this version of Luthor will be much younger than Superman, it will be interesting to see what they do with him. The possibilities are infinite, but let’s not be so quick to judge. But the casting of Ben Affleck landing the role as Batman pre-

Tyler Kerr cartoonist

Look at that smiley guy on the left. The perfect choice to play a conniving, diabolical supervillain, right?

ceded the news of Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, and was just as controversial. Many people are familiar with the Ben Affleck of the early 2000s, who was dating Jennifer Lopez and starred in some lame films like “Gigli” and the awful “Daredevil.” But Affleck has improved over the years with roles like George Reeves in “Hollywoodland” and not to mention several Oscar nominations in films like “The Town” and “Argo,” which won Best Picture of 2012 plus two

other awards. With seniority in the acting business, Affleck can bring assistance with dialogue and direction to the “Man of Steel” follow-up. It would be nice for Snyder to have a right hand man who has a role to help other actors who are perhaps less experienced. One of the biggest surprises still might have been the casting of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, given that she is a relatively unknown actress. It is, however,

still a good chance for Gadot to show diverse talent, since she hasn’t been seen in much outside the “Fast and Furious” films where she has a one-dimensional role as an attractive woman driving cars. With the role of Wonder Woman, however, Gadot has the opportunity to portray a dynamic superhero character than the one she played in the “Fast & Furious” series, where she was underplayed. Gadot will have to deal with comic

Off the Wire l

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book fans and shallow criticism from being too thin to not being chesty enough to play wonder woman. It might be worth it to kill the sexism and put the skepticism aside, and give Snyder and company a chance; the film is still two years away. I have faith in DC and as long as Zack Snyder relaxes on the fireworks, David S. Goyer writes a dynamic script, and Christopher Nolan still has his influence, this movie could be a great success. Just

Politics boring you? Sick of hearing about #thirdworldproblems? Tired of seeming like an ignorant slob? Off The Wire compiles the worlds’s quirkiest news to help avoid that uncomfortable lull in conversation.

Shia LeBeouf’s String of Plagiarism Continues For nearly a year now, LeBeouf’s apparent boredom has pushed him to commit some serious acts of plagiarism. The little runt even had the gall to blatantly steal the work of Daniel Clowes and use it as the basis for a short film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The character allotment in this blurb simply isn’t enough to list the victims of Shia’s behavior, much less the following info. After having what seemed to be a complete break of sanity, Lebeouf spent the last week “performing” a piece titled #IAMSORRY. Shia sat in a studio for seven hours a day donning his “I am not famous anymore” paper bag mask while the viewers were given the opportunity, along with a table full of torture devices (no joke) and Shia paraphernalia, to do or say whatever they wanted to the poor little bitch. According to multiple sources, all he did was cry, which is enough to leave us all a little Disturbia(d). Costas’ Eye Infection Ruins Streak Bob Costas’ super fucking intense Russian-grade eye infection has costa [sic] lot: a 157 night run as NBC’s Olympic prime-time host, to be exact. Though Rapping Roberto made a few feeble efforts to maintain his post (i.e., ripping shots of vodka and switching from contacts to glasses), he sadly had to pass the torch (lol) to “Today’s” Matt Lauer on the Feb. 11 broadcast. NBC lists Costas condition as “day to day,” but by the time this catches your (hopefully NOT infected) eyes, ‘ol Bob’ll be back at the helm. At least we can rest assured knowing that Costas got more air-time than Shaun White this go-round.

Flappy Bird Flies the Coop “Flappy Bird was designed to be played in a few minutes when you are relaxed,” Dong Nguyen, Flappy Bird creator, told Forbes last week, “but it happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem. To solve that problem...it’s gone forever.” This is probably old news to most, but it’ll make for some good bird puns. The world’s gone raven mad over the disappearance of one of the biggest app store downloads since, well, another game of the avian variety. Owl sparrow the details and just say that the fate of many FlappyBirders’ phones faced an unpheasant demise due to the toucan-play-at-this-game nature of the app. Fortunately, Nguyen’s little jaunt through gaming fame hasn’t left too fowl of a taste in his mouth; he promises to keep developing more time-wasters.

Cartoon by Tyler Kerr

Dumb Starbucks not L.A.’s Cup of Tea Dumb Starbucks, an artistic parody of the real daily grind, was raised and brought to life in a matter of days. Nathan Fielder, Canadian comedian and protégé of Tim & Eric of Adult Swim fame, was the brain behind the brawn that was L.A.’s biggest trend for, like, four days, maybe? Dumb Starbucks was pretty much Starbucks (from décor to drinks to douche baristas corralled on Craigslist) except everything was preceded by the word “dumb” and the drinks were free. Fielder’s new Comedy Central series “Nathan for You” is based on the canuck lending not-so-sound advice to small business owners, but it seems that Nathan needs to stop listening to himself if Dumb Starbucks is to reopen. The L.A. Health Department shut down the operation after a brief four days. Seems that this grande [sic] idea wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

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February 18, 2014

THE FUN PAGE How well do you know this year’s nominees? Across 6. “All right, all right, all right” (last name) 7. State in the Union 10. Pretty Woman 11. When water turns to ice 12. One of “The Hangover” wolfpack 13. Played Batman Down 1. Most nominated actor/actress in history 2. Doesn’t exist in outer space 3. Jack from “Titanic” (last name) 4. Where the wolf lives 5. Lois Lane in “Man of Steel” 8. This year’s host 9. The Blind Side 10. Superbad

Leader Horoscopes

For answers to last issue’s crossword puzzle, go to ecleader.org

Helping you with the little things like what to have for lunch,

Tyler Kerr

staff cartoonist Aquarius

Pisces

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

1/20 - 2/18

2/19 - 3/20

3/21 - 4/19

4/20 - 5/20

5/21 - 6/20

Your lover is unfaithful. LOL, sorry!

There’s surely something in the horizon, and swiftly approaching. Hopefully and oncoming, out of control 18 wheeler.

Cancer

Leo

6/21 - 7/22

7/23 - 8/22

Stay true to your sign and crab walk to class. This will serve no other purpose than giving people something to laugh at.

Flip the page to read your horoscope (that’ll keep ‘em busy for a while).

You’re perfect, doll face! xoxo <3 ;)

Cut your portions in half. This winter hasn’t been very forgiving to your figure.

Virgo

Libra

Scorpio

8/23 - 9/22

9/23 - 10/22

10/23 - 11/21

The grass is greener on the other side; try lighting your joints from the other end.

Your world is imbalanced! Tire alignments just $24.99 this week only at Jiffy Lube.

Sagittarius

Capricorn

11/22 - 12/21

12/22 - 1/19

Time flies as straight as an arrow, but you don’t. There’ll be some serious questioning of your sexuality in the near future.

Neebs and Reiny adjust to their new surroundings.

Dnuora sgniht nrut. Efil ruoy ni emit sdrawkcab yrev a si siht.

Indulge in some hot dogs, grapes, and hard candy this week. They’re high-risk choking foods, and...well...the world will thank you.

Congratulations! You’ve been chosen from a select group of assholes and are eligible for an all-expenses-paid trip to wherever the fuck you wanna go! (see page 9 for details)

Cartoon by Tyler Kerr

February 18, 2014

Fiona McMahon continues to make her mark on EC basketball, on and off the court CHARLIE ROUMELIOTIS sports editor

in scoring and was named the team’s Co-MVP of the season. She followed that up by aver-

te e l h To tc h t A a W

Every time Fiona McMahon sets foot on a basketball court, she makes an immediate impact. But it took her a while to figure out she even had that ability. It wasn’t until her sophomore year of high school when she decided to try out for the bas-

aging 15.3 points per game and 10.2 rebounds as a senior, good enough to earn first-team allconference honors. What makes her so special? Her coach believes it’s her determination. “Fiona sets such high standards for herself. She wants to be perfect and will stay after it

which might be a reason why she’s so competitive. Her father is from Ireland and played Gaelic football for most of his life, which is what brought him to the United States. McMahon’s older brother, Brian, played soccer at EC, and also grew up playing several other sports, which McMahon said she almost always attended. So living up to the sports background may have inspired her to follow her family’s trail. “Throughout my whole life, my family has been my biggest form of motivation and inspiration,” McMahon said. “I looked up to both [my dad and brother]. Once I started playing basketball, I never really wanted to stop. And when colleges started talking to me, I knew I wouldn’t have to.” And the last thing EC needs is for McMahon to stop playing basketball. In her first year with the Jays, she appeared in all 25 games and averaged 6.4 points per game to go along with her 6.0 rebounds, which ranked third on the team.

team all-conference accolades. “Each year she adds another skill to her game,” Carrillo said. “This year, besides being a dominant threat in the inside, she is driving more and is stepping

will be laughing at something in practice and then the next she is serious. It is that type of drive that her teammates respect and respond too.” McMahon has helped guide the Jays to a 13-10 “Fiona set such high standards for record this seaherself. She wants to be perfect and son and remain in will stay after it until she reaches it. contention for the She is extremely hard to defend. She CCIW tournament plays on both ends of the court and with a few games never takes a play off. Her game left. has developed nicely over her three After putting years at Elmhurst.” up a strong battle against Illinois Tethnie Carrillo Wesleyan Univ. on EC women’s head basketball coach Saturday, Feb. 8, McMahon says the team believes they can sneak into the out to shoot the three. Most picture. people don’t know how good of “As a team, I believe that we a three-point shooter Fiona is.” all set a goal of making it to the This season, McMahon is pro- conference tournament,” Mcducing almost the same num- Mahon said. “So far we have bers—13.1 points per game and let some games slip away from 8.4 rebounds—as she did a year us that we should have had. We ago. really took a stand in the Illinois But the most important cat- Wesleyan game. Even though egory that has seen an increase we lost, I believe that is the is the win column. best we have played together “Fiona wants to win. She as a team and it gives us a lot of pushes her teammates every hope for our remaining games.”

Fiona McMahon is ranked second on the team in points per game (13.1), leads the Bluejays in rebounds per game (8.4), and total blocks (41).

ketball team after looking for a way to get involved at school. “After not doing any co-curricular activities my freshman year, I thought I would give basketball a chance,” said McMahon, now EC’s junior starting forward. As a junior at St. Francis High School, she led her team

until she reaches it,” said Bluejays head coach Tethnie Carrillo. “She is extremely hard to defend. She plays on both ends of the court and never takes a play off. Her game has developed nicely over her three years at Elmhurst.” Sports have always played a large role in McMahon’s family,

During her sophomore year, McMahon took a huge step forward by playing her way into the starting lineup in every game except two, and became the Jays best player. Her 14.0 points per game average and 9.5 rebounds per game led the team by a landslide, and earned her second-

day in practice and in games,” Carrillo said. “She has set high standards for herself and her teammates and she leads by example every day. “She is always willing to help any of her teammates,” Carrillo added. “She is one of those players that can turn on and off her intensity. One moment she

Photo by Joseph Kok

The Jays conclude the 201314 regular season on Saturday, Feb. 22 against North Central at R.A. Faganel Hall. And McMahon is hoping that won’t be the last time she sets foot on the basketball court this season.

February 18, 2014

COACH from the front page “I hope whoever my successor is will believe in blue collar mentality and continue that because they’ve got a great bunch of kids they’re going to inherit here.” The night after news of Adam’s move to Syracuse broke on CoachingSearch.com, Adam informed his players and staff during an emergency team meeting. “It was very emotional,” he said. “One of the hardest days of my life.” EC made it official Thursday morning after Adam turned in his resignation letter, and the college has yet to find his replacement.

“You never like to lose good he’s familiar with. He spent a year under Shafer people and you never enter filling a void—which we did with at Western Michigan Univ. as a Tim [Lester]—with the expecta- graduate assistant from 2005tion to be doing it one year later. 06, with Lester as the quarterThat’s not what you plan,” said EC athletic “I can go on and on about how I’ve been treated here and what it’s director Paul Krohn. “But the one thing meant to me and my family to be that it really does em- a part of this. There will always be ulate is the fact that a piece of me at Elmhurst College.” you had awfully good Joe Adam people here,” he addFormer EC head football coach ed. “They don’t just make leaps from Division III to Division I if they’re not rock solid, out- backs coach, where they helped standing professionals in their the program reach their first relative fields. We’re blessed to bowl game in nearly 20 years. Coaching opportunities elsehave had outstanding people here. It just doesn’t happen where took them in different without any degree of regular- paths following that season, ity.” but now, Adam will be reunited Adam joins a Syracuse staff with Shafer and Lester for the

first time since then. “I was extremely excited to have the chance to work with Joe again,” said Lester, who coached EC from 2008-12, in an email. “I have tremendous respect for him as a person and coach.” As for the fate of the EC football team? Lester said he’s hopeful EC’s athletic director will secure a strong coach. “Elmhurst College is a great place with a great athletic director,” Lester said. “[Paul Krohn] will always put those kids in a position to be successful. I am sure he will do a great job finding another great coach.” The search for EC’s third coach in the last three years is ongoing, and Krohn said there has been an “inordinate amount of interest” even before

the position was advertised. “I’m not burying my head in the sand,” he said. “It’s a positive time. We build on the positive things, we build on the fact that problematically here, we’ve had awful darn good people and we’re going to look to replace [Adam] with someone who is equal to or surpass those capabilities.” Adam, who began his tenure at Syracuse yesterday, said EC will stay important to him. “It’s been quite a lot of fun here,” Adam said. “I give a lot of credit to the administration, the people here, the faculty, the athletic staff … I can go on and on about how I’ve been treated here and what it’s meant to me and my family to be a part of this. There will always be a piece of me at Elmhurst College.”

Jays wrestling overcomes double-digit deficit, beat North Central on Senior Day LUKE TANAKA staff writer

With EC (3-10, 2-1 CCIW) trailing 14-3 halfway through Thursday’s senior day dual vs. rival North Central College, four of the five remaining Bluejays wrestlers were seniors that may have competed in their last match. The seniors were up to the challenge, mounting a furious comeback and firing up the R.A. Faganel Hall fans, as EC won their final five matches to defeat the Cardinals 23-14. Mike Ryan, the first senior to wrestle, brought the crowd to their feet by pinning the Cardinals’ Alex Vosburgh in just 1:08 at 165 lbs. The momentum shifted as the Bluejays cut the lead to five. Head coach Steve Marianetti knew Ryan’s match was the turning point. “Mike’s win was huge for momentum and the team score,” Marianetti said in an email. “We had some rough early matches and the team score didn’t look good, but Mike’s pin closed that gap right away and got the crowd involved.” Daniel Threlkeld, who walked with Ryan during the senior day festivities, followed up with a 6-4 victory at 174 lbs. Among the final five EC wrestlers, freshman Bobby Schillinger was the only non-senior to take the mat, but his 8-3 win put the Jays in front 15-14. His poise under pressure impressed Marianetti. “As a freshman in a big dual, [Schillinger] kept competing hard and won a tight match,” Marianetti said. From there, seniors Danny Balderas and Danny Vargas, who is ranked sixth by the NWCA at 285 lbs., finished off the win. Balderas scored a 10-3 win at 197 lbs. and Vargas finished off the meet in style, defeating Dylan Mahler by technical fall (18-2) in 5:57. Throughout the disappointing season, the seniors have been the glue that kept this

team together. “Having a solid group of seniors is so important for team chemistry,” Marianetti said. “Mike [Ryan], Daniel [Threlkeld], Danny [Balderas], and Danny [Vargas] have given us consistency and leadership. They have been crucial in keeping the team together during a tough season.” The Jays’ tough season looks to be the product of a tough schedule, which included five top-five teams in the nation, and key injuries to AllAmericans Ryan Prater (ranked second in NWCA poll at 149 lbs.) and Miguel Venecia, who has only wrestled nine times this season. But EC will take the momentum from the win into the CCIW championships next weekend, looking for their fourth consecutive CCIW championship. “Overall, we competed well and the guys look ready for the CCIW championship next week,” Marianetti said. “In our sport it’s all about performing at the end [of the season].” The CCIW championships take place Thursday, Feb. 20 at North Central College.

Senior Mike Ryan pinned North Central opponent Alex Vosburgh in 1:08 at 165 lbs.

Photo by Peter Flockencier

February 18, 2014

Poremba breaks school record, Jays place 11th at Chicagoland Championships Paul Roumeliotis staff writer

Alyssa Poremba focused on breaking her personal record in the 3,000 meter run Friday at the Chicagoland Championships in Naperville, Ill. Not only did she shatter her own record, but she also broke an EC record with a time of 10:03.32, 11 seconds better than the previous school-best. Poremba, senior, knew she had

finish in the 1,000 meters.” Poremba leads the pack week after week, but Seiler says Poremba is a great leader who doesn’t have any ego. “She is such a good runner, but she is still very humble about it,” Seiler said. “[Poremba] is also very supportive of all the other girls on the team by cheering them on in practice and at meets.” Poremba surpassed one of the most decorated runners in Bluejays history, Kathleen Brice, a six-time All-American runner in cross-country and track, who held the record

“Looking at my time now, I’m really gunning to break 10 minutes [next time around]. I think that would just make my season if I could do that ... and Nationals. ” Alyssa Poremba EC senior track and field runner

Photo courtesy of Kelsey Plefka Poremba’s time of 10:03.22 in the 3,000 meters broke her personal record by 20 seconds and school record by 11.

eclipsed her previous personal record by 20 seconds, but didn’t realize she entered EC’s record books until assistant coach Kelsey Plefka informed her after the race. “When I found out I broke the school record, I was so excited,” said Poremba. “I couldn’t have been happier with those results. That’s definitely a huge accomplishment in my books.” Poremba’s teammates look up to here and aren’t surprised by her great runs because they see her work hard during practice every day. “Alyssa is a great teammate and role model. She works so hard and you see it pay off every time she races,” said junior Riley Seiler, who contributed three points after a sixth-place

since 2002. “Congratulations to her,” said Brice, when she found out Poremba had broken her previous record. “Coach [Erik] Guta has always found talented runners.” Even though Poremba broke the record by 11 seconds, she’s aiming to shave off four more seconds her next time around. “Looking at my time now, I’m really gunning to break 10 minutes,” she said. “I think that would just make my season if I could do that … and Nationals.” Lewis Univ. took home the team title after earning 154 points. North Central came in second with 134 points while Carthage College finished in third with 78.5 points. EC placed 11th out of 17 teams, something Poremba believes the team needs to improve on before the CCIW Indoor Championships in two weeks. “As a whole, I think we can improve as long as the girls stay committed to focusing on hitting their best times at conference and keeping up with their hard work,” she said.

EC men’s basketball defeated by Augustana, eliminated from CCIW tournament picture BRANDON PORTER staff writer

The Bluejays’ chances at earning a CCIW tournament berth were stripped from them on Saturday after falling to Augustana College by 28 points. EC entered the contest having already scored a victory over the Vikings earlier in the season, but didn’t have any luck the second time around.

The Jays jumped out to a 10-8 lead early, but a three-pointer from Augustana put them up 11-10 and they haven’t looked back since. The Vikings had a 6-point lead with seven minutes left in the first half and closed the half on a 15-7 run to take a 38-26 lead into halftime. The second half was no different for EC as they couldn’t close the gap against Augustana’s de-

fense. The Vikings went on an 18-7 run to stretch their lead to 24 points with eight minutes remaining and continued their dominance in the second half. Augustana rolled on to an 80-52 victory and moved into third place in the CCIW with a 8-5 conference record and, in doing so, knocked EC out of the tournament race. The Jays couldn’t muster the

resistance to the offensive onslaught that Augustana provided and also struggled to score. EC shot 36 percent from the field while the Vikings made nearly half of their shots from three-point range. Augustana’s bench outscored EC’s 33-15. EC senior forward Nick Sanford registered 10 points and 11 rebounds while sophomore Will Nixon also added a teamhigh of 13 points.

Now that the Jays are out of contention for the conference tournament, they will be looking to close out their season with a winning record with two games left. The Jays will travel to Millikin Univ. on Wednesday, Feb. 19 with a tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.

February 18, 2014

EC women’s basketball remains in CCIW contention with 75-71 win at Augustana BRANDON PORTER staff writer

The EC women’s basketball team surrendered an early lead, but recaptured it late in the second half to defeat Augustana College and improve their overall record to 13-10. The Bluejays came out strong by taking an early 26-10 lead within the first 13 minutes of the game and also held a 13-point lead with two minutes left in the first half, but Augustana closed the half on a 7-0 run which cut

EC’s lead to 36-30. The Jays were able to maintain a 7-point lead through the opening eight minutes of the second half, but the Vikings went on a 28-14 run in the next eight minutes to take a 69-62 lead. The Jays responded with an 11-1 run to close out the game, overcoming a 6-point deficit. EC senior guard Karen Senette buried two technical foul free throws, while junior guard Nikky Moan made a clutch jumper with a minute left to put EC

ahead 71-70. Jays junior forward Fiona McMahon, who finished with a team-high 17 points and 11 re-

“They are really starting to play well together. We are playing our best ball right now.” Tethnie Carrillo EC women’s basketball head coach bounds, made two crucial free throws that sealed the game for the Jays who won 75-71.

EC only shot 37 percent from the field and 73 percent from the free throw line, but made them when it counted. EC hasn’t been the best at closing games this season, but a strong finish impressed head coach Tethnie Carrillo. “They are really starting to play well together,” she said. “We are playing our best ball right now.” Carrillo also feels that the team is in a prime position right now for a conference run with two games left in the regular-

season. “We wanted to make sure we were in the hunt for a conference tournament bid and we are exactly in that spot,” she said. With the win, the Jays moved to 5-7 in the CCIW, good for fourth in the conference. EC can clinch a spot in the CCIW tournament with a win over Millikin Univ. plus a win from Carthage College over North Park on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

DeBolt shines, but Jays men’s track and field finish 15th at Chicagoland Championships PAUL ROUMELIOTIS staff writer

EC’s men’s track and field team placed 15th out of 17 with four points on Saturday at the Chicagoland Championships. Sophomore Andrew DeBolt registered all the team’s points with his fifth-place finish in the

800 meters at 1:55.89. DeBolt is now ranked third in the 800 meters in the CCIW, but knows the team’s overall performance isn’t good enough. “As a team, I definitely think there are a lot of ways we can improve. Some guys just had an off day,” he said. “We have a disadvantage of training outside

when other schools have indoor facilities. When outdoor season rolls around, I think our team results will improve.” Head coach Jim Akita is hoping nicer weather will change the fortune of the team. “Obviously the weather had been a huge factor and put us behind where I would like to

be but everyone has handled it with a very positive attitude,” he said. “As long as we continue to work hard, everyone is going to improve,” Akita added. “With some better weather hopefully coming I’m hoping that will help our training.” North Central came in first

DeBolt (No. 9) now ranks third in the CCIW in the 800 meters after his 1:55.89 finish at the Chicagoland Championships.

after earning 159.5 points while Lewis Univ. finished with 99 points, good for second. Carthage College placed third with 90 points. The Bluejays will travel to Bloomington, Ill. on Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, Mar. 1 to compete in the CCIW Indoor Championships.

Photo courtesy of Loraine Klein

EC men’s tennis register a pair of 8-1 victories against Woostser and Wabash College The Leader staff report

The EC men’s tennis team defeated the College of Wooster and Wabash College on Friday and Saturday with a pair of 8-1 wins, improving

their record to 4-1 on the season. The Bluejays won five of six singles contests against Wooster led by Chris Harrison, Alex Harbert, Quinn Jennings, Anthony McPherson, Luke Tanaka, who all defeated

their opponents in two sets. David Devaney dropped the lone loss. EC won all three doubles contests, picking up wins from Harbert-Jung, and HarrisonMcPherson, Tanaka-Devaney. The Jays also came on top in

five of the six singles vs. Wabash as well, earning victories from Jung, McPherson, Tanaka, Jennings, and Harrison. Harbert suffered the only loss. EC swept doubles for the second straight day, gaining wins from Harbert-Jung, Har-

rison-McPherson, and Tanaka-Devaney. The Jays welcome Quincy Univ. on Friday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. at Courts Plus in Elmhurst.

February 18, 2014

Coaches and players remember the late Matt Passalaqua, EC’s assistant athletic trainer Editor’s note: Matt Passalaqua served as the assistant athletic trainer at EC for seven years, and aided many student-athletes who were dealing with injuries. He logged long hours and always did what was best for the athletes, no matter how badly they wanted to get back on the court or field. Passalaqua lost his brief battle with leukemia on Jan. 11. He was 31. Prior to his tenure at EC, Passalaqua was an assistant trainer for the Chicago Rush Arena Football team. In 2005, he earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a focus in athletic training at Northern Illinois Univ. He went on to receive his master’s degree in human movement from A.T. Still Univ. four years later. Passalaqua worked as a part-time trainer at EC starting in 2006, and was promoted to full-time athletic trainer the next year.

“One particular memory that I have of Matt that I will never forget was during camp of my junior year. I was suffering from dehydration, and I was having severe muscle spasms. I could barely stand up and Matt literally had to pick me up, and throw me into the ice bath. I was grateful that he could help minimize the muscle spasms. Once I could finally relax, Matt asked me where was my phone so I could call my parents, because I was going to have to go to the hospital. Little did either of us know that my phone was in my pocket the entire time, and my phone died. Matt was very apologetic, but it was a running joke between us every time we saw each other. His presence will be missed on EC campus.” – Scottie Williams, former EC running back, 2012 Gagliardi Trophy recipient.

“I will never forget the moment I came into the training room for work and was so sad from hearing about a high school classmate of mine that passed away earlier that day. Matt sat down and talked with me and showed me a tattoo of his that was a “-”. I didn’t get it at first, and I said, “what’s that line?” He then explained to me it was a dash. He continued to say that it’s not about the year you were born or the year you pass (1992-2013), but about how well you live the dash that’s in the middle. I thought it was such a true statement, and I will never forget that conversation with him.” – Tiffany Potthast, EC senior, softball team.

“What I’ll remember about Matt was the smile that you were greeted with every time you saw him. Although he wasn’t responsible for our team, he was always there for our guys. He helped many guys back to health and always went the extra mile. It was that type of giving that made him who we all came to love and respect. He is missed, not for the work he did, but because of the man he was. We miss him but know that he is looking down on us with that same smile.” – Joe Adam, former EC head football coach.

“Some of the best memories that come to mind with Matt involve our friendship away from the office. Matt was a fierce competitor in everything from poker to rec-league softball. I will always remember the time we’d spend going over the perfect slow-pitch softball line-up for our teams. Matt was our pitcher and he would always get upset when the other team went up looking for walks. In one game, he deliberately rolled the ball up to the plate hoping he’d embarrass the other team enough that they’d start swinging. It had everyone on our team laughing in the middle of the game. Matt meant so much to so many and it was truly an honor to call him a friend. There are so many different things that I miss about Matt being gone, but simply put, I miss my friend.” – Kevin Juday, EC Sports Information Director.

February 18, 2014

Charlie’s Angles l

“Matt was more than just a trainer to all of the athletes at Elmhurst College. I’ll always remember and miss the smiles, the sassy remarks, the stories and inside jokes, the training room crew, and our family in Costa Rica. I will forever be thankful for all the work that he did for me and all the athletes at Elmhurst and for putting us before himself every single day.” – Katie Rueffer, EC senior, volleyball team.

“I am so grateful for everything he has done for me and everyone else at Elmhurst College. Whenever I would go into the training room to get iced, there would always be some type of wait, but Matt would find a way to get to everyone. Some athletes would pull out their phones and start texting while waiting and Matt would always enforce the rule of no cell phones in the training room. I always thought the reason he did that was to give everyone an opportunity to get to know other student athletes, as well as socialize with the other trainers. I think it is remarkable to have one of the busiest jobs on campus and still be able to take the time to get to know each and every student athlete he came across.” – Chris Harrison, EC junior, men’s tennis team.

“Our equipment closet is filled with boxes he made for us so we could be more efficient in our training. My assistant and I were talking about a ‘block it’ device we had seen when we went to a University of Wisconsin practice. Matt listened in and said he could construct something for us. What came in three weeks later was a monstrosity of a ‘blocker’! It was a huge converted portable basket that he put on wheels, made adjustable and had a surface area that could block the sun, let alone our players! I was amazed at the time and effort it took him but it was all in a days’ work for him. He was so generous with his time and his labor and that love of the job and people he worked with came through over and over. As difficult as this time has been for all of us in athletics, the volleyball team feels so blessed that we were able to share his final trip with him and his brother Nick. We went to Costa Rica for nine days right before Christmas and had a blast with beaches, playing with kids at a special school for needy children, white water rafting and even jet skiing the day we left. Though Matt was not feeling his best, he made the most of it, never complaining and pushing through. Our memories of that time will always surround being with him and we are so happy he chose us to be with as well. He was amazing and we are so blessed to have had him be such an integral part of our athletic family.” – Julie Hall, EC head volleyball coach.

Baines will lead Jays to CCIW title in 2 years CHARLIE ROUMELIOTIS sports editor

The first time EC men’s basketball claimed the CCIW championship (in the 2000-01 season), John Baines was a rookie coach serving as an assistant on Mark Scherer’s staff. That was also the last time the Bluejays reached that feat. On Saturday, the Jays, who’s record slipped to 13-10 overall record (5-7 in conference play), were eliminated from the CCIW tournament picture after falling to Augustana. But that’ll be the last time Jays hoops will find themselves out of the CCIW race for a while. Baines is on his way to building a winner at Elmhurst, this time driving the ship. Winning is in his blood. In college, he played on an Illinois Wesleyan team that compiled a 103-14 record, two Division III Final Four appearances, and one national title in 1997. As a coach, he’s turned around every program he’s walked into his first year and has made them into consistent winners, including St. Francis and the Jays twice (once as an assistant). Baines picked up a demoralized group at St. Francis in 2010 that had pencil marks scribbled all over the roster. He erased those marks a year later after guiding the Saints to their school’s best finish, a 13-game improvement from the previous year. And when he left three years later, Baines’ fingerprints covered the paper. He inherited a Jays team that registered six total wins in 2012-13. It only took Baines nine games this year to surpass last years win total. Winner. And it won’t be a one-year wonder either. The roster Baines has in his hands right now is easily the most talented group he’s had since his Elmhurst days. And they’re young. Senior leaders Nick Sanford and Taylor Baxter, who will graduate after this season, are mentoring a young squad that are quickly rising. Sophomore guards Pat Coleman and Kyle Wuest fit like a puzzle piece in Baines’ up-tempo offense and have asserted themselves as the starters in a loaded backcourt. Wuest is already among the CCIW’s elite shooting guards. Bryant Ackerman is going through the infamous sophomore slump, but wait until he figures it out again. Because he will. Freshman guard Nathan Rogers might be the best player on the roster in two years. He’s arguably the team’s best lockdown defender and plays like a veteran. Sophomore forward Kenny Payonk is as strong as a bull that does all the little things right. Count on his minutes and production increasing next year. Will Nixon, 6-foot-7 sophomore, is already locked in as starting center for the next two years. Freshman Jarrell Holliman, 6-foot-8 power forward, is quietly waiting to explode in the next year or two. And once he does, it’ll be nearly impossible to score on Nixon and Holliman in the paint. I haven’t even mentioned the two recruiting classes Baines will haul in that will surely include a handful of players that are capable of making an immediate impact. Just wait. It’ll all come together. And when it does, Jays hoops won’t be fighting to make the conference tournament. They’ll be flying on top of the CCIW mountain. Want more Elmhurst College Sports angles? Follow Charlie on Twitter @CRoumeliotis.

February 18, 2014

Matt Passalaqua 1984-2014 Photo courtesy of Steve Woltmann Photography