CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
January 31-February 1, 2015 • $1.50
DeKalb boys beat Sycamore in Castle Challenge / B1
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Glittery gamesmanship
ABOVE: Sycamore senior Abby Bartels (right) screams with her classmates Friday as the Sycamore girls basketball team defeats DeKalb, 55-26, during the Castle Challenge. BELOW: Sycamore’s Madelyne Johnson (left) celebrates Sycamore’s win by running to the student section with the rest of the girls team.
Photos by Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
DeKalb senior forward Jace Kitchen raises the boys traveling trophy with his teammates after they beat Sycamore, 43-24, Friday during the Castle Challenge at the NIU Convocation Center. The Castle Challenge raised $59,000 to be split between the Sycamore and DeKalb athletics programs.
DeKalb, Sycamore face off in annual Castle Challenge, raise $59K By ADAM POULISSE
Voice your opinion
apoulisse@shawmedia.com DeKALB – School pride was sprinkled all over Tanner Watkins on Friday night – particularly his face. The Sycamore High School senior sported a full gold glitter beard and a makeshift toga on the sidelines just behind the goal post at the DeKalb-Sycamore game at Northern Illinois University’s Convocation Center. It was the rivals’ last major game of his high school career, so Watkins went all out.
Which school did you root for in Friday’s Castle Challenge basketball games? Vote online at Daily-Chronicle.com. “All the girls like to sprinkle glitter, so we just thought we should do a full beard of it,” Watkins said amid a sea of other glittery, toga-wearing, balloon-waving Sycamore High School students crowding one end of the basketball court for Friday’s big game, cheering their fellow Spartans and jeering the DeKalb Barbs. “There’s always been a huge ri-
valry, so anything the fans can do always helps,” Watkins said. A thunderous crowd of 4,160 attended the double-header, where both schools’ boys and girls basketball teams squared off. It was part of the annual Castle Challenge, a fundraiser between the rival schools hosted by Castle Bank. Since the rivals’ football game last September, the schools netted $59,000 for the schools to split and use on athletics. “Sycamore and DeKalb are blessed to have the support and dedication of two communities,” said Chauncey Carrick, athletic director
at Sycamore High School. The Castle Challenge began in 2000 as a way to turn a fierce rivalry into a positive community project, and it has since grown to include communities outside DeKalb and Sycamore. About $2 million has been raised in the past 15 years, according to Bridget Carlson, marketing director for Castle Bank. “It’s been going for so long that people know it’s for a good cause,” she said. “There’s still a rivalry, but it’s more unified.” As it often does, the DeKalb-Sycamore basketball game drew a huge
crowd, thanks in part to a week’s worth of anticipation led by pep rallies and other events. “Nobody really paid any attention in class this week,” said Brad Allen, a junior of DeKalb High School, who was alongside other Barbs in the student sections. “Everybody has just been yelling.” As the girls basketball game drew to a close with a 55-26 decision in favor of Sycamore, the crowd grew larger as the boys teams took to the court. The bleachers and sidelines were
See CHALLENGE, page A6
Students still seek Rauner defends paying his staff more than Quinn lower bar-entry age By SOPHIA TAREEN and KERRY LESTER The Associated Press
NIU association continues efforts By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Northern Illinois University Student Association members are pressing on in their efforts to lower the entry age at bars in DeKalb from 21 to 20. Some city officials have expressed skepticism already, but Ben Donovan, the director of governmental affairs for the NIU Student Association, said he hopes city leaders will allow an
open forum where student representatives can discuss the possible policy change. “We wish nothing more than for honest, open conversation with the city regarding this issue,” Donovan said during Monday’s DeKalb City Council meeting. “Thus far, the issue has been clouded by judgments, misunderstandings and assumptions not based on
See BAR-ENTRY AGE, page A6
CHICAGO – Gov. Bruce Rauner defended paying his top staff members significantly more than his predecessor, explaining Friday that he will pay what is necessary for talent. The Republican has blasted Illinois’ spending and state worker salaries as excessive. However, a review by The Associated Press found annual salaries of 10 top employees in his administration far exceed those of comparable aides to former Gov. Pat Quinn by roughly $380,000 – or 36 percent. The increases ranged from 11 percent to 94 percent. “The people we’re bringing
school in Chicago. “I pay what it needs to for the talent that we’ve got.” Rauner vowed that spending out of the governor’s office would be lower under his administration than Quinn’s. He didn’t offer further details, and his office didn’t respond to repeated questions on the issue. It’s still too early to compare spending between the two administrations. Quinn’s office employed 96 people last year with a total payroll of $4.5 million. Not all of Rauner’s new hires AP photo Gov. Bruce Rauner speaks Tuesday about the state of Illinois’ economy have been paid yet, and some Quinn employees still were beat Richland Community College in Decatur. ing paid in January. into our administration, most were making on the outside,” The Illinois comptroller’s of them are taking significant Rauner said ahead of the See RAUNER, page A6 cuts compared to what they groundbreaking of a charter
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Race is on
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Students recognize teachers for Catholic Schools Week / A3
G-K Cogs within one game in loss column in BNC East division after victory / B1
Unemployment rate in county dropped steadily in 2014 / A3
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