The Leader -- October 11, 2022 Issue

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Leader Reader,

I hope that the school year has been going smoothly for you. We are almost at the half way point of the semester, and soon we will be getting a well-deserved break.

As you begin to truly settle into the school year, I believe now is the best time to explore

more options to make your college journey memorable. An easy solution would be to join an organization, and may I say, I believe The Leader is your best option.

Many people have asked me whether or not it is too late to join the paper, and the truth is that it is never too late.

One of my favorite aspects of The Leader is how flexible it is. If you have some spare time, writing for The Leader is a great way to

build your writing skills, and to have published work that you can add to your resume.

You can come and go as your schedule sees fit. While we would love to have you write for every issue, realistically we know that cannot happen, and are willing to work with you whenever you want to work with us.

There is a lot of power that one can hold writ ing for their school’s newspaper. You get to bring attention to issues on campus and have your voice heard in a public forum. If there is something that you feel is being ignored, The Leader is a great place to bring attention to it.

If you are thinking about joining, I encourage you to come to one of our meetings on Tues day, either in Old Main 107 or on Zoom, during protected hour. I am hoping to hear from you, and if you have any questions, you can always email me at rwind3048@365.elmhurst.edu.

Happy Reading!

Ryan Windle (they/he)

ABOUT US

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Leader

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 EU at large. No text, photos, or art can be reproduced without direct permission of The Leader.

CONTACT US

PHOTO BY Numair Younus (he/him)

ELMHURST UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAM OFFERS NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS

Emmy Shaffer (she/her) News Editor

Elmhurst University’s honors program allows students to develop their intellectual curiosity and provide them with unique opportunities.

The program allows students the opportunity to conduct research, study abroad, and speak with distinguished guest speakers.

Freshman honors student Emma Wasilk enjoys being with other students with like minded goals and meeting new people.

“The honors program has helped me meet motivational people who share similar interests and goals as me,” said Wasilk.

Courses are in a seminar style, which allows for greater group discussion and engagement. Honors courses focus on developing critical thinking and learning through discussion.

Marisa Mancini, coordinator of national fellow ships and scholarships, started her position last

October and wants students to be aware of the opportunities and scholarships the honors program has to offer.

“I’m trying to create a scholarship culture at the University so people are aware of the op portunities if they are interested,” said Mancini.

In order to apply to be in the honors program, students must have received either the Pres idential or Transfer of Excellence Scholarship and received a score of 26 or higher on the ACT, or 1240 or higher on the SAT.

CIVIC COMMITTEE OF ITALIAN-AMERICANS FIGHT FOR APPROVAL AT SGA MEETING

Adriana Briscoe (she/her) Staff Writer

The Civic Committee of Italian-Americans’ ap plication for recognition as an official student club was rejected by SGA on Sept. 29.

SGA President Daizja Hollman said the Civic Committee of Italian-Americans would be better off going through another club instead.

“I think we felt like it was similar to the Inter national Club,” Hollman explained. “And we wanted to give them the opportunity to go through them first because their funding and just overall structure — especially consider ing that the majority of the members were commuters — just for their sake we feel like it would be less on them if they just went

through International Club because their premises were very similar, so we decided to not approve them just to be safe.”

Sam Conforti, a junior, proposed the club and felt somewhat defeated after the decision.

“I was just a little frustrated, but I mean it’s their decision, so there’s not much power in my hands to change anything, so I just had to kind of accept the decision to some extent,” Conforti said.

However, Conforti said he doesn’t plan on giving up and will try to get approval from the Office of Equity and Inclusion.

“They [SGA members] were asking me if I had responsibility to handle the club, and the way it was phrased, it was kind of like a backhanded question almost, I felt like,” Conforti said. “And

I mean, I feel like they’re kind of like fire in my fuel — I want this club passed to some extent.”

During the meeting, SGA also approved $381.67 to cover food for the Weigand Center for Professional Excellence “Which Fork Do I Use?” event occurring on Oct. 11, which is an etiquette dinner that teaches students proper table manners for professional settings. They also approved up to $500 to add plates for a bigger event, according to Hollman.

In addition, SGA swore in new members, discussed upcoming events, and approved $30 for Sigma Lambda Gamma’s “Distress Gammas Event.”

Since the meeting, SGA has made a plan to pass the club, according to Conforti.

The honors program offices located in the upstairs of the A.C. Buehler Library.

PHOTO BY Ryan Windle (they/he)

ELMHURST UNIVERSITY INTRODUCES TWO NEW GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT DIRECTORS THIS FALL

Adriana Briscoe (she/her) Staff Writer

Elmhurst University’s global engagement department welcomed two new heads this September: Tony Marotta, director of global engagement, and Mallory Marach, associate director of global engagement.

Both of them have personal experiences that ignited their passions for global engagement.

Tony Marotta was in college when 9/11 hap pened, and witnessed Muslim students being targeted and parents telling their students to come home.

“It really kind of showed me that the world is much bigger than a lot of us realize, and there’s a lot to do to help make connections, build bridges, and help people reach out,” said Marotta. “So that was a defining experience for me.”

Additionally, Marotta was an RA at the time, so he led many focus and reach groups. After this experience, he transferred to EU to com plete his degree and joined the International Students Club.

In November 2020, after having worked else where, Marotta returned to EU to work in in ternational admissions. Within a year, he was promoted to Director of International Admission at Student Services.

Now, he has worked with international education and international students for about a decade

and is eager to expand on global engagement services in his new role as director of global engagement.

Marotta’s advice to students who want to study away or engage in intercultural learning opportunities is to “just talk to people.”

He had a best friend in college who was an international student and called this experi ence “life-changing,” recalling that he would often spend nights with his friend talking about culture and cultural similarities and differences between them both.

He encourages students to have similar ex changes.

“If you see a student that is across the room from you that you’re curious about, ask. Just say, “Hi, I’m so and so, Tony, hi, let’s get to know each other,’” Marotta said.

He continued, “And I think that exchange is really important, especially now in the world. The world has expanded past anything I think anyone has ever imagined, and that’s caused certain issues as a lot of people have retreated because of it. I think that retreat needs to be reversed.”

“I think we need to continue to reach out to each other and continue to get to know each other and each other’s experiences,” Marotta said.

Marach studied away in China, Costa Rica, Greece, Peru, and Columbia while she was an international business student in college.

She noted that this sparked her “international passion.”

Marach has held a few positions in the in ternational business fields of relocation and nonprofits. Recently, she has made her way back to higher education and is “helping stu dents have the same experiences I had” by concentrating on study abroad services at EU.

“I really liked Elmhurst’s dedication to interna tional, that it was in the mission and it was in the vision, and during the interview process, I could tell that the faculty here were really supportive of that,” Marach said.

She continued, “And that was something that really interested me about being here, and seeing how we could kind of reboot things after covid really decimated this industry and how we can bring those experiences back for students.”

Marach is looking forward to meeting new people on campus as well as rebooting global engagement opportunities for students. Her advice to students who want to study away or engage in intercultural learning op portunities is to “just do it.”

She added that students shouldn’t hesitate to visit the global engagement department to talk about opportunities.

“Don’t just assume it’s not a possibility,” Ma rach said. “There are opportunities, there are a lot of different options for students, so they can talk to us and we can find something that matches their needs.”

Offices located in the A.C. Buehler Library basement.

PHOTO BY Ryan WIndle

ELMHURST UNIVERSITY CHALLENGES STUDENTS WITH “IS DEMOCRACY WORTH SAVING?” PANEL

Alyssa Padilla (she/her) Staff Writer

On Sept. 28, Elmhurst University held “Is De mocracy Worth Saving?” which was a panel focused on the discussion of the future of democracy.

EU faculty members professor Timothy Ha zen and professor Katrina Sifferd were joined in their discussion with Vicar Sayeedi, public intellectual and computer scientist.

The consensus on this question was unanimous. Yes, democracy is worth saving, but why?

As the room filled with students in the Frick Center, the discussion of democracy in Amer ica began with the opinion of Sifferd, who holds a doctorate in philosophy. She stated

that democracy is worth saving because the alternatives are much worse.

She claimed that many Americans vote based on likeability rather than leadership, which has caused demagogues to prevail. In order to remain a democracy and not head towards a worse alternative, she left the audience with a call to action.

“To save our democracy, we need to once again demand that our political candidates have the training and expertise necessary to lead us,” said Sifferd.

Hazen followed by sharing a brief summary of a state of democracy and a state of authori tarianism. By doing so, he was able to give insight and examples of each and compare them on a global scale.

He referenced the recent Russian invasion of

Ukraine and explained that it shed light on the negatives of authoritarianism, which promises economic and social stability at the cost of some civil rights.

Hazen also touched on the faults with our own democracy, but explained he believed it was worth saving.

“Despite democracy’s flaws it has proven to be the best political system mankind has ever created at a large scale,” said Hazen. Sayeedi voiced his thoughts as well, sharing a similar opinion with his fellow panelists, that democracy remains the most successful ideology of governance ever seen.

The panel concluded with a group discussion of democracy, prompted by questions asked by the audience.

EU STRUGGLES WITH EMPLOYEE SHORTAGE

Emmy Shaffer (she/her) News Editor

According to the Department of Labor, there are 5.5 million more job openings than there are workers, causing employers to be short staffed and unable to fill positions.

One of the many factors why employees don’t want to return to work is the flexibility of working from home due to COVID-19. For people who have children or need to take care of a family member, it is easier for them to work remotely rather than commute to the office everyday.

Workers and students over the last couple of years have grown accustomed to work ing remotely and now that the pandemic has lessened in severity, employers are reverting back to requiring workers to work in the office.

Martin Gahbauer, executive director of the Russell G. Weigand Center for Professional Excellence, noticed the change in the mar ketplace when the WCPE was hiring and noticed the drastic difference in applicants compared to prior years.

“Specific to our department, we did recently complete a hiring process for a position, Senior Coordinator. Interestingly, we had

the position posted for over 8 weeks. In that time, we had a total of 6 applicants,” said Gahbauer.

He continued, “To put that in perspective, just a year and a half ago, we had a similar position posted and had over 50 applicants in just 3 weeks. That’s an almost ten-fold decrease in just over a year.”

“So, the marketplace has definitely changed,”

Gahbauer continued. “Luckily for us, we were able to hire what we feel is a highly qualified person for the role and we look forward to having her join our team.”

With more young people now starting to enter the workforce, there is hope that these positions can get filled and employers can have the help they need.

BY Abbey Mark (she/her)

HOMECOMING 2022

PHOTOS BY Ryan Windle (they/he)

“let the good times soar”

GRAPHIC BY Rachel Fratt (she/her)

This year, Bluejays soared during homecoming week.Throughout the week, Elmhurst University offered many activities for students to celebrate their Bluejay pride. Whether it be a free t-shirt giveaway thatsaturated the week off, or taking Bluejays to space in the Goebel Parking lot with carnival rides, EU came alive this week to support their students. All this excitement led to an exciting weekend. During a Friday night pep rally, students could play glow-inthe-dark mini-golf with friends, enjoy music by EU alumni Gina Venier, and enjoy a drone show. On Saturday, Bluejay pride was on display during a parade, tail-gate, and football game. The good times definitely did soar and made for a memorable homecoming week.

GRAPHIC BY Abbey Mark (she/her)

WE NEED TO WORRY, DARLING

power that she possesses was just not in this role. The writing of this movie was terrible, there was nothing in the script to give any character anything that stood out, it just felt like a boring episode of “The Real Housewives.”

Even with a bad script, Styles somehow made everything worse. There just was never a good moment that showcased Styles’ acting abilities.

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

For a movie with a bunch of drama surrounding its press week, it seems as if that was the only drama to be a part of the film. Spoilers ahead.

“Don’t Worry Darling” is the latest Olivia Wil de-directed film to hit the big screen. Starring Florence Pugh, who some may know from “Midsommar” or “Little Women,” and pop sen sation Harry Styles, this film had the makings of a blockbuster.

Unfortunately, there was nothing in the movie to exude that grand feeling one may have expected going into the film.

Initially, I had no clue what the film was going to be about. Leaving the film, I still have no clue what it was about.

“Don’t Worry Darling” starts off in the perfect 1950s society, where the men go to work at the Victory Project every day and the women stay at home to be the perfect housewife. They cook, clean, shop, and gossip.

These wives have no idea what their husbands do for work, as it is top secret information to be kept between the men in this society. The women do not ask any questions, and only need to follow one rule. Do not go into the desert. The film has a bunch of couples that it follows, but the main storyline follows Jack and Alice, played by Styles and Pugh, respectively.

The two are a young couple, who cannot get enough of each other. Not feeling pressured by everyone around them to have kids, they are just enjoying themselves in this society, even to the neighbors’ complaints.

However, there are undertones that prove that while this town may seem perfect, not everything is as polished as one would think. We are introduced to Margaret, who is out of touch with everyone. She constantly repeats

that they do not belong there, and they need to escape, and everyone just shrugs it off, saying she’s unwell.

Herein lies my first major issue with the film, this just comes out of nowhere to start the tension. Later, we learn more about why Margaret is this way, but it just felt like an odd placement that this character had significance, but we did not know why yet.

What also bothered me was that in the perfect 1950s society, the one character that everyone did not trust was the one African American woman in a town full of white people.

Alice finally starts to question the things Mar garet is saying, and then when she notices a plane crash, she takes action and goes into the desert to help these people, going against the rules.

In the desert, this weird sequence occurs where the screen goes red and then old 1920s dancers enter the screen, and then we are back to reality.

“Don’t Worry Darling,” had the worst editing I think I have ever seen in a movie, and it showed in this sequence. Things were almost just being thrown onto the screen, I could barely understand the monologue being spoken underneath all of this, it just was random.

Also, I could never understand anything in these frequent sequences. If I was supposed to be learning something, I was not. It was just random dancing that made little to no sense to the plot.

Well, if one can say this movie even had a plot at all.

For the bulk of the movie, there was zero plot given. Something was happening, but it never quite came across what was, which was frustrating. The world was crumbling around Alice, but there was no information being given as to why.

Pugh is an outstanding actress, but that star

Every scene had a different accent, which is weird because his character was British, and the facial expressions felt like a high schooler performing in a Shakespeare drama.

Also, we barely got to know anything about his character, or truly any character at all. The movie made it seem like we should already know these people. There was no information given on anyone until the end.

Once Alice starts to finally figure things out a good hour and a half into the movie,it starts to pick up, and we finally are introduced to these people and get solid plot points that are interesting.

But, as viewers, we almost get too much at once. Now every character had a major storyline, so much plot was revealed, and everything was happening all at once. It was exciting, but also ruined the pacing.

All of this exposition could have been fea tured at the beginning of the movie. It started off like a turtle running a marathon, then out of nowhere, we were sprinting towards the finish line.

I understood everything that was happening after the world was revealed for what it truly is. Even if little hints were given throughout, this movie could have benefited way more. I could not even process the plot before it started to slowly get ruined again.

“Don’t Worry Darling” had 25 minutes of a de cent movie, the rest was still and dull. While at times it made you think about misogyny in a new light, it backtracked on itself almost instantly.

Too many messages were trying to be con veyed, and they all left me questioning more. Wilde missed this film, and now I know why Pugh did not want to be associated with the film upon release.

Fratt

THERE ARE MORE THAN “28 REASONS” TO LISTEN TO SEULGI’S FIRST SOLO ALBUM

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

Red Velvet’s Seulgi released her first solo al bum, “28 Reasons” on Oct 4. This album shows a new, darker side of Seulgi, with this album being anticipated by fans for quite some time.

Seulgi is the third out of the five Red Velvet members to go solo, following Wendy and Joy. The two solo releases prior were more upbeat, and ethereal, but Seulgi has gone to the dark side for her album.

“28 Reasons,” the lead single for the album, starts off with a stagnant heartbeat sound. This instrumental is what carries most of the first verse, with the isolation of Seulgi’s vocals being all that listeners can focus on.

This first verse sounds like a predator stalking its prey, waiting for the right time to attack. As the song starts to build, more tension rises, and finally Seulgi attacks her prey in the chorus.

The introduction of violins in the chorus adds drama to the song. As we get more vocal variety, a whistle intervenes halfway through the chorus, which goes along to the tune of the heartbeat sounds we got at the start of the song.

With this addition, the song gets elevated, and after Seulgi’s first victim after the first chorus, we go back to stalking the prey, just waiting for the right moment to attack again.

In the bridge, a chorus of different orchestral instrumentals help build the song again, but comes to a quick halt for Seulgi to lead us all to safety with her lyrics, but as it continues, there is no longer safety promised in the words that she is saying.

“You in danger, but it’s ok, you’re a grown up.”

After this threat, Seulgi then makes her final attack, combining all of the elements of the song into a show stopping end.

The song ends with the lyrics, “The more you break, the more you’ll want me.” Seulgi has torn listeners apart with this song, but prom ises that we will always come back for more.

Seulgi has “28 Reasons” to share with us, and

her debut album is only reason one, and I will be back to hear more of this sound.

Thankfully, the album sticks with this devilish tone throughout. The songs “Dead Man Run nin’,” “Bad Boy, Sad Girl,” and “Crown” all share a similar style to the lead single, “28 Reasons.”

The other two singles from the album, “Any where But Home” and “Los Angeles” are even more alarming. The songs have more upbeat instrumentals, giving a false sense of hope, with deeper meanings underneath the happy facade.

The title “Anywhere But Home” gives way to the meaning of the song, but it is also how Seulgi gets listeners to believe that they, too, want to be anywhere but their current lives.

This song is a fantasy. It starts with an almost slow-motion distorted sound, which could be reminiscent of how it feels to fall asleep. The second it ends, we are welcomed into the bright world of one’s dreams, with chimes and bass guiding the instrumental to be more of a city-pop sound.

While this song may be very simple, it has to be the best on the album. It is a complete shift from all the other songs on the album, but still gives a darker vibe, which helps fit it right in. Pure pop perfection right here.

Also, if you are a fan of “American Boy” by Estelle, this song has elements that make it feel like an elevation of that song.

“Los Angeles” is a journey within a song. The sense of urgency is back, and it seems as if Seulgi is telling us a secret as she whispers through the first verse of the song. With synth beats that could be placed in any spy film, it feels like we are on a top-secret mission with Seulgi in Los Angeles.

The whole verse starts to grow in sound, but still does not introduce any new instrumen tals. Eventually, the song switches gear, and the beat drops, feeling as if we are speeding through the Los Angeles undergrounds, on our way to solve crime.

A part of the beat drop I found unique and enjoyable was the sound of water dropping in a pipe. For me, it really helped convey this secret mission feeling.

Whether or not Seulgi and I solved the crime together, “Los Angeles” is not just a place on a map, but now a unique experience for those who listen to the album.

“28 Reasons” introduces new sounds for Seulgi, and does it almost perfectly. Each song adds variety, and builds off the last one to create a cohesive story through music. Seulgi captivates listeners, and is correct, I want more now.

THE LEADER’S POP CULTURE RECAP

THE TRY GUYS TRY INFIDELITY

Ned Fulmer, one of the founders of the Try Guys brand, was spotted in an intimate exchange with associate producer, Alex Herring.

On Sept. 3, the fiancé of Herring, Will Thayer, posted on Reddit screenshots of an anonymous person reaching out and sharing evidence of Fulmer cheating with Herring during Labor Day weekend of this year.

Thayer then indicated he had an hour-long conversation with Ariel, Fulmer’s wife of ten years, regarding this matter.

As of Sept. 27, according to a recent video posted on the Try Guys YouTube channel,

Fulmer has been fired from Try Guys after a three-week extensive internal investigation into this matter, as well as having been edited out of recent pre-recorded activities.

Fulmer also posted a statement that day, ex pressing remorse for his actions and indicating he was engaging in a “consensual relationship” with his employee.

Ariel Fulmer also released a statement on the same day, thanking everyone and requesting privacy for her and her family.

Aleena Antony (she/her)Staff Writer

SUGAR, TOO SWEET. ADAM LEVINE IS CAUGHT IN CHEATING SCANDAL

On Sept. 19, Instagram model, Sumner Stroh, came forward in a TikTok video with allegations of having an affair with Adam Levine for over a year.

Stroh provided text messages and direct messages from Instagram that supported her claims. She was prompted to come forward with her story due to one of her friends attempting to sell this story after Stroh shared this with them.

This has prompted others to come forward with their experiences with Levine.

Levine and Behati Prinsloo, who is a Victoria’s Secret model, share two daughters, and are expecting a third child. Levine reached out to Stroh, expressing the desire to name the child Sumner if it is a boy.

On Sept. 20, the Maroon 5 frontman came forward with a statement on TMZ, then later on

TWITCH STREAMER SCAMS AUDIENCES

For three years, Twitch streamer, Sliker, has been scamming fans and fellow streamers to fuel his gambling addiction. This led to Twitch de-partnering and taking away Sliker’s sub-button.

As a consequence of this situation, streamer, Pokimane, started sharing the hashtag, #TwitchStopGambling, calling for Twitch to ban gambling on the platform.

The topic of gambling on Twitch often leads to gambling streamers coming under fire.

One such streamer, Trainwreckstv responded to a Twitter thread of fellow streamer, Mizkif, making implications of “[sending] Maya and Mitch to railroad and blackmail me like you did those girls to cover up all those sexual

assaults.”

This eventually clarified that his friend and fellow streamer, Crazyslick, sexually assault ed a smaller streamer, AdrianahLee, during a party two years ago. This was also common knowledge behind the scenes among the streamers.

To control the situation, Mizkif sent his girlfriend at the time, Maya Higa, and a mutual friend of Lee and streamer, MitchJones, to manage the statement she later posted on Twitter.

To further hide the truth, Slick crippled Lee and friends’ ability to network with other stream ers, leading to her becoming isolated. This situation has led to Crazyslick being expelled from the OTK house.

Instagram, denying the cheating allegations.

The statement read, “I used poor judgment in speaking with anyone other than my wife in ANY kind of flirtatious manner, I did not have an affair, nevertheless, I crossed the line during a regrettable period of my life.”

“In certain instances it became inappropriate. I have addressed that and taken proactive steps to remedy this with my family. My wife and my family is all I care about in this world. To be this naive and stupid enough to risk the only thing that truly matters to me was the greatest mistake I could ever make.”

“I will never make it again. I take full responsibility. We will get through it and we will get through it together.”

As of now, Prinsloo has not come forward with a state ment and seems to continue standing with her stayat-home husband.

BY Abbey Mark (she/her)

BOO! SPOOKY SEASON IS IN FULL SWING. RISE FROM THE GRAVE WITH THESE FUN ACTIVITIES

Eve Hvarre (she/her) Staff Writer

As October begins and Halloween approaches, the much awaited “Spooky Season” has arrived. This is the time of year when one can embrace all that is scary and latch on to all the expe riences fall has to offer. From pumpkin spice, to scary movies, to haunted houses, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Here are some tips, tricks, and activities to make the most out of this beloved season.

Stay up all night watching scary movies

Scary movies are a classic Halloween tradition, as they embody much of the Halloween spirit.

Horror movies, such as “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Friday the 13th,” are beloved by many and are a great way to set the “spooky vibe.”

If scary movies are not your thing, there are a wide range of Halloween favorites, such as “Hocus Pocus,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, and “The Addams Family.” These movies will still help get you in spirit, but will not keep you up at night.

Pumpkin spice, and everything nice

For some, they anticipate the day that pumpkin spice is finally back, as it is a go-to for many people during the fall.

The moment Starbucks announces its season al lattes and drinks, people run to get their hands on them. While the lattes are a staple, other recurring deserts, such as pumpkin spice donuts and pumpkin bars, are also widely enjoyed during this season.

Visit a haunted house, or two, or three, or four Haunted Houses are perfect for those looking for a fun, horror-filled rush during the Hallow een season. From houses, to mazes, to horror festivals, “haunted” attractions and their scare actors are there to make sure that people get the scary experience they are looking for.

Going with friends, family, or partners is a great way to celebrate the spooky season and make memories together.

A local haunted house is Disturbia Haunted House, located only 20 minutes away from Elmhurst University.

Pick up a new hobby, or some apples and pumpkins

Along with haunted houses, apple orchards and pumpkin patches are two fun-filled at tractions that bring people together each year to celebrate fall. Picking apples or choosing pumpkins to carve are classic fall activities that people of all ages do annually.

Spending the day drinking apple cider or hot chocolate while walking amongst the rows of apples and pumpkins is a perfect way to embrace the season. Corn mazes and hayrides are also fan favorite activities during this time of year that can be found at most places.

Bundle up in your favorite sweater

As the weather cools down and the leaves start to fall from the trees, people begin to ditch their shorts and tank tops for pants and long sleeves. Bundling up to tackle the decreasing temperatures is an opportunity to pull out those soft sweaters and cozy socks. Sweatshirts and hoodies become a necessity, and many begin to curl up with a blanket as the days and nights get colder. The appearance of cozy clothing is a telltale sign that summer is over, and fall has arrived.

The fall season is a favorite for many, and there are many different ways to celebrate this spooky time of year. From watching horror movies to sipping pumpkin spice lattes, people can embrace this year’s “spooky season” with open arms.

CARTOON BY Delanie Graziano (she/her)

CARTOON BY Selkie Bodmer (they/them)

Miguel Flojo (he/him) Staff Writer

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

Devon, Freshman

Do you believe it is important to register to vote?

“You definitely have to register to vote, even though everyone says oh my voice doesn’t count it definitely does significantly count, so definitely go out and vote whenever you can.”

Mateo, Sophomore

What was your favorite/least favorite part of homecoming week?

“My favorite part was the fact that everyone actually gathered, my least favorite part is it was too noisy.”

Arima, Senior

What is the best advice to make the most out of your college experience?

“I’d say do your research on classes and take a wide variety of class es, don’t be too set on what you think you might like because things can change.”

PHOTOS

ELMHURST UNIVERSITY NEEDS TO PROVIDE COMMUTER STUDENTS TRANSPORTATION HELP

Adriana Briscoe (she/her) Staff Writer

On my first day of school at Elmhurst Univer sity, some random person named Remy drove me to campus.

No, I didn’t just hop into some stranger’s car — I was there when the “stranger danger” lesson was taught in second grade.

The fact of the matter is that Remy was not just any stranger, he was my Uber driver.

I took an Uber to school because first-day jitters kept me up all night, and I didn’t feel like I could safely drive to campus with only an hour of light sleep under my belt.

Although my ride was quite pleasant it was also quite pricey, as is the case with Uber, Lyft, and similar transportation services.

Many commuter students may find themselves in need of a ride at some point for a variety of reasons, and they shouldn’t have to pay much — or at all — for it.

Elmhurst University needs to have at least one affordable, reliable transportation service that can take commuter students to school and back.

Transportation access can be a financial chal lenge for some students. According to the College Board, transportation could account for roughly 11% of living expenses for college students in the U.S. during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years.

Students already have to worry about paying for tuition, books, extracurricular fees, and more. Why add transportation costs to their plate?

While public transportation can sometimes be a cheaper alternative to driving oneself to school, it’s not always reliable for college students.

Not only do pricey transit tickets and passes pose a problem for some students, but transit schedules may not align with students’ sched ules, and transit stops may be far away from students’ homes.

Not to mention, record-breaking student en rollment has led to a hectic parking situation.

Given the safety hazards that could occur when everyone is trying to cram into the lots at once, school-provided transportation services are very much needed.

With multiple obstacles to transportation ac cess at stake, it’s important for EU to consider several potential solutions.

For instance, to help alleviate the cost of public transportation, EU could team up with a public transportation service to provide free or discounted rides to students with valid school IDs.

EU could also implement its own bus service, which could include several buses that make stops in suburbs near Elmhurst and throughout the Chicagoland area.

EU already has its own shuttle bus, the Bluejay Shuttle, but it only takes students between campus and local shopping destinations nearby, the furthest location being the Oak Brook Mall.

EU should consider expanding on its existing shuttle bus service to provide more practical

services both around campus (getting students from building to building) and off-campus (getting students to campus and back home).

Another solution could be a ride-sharing ser vice. Harper College, a community college located in Palatine, announced this school year that it will soon be offering a ride-share pilot that includes discounted rides to and from campus.

Since Harper serves a large area covering 23 different communities, a ride-share service will give many students a better route to school. EU, which also serves students from many different areas, could benefit students similarly with its own ride-sharing service.

Additionally, a ride-sharing service can help students reduce their carbon footprint and foster connections between their fellow Bluejays.

For a school that claims to appreciate and support commuter students throughout their journey in college, EU should take action to ensure students actually have a journey to get to campus in the first place.

GRAPHIC BY Abbey Mark (she/her)

WHEN YOU SAY THAT’S SO GAY, DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU SAY?

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

Now more than ever, it is time we give mem bers of the LGBTQ+ community recognition for their bravery.

Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day, a day that supports members of the community for coming out of the closet. Perhaps in this day and age, you’d think it would be easy to be out and proud; however, that’s not the case. So many steps forward have been made in recent years worldwide. Gay marriage being legalized in the U.S. is still relatively new, the bill only being passed seven years ago. And across the world, more countries are legalizing gay marriage, with the most recent laws being passed in Cuba on Sept. 26.

This is amazing progress, but there is no deny ing that in an instant, it all can be taken back and set to square one again.

For instance, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill that was passed in Florida earlier this year. In the state of Florida now there can not even be a men tion of LGBTQ+ individuals in coursework, and if so, their teacher would be fired.

What is there to fear? Love? Happiness? Why are people being targeted for loving some one? The world always promotes free love; however, it seems as if gay love is left out of that conversation.

Recently, the outbreak of the Monkeypox virus showed the world how easy it is to put a target on LGBTQ+ people yet again For many gay men, the spread of Monkeypox almost faired exactly as it was back in 1981 when the AIDS epidemic started, with society turning their back on the community instantaneously.

I will never forget heading to work and im mediately being treated differently by my coworkers. People who I always would laugh with, be nothing but myself with, and share my struggles with all turned a blind eye to me once the news broke.

There were many offhand comments that my coworkers made, but I will never forget hearing, “Get away from me, I do not want to catch Monkeypox from you.”

Comments like these from my coworkers almost made me ashamed for being who I am. I thought I could trust them, but instead, I was easily a joke to them and for a moment, just a disease.

This was a triggering experience. I would have never thought that in 2022 I would experience hate for being myself from the people around me, but society is taking steps backward. Even lately, Republicans are coming after gay rights; their latest obsession being drag queens, a symbol of light in the LGBTQ+ community.

Targeting how many allies know the LGBTQ+ community best, through drag, can put a barrier when trying to make the world more equal. If one aspect that straight people love is under fire, then they may grow wary of it and want

to stop supporting it.

And maybe this is the point — maybe the world was fearful of the day that gay marriage would take over, and that the true straight, white vision of America would be ruined.

But nothing has really changed for straight people, no right of theirs was taken away. Even in a world where gay marriage is questioned, it does not impact anyone else’s life except for the LGBTQ+ community, so why do they fight so hard to get it taken away?

We will not become cowards to fulfill other people’s wants. If anything, the world should know how much the LGBTQ+ community is willing to fight for their rights, and how their pride will not be overshadowed by anyone else’s wishes.

This is why on this National Coming Out day, we need to thank the people who live their lives without fear and are full of pride. Doing so is a political statement.

There could be a million reasons why someone is not out of the closet, and there is no reason to ever force someone out of it. It is evident that at any moment, the world could attack them, why would they want to openly subject themselves to that?

This is their journey, their life, and their expe riences are still valid, whether they choose to be out or not.

For many, coming out is a traumatic experi ence, and when you start, you never seem to stop. Every individual you meet, you have to come out to them again, it is a never ending cycle that will be with you forever.

It is upsetting that as a society, we live in a world where people are afraid to be open about themselves, where they have to hide out of fear.

It is important to uplift the LGBTQ+ communi ty and we also should be uplifting the silent members, those who are afraid of coming out. Sometimes, these people are not even given the choice to choose when they can come out, they are outed and subjected to a world that they were not ready for.

Even when the world tries to take away LGBTQ+ rights, they are always met by a confident group of people who have fought before, and will gladly fight again to make sure that they are not forgotten. This community should always be uplifted, not just on National Coming Out Day.

BY Abbey Mark (she/her)

EDITORIAL

EVERY ELECTION NEEDS YOUR PARTICIPATION

Nov. 8 is a very important date that should be put on everyone’s calendar, as it is the general election date for the state of Illinois.

For many college students, they may just pass this election up and not vote in it because it is not a presidential election, and they do not believe that this election is important. But every election is important, no matter who or what you vote for. Being able to have your voice heard through your ballot is a privilege that we as adults in the United States have, and we need to use it at every chance we get.

The Nov. 8 election will impact all of us in Illinois, as this date will determine who our governor will be. We can either keep the state as it has been, by re-electing J.B. Pritzker, or we can go extreme, and elect Republican candidate Darren Bailey.

These two will have the most say on what hap pens to us in Illinois. Even if you are not from here, it is important to look up your candidates and educate yourself on which candidate you want to vote for.

This election can change a lot for our state, as a lot of issues are at risk. Illinois is one of the

BY Abbey Mark (she/her)

only states in the Midwest that protects abortion rights. If Bailey is elected as governor, there may no longer be access to safe abortions.

Human rights are at stake this Nov. You need to get up and vote before it is too late.

Every vote matters, even if you think it does not. While our current system may not be the best to get the general voice of the people, it is still important that you vote.

Even if you think you already know the results of an election, you can never be so certain.

Voting is quick and easy. If you go to your designated polling place, chances are you will be in and out within ten minutes. It’s like ripping a band-aid off, once you do it, it won’t seem as bad after.

It is also important to make sure you are knowledgeable of who the candidates are for each ballot beforehand. Do not be easily swayed into making a decision you may later regret. Going in with people in mind will help you, and help make a change.

If you are not registered to vote, it is very simple to do so, and can be done online. For

Illinois voters, the last day to register online is on Oct. 23 through the State Board of Elections website, so make sure to register if you have not already.

However, some cannot make it to their des ignated polling place on the election date, and think that is the only way they can vote. Thankfully, there are two options to help those make sure that before election day, they can cast a vote.

Early voting is a very accessible option for those who cannot make it on the exact day, but can go to different designated locations to cast their vote. For Illinois, early voting starts on Oct. 24 and ends on Nov. 7.

This gives everyone two weeks to find a way to vote early. Look up early voting places for your district, and try to make the trip to vote.

Another way to vote is by mail. Mail-in ballots can be requested online, and the last day to request is on Nov. 3. The last day to mail in or drop off your ballot is on Nov. 8, the day of the election.

Voting is important, and it is especially im portant that you do so on Nov. 8. The future of our state is at risk, make sure that you use your voice to keep the state of Illinois in the correct direction.

Letter to Editor Submissions

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

GRAPHIC

BLUEJAY

Alyssa Kuehne (she/her)

The Elmhurst

WOMEN’S GOLF

Sept. 25-26, at Benedictine Univer sity Invitational 4th of 16 teams

Oct. 3, at Judson University In vitational 1st of three teams Oct. 6-8, CCIW Champi onship at Carroll Universi ty 4th of nine teams

MEN’S GOLF

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Oct. 1, at Aurora Invitational 9th of 15 teams

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Sept. 28, vs. Carthage College L, 9-0

Oct. 4, at Wheaton College L, 9-0 Oct. 5, at Augustana College L, 8-1

Sept.

VOLLEYBALL

weeks,

-

MEN’S

FOOTBALL

Sept.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Oct. 1, at Aurora Invitational 11th of 15 teams

MEN’S TENNIS

WOMEN’S SOCCER

University of Chicago L, 7-0

Oct. 1, vs. Carroll University L, 5-0

Oct. 5, at North Park University L, 3-0

Oct. 8, at Wheaton College L, 6-0

Abbey

BATTLE OF THE BIRDS AT HOMECOMING GAME

David Casteñeda (he/him) Staff Writer

The Bluejays could not find their way home on Oct. 1, falling to the Carthage Firebirds’ balanced offense and defense with a final score of 57-21 at Langhorst Field.

Elmhurst started off the game with an 11play, 64-yard drive that would result with a one-yard touchdown run from running back Aidan Pollock.

Their initial success did not last long as the Firebirds answered back with a long drive of their own. In eight plays and 44-yards, Firebird’s running back Rey Guajardo ran a one-yard touchdown, tying up the score.

The Bluejays’ lack of ball security started to hurt them when the Firebirds intercepted the Bluejay’s next drive resulting in a 60-yard touchdown by Carthage defensive back Garrett Warner at the end of the first quarter.

The Firebirds’ gained momentum from this touchdown for an offensive explosion in the second quarter. Scoring mostly through the air, the Firebirds outscored the Bluejays 28-7 in the second quarter.

Although the Firebirds started the first quarter with a 34-yard pass from Carthage quarter back Cristian Beltran to wide receiver Sylvere Campbell, Elmhurst came back for a touch down by wide receiver Gabe Holtke. Holtke received the 22-yard pass from quarterback Conner Buyck after a 5-play, 46-yard drive.

However, that was not enough to get Elmhurst into a momentum as Carthage’s next touchdown resulted from a fumble in Elmhurst’s territory.

This gave the Firebirds great field position as they scored in three plays with a 26-yard pass from Firebirds’ Beltran to wide receiver Jordan Wiles, followed by two more passing touchdowns to Alex Jarvis and Kyle Williamson.

Even though the first half got away from the Bluejays going into the second half losing 4114, they fired back at Carthage with a long 10play drive ending with a five-yard touchdown pass to Holtke.

However, in an attempt to make up ground on the Firebirds, the Bluejays threw two more interceptions that would result in touchdowns for the Firebirds during the third quarter. Elmhurst’s defense came together for the rest of the game though, only letting through a field

goal from Carthage early in the fourth quarter. There were a number of leaders for the Bluejays. Buyck threw two touchdowns and passed for 207 yards. Receiving those two touchdowns was Holtke with a total of 112-yards receiving.

Pollock got the first touchdown of the game and had a total of 76-yards rushing. Running back Julian Cavallo followed Pollock with 60-yards rushing.

Linebacker Jake Masco, who ended the game with eight tackles, and defensive back Gino Cerrone with seven tackles, led the defense against Carthage.

Even with the improvement in Elmhurst’s defense at the end of the game, it was a sad ending for the Bluejay Homecoming game with a final score of 57-21.

Masco held his head high after the game, looking at this upcoming week as another opportunity to get better.

“The positives that we can carry into this week is that we have another week to fix these mis takes and get to go up against a great team in Wheaton where last year we felt we played them well,” said Masco.

PHOTO BY Ryan Windle (they/he)

BLUEJAYS GET A TEASE OF THE MAJOR LEAGUE

Alyssa Kuehne (she/her) Sports Editor

Students got the chance to talk to professionals from a variety of Chicago teams at Elmhurst University’s Meet the Teams event on Oct. 3.

Hosted by Russell G. Weigand Center for Professional Excellence (WCPE), the panel represented three major league teams: the Chicago Cubs, Bears, and Blackhawks, and the minor league team Windy City Bulls.

Last year, the WCPE started Meet the Teams for Elmhurst University’s athletes and sports management majors. This program was in tended to give students interested in the sports industry a leg up in searching and achieving their goal careers, according to Christina Danno, assistant director of career experiences at WCPE.

The goal is to give students the chance to network with professionals in their interested field who can give them industry tips, share their career experiences, and talk about in ternship opportunities.

This year, four individuals came to the Buik Recital Hall for the Meet the Teams event.

Aaron Klein shared his experience in becoming the manager of ticket sales for the Chicago Cubs, starting with internships and managing his college football team, to working his way up through lots of networking and going after what he wanted.

Kristin Rogers works as the manager of em ployee experience for the Chicago Bears. She talked about bouncing around jobs, interning with the Bears, jumping to marketing with the Chicago Blackhawks, before coming back to the Bears and eventually landing her mana gerial job.

Michael Dorsch, senior director of finance for the Blackhawks, told the audience to just go for it because “you never know.” Despite not getting the accounting job he originally ap plied for, after getting his Master of Business Administration at EU, his good impression paid off and he worked his way up to senior director.

The last speaker was Josh Malone, the director of basketball operations for the Windy City Bulls. He has gone far in his career path, as far

as traveling to Spain to work as an operations assistant. He has worked with the Washington Wizards and the Utah Jazz before his position with the Bulls.

They gave advice to students interested in getting into the sports industry, telling them to remember that it is a journey and it will take time. They all agreed that keeping connections and checking in with them is key in getting the job you want.

Klein included being passionate and involved with interests in those key elements as well. He said they would rather look at someone with a 3.0 GPA who is very involved with leadership roles, than someone with a 4.0 with no hobbies.

Passion was a big theme, but they reminded everyone that even if you get your dream job, you have to remember that it is still a job.

“It’s not just about who you know, it’s whether they would recommend you,” said Malone. Dursch advised everyone to throw their hat into the ring, even if they are not confident they will get the job.

“You’re going to get told ‘no’ hundreds of times, but you only need one ‘yes’,” said Malone, backing Dursch’s comment.

The sports industry is a hard one to get into, but not as difficult as people think. While some internships are problematic because sports

seasons usually conflict with a normal student schedule, there are still opportunities available.

The four panel members all expressed their want to help and their willingness to take a call to talk about opportunities and advice. This event wrapped up with a networking opportunity to talk to Klein, Rogers, Dorsch, and Malone one-on-one, give them a resume, and get their personal advice.

Danno was delighted with the result of the event. There was a lot of interest, especially throughout the networking portion, with some lines to talk to the panel members stretching to the recital hall doors.

Students were happy with the event as well and found the advice from the panel helpful and encouraging.

“To accomplish your dreams you gotta take that first step,” said master of business admin istration student Alex Hall. Graduate student Jeremy Inniss jumped in with Hall, calling the event “informative.”

2021 graduate Shakirah Nilson was interested in the event because of her interest in sports, and was impressed with the inside look into the unseen side of the sports industry.

“Just to be here to learn the business side is very interesting, especially for me as a busi ness major,” said Nilson.

ELMHURST UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S TENNIS

Junior Julia Kostadinovia hitting a forehand in her singles match.

The team cheering for senior Silvia Barak as she serves in the last match of the day.

Senior June Bering easily returning the ball to her op ponent during her singles match.

Junior Isabella Rahman receiving in her singles match..

PHOTOS BY Alyssa Kuehne (she/her)

Elmhurst University Women’s Tennis team after their Sept. 28 match at EU’s Lester Brune Tennis Courts. From left to right: Brynn Rubacky, Mary Bush, Jolene Neuhalfen, Megan Engstrom, Alitza Munoz, Isabella Rahman, Julia Kostadinovia, June Bering, and Silvia Barak.