Sports: WrestleMania is back Sunday.
Opinions: Don't let race interfere with justice.
Monday, April 2, 2018 - Vol. 118 Issue 72
Sports: Baseball and Softball both victorious over holiday weekend.
No confidence vote passed by faculty 37 percent of faculty abstain in referendum By Nicholas Ebelhack editor-in-chief
The Western Illinois University Faculty Senate revealed the results of referendum of no confidence in the school’s administration, with 42 percent of voters (213 votes cast) claiming “no confidence.” Twenty-one percent of voters (109 votes cast) voted “confidence” in Western’s administration. The vote stems from a petition asking for a vote of confidence, in which 24 percent of faculty members asked for a referendum. While not a majority of all votes able to be cast, as 37 percent of votes (181 votes) were not mailed in, the majority of voting faculty who voted “no confidence” elicited a response from Board of Trustees Chair Cathy Early on Friday. “We value our faculty, and we certainly respect the differing points of view,” reads
By William Turkington courier staff
The Thomas E. Helm Undergraduate Research Day will be held April 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the University Union. The Undergraduate Research Day provides students with a forum to conduct undergraduate research, scholarship or creative activity. Students from all academic disciplines are welcomed and encouraged to submit their faculty mentored research, scholarship, or creative activity. Submissions can be either completed or in-
progress and the deadline for submissions is April 6. Research, scholarship, or creative activity can be presented either as a poster presentation or a podium or performance presentation. The poster method uses a poster as the primary means of showcasing their project. Presenters are encouraged to have an abstract, an introduction, a discussion of methodology, a conclusion statement, and an indication of the project’s actual or potential contribution to knowledge, understanding,
or appreciation. The podium or performance sessions are best utilized for oral or creative presentation, and may be aided by audio/ visual expressions like PowerPoints. Each podium session is no more than 10 minutes and each performance presentation is no more than 20 minutes. All presentations will be delivered in a group setting. The presentations should be limited to three or less presenters per presentation. Question and answer sessions will be held at the end of
each session. Last year ’s performance presentation winners were Nathalie Hernandez, Luciana Hontila, Vlad Hontila, and Giorgi Khatalev, who performed “The American Quartet” from the school of music. Their faculty sponsor was Istvan Szabo. Hannah Knox, Janelle Hohenberry and Briana Michael’s work on “Prevalence of Microorganism Growth on Name Badges of Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit Healthcare Workers” from the school of Nurs-
Early’s statement. “When the results of the vote are formally brought forward to the Board of Trustees at our next meeting, we will discuss further.” Early further said that the Board of Trustees remains in support of Western’s administration despite the results of the vote. “It is the opinion of the WIU Board of Trustees that the University administration has maintained the University's viability, as they were asked to do, during these unprecedented times of financial crisis and has continued to move the University forward,” Early said. In her statement, Early states that because of the abstaining voters, the motion did not pass when considering the total number of eligible voters, 503.
Referendum
page 3
ing won the poster presentation. Faculty members Julie Baylor and Patricia Eathington assisted them. Lastly, Allison Hartman’s “Examination of Pool Fingers from the Blauhohle Cave System, Germany,” courtesy of the Department of Geology, bagged first place among podium presentations. Professor Leslie Melim helped supervise the project. Questions can be submitted to Alex Geisler of the Centennial Honors College at angeisler@wiu.edu or go to wiu. edu to make a submission.
2
Monday, April 2, 2018
NEWS
WesternCourier.com
A Balanced A Balanced Mind Body is Jimmy pierson/production manager
By Leah Murphy courier staff
On April 5, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Western Illinois University Counseling Center will be hosting the event, Balanced Body, Balanced Mind. The event will be held at the Women’s Center, located inside the Multicultural Center. This is a free event and all are encouraged to attend.
Referendum from front page
“It is important to note that of the 506 faculty to whom ballots were sent, only 42 percent voted no,” Early said. "According to the Faculty Senate Constitution, a majority vote is required for a referendum to pass." However, of the voting members, 65 percent of votes cast were for “no confidence,” signifying a majority.
WC Located on the third floor of the Heating Plant Annex on the south end of campus across from Sherman Hall. Mail: 1 University Circle, WIU, Macomb, IL 61455 Phone: 309-298-1876 Fax: 309-298-2309 Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays E-mail: micour@wiu.edu Member: Illinois College Press Association, National Association College Press
The University Counseling Center ’s Balanced Body, Balanced Mind is a mustattend event for all, especially those interested in living a healthy lifestyle. The event will feature a variety of informational tables from organizations both on and off Western’s campus. These organizations are there to promote healthy lifestyle choices and habits. Participants of this event can
expect to receive flyers and handouts from these organizations that contain information on healthy behaviors, eating healthy and tips on how to keep a healthy body. The Balanced Body, Balanced Mind event will also provide opportunities for people to participate in an anonymous ‘Eating Attitudes’ screening. This is an optional screening, but it’s highly encouraged that you participate.
For those that take the anonymous screening, they will have the option to discuss their results with a counselor. Counselors can give valuable feedback on the results of participant’s screening results, such as tips on leading a healthier lifestyle and what foods to eat and which to avoid. Not only will those that attend this event receive information on healthy behaviors and lead-
ing a healthy lifestyle, they also can enter a free drawing for prizes. The Balanced Body, Balanced Mind event features various activities and has something for everyone. Keeping a healthy body, a balanced mind and a healthy lifestyle is important for anyone. Everyone is encouraged to attend and learn about keeping a balanced body and balanced mind.
In a statement to The Western Courier on Sunday, Faculty Senate Chair Steven Rock, said that according to Article VIII of the Faculty Senate Constitution, the body is governed by the rules presented in Alice Sturgis’ “The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure.” “In that book, it states ‘A majority vote is the vote of more than half or the members voting,’” Rock said. “Later on it says ‘A majority of the legal votes cast is the requirement
that most commonly approves a motion or elects a candidate. When the term ‘majority’ is not defined and no other type of majority is specific, the law holds that a majority of the legal votes cast is required.’” Faculty Senate Parliamentarian Annette Hamm also made a statement on the issue to The Western Courier, elaborating on what happens after referendum is initiated. “The ballot specifying the issue of concern to the petitioners is then prepared, and
sent to all eligible faculty for a vote,” Hamm said. “The issue of concern to petitioners (as raised by the faculty requesting the referendum) passes if it receives a majority of the votes cast.” “As far as the Faculty Senate is concerned, the vote of no confidence therefore passed,” Rock said. In a response to Rock’s statement, Early acknowledged the results as presented, but claimed that Rock was unclear and had previously said that
the Faculty Senate would not interpret the results. “Since calling for the vote required a percentage of total faculty, I was left to assume that total numbers were used to measure the results,” Early said. “I simply didn’t realize that the Senate would use a different methodology to evaluate the vote. It is their right to choose their own method. The Faculty Senate Chair determined the results, and the Board of Trustees will view them in that light.”
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STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Nicholas Ebelhack NA-Ebelhack@wiu.edu assistant news editor Marc Ramirez MA-Ramirez3@wiu.edu assistant news editor Steven Barnum SS-Barnum@wiu.edu opinions editor Ryan Zurek RP-Zurek@wiu.edu sports editor Devon Greene DJ-Greene@wiu.edu assistant sports editor Haley Richards H-Richards@wiu.edu edge editor Baylee Brynteson BM-Brynteson@wiu.edu copy editor Brie Coder B-Coder@wiu.edu
proofreader Valerie Clemens VN-Clemens@wiu.edu proofreader Alexis Lowe AL-Lowe@wiu.edu proofreader Tacuma Venzant T-Venzant@wiu.edu photo editor Becca Langys RE-Langys@wiu.edu assistant photo editor Sara Remar SE-Remar@wiu.edu production manager Jimmy Pierson JM-Pierson@wiu.edu business manager Faith Rucker F-Rucker@wiu.edu advertising manager Patryk Mazur P-Mazur@wiu.edu adviser Will Buss WJ-Buss@wiu.edu
The Western Courier is published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the regular school year, excluding holidays, finals week and semester breaks. The WC updates the website weekly during the summer. All content reflects the editorial discretion of the students operating the newspaper and must be interpreted as unofficial university communication. While every attempt is made to determine the validity of advertising contained herein, the advertising in the WC is not to be construed as endorsements of any specific products or services. The WC assumes no responsibility or liability resulting from the content of paid advertisements. Subscription price is $36 per year mailed third-class bulk rate from Macomb. The WC is printed by The Galesburg Register-Mail in Galesburg, Ill.
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@WesternCourier
Monday, April 2, 2018
NEWS 3
GURF MORLIX Saturday April 7, 2018 7:00 pm By William Turkington courier staff
To celebrate the University Union at Western Illinois University’s 50th anniversary, the school has announced fundraising plans for the Alumni Plaza Project, and the adjoining Mascot Memorial Plaza. The Alumni Plaza Project consists of a brick patio outside the north entry of the University Union. The Mascot Memorial Plaza, which plays tribute to Western’s mascot Colonel Rock, will be just on the edge of the Alumni Plaza. The plaza project will see the full replacement of the brick pavers, currently in the circular plaza in-between the Union and Hanson Field. The new, engraved pavers will present an opportunity for individuals or groups to leave their legacy as part of the University. Bricks can be purchased in two sizes. Large bricks are seven inches by 14 inches, can include up to four lines of text,
and up to 25 characters per line for $225. Small bricks are four inches by eight inches, can include three lines of text, and up to 16 characters per line for $100. The first deadline for brick purchases, that will be installed before Homecoming 2018, is July 1. After the initial deadline, orders will continue to be received, with those bricks seeing cement the following summer. Initial construction work will begin in the summer of 2018. Individuals who are interested in purchasing a brick may do so to commemorate a present or past graduate, memorialize a valued individual, campus organization, fraternity or sorority, a Leatherneck team, or a local business. The project has a fundraising goal of $75,000. Just days after the announcement, nearly $5,000 in donations have already been collected from 35 donors.
Tickets: online at TSPR.com By phone: 298-1873 or 800-895-2912 Tri States Public Radio Members—$10 General Public —$15 Canned good for local food pantry
Location:
Tri States Public Radio Vallillo/Holtz Performance Studio 320 W. University Drive Macomb, IL
Monday, April 2, 2018
4 OPINIONS
WesternCourier.com
Race shouldn't matter in trials
Recently, a video has surfaced in the media of OJ Simpson supposedly admitting to killing his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, as well as her friend, Ronald Goldman. “I loved her, but I wasn’t in love with her,” said Simpson, “and to some degree I didn’t really like her.” The video was from an interview with Fox conducted in 2006. But it was recently “found” by the network as they were promoting a two-hour special about Simpson and the alleged killing, which was to air this year. In the interview, Simpson speaks “hypothetically” of what might have happened on the night of
the murders. He then goes on to say he remembered grabbing a knife from his friend, Charlie, who had followed him into the house in the middle of a heated dispute between Nicole, Ronald and him. “To be honest, after that I don’t remember. Except there’s all kind of blood and stuff around,” Simpson said. However, looking back at the trial, and the time period in which it took place, it had a lot more to do with Simpson's skin color than the murders themselves. No matter how obvious it was that Simpson killed his wife, to the public, it was a matter of watching a
black man beat a system that has decimated black people for years. After the reading of the verdict, a clear line was drawn as to who supported the judge’s decision and who didn’t. The variation of reactions and emotions differed largely between Caucasians and the minority population. Most of the people who cheered in excitement happened to be people of color. Whereas many white people hung their heads in sorrow and disappointment. But amongst the minority population, I think it’s safe to say they were celebrating the victory of a black man who overcame the grip of the judicial system, which, as we know, has seldom ruled in our favor. Even today, with the senseless killings of young black men by white police offi-
to put his kids to bed. Although this is only referring to one state, teacher salaries are still a problem across the country. Oklahoma has just the worst of it. Even with the $6100 raise reported from CNN, Oklahoma barely escapes the lowest 10 percent of states for teacher salary according to a report from CNBC last year. Those wages still aren’t enough to solely support a family depending on the area you live in. Teaching requires a lot of time and a lot of involvement. You would figure that they would be paid enough where the can focus solely on that, but that’s not the case. Teachers are having to take extra jobs just to make ends meet which pulls focus away from the classroom. Some states are losing teachers who are going to neighboring states that pay more so they can support their family better. It’s a sad reality but they are doing what’s best for
their family. Teachers are in an important position where they work with our future and try to help them prepare for the world when they graduate. Their job is to give their students the knowledge and the resources they need to succeed in the real world and be prepared for life. Yet it’s a career that for the isn't taken very seriously. Anytime there’s a budget deficit, one of the first cuts we see usually comes out of education. It’s gotten so bad to the point where teacher strikes have become such a common event. Coming from the Chicago area and having an uncle who used to work for Chicago Public Schools, teacher walkouts were something seen in the local news quite frequently. I mean at this rate teacher walkouts are a holiday that CPS students plan for. So why are we willing to pay people who deal with our children and future so little when they have such an important role to play? Mostly greed. Our school system in the U.S. is beyond screwed up in a variety of ways, but this is still something that should have been fixed a long time ago.
Teachers deserve to be paid more
Recent media attention has been drawn to Oklahoma where teachers across the state are about to go on strike which could lead some schools to be shut down indefinitely according to a recent report from CNN. The reason for the strike is obvious, the teachers and school administrators feel like the school faculty aren’t getting paid enough. The state recently passed legislation to raise teacher salaries but many teachers feel that the compromise that was made wasn’t enough. Even with the raise, they’ll still be struggling to make ends meet. Recent videos have been published online that are spreading that feature teachers and all the additional work they have to do to make ends meet. One teacher interviewed worked a total of six jobs including being a full time high school math teacher, bus driver, coach, umpire and lyft and uber driver. He rarely comes home in time
cers, racial profiling, and the thousands of minorities in jail for crimes they were falsely convicted of, there hasn’t been much change of the injustices done to people of color. At the time, it was just refreshing to see a black man come out on top for a change, and that’s why there were so many cheers from the African American and Hispanic communities. A big part of it may have been that Simpson was a celebrity. He had the money to pay for top-of-the-line lawyers, and he had major support from his fanbase. Had he just been another black man, he would have lost the case and been found guilty for the murders he may, or may not have commited. I’ve noticed the trend of celebrities getting off for things any regular citizen would have been convicted for. For example,
R-Kelly, another well known celebrity who has had constant run ins with the law, was found not guilty for having sex with, and urinating on an underaged girl on tape. Nonetheless, I think it’s safe to say that if Simpson was just an ordinary black man, he would have definitely been found guilty. Many questions still remain about the video of Simpson, and why it took this long for this video to hit mainstream media. We should all commend others for doing what’s right. If Simpson did murder those people, he was in the wrong. Whether he was White, Black, Asian or Hispanic, his race shouldn’t have changed the circumstances of the verdict. More importantly, his race should not have given others an excuse to commend him for his wrong doings.
Editorial Policy The editoral views of the Western Courier shall be confined to this editorial and are to be separate from news coverage otherwise noted. The editoral presented is based on the ideas and views of the WC editoral board.Columns are the opinions of the columnists alone and should not be construed as the opinions and beliefs of the WC staff as a whole.
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2018 Spring Semester Editorial Board Editor-in-Cheif - Nicholas Ebelhack Edge Editor - Baylee Bryntesson Opinions Editor - Ryan Zurek
Monday, April 2, 2018
By: Tea Wheat
E2 EDGE
Monday, April 2, 2018
WesternCourier.com
Ready Player One
hits theatres
JIMMY PIERSON
Ready Player One is now in theaters. There are major differences between the film and the novel. But, readers will get used to this because the film offers surprises around every corner. Overall, the film is great because it immerses you, just like the virtual world in the film does. The major differences between the book and the film are evident within the first couple minutes of the film. First, there
is no car race in the book. The screenplay was co-written by Ernest Cline, the author of the book, so it looks like the story was modified to be more actionpacked. In the book, the three keys open three gates. In the film, there are no gates, just keys. We meet some characters earlier in the film than in the book. The film is enjoyable if you don’t mind the differences. The film is also enjoyable for those
who haven’t read the book. I recommend reading the book after seeing the film to understand the background story of the software developers of the virtual reality video game in the film. A lot of characters from classic 80’s movies make a comeback in this film. You will see them briefly on screen. There are also various other hidden references to pop-culture, and if you like hunting for secrets, this is your movie. It’s worth a re-watch for that reason. I spotted some little references here and there. The story is alright. The players of the virtual reality game, The OASIS, are all trying to find the game’s biggest secret.
Westfest
studio albums. Waka Flocka had multiple top hits in 2010, such as “No Hands” and “Hard In Da Paint,” needless to say fans are beyond excited to see him at WESTFEST. The second performer at WESTFEST is an American singer, songwriter and actor Jessie McCartney. McCartney began his career in the late 90’s with his acting role in “All My Children” as Chandler. McCartney’s musical career started when he joined the boy band Dream Street, and then later became a solo artist. McCartney came out with his hit song “Beautiful Soul” in 2004. However prior to that song he had a few other singles such as “She’s No You” and “Leavin.” The ability to see and meet McCartney in person has current and past fans going
wild. Those who were once infatuated with McCartney as kids and teenagers can now see him live, and even have the chance to meet him. Not only is this an exceptional opportunity to see two very talented musicians, but it will also be intriguing to see the two musicians with such different styles playing at the same event. Tickets to WESTFEST are priced at $10 for students, and $15 for community members (non-students). For $50, Jessie McCartney fans can purchase general admission tickets to the event, as well as tickets to meet the once teenage heartthrob. Whether you were a fan growing up, or you are still a fan of these two talented musicians, it’s time to get that throwback CD out of your storage bag and into your CD player!
from E1
The music festival itself is not what has been catching the attention of students and faculty alike, but rather who will be performing at the festival. Social media exploded with excitement and anticipation for this event and its performers. While these two artists are no longer in the direct spotlight that they once were, their musical talents will be showcased once again at WESTFEST. Waka Flocka Flame, or better known as Waka Flocka, will be one of the two performers at WESTFEST. Waka Flocka Flame is an American Rapper whose career rose in popularity around 2009, and now has in total of 40 singles, 20 mix tapes and two
There’s a company called IOI that tries to find the secret first. It’s a race to the finish. The world the characters live in is a bleak future in which climate change is too serious, and there is a major energy crisis. The people of the world can escape to Virtual Reality because it offers escapism. Even the fate of the virtual world hangs in the balance. Overall this movie is a fun thrill ride. There are a lot of epic battles in the virtual world. In this film, there are a lot of throwbacks to other films, songs, TV shows, and books. I give this movie 3.9 stars. Even though it’s a great film, and a wild ride, it leaves out
a lot from the book. This may not matter to you if you haven’t read the book, but it does for me. It seems like they tried to make it more appealing to the audience while making it more action packed. They left out the nerdy parts that the audience wouldn’t understand. There are a lot of Dungeons and Dragons references in the book, but in the film there are less. If you want to experience this just as an action movie, or if you’re a fan of 80s pop-culture, this movie is enjoyable. If you read the book, this movie is enjoyable if you get used to the fact that it leaves out a lot of stuff from the book.
Write For EDGE Contact
bm-brynteson@wiu.edu
E3 EDGE
Monday, April 2, 2018
Faculty Initiates Tawnya J. Adkins Covert Brian Bellott Jasmine S. Crighton Algerian Hart Student Initiates
“Let the love of learning rule humanity.�
Chapter 137 Western Illinois University wiu.edu/PhiKappaPhi/
Graduates Deji Adekanye Shorooq Sulaiman Alaskar Faisal Muthyib A. Alsubaie Caitlyn M. Schoonover-Anderson Laura M. Berkley Cassandra Bilyeu Ryan M. Darensbourg Deanna Renee Eden Alex Erlandson Taiwo E. Esan Matthew R. Frick Abigail Christine Hanson Amy L. Kunz Pratistha Maharjan Bala Bharathi Mannava Ryan Trey McBride Alamin Hamid Mohammed Shaikh Obaidullah Chukwuebuka Elozona Ogwo Shweta Pradhan Todd P. Range Kristine Y. Thill Indrajith K. Wasala Mudiyanselage Wickramasinghe Mudiyanselage Nisansala Wickramasinghe Seniors Abigail J. Adkisson Lisa M. Amlong Makenna A Barker Justin A. Barnes Caitlen Bishop Donna Jeanne Breedlove Deanna L. Brumbaugh Lauren Elizabeth Burrows Derek M. Bushman Kaitlyn Cameron Molly Cameron Brigida Castillo Heather K. Davidsmeyer Jamie Jeaneth Flores Lisa Ann Hallen Alexis Rae Kolschefski Sarah E. McCallister Stefanija Micevic Jessica E. Piekarski Amadeo Ramon Carbo Kimberly Spirek Vladimir Suchkov Alexis M. Swanborg Bryce H. Taylor Gabriel E. Thompson Anthony White
WesternCourier.com
Juniors Allison Anderson Susan C. Arns Mark Buren Parker Elizabeth Carls Yenna Cho Emalee Clayton Anastasia DeLeon Mariah C. Dicksen Victoria Gregory Tiffany Hamrick Lyndisty Littell Morgan Miller Kelsey Pudlas Paula Ramirez Abigail E. Reed Bianca Olivia Romay Jessika Runquist Maeghan Catherine Schreiber Killian L. Tracey Joseph Anthony Turk Samantha M. Vrtis-Bentz Joseph Weigel Allyson Marie Wiacek Madeleine Wilsey Student Scholarship Recipients Phi Kappa Phi Junior Scholarship ($1,000 each) Susan Arns, junior music major Allison Anderson, junior forensic chemistry major Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship ($500) Jillian Escobar, senior double major in music performance and communication sciences and disorders Undergraduate Research Awards Lowell Grabill First Place Undergraduate Research Award Hilary Dunn Advisor: David J. Lane, Ph.D, Psychology Second Place Award Princess Yameini Advisor: Scott H. Hemenover, Ph.D, Psychology Third Place Award Rebecca Graham Advisor: Daniel Malachuk, Ph.D, English Fourth Place Award Kiattipong Aunmueng Advisor: Heather McIlvaine-Newsad, Ph.D, Sociology and Anthropology
E4 EDGE
Monday, April 2, 2018
WesternCourier.com
JIMMY PIERSON
Growing up, many of us were captivated by the idea of magic, which is why there is no doubt that the world of witchcraft and wizardry stole the hearts of so many. Dreaming we weren’t solely muggles, we would await our letters to Hogwarts, but upon age 11 when no letter would arrive, we all had to face the unbearable truth. We are muggles. Years later we realized that Harry, Ron and Hermoine are just actors, but they’re muggles as well. The
love of magic slowly slips from our grasp as we continue in life, but every now and then it is good to take time and reflect back. A full marathon of the Harry Potter movies takes approximately 20 hours, with no breaks, to re-watch the classic films. While marathoning these iconic movies, you may begin to wonder where the actors and actresses from the Harry Potter films are now. Young Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint were all
cast for the first Harry Potter film at age 11. Now, these stars are in their late 20’s and are still doing great things, unfortunately these great things no longer involve magic (unless you are thinking of “Beauty and the Beast,” of course). Radcliffe, who is known for his role as Harry in the Harry Potter films, has continued his successful career as an actor throughout the years. Most recently, Radcliffe starred in the biographical survival drama “Jungle,” which came out in 2017. This movie received decent reviews, with 6.7 out of 10 stars on IMDb. In the years leading up to 2017, Radcliffe also took part in movies such as “Swiss Army Man” and “Horns,” which were very dif-
ferent in style. Radcliffe’s flexibility as an actor is by far one of his greatest strengths. Grint, who played Ron in the Harry Potter films, has also continued with a successful acting career. He has taken part in both traditional and voice acting films throughout the last years. “Underdogs” and “Postman Pat” were two of the movies that Grint was a voice actor in. Voice acting isn’t easier than normal acting, and this really shows Grint’s strength as an actor to gravitate toward this type of acting. Additionally, Grint starred in “Moonwalkers,” a film about moon landing conspiracy theories that came out in 2015. Watson, known for her role as Hermione in the Harry Potter films, has been exceptionally busy recre-
ating herself as an actress. Watson has been starring in films that are just as influential as the Harry Potter films. Most recently, Watson starred in the live action rendition of “Beauty and the Beast” as Belle in 2017. Those born in the mid to late 2000’s will not know Watson as Hermione as the 90’s kids did, but rather as Princess Belle. Another recent success of Watson’s was her performance “The Circle,” a techno-thriller film. Watson continues to hold herself with the same strength, determination and class as you imagine Hermione would (if Hermione was real, of course). Overall, these three young stars have grown over the past 17 years in such exceptional ways. They have all discovered their strengths and weaknesses, and have used
Critical role:
Evan Williamson
staff writer
Dungeons and Dragons has been a popular game among certain groups since it’s release in 1974. But throughout the 1980’s it was painted as satanic, and even though that perception has gone away for the most part in the early 2000’s, it was still something that you didn’t want to admit to playing. That all changed March 12, 2015; Dungeon Master Matthew Mercer, a voice actor who has been in many anime and video games including his role of McCree in Overwatch, introduced a show that would bring Dungeons and Dragons into popularity that has not been seen before. “Welcome to the first episode of Critical Role, and what this basically is, is a continuation of our weekly D&D game. Me and a bunch of other likely nerdy and enjoyable voice actors gathering around, rolling some dice, killing some creatures, having some adventure. Now we have the pleasure of bringing it on the stream for you to watch,
Making D&D cool again
enjoy, and occasionally interact with.” The show featured some wellknown voice actors that you have most likely heard in some of your favorite shows and video games. Starring Ashley Johnson "Recess," "Ben 10," "Blindspot," etc. as gnome cleric Pike Trickfoot. Laura Bailey "Dragon Ball Z," "Soul Eater," etc. as half-elf ranger/ rouge Vex’ahlia. Liam O’Brien "Shadow of Mordor," "Injustice 2," etc. as half-elf rogue/paladin/druid Vax’ildan, Vex’s twin brother. Marisha Ray "Star Wars: Battlefront," "Far Cry 5," etc. as half-elf druid Keyleth. Sam Riegel "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003," "Sofia the First," etc. as gnome bard Scanlan Shorthalt (1-85, 99-115) and human artificer Taryon “Tary” Darrington (85-102). Taliesin Jaffe "Mr. Mom," "Injustice 2," etc. as human gunslinger Percival “Percy” Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III. Travis Willingham "Sonic the Hedgehog," "Far Cry 4," etc as goliath barbar-
ian/fighter Grog Strongjaw; and finally, Orion Acaba "Gormiti," "Call of DutyBlack Ops III," etc as dragonborn sorcerer Tiberius Stormwind (1-27). Critical Role also had a number of special guest stars including Will Friedle, Chris Hardwick, Jon Heder, Joe Manganiello and many others. Campaign 1 of Critical Role features the aforementioned characters that were broken up into five story arcs that lasted from 2015-2017. I’m going to be honest, the first story arc which includes episodes 1-23 which are important to the story has poor sound quality and it also takes you a little bit to identify with the characters which is natural, once you fall in love with the characters you will never want to stop watching. The second arc is where the show really starts getting good. This arc includes episodes 24-38 and you start seeing relationships develop and you learn more about the characters. The sound quality is better, and this is where you start to fall in love with the characters. It has drama and comedy similar to the first 23 episodes, but the stakes are a lot bigger in this arc. It is Percy’s main story arc as you see him go through different changes as he seeks revenge and the team leads a rebellion against
vampires and other undead foes to restore light to his homeland. The third arc is where things get interesting. It is the longest arc, spanning from episodes 39-84. It pretty much starts out with devastation, as the heroes have to escape an attack from four ancient dragons! This arc also confirms relationships and you learn a lot about the characters backstories. It is also in this arc that events relevant to the ending start to be seeded with it being a longer arc like a regular Dungeons and Dragons game, but the heroes go to different places to get items to help them on their quest to defeat the Chroma Conclave. If you are not into this series by the end of this arc, then this show isn’t meant for you. The fourth arc has episodes 85-99. This arc again like all the others has drama and comedy. This arc is pretty much the team finishing up business that they had prior to the Conclave attack and the characters continuing to evolve. The final arc, which has episodes 100-115, has everything starting to come together. I would say this arc has a couple of the most emotional episodes in the campaign. One of the things that made it more emotional is that you know that the characters you have watched for almost three years. It is liter-
ally a race against the clock as the team goes to prepare and defeat the “Whispered One” bringing things that happened in arc two to light. It is very difficult to review a series that I love without giving too much away and the fact that it has 115 episodes that are three to five hours long each makes it impossible. With that being said the popularity of the show brought back Dungeons and Dragons, it is now cool to play it now. The cast of Critical Role goes to many different conventions and the popularity has resulted in a campaign guide and a comic book series. You may not have time to watch or listen to all these episodes and it’s understandable. The show continued on Jan. 11, 2018, with the same cast but new characters. So if you want a more realistic way of catching up on the first 12 episodes of this campaign go to YouTube. There are also recaps of the first episodes if you just want to dive right in. Episode 13 will begin right where episode 12 ended and frankly I’m excited. You can watch Critical Role Thursdays on the Geek and Sundry Twitch channel or wait for the episode to be uploaded to YouTube every Monday. With drama and comedy, you don’t want to miss looking into this. “Is it Thursday yet?”
Monday, April 2, 2018
@WesternCourier
OPINIONS 5
Go ahead and try something new If you’re a girl or even a guy, we all know you have a Pinterest board for just about everything. Personally I can spend many hours a day adding new pins as to how to decorate my dorm room, different ways to do my makeup, new outfit ideas, but my alltime favorite Pinterest board is the one with new recipes to try. Being a vegetarian it’s sometimes hard to find tasty food that will fill you up and
have all the important nutrients you need for the day. With that being said, I obviously made a Pinterest board for food just like that. Recently I have had some extra time in my schedule to cook for myself instead of buying food from the dining halls or spend my money at a restaurant so I went straight to my Pinterest board to see what recipe I would try that day. One thing that I quick-
ly learned after I decided to make something off of my Pinterest board is that it is not as easy as it seems. I saw a recipe for buffalo cauliflower “wings” and thought it looked easy enough to make but I found out otherwise. The recipe seemed easy enough since all you had to do was mix all the items together, dip the cauliflower into the batter, then pop it into the oven. To begin with, I am that person who does not believe in measuring when it comes to cooking, instead I eye ball the amounts which is probably not a good idea. I’m sure you’re thinking at this point that whatever hap-
pened from that point on is my fault because of how I decided to measure the ingredients but you are wrong. One thing that caught my eye about this recipe was that it took only about 20-30 minutes making it an easy and quick snack to make. WRONG. Reading off what I need took five minutes itself, imagine actually putting in all the ingredients. So overall this entire cooking experience took me over an hour just to make. Luckily, there was a video to go along with the recipe so I had a visual representation as to how to do each step. Once again, the video made it seem a lot easier than
it was. I am very positive that I wasted more ingredients by messing up and making a mess. The finished product picture of the recipe looked very appetizing while mine did not. Don’t get me wrong, the finished product tasted phenomenal but if I were given the option to eat my finished product of the buffalo cauliflower or dog food, I would go with the dog food. Basically what I’m trying to say from all this is everything you see on the Internet will not be the same as it is in real life. Don’t be afraid to try new things because you never know if you will fail unless you try.
a bit overpriced but I never regretted getting the purse. It's a brown leather bag that was about $400 originally, but I got it for $190 at TJ Maxx. The great thing about TJ Maxx is that they have all the name brand items for much less. I was hesitant to buy it because I didn’t have a lot of money. But the person who had it on hold canceled, so I went in and bought it. About a weekend after I got it, I was sneaking snacks into the movies. I brought in the soda and when I got home from the movie, I realized I spilled it all over my purse. That was the worst time of my life because I thought I just ruined a $400 purse, but all I had to do was take a cloth and wipe the inside of it, and it was clean. Kors uses a special silk like fabric inside the purses so when you spill it, it doesn’t get ruined. I remember having spilled a red drink and I for sure thought my purse was a no go but it wiped clean and was as good as new. That was the moment when I knew that buying name brand things wasn’t ac-
tually that bad. From that moment on I would buy name brand makeup and things like that just to test out the waters. Sometimes I get credit for buying name brand makeup but people don’t realize how much use I get out of it. I bought a $70 foundation a year and a half ago and I used to wear makeup every day, and it’s only halfway gone. I can’t speak for all makeup products, but for the makeup I purchased, which happens to be a name brand, it’s lasted at least a year or two for me. You can compare this to going to Walmart and it honestly adds up to about the same because the makeup doesn’t always last, which means you have to replace it. It’s really what you put into it, not everything is actually overpriced. And even if it is overpriced, if you take care of your items they can last a long time. Growing up and seeing the benefits of highend products, I understand why people spend the money that they do on them. It’s not a bad thing if you’re working for your money. If one wants to spend their money on those type of things then so be it ,because in the end it will benefit you because you will get your money's worth out of the makeup.
Don't pull Spend your money mean pranks on what you want
With April Fool’s Day directly in our rearview mirror, I’m sure lots of you had pranks pulled on you or even did a few to others. April Fool’s Day is said to have originated in European countries with evidence of it dating all the way back to the 1500’s. It is a day to pull sly pranks on your friends and family and get out the whoopee cushion and say, “April Fool’s!” When choosing what pranks to pull, you have to be cautious of your audience and what they will take lighthearted and what they might not. With all the comedy that this holiday brings, there are some pranks that are simply not funny. A prank that is all too famous is the fake pregnancy prank. The girl gets a fake positive pregnancy tests and announces she’s pregnant only to later turn around and claim something like, “April fool’s, I totally got you guys.” In 2016, Gwen Stefani even posted a fake sonogram on Instagram for her own April Fool’s prank with the caption, “It’s a girl!” However, this prank goes a lot deeper than a light holiday prank. Troubles with infertility and miscarriages are an issue many women face. According to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 percent of women age 15-44 have trouble getting pregnant. Very Well Family even reported that almost 20 percent of pregnancies would end up as a miscarriage in the first trimester. For a young couple wanting to start a family, trouble with
pregnancy and miscarriages can be devastating. There are couples that may go nearly five or more years just trying to become pregnant, and there are couples that can’t get pregnant at all. Because of this, fake pregnancy’s as an April Fool’s joke should not be taken lightly. Facebook has recently gone viral with a post alerting the public about the hurtful effects of this April Fool’s prank. The post is a positive pregnancy test picture alongside a quote that says, “1 in 4 of your friends will have lost a baby and 1 in 6 will be suffering with infertility. Pregnancy is not a joke, be more creative this April Fool’s.” This post has stirred up a lot of controversy in the social media world. The comments are flooded with people sharing their own personal stories of struggling with infertility and miscarriages. The viral spread of this post is aimed to help people, especially young teenagers, understand the damage they could cause by taking this prank too far. April Fool’s day is an awesome way to stir up some humor among your family and prank them when they are least expecting it. However, we have to still be aware of where the line is and to not take our jokes too far out of context. Infertility and miscarriages are a sensitive subject and have effected many of our loved ones lives or even our own. Like the Facebook post says, please be more creative on April Fool’s day.
Growing up, many people get called out for having the hottest name brand clothes, shoes, cars, makeup, etc. If you had name brand stuff, you were spoiled or stuck up. Lots of people said it was “mommy’s money or daddy’s money.” People even thought there was no point to buying high end products and it was just a waste of money. I was one of those people until I started working for what I wanted. It is quite embarrassing to remember that I used to think like that. You would never catch me with some name brand item, unless I got it on clearance. Don’t get me wrong clearance shopping is great and all, but I would never pay for something full price. I thought what was the point because you can get the same type of stuff at Walmart, Target, Kohls, etc. it wasn’t until I got my first job at 15 years old when I knew why people bought what they bought. I had enough money to finally get a Michael Kors purse that I’d been wanting. To this day I still think they’re
Monday, April 2, 2018
6 SPORTS
WesternCourier.com
Baseball from back page
GOLEATHERNECKS.COM
Justin Fitzpatrick follows through on his swing.
Softball from back page
The third game of the series was set for Saturday, with the first pitch starting at 1 p.m. After a wind delay, the game finally started just after 3 p.m. The Leathernecks came out with the same intensity they had the day before and defeated the Coyotes 20-12. The first two innings were a close battle between the two teams. However, a six-run rally in the top on the third inning was where Western started to take the lead. South Dakota then turned around and brought in seven runs in the bottom of the fourth, leaving the score at 12-10, with
USD leading in the fifth inning. The Purple and Gold were not at all discouraged by this. With five runs in the sixth inning and another four runs in the seventh, they would eventually take the sweep. Western Illinois is currently sitting atop the Summit League standings with their winning record. South Dakota was bumped to third in the standings after this weekend. Next up for the Leathernecks is another conference matchup against Indiana UniversityPurdue University Fort Wayne. This will be the home opener for Western and first pitch is set for Saturday, April 7, at 12 p.m. Twitter: hayfourrr
Kelsey Marlowe grins as she stands at first base.
CLASSIFIEDS
WC
For Rent
For Rent
Submit a classifieds ad to Micour@wiu.edu
1 & 2 bedroom apartments, new $250 signing bonus on 10 and 12 month leases. Two blocks from campus. Bus stops nearby. Free water, garbage and parking. Laundry onsite. Clean, well maintained and secure. Call Ted 309-837-5600 or visit markertrental.com. Spacious 2-5 bedroom homes for rent. 10 month lease available. Great locations, close to bus stops, plenty off street parking, all new windows, AC, energy efficient furnace, hardwood and ceramic tile floors, free washer/dryer. Well maintained (24 hrs.) by local landlord. Call 309-255-1233. Houses for Rent 2016/2017: A&D Real Estate has several 3, 4 and 5 bedroom houses for rent, all with at least 2 bathrooms, recently rennovated and located close to campus. Call for a tour or visit our website at www.wiucollegerentals.com. Local landlord with a focus on clean and updated housing with personal service for your college housing needs. 309-313-1122. FALL INTO SAVINGS with Charleston Boulevard Apartments! Now offering SPECIAL RATES through Dec. 2017! Call for specific details 309-833-4545!. NICE, CLEAN, WELL MAINTAINED 1 TO 6 BEDROOM HOUSES FOR 2016-2017 Our houses have hard wood floors, ceramic tile, central air, washer and dryer and are close to campus with plenty of parking. We offer a ten month lease so you don’t pay for the months you aren’t here. Please call 309-255-1959 for a showing. Now showing for 2017 & 2018 year 2, 3, and 5 bedrooms homes all close to campus. Call 309-331-4565. Westen Investments has only two 4-Bedroom brich houses available. Call our office at 309-833-5995 to schedule a showing! We will show to 2-3 person groups as well! STC Investments now leasing for the 18/19 school year. We have 1-6 bedroom apartments/houses ready for you to call home! Check out our selection at www.stcinvestments.com. You can also find us on Facebook to see daily posts!
LARGE STUDENT RENTALS 5 and 6 Bedroom Homes are still available!! Ask for our $1000.00 Discount program! Firsrt come first serve for the last large homes that are open for the fall. NICE, CLEAN, WELL MAINTAINED 1 TO 6 BEDROOM HOUSES FOR 2017-2018 Our houses have wood floors, ceramic tile, W/D, central air, and are close to campus with plentry of parking. We offer low rent and a 10 month lease to save you money! Call 309-255-1959 for a showing. Small 1BR apt near campus and downtown. All utilities included. (Electric, Water, DISH, Garbage) $500/month, $300 deposit. Available immediately. Also have 2BR, you pay electric. $600/month, $350 deposit available September 1st. Please contact 309-255-4367 for a showing. CLEAN, REMODELED, AND WELL MAINTAINED HOUSES AND APTS FOR RENT IN GREAT LOCATIONS. UTILITIES PAID FOR APARTMENTS. RENTING NOW FOR FALL 2017. ALSO RENTING TWO APTS FOR SPRING 2016. CALL JASON AT 309-221-3985. Timbercrest Apartments 1587 Riverview Drive Now showing 1 & 2 Bedroom Units. Very clean, close to WIU campus with bus stop in front of building. Washer/dryer available in most units, all other appliances included, FREE INTERNET, ceiling fans in every room, pet friendly. All units have off street parking and private decks overlooking campus. Both 10- and 12-month leases are available. Openings for Summer 2017 and school year 2017/2018. Deposit required. Phone (309)833-3192 and leave message. Westen Investments has just one 3-Bedroom ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED (Water, Sewer, Trash, Gas, Electric, and Internet) Apartment left! That’s right you just pay for rent, and the rest of it is on us! Call our office at 309-833-5995 to check it out. Looking for 2 roommates to share a 3-bedroom furnished house beginning in August for 2018-19. 10- to 12-month contract. New carpet, air, garage w/ storage, laundry. $300 each per month, plus utilities. Call Sharon at 309-338-3888.
The bats came alive during the team’s second meeting. The offense was led by a long ball from Bailey Montgomery, Justin Fitzpatrick and CJ Schaeffer all hitting dingers for Western Illinois. Another strong contributor to the offense came from Caleb Jacobs, who went 2-5 with two runs scored. The Mastodons struggled offensively in the team’s second meeting only mustering up three runs. They were led behind the bat of Jacob Dickerson, who went 3-4 on the day with a run scored. Western Illinois’ next matchup will be against Bradley on April 4, in Macomb at Alfred Boyer Stadium. Twitter: BrendanReidyII
JASMYNE TAYLOR/COURIER STAFF
RATES $5.50 per issue (open rate) $4.00 per issue (campus rate)
For Rent Available now: Close to campus, clean studio apartments, excellent condition, reasonable rent, and partly furnished. Ceiling fans and a/c. Professionally maintained. No pets. Semester leases offered. Call 309 837 4369 and leave your phone number if not there. Email: MandKhousing@gmail.com ALL APARTMENTS - ALL INCLUSIVE Get control of your budget. Know exactly what you are spending each month. Each apartment includes free a/c, free heat, free electricity, free water, free cable tv, free hi speed internet, and free off street parking. Laundry on site. No noise policy. Bus stop across the street. Close to campus. Well maintained. Studios are $460/mo, One bedrooms are $620/mo. Call Doug at 309-255-8179 for an appointment. Westen Investments still has affordable 1-4 Bedroom Apartment/Houses available. Be sure to check out our website (www.westeninvest.com) to see our available listings, and call our office at 309-833-5995 to schedule a showing. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to win prize giveaways! APARTMENT FOR RENT: FOR QUIET PERSON. ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT FOR RENT LOCATED AT 314 West Carroll ST Macomb, Ill 61455. Available end of August 2017-new carpeting yearly lease SMALEST FURNISHED IN MACOMB $345.00/month - HEAT & AC INCLUDED private entrance, off-street parking included call for appointment309-837-4748 or 255-5075 woodburning fireplace, ask for Paul. For Rent: Little Swan Lake, 30 min from campus. 2br, 2bth, heated double car garage with work area. $600 per mo. (309) 335-2206 after 6:00 pm, may leave message anytime. Spacious 3 Bedroom Upper in Duplex close to campus and Jackson St. All utilities furnished and appliances Includes cable and internet 18/19 school year $375.00 per Br Ph 309 255 8086 Please leave message
Sports 7
Monday, April 2, 2018
@WesternCourier
A weekend full of WrestleMania
This article is about WrestleMania. Most of you reading this may stop reading after that first line. “WWE isn’t a real sport. Why is he putting WWE in the sports section of the newspaper?” It’s simple. WrestleMania is the largest sports and entertainment spectacle of the year and I enjoy the art of pro wrestling. So, let’s get to it. The Show of Shows. The Grandest Stage of Them All. The Showcase of the Immortals. The Greatest Spectacle in Sports Entertainment. Back in 1985 Vince McMahon took a gamble that would change the world of sports entertainment forever. He pitched a program that would not only host wrestling matches, but he also brought in some of the biggest names in entertainment. He decided not only to host the event, but instead of putting it on public television, he offered it on close circuit TV (Pay-Per-
View as we know it today). Back then wrestling was split up into territories. The World Wrestling Federation was in charge of the northeast and was located in New York. The WWF had sold out Madison Square Garden countless of times and Vince saw it as the perfect place to set up his huge event. To try and sell tickets, McMahon knew he had to bring in big names to make this more than wrestling. He needed to make it a spectacle. McMahon brought in stars like pop sensation Cyndi Lauper to manage a women’s title match and Mr. T to fight alongside bigname superstar Hulk Hogan in the main event. Along with those two big names, Muhammad Ali and Liberace were also involved in the inaugural WrestleMania. McMahon put his career, his business, and his reputation on the line with that
first WrestleMania. Not only did his gamble pay off, but now 33 years later, the show is continuing and with more success than ever. I don’t care if you aren’t a pro wrestling fan, but you have to respect when a business thrives. Here are a few numbers just to show how popular WrestleMania is around the world. WrestleMania is available to watch around the world in 180 countries. The Grandest Stage of Them All brought in $4.55 million in merchandise sales just two years ago. 1.82 million people watched WrestleMania 32 on the WWE Network (that number doesn’t include the additional pay-per-view buys for the event). 2.5 million people mentioned WrestleMania 32 on the day of the event a few years ago. And finally, the WWE brought in $17.3 million in ticket sales for WrestleMania 32, which beat the previous record by $4.7 million. These numbers are just a few that show how popular this event is. This year the Showcase of the Immortals is the biggest event in the programs history, having a run time of roughly seven hours.
I, for one, am very excited for many of these matches. Here are my previews for some of the largest ones. AJ Styles versus Shinsuke Nakamura is what many people in the wrestling world call a “dream match.” Both wrestlers have been wrestling for countless years before coming to the WWE a few years ago. Styles and Nakamura were some of the biggest names in Japan and the independent wrestling scenes. The last time the two faced off was in Japan at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in 2016. Their match was rated four and three-quarter out of five stars by The Wrestling Observer Magazine’s Dave Meltzer. Both of these men are considered two of the top wrestlers in the world today. Many people are looking forward to this match because they think that now that the two are in WWE, which is considered the be all end all of sports entertainment, they will earn that last quarter star giving them the perfect match. With the WWE World Heavyweight Championship title on the line, I’m looking forward to this match. Another top match is
Roman Reigns versus WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. Lesnar is definitely on his way out of the company. As some of you readers may know, Lesnar had a brief stint with the UFC and has been in talks with the company on making a return. The WWE has been pushing Reigns for years to be the top dog in the company and the fans have never accepted him. This year it is almost certain that he is knocking off the supposed “unbeatable” Lesnar at WrestleMania. The two big men will fight it out for the championship in what should be an excellent bout. These two-big championship main events are accompanied by a few more title matches, a pair of battle royals and the long-awaited debut of former UFC champion Ronda Rousey. Never in a million years did McMahon believe that his small idea, to put his product on closed-circuit TV, would grow into a multi-national entertainment extravaganza. I, and millions of wrestling fans around the world, are looking forward to this Sunday to witness the WrestleMania 34.
Track and field to compete in first home meet
Jasmine Brown in mid-air during long jump event.
By Bradly Piros courier staff
GOLEATHERNECKS.COM
CAPE GIRARDEUA, Mo.— The Western Illinois track and field teams participated in the Southeast Missouri's Joey Haines Invitational, with the women scoring third out of ten teams and the men coming in at sixth out of ten teams as well. It was another meet with terrible running conditions, due to the rain as well as the extreme wind conditions. However the meet still had to go on. “On the whole, the team competed well, despite the inclement weather. Rain and wind can always be a part of the outdoor season. It's important for our athletes to learn how to adapt to adverse conditions and still get the job done,” said head coach Diane Wholey. She was happy with her team, as four of her athletes recorded personal bests, and some even an all-time program score. The first to do so was sophomore Abigail Richter in the 3000-
meter steeple chase run. She came in second, being one of the better performances of the day for the Leathernecks and ran a 11:22.52. That time not only surpassed her old PR she set not too long ago, but also ranked her at sixth alltime for Western in the event. Two other Leathernecks were able to notch second place finishes, though no one was able to rally for first. Senior Raytoria Richardson ran a time of 26.17 seconds to get herself second in the 200-meter dash, while sophomore Josh Kirby ran 15.55 in the 110-mmeter hurdles, placing him in second as well. Freshman Nick Olson had himself a day as he came out with two new PR’s of his own in the both discuss and the javelin throw. He came in second in the former with a throw of 36.48 meters and finished mid-pack (50.30 meters) in the latter. Other feats in the field events were accomplished by sophomore Michaela Busch as she finished fifth in the long jump (5.58 meters). Coming in at
fourth right before her was her junior teammate Jasmine Brown who jumped a mark of 5.74 meters. Busch later placed third in the 100-meter hurdles as well (15.41 seconds) to round out her day. Junior Darius Patterson kept things rolling with two PR’s. First in the 200-meter dash where he placed fifth (22.93 seconds) and then later in the 100-meter where he finished in seventh (11.03 seconds). In the end it was the University of Southeast Missouri that took first on both the men’s and women’s sides, but Western will still be pleased with the way they performed. They will host there one and only home meet of the year this weekend as they put on the Lee Calhoun Memorial. “It's always great to compete at home and have a chance to celebrate our seniors for their last home contest. I am also very excited to celebrate Coach Lee Calhoun's legacy at Western Illinois University,” said Wholey. twitter: bradjp08
Baseball downs the Mastodons By Brenday Reidy courier staff
Fort Wayne, Ind.- The Western Illinois University Leathernecks matched up against the Fort Wayne Mastodons this past weekend for a Summit League series. The Leathernecks (4-16) competed against a slumping Mastodon team (5-17) to try and gain momentum into the heart of their season and won The first game of the series was held on Friday, and it was a pitching dual throughout nine innings. Brandon Phelps and Ian Koch pitched extraordinary for each team, but the bats were the key difference maker in the first game. The Mastodons scored runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings. Shannon Baker who went 2-3 with two walks and an RBI led Fort Wayne. Behind Bakers strong performance at the plate and Phelps outing on the mound, the Leathernecks were no match for this overpowering display of talent. Western Illinois notched their only run in the top of the ninth inning. They were led by outfielder Steve McShane who went 2-5
at the plate, but hitter Alex Dorethy made some waves late in the game going 1-1 with the teams only RBI. However, it was a quick turnaround for the Purple and Gold the next day. In the second matchup against IPFW the tides began to turn. Dunne pitched seven innings and allowed only two runs, while recording eight strikeouts for the Leathernecks. “Everything was really clicking for our team today and it felt good to go out there and give us a chance. I'm happy. Our defense was going again early in the game and helped get me in a groove, but it took a lot of pressure off when we got that first run in the first inning and a couple more after that in the sixth. Our offense did well,” said Dunne, who got his first victory on the mound this season. Dunne’s teammates saw the performance he was showing on the mound and provided plenty of run support to get the job done.
Baseball page 6
Steve McShane leads off second base.
JASMYNE TAYLOR/COURIER STAFF
Necks win slugfest against Coyotes Haley Richards
assistant sports editor
Halle Hollatz awaits the pitch.
JASMYNE TAYLOR/COURIER STAFF
Vermillion, S.D. – The Western Illinois softball team started their quest for the Summit League tournament this past weekend. They hit the road for the eighth time in a row this season and took on the University of South Dakota. The Leathernecks swept the Coyotes in a three-game series and move to 10-22 on the season and 3-0 in conference. USD is now 13-24 overall and 3-3 in the League. The first two games were played on Friday, in a doubleheader, where the Leathernecks swept the Coyotes. In game one of the series, the Purple and Gold came out on top with a score of 5-3. South Dakota came out with an early lead after a tworun home run was hit into right center field. Sophomore infielder Halle Hollatz and junior pitcher Emily Ira retaliated with backto-back hits to begin the inning, unfortunately, the two were left stranded and the Coyotes kept the lead. In the fifth inning, Western Illinois found their momentum after Kelsey Marlow doubled to right field with the bases loaded. Junior infielder Hailey Duwa then came up to bat and hit her
second home run of the season giving the Leathernecks a lead of 5-2. During the bottom of the sixth, the USD catcher Jessica Rogers hit her second home run of the game to put them at a 5-3 deficit. The Purple and Gold held the Coyotes, and handed them their first conference loss of the season. Western Illinois came out victorious in game two of the double-header as well, winning by a score of 7-4. In total, the Leathernecks had 15 hits on the game and pitcher Payton Abbott stunned the Coyotes in the circle. She pitched 4.2 innings and struck out six players. “I am really proud of Payton (Abbott). I like to call her our ‘closer’ or ‘saver.’ I never think twice about putting her in, no matter what is happening. I have the upmost confidence in her,” said head coach Beth Golitko. Sophomore catcher Sydney Hollings had her first at bat of the season and tripled to right field bringing Hollatz to home plate. Later in the game, she impressed again at the plate by doubling as leadoff in the sixth inning.
Softball page 6