Western Courier| January 28th, 2019

Opinions: Pros and Cons of E-Textbooks.

Sports: Addressing the tanking epidemic in the NBA.

Sports: Men's basketball takes down the Coyotes.

Monday, January 28, 2019 - Vol. 119 Issue 49

By Steven Barnum news editor

Western Illinois University is still trying to rid itself of the controversy surrounding its 2018 violation of the Open Meetings Act. The Board of Trustees (BOT) met on June 28, 2018, to discuss funds and potential layoffs – both of which are prohibited to talk about behind closed doors. Whenever the subject matter involves taxpayer money, the discussion should take place in a public setting. The board was required to release the audio recording of their pri-

vate meeting, which was made available to the public in November.

Even though Western released a statement admitting guilt to the violation, several additional meetings took place in private from 2016 to 2018, creating speculation that the act was violated more than once. Specifically, Western has been accused of scripting public meetings, discussing finances behind closed doors and failing to release the minutes to closedsession meetings.

Bill Thompson is the Chapter President of University Professionals of Illinois. He

Illinois, U.S. Wednesday’s temperture could be coldest in Chicago.

represents the faculty and academic staff at Western, in addition to several other universities His job duties stretch from negotiating contracts and resolving conflicts.

He explains that the BOT is not allowed to discuss anything related to the budget behind closed doors. Exceptions to this law include real estate transactions or personnel matters like an individual’s job performance.

“We had long suspected that they were violating the act,” Thompson said. “One reason why we thought that is that they typically don’t say anything in public. We also

noted that they didn’t talk about contract reductions in open session, so that was another clue.”

In the meeting, the board can be heard scripting their plan to layoff and reduce the contracts of certain faculty members. After Thompson and the union suspected that the BOT discussed matters that should be public, they filed a complaint to the Public Access Counselor (PCA), a unit within the attorney general’s office that enforces the Open Meetings Act. After looking into the incident, the PCA determined that the board did violate the law.

Washington D.C. Former Trump advisor Roger Stone was indicted.

Government shutdown temporarily ends.

Israel Man charged in Israeli exchange student murder.

MEANWHILE...

In addition to releasing the audio, the BOT also had to undergo training on what they are allowed to discuss in private.

“What’s important for us is not that they were going to lay off more people, but that they had talked about the layoffs previously. It’s the public’s money so we should be ale to see how the money is being spent. We thought that this reflects poorly on their lack of accountability,” Thompson said.

BOT Violation

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Monday, January 28, 2019

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NEWS 3

Campus Crime Reports

Legend Cannabis

Alcohol by a Minor

Burglary/Theft

Fire Alarm

Other Report

•On Jan. 16 at 8:08 a.m. Brandon Hedges, 20, of 1015 Thompson Hall, was arrested in Thompson Hall on a McDonough County warrant. He was transported to the McDonough County Jail at 8:31 a.m. where he was lodged pending bond.

•On Jan. 16 at 3:33 p.m. a student reported the theft of $100 from his wallet, which fell out of his pocket in Stipes Hall between 2:15-3:20 p.m.

The incident is under investigation.

•On Jan. 16 at 8:53 p.m. one student in Tanner Hall was judicially referred for suspicion of cannabis and Christian Sessoms, 18, of 820 Tanner Hall, was issued a notice to appear Feb. 19 for a Macomb City ordinance violation for illegal possession of drug paraphernalia in Tanner Hall.

•On Jan. 17 at 10:47 a.m. nonstudent Christopher Gonzalez, 20, of Chicago, was arrested in Thompson Hall for criminal trespass. He was transported to the McDonough County Jail at 10:54 a.m. where he was lodged pending bond.

•On Jan. 17 at 3:16 p.m. a student reported the theft of $60 from his wallet that had been taken from a locker at the Spencer Student Recreation Center and then returned to lost and found in Tanner Hall.

•On Jan. 17 at 9:33 p.m. Emmanuel Washington, 20, of 1013 Thompson Hall, was arrested at the Thompson Hall bus stop on the corner of Western Avenue and University Drive on a McDonough County warrant. He was transported to the McDonough County Jail at 9:39 p.m. where he was lodged pending bond.

•On Jan. 17 at 9:41 p.m. Jordan Huff, 20, of 517 W. Adams St., was arrested in Thompson Hall on a McDonough County warrant. He was transported to the McDonough County Jail at

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

10 p.m. where he was lodged pending bond.

•On Jan. 18 at 4:42 p.m. Michael Singleton, 19, of Thompson Hall 714, was arrested in Thompson on a McDonough County warrant for failure to appear for an ordinance violation. He was transported to the McDonough County Jail at 4:48 p.m. where he was lodged pending bond.

•On Jan. 18 at 9:30 p.m. two students in Tanner Hall were judicially referred for behavior.

•On Jan. 18 at 8:54 p.m. one student in Henninger Hall was judicially referred for possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia.

•On Jan. 19 at 1:29 a.m. nonstudent Trilicia Richmond, 20, of Glenwood, received a notice to appear Feb. 26 for a Macomb City ordinance violation for illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor at the Pierce/Avery streets intersection.

•On Jan. 19 at 2:08 a.m. nonstudent Ethan Sena, 18, received a notice to appear Feb. 26 for a Macomb City ordinance violation for illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor on Western Avenue.

•On Jan. 22 at 1:10 p.m. a University employee reported the theft of a pallet jack, no value provided, from the heating plant. The incident is under investigation.

•On Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. OPS and the Macomb Fire Department responded to a fire alarm in Olson Hall. No smoke or fire were found and no injuries were reported.

•On Jan. 23 at 2:06 p.m. an employee reported that a plant at the Malpass Library was damaged between 10:20 a.m.-noon.

Estimated damage is $30. The incident is under investigation.

•On Jan. 23 at 11:35 p.m. one student in Tanner Hall was judicially referred for possession of cannabis.

STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Devon Grrene DJ-Greene@wiu.edu news editor Steven Barnum

proofreader Amanda Wandachowicz

SS-Barnum@wiu.edu

A-Wandachowicz@wiu.edu

opinions editor Allison Young

photo editor Becca Langys

AN-Young@wiu.edu

RE-Langys@wiu.edu

sports editor Bradley Piros

assistant photo editor Sara Remar

BJ-Piros@wiu.edu

SE-Remar@wiu.edu

assistant sports editor Chris Bean

production manager Jimmy Pierson

CR-Bean@wiu.edu

JM-Pierson@wiu.edu

edge editor Marc Ramirez

business manager Faith Rucker

MA-Ramirez3@wiu.edu

F-Rucker@wiu.edu

copy editor Brie Coder

advertising manager Jacob Day

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JD-Day@wiu.edu adviser Will Buss WJ-Buss@wiu.edu

PUBLISHING AND CIRCULATION

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being much more coopwith us than they have been in the past,” he said. “It’s sad that it had to come out like this, but it’s important that the public hold officials accountable for what they do and that’s what this act is really all about. Transparency is necessary, so when information is cut off, that’s harmful to the public. Unions are a check and balance, so we feel that we acted accordingly. This was not a personal vendetta.”

Thompson understands the motivation behind the decisions that the Board of Trustees made behind closed doors on June 28. He says that deciding to lay off faculty members before the fiscal year eliminates an additional year of tenured employment for certain faculty members.

He also references the financial situation that the state of Illinois is enduring. The university is facing a $14 million deficit next year, coupled with a lack of commitment in higher-education funding; however, Thompson is optimistic that new governor J.B. Pritzker will offer more financial aid than the

BOT Violation erative from front page

Thompson thought it was clear that the board discussed cutting the funding to Tri States Public Radio long before they made a public announcement. Jonathan Ahl, the former general manager of the station, said he was unable to attend meetings with the BOT regarding the cuts, which will take effect March 1.

With all of the matters discussed in private, Thompson says it was most surprising to know that the legal counsel in the room did not warn the board of wrongdoing. Starting on July 12, 2018, Elizabeth Duvall took charge as the new attorney, who Thompson believes is a positive addition to the university.

“She seems to be doing a really good job,” Thompson said. “I don’t believe she lets them talk about those pubic matters behind closed doors anymore.”

He has also noticed a different tone to the meetings, reflecting positive changes.

“The administration is

previous administration.

“We want to know the final proposed number of layoffs now before the governor gives his budget address,” he said. “If the budget isn’t flat and enrollment holds steady next year, then that would seem to suggest that fewer people need to be laid off.”

The state’s budget crisis has forced the university to be aggressive in making cuts during the last couple of years.

After unveiling a plan to expand academic degree programs in a 2017 press release, the university now plans to lay off dozens of faculty members and eliminate nearly 20 majors. The board’s urgency and decisions to discuss such matters in private may have been directly impacted by the budget impasse.

One of the domino effects of the incident was the resignation of then-chair Cathy Early.

Additionally, five other members have left the board, but it has not been confirmed if they are all directly related to the controversy.

“Our union made board reform our priority. We knew this board was violating this act.

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NEWS 3 We negotiate contracts with these people and we have to be certain that they are following the rules. If they’re willing to break these rules, then what other rules might they be willing to break?” Thompson says.

Thompson envisions how the BOT can improve when it comes to the meeting process.

“Their meetings could be set up so that they give people more time for public comment,” he said, “like during different periods of the meeting so that people could comment on stuff that’s happening in front of them. I also think that the trustees should be more specific and aggressive in their questioning.

There’s still not a lot of discussion that goes on in there about the future of the institution.”

Thompson says that the BOT should consider themselves as the trustees of the students, faculty and people of Illinois, as opposed to an arm of the administration. He thinks the best way to accomplish this would be to get to know the opinions of the faculty and staff.

“I think they were really shocked last year when

we had the vote of no confidence. If they went out and talked to the faculty, then they would have known,” Thompson said.

In the bigger picture, Thompson adds that he doesn’t think that the university has ill intentions when it comes to the treatment of the faculty. He is appreciative of the health insurance benefits that the college has to offer, as well as the six-week maternity leave, which he says is rare.

He is also supportive of their recruitment process, which has expanded from the small-town demographic to students from the Chicago suburbs and outside of the United States. This strategy could help get enrollment back on track during a time when rural Illinois is shrinking and the school can no longer rely on students who prioritize proximity.

In a town where the university is critical for the local economy, Mayor Mike Inman is often heard saying, “So goes Western, so goes Macomb.”

4

OPINIONS

Monday, January 28, 2019

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JIMMY PIERSON/PRODUCTION MANAGER

JIMMY PIERSON/PRODUCTION MANAGER

During the last few years winter has seemed pretty mild, but it has become apparent that this winter will not be a light one. After our third blizzard and freezing temperatures, the short walk to campus requires a parka or other form of snowsuit.

Road services have been working extra hard this winter to keep up with the weather conditions, but even that hasn’t really been enough.

The rain, followed by multiple days of freezing and and even below-zero temperatures, has led to ice all over campus and the surrounding area. Western could probably section off part of Q-lot and turn it into an ice skating rink, maybe rent out skates. It’s a good business idea, just saying. If it stays much longer, a hockey team could be in the works too. Western’s campus and Macomb in general is currently a winter wonderland from Antarctica.

When you go to class, bundle up in multiple layers, especially with gloves and hats.

Even a short exposure to this cold can hurt your ears and fingers. According to the Mayo Clinic, frostbite can occur in less than 30 minutes to exposed skin if the windchill is less than -16.6ºF (what we have been experiencing the last couple weeks). Also, don’t spend more time outside than you have to. If you have to wait for someone or some-

thing, wait indoors instead of outside. There are multiple places on campus where you can wait inside during the day and even at night such as the Union or the library. Make sure if you’re going outside to charge your phone as much as you can. Phone batteries can drain faster in the cold and you’re more likely to have an emergency in the cold as well.

You don’t want to end up in a bad situation with a dead phone. If you have to drive, check to make sure there are no issues with the car before you leave that can prevent you from ending up in a bad situation later on. Try to warm up your car before you leave to prevent car problems. When driving, go a little slower than the speed limit in case you run into ice or even worse black ice. You may not see it coming but when you hit it it could be too late. Enough vehicles have already had problems driving back to campus after Thanksgiving and fall break.

If there is an issue with your car away from home, try to find somewhere indoors to wait until help arrives.

If you can’t run your car it will be dangerous to wait in the car as the temperature drops. Having an extra blanket in the car can help with that as well. Overall, just be safe when going out until the weather gets better. Just think, spring break is only six weeks away.

As we all know textbooks are overpriced, bulky and at times can be a complete waste of money. If one were to buy all their textbooks from the schools’ bookstore, you could spend up to $400 or more.

In addition to textbooks, some students have to buy access codes that can run from $80 to $100 just to get access to their homework.

If professors use online websites to save paper on printing out assignments then I would think they would be down for using e-books. Professors put required textbooks on their syllabus usually, but sometimes students will buy the book and the professor will tell them they actually do not need it. By the time students spend money for new textbooks or even some used ones, they could save up and buy a cheaper tablet. If students started using tablets, they could buy cheaper e-books for their class. E-books are great because they save paper, and you can take a tablet or laptop anywhere and can pull up several e-books all from one source.

E-books also are great because you do not have to wait for your books to be shipped in time for your classes. E-books can be easily downloaded from any site. Paper textbooks can also be wasteful because unless you sell them or hand them down to another student, they sit on bookshelves and collect dust over time. Textbooks are also a pain to take with you.

Instead of having five textbooks in your bookbag on the way to the library, you can just have them all on your devices. Most textbooks

do have an e-book version, but I think it should be required for teachers to only assign textbooks if there isn't an e-book version.

If the textbook is written by the professor there probably is not an e-book of that book. If students do want to have a paper copy of their textbooks, there are many sites that have discounted books.

Chegg, Slugbooks and Abebooks are just a few sites that sell books at a reasonable price. Another tip for textbooks especially if you are an incoming freshmen is to wait until the end of syllabus week to buy your books. If you have friends in classes you can also split the cost of the textbooks and just buy one copy. There also could be a book exchange on campus where students can donate their old textbooks and other students can use them.

If all colleges would assign e-books to their students, the amount of paper it would save would make a huge impact on our environment and our bank accounts.

FLICKR

Many professors require textbooks for class.

I’ve been watching “You” Like many college students, over break I was able to catch up on my Netflix “watch list”. “You” was most definitely at the top on this list. The series based on the best-selling novel by Caroline Kepnes’ was released on December 26, 2018 and has been capturing the hearts and haunting the minds of its many viewers. “You” had originally aired on Lifetime as a television series, but since being streamed on Netflix has erupted into a “most-watched” series with a growing fan base. The series poses a very intriguing question that many can relate to: “What would you do for love?”

Layout by: Jimmy Pierson

CONT. E.2

Written by: Tea Wheat

E2 EDGE

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Actress Elizabeth Lail (left) and actor Penn Badgley (right) portay Beck and Joe in "You".

"You" from page 5

Starring Penn Badgley, who many know from his role on Gossip Girl, and Elizabeth Lail. Badgley plays the role of Joe, a bookstore manager with an insatiable fascination with his store customer Beck, who is played by Lail. Beck is a college student and an aspiring author who captures Joe’s attention on her first trip into his book store. From the general encounter in the bookstore, viewers quickly learn that Joe is not a normal book store

manager, but rather has a secret dark side to him.

Joe would stop at absolutely nothing to be a part of Beck’s life, which is seen when his harmless crush quickly turns into a dangerous obsession. The show follows Joe’s pursuit of Beck’s love and affection, hooking viewers in deeper every episode.

I am not much of a binge-watcher when it comes to shows, but I finished the entire first season of “You” in less than 24 hours. As a huge fan of thrillers as well as

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romances, this show was the perfect integration of both. On a psychological level, I absolutely loved how this show allowed the viewer to be “inside” of Joe’s head. Hearing his thoughts and justification for all of his actions was one of the most intriguing aspects of the show. From the sweet moments to the funny moments, “You” kept me on the edge of my seat with suspense of what may happen next.

“You” has an 89 percent rating from the film critics on Rotten

Tomatoes, and has been liked by 95 percent of Google users. Recently, “You” has been a very popular show of discussion on media outlets such as Facebook. Even though “You” has been around since September, it seems like it popped up somewhere between Birdbox and Bandersnatch. Due to popular demand and the high quality of the show, “You” has been issued a second season. While not many details have been released on the second season, it is likely

that the second season will pick up where the first left viewers with a cliffhanger.

Additionally, it is likely that the second season will be based on Kepnes’ sequel to You: Hidden Bodies.

There is a lot to look forward to in this new season of “You” that is projected to be released at some point in 2019.

This show is an absolute must for “You” to watch. That said, be sure to make the time this semester to indulge in the suspenseful yet charming series.

E3 EDGE

Netflix has been notorious as of late for its original shows and movies, though there is one that sticks out among the others. “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” is rewriting the boundaries of viewer-film instructiveness. “Bandersnatch” is an interactive “choose your own adventure” movie. Viewers have the opportunity to make choices while watching the movie that dictate the overall ending of the film.

With five core endings and many different variations of each ending, viewers have been engrossed in trying to find and view each ending for themselves. “Bandersnatch” does not have a specific run-time as it depends on the paths and choices the viewer chooses while watching. “Bandersnatch” can be as short as 30-40 minutes, though it takes a normal viewer about 90 minutes to complete their storyline. In total there is five hours of “Bandersnatch” footage available on Netflix, unfortunately all five hours cannot be viewed in the same “run through” of the film. Because of this, many fans are watching the show to see all the possible outcomes and endings, and it has been noted that a fan has created a “map” of all choices and possible endings within the “Bandersnatch” film. “Bandersnatch” is not only instigating a movement in film culture, but also has a very telling storyline.

“Bandersnatch” is a segment of the “Black Mirror” series on Netflix, and was released on Dec. 28, 2018. “Black Mirror” is a Netflix original series, which has many different episodes full of suspense and drama for viewers to enjoy.

“Bandersnatch” is no different,

Monday, January 28, 2019

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Ryan Niemiller: How he lives life with his disability

as it is also full of the same suspense, drama and twisted aspects that makes “Black Mirror” so unique. “Bandersnatch” focuses on a young programmer named Stefan, who embarks on his path to creating a videogame ironically called “Bandersnatch,” based off a “choose your own adventure” book that Stefan had read. While racing the clock to meet a tight deadline on the “choose your own adventure game,” Stefan begins to spiral down a dark path of paranoia and depression. “Bandersnatch” follows programmer Stefan on his mission to create his video game.

“Bandersnatch” has been a very talked about film, as it is different from many of the other movies that Netflix has put out. “Bandersnatch” has a review of 74 percent from the film critic website Rotten Tomatoes and has been liked by 87 percent of Google users. I found “Bandersnatch” to be particularly interesting due to its new spin on what a film can do. There were times in this film where the fourth wall was broken, which is something that I found really cool. I think the best aspect of the film was that viewers are only given roughly 10 seconds to make their decisions, or else the film picks for you. With all its twists and turns, viewers tend to think about what may arise due to their decision causing them to lose out on picking. It happened to me a couple of times which led to vastly different consequences.

Overall, this film is extremely engrossing; so if you plan to watch it make sure you have the time to explore all of the different outcomes!

Two weeks ago, comedian Ryan Niemiller came to do stand-up in the Multicultural Center. His production was put on by the Disability Resources Center.

He’s traveled around the United States to many different colleges and universities to perform his routines. He has a disability in both arms. During his show, he made fun of his own disability in hilarious ways. He says it’s ok after the audience understands. He talks about the random people he encounters in his life and the stupid things they say or ask about in regards to his disability.

For example, when he went to the drive-thru at Taco Bell one time, the lady who handed him his food freaked out and asked “do you need me to come around outside and hand it to you?” To which he responded something like, “[lady], I drove here. What does it look like? I’m the only person in this car!” And then she asked a question which Niemiller thought was the stupidest thing anyone has ever said to him. “will [your arms] grow back?”

Niemiller talked a lot about the struggles of having his disability. He says he can perform tasks everybody else can perform.

At one point, he had a question and answer segment. One person asked if he was a fan of LEGO bricks, and another said he looked like Rogen. I asked if he could play video games.

He said he gets it all the time from people that he looks like Seth Rogen. To my video game question, he said he can actually

play them very well. Although he has a disability, it doesn’t define him as a person. He does joke about a lot however. He appeared on 88.3 The Dog and was interviewed.

If you look on Niemiller’s YouTube channel, it seems that he does most of the same exact routines everywhere he performs.

This is understandable. However, during his stand-up show, he said he is trying to get more famous. I would expect that once he gets more famous, he would have to come up with a lot of new jokes for every crowd and show he goes to. I know that comedians who are famous, like Ricky Gervais, Chris Rock or Sarah Silverman always have new jokes and routines everywhere they go. If Niemiller can improvise and improve all the time like these famous comedians can, I believe he would get more famous.

Ryan actually came up to me and told me to share this article with him if I wrote it and published it in the Courier. So I have some advice for him. He’s a really funny guy, and he has a lot going for him. If he can come up with new jokes for every occasion instead of doing the same ones, he’d have potential to get noticed more. I believe it’s all about finding his inner comedic style so that when he gets up to the mic, he can say anything and people will laugh. And the jokes he would tell would always be new and hilarious.

All in all, it was a great show and he was a really funny comedian. I enjoyed this guy’s humor.

E4 EDGE

I am not much of a reader, but about a week after winter break started I discovered a series that I instantly fell in love with. As I am writing this I am on the last book of the series and it is amazing. I’m someone that doesn’t mind spoilers because I like the journey, but for you, I want to make sure I don’t spoil any of the big reveals that happen in the series.

There are eight books in The Throne of Glass series; seven and a prequel, I highly recommend you read the prequel first. The series revolves around Celaena Sardothien, one of the greatest assassins in Adarlan. She was found on a riverbank at the age of eight by the “King of the Assassins” Arobynn Hamel. After training for many years, she has become a fearful force and the

Monday, January 28, 2019

heir to the assassin’s guild.

The series begins eight years after she’s found.

The wonderful thing about this series is it keeps you wanting to read it. It teases why she was on that riverbank for the next two books.

You learn that something awful happened that night, but she refuses to tell. It is not until the fourth book that you learn what events took place that night, and I’m going to be honest, I cried. There is a bunch of other things that happen as the series goes on, but you don’t really know what happened till you read the later books. Even little things, for example in book three there is a chapter that is less than two pages long, something happens and then it is not mentioned again the rest of the book. It isn’t till the

next book you find out what happened and that little event that you already forgot about ends up being a trigger for major events in the story.

There are also subtle hints dropped throughout that you can figure out what is going on even before they are revealed in the series. There are points where it’s a slow burn, where the payoff doesn’t happen until later, but the character development is just fantastic the way it is written. The story goes from one perspective to the other and this helps with how close you get to the characters.

Celena is a beast because she is a very powerful character, but she also has her flaws. She is revealed to be broken and more than just a killer for hire. One thing I found interesting, was in the second book she is taken out of commission for like a day when she has her “monthly cycle.” At first, I didn’t like this because I thought it was weird, but as I thought about it, I realized how different

fandom.com

that was. I could be wrong but Wonder Woman, Xena, Buffy or any strong female character you can think of is never depicted of having that happen to them. It just makes her more human and relatable to female readers.

The dialogue in this series is very well done almost like you were watching a TV show. I enjoy sarcastic, sassy characters and each character has a moment like this, some more than others. One of my favorite exchanges happens in the third book, when Celena returns from a mission and is talking with the Captain of the Guard. He says, “I’d like to debrief you” and she responds with, “Aren’t you at least going to take me to dinner first?”

The way Sarah J. Mass has written these stories is incredible. It is a roller coaster of emotions and even when a book starts out slow, when it gets good, you can’t put it down. You can go from loving a character to hating them and vice versa, sometimes mul-

Sara J. Mass (left) is the author of the Throne of Glass series. The first book in the series, "Throne of Glass" is pictured right.

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tiple times where eventually you don’t know how to feel about them. It really hits home that you really shouldn’t judge people because you don’t know what they have been through. There are lines said in the book that ends up being replayed as memories throughout the series and it is fun to relive some of those happy, or heart-wrenching moments. There are definitely parts that had me teary eyed.

There’s one line in particular that gets me every time “Fireheart, why do you cry?” “Because I am lost. And do not know the way.”

I highly recommend reading this series. It really is an incredible series that I can’t really put into words how well it is written. The characters, descriptions and dialogue really tell a great tale that will intrigue from the first book, all the way to the last. It’s a fantasy series filled with action, adventure, drama, comedy, mystery, suspense and romance.

It’s the total package and a literary masterpiece.

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OPINIONS 5

Is it time to impeach President Trump?

It is time for President Donald Trump to be impeached, since he is not upholding the oath that he took to serve as president of the United States.

Not only is Trump being investigated due to the Russia meddling, but there are many other valid reasons to have Trump impeached. According to USA Today, CNN conducted an exit poll where 77 percent of Democrats were in favor of Trump being impeached. With the Russia investigation, there are many reasons in that incident alone to have him impeached. Trump first had connections with Russia through his administration and cabinet mem-

bers. These people were well aware that Russia had access to the electronic voting system to adjust the votes in Trump’s favor.

There are also other incidents that supports Trump’s impeachment, such as his daily invading upon the Democracy of the United States Trump has had problems with the Justice Department, the FBI, the media, Jeff Sessions, James Comey, Rod Rosenstein, Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen. In these cases there are many things that can be pulled out from these incidents that will cause red flags due to Trump and his commitment to serving as president. We as a

country are allowing Trump to tamper and adjust our democracy values. It is time we stop Trump now before our democracy is overturned. Due to Trump being so heavily involved in undemocratic events and incidents, we don’t need the full Russia indictments, because he has said and done enough in other areas to cause impeachment. Trump has caused a divide among the branches of the federal government, to the constitution law and our founding fathers with the founding documents. He has placed himself over everyone else and has failed the principle of “all are created equal.”

Trump has made many citizens and other political officials very uncomfortable with him being the president. Trump has ordered and demanded other political officials their loyalty, which hinders government growth.

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Donald Trump is the current president of the United States and some people think he should be impeached soon.

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Monday, January 28, 2019

Sports

WesternCourier.com

Women's basketball crushed by Coyotes

By Kejuan Rucker courier staff

VERMILLION, S.D. — The Western Illinois University women’s basketball team continues to hit bumps on the road this season, as the Leathernecks fell to the Coyotes 92-49 on Saturday evening in South Dakota. In this conference matchup, South Dakota had their home court behind them as they dominated the game from tip-off. The Leathernecks had a tough time trying to get their offense rolling in the first half and found themselves down by 30 points early.

“South Dakota is an awfully good team and they showed it,” head coach JD Gravina said.

Indeed, the Coyotes shot well above 50 percent from the field and 3-point range, as four of their five starters scored double digit points; however, the team’s highest scorer came from their sophomore center off the bench, Hannah Sjerven. Sjerven recorded a double-double with 22 points and added 13 rebounds in 20 minutes of play.

She outscored our entire bench and helped give the Coyotes a 32-10 advantage.

On the other end, the Leathernecks did not shoot too well from the field on their lowest scoring night of the season.

The team shot 28 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range for the game, but their problems began in the first half. Western was only able to score 18 points within that half and assisted on four

of those points as a team. The Leathernecks got their offense flowing in the second half, but it was not enough to fight their way back into the game. The defense of the Coyotes were able to hold Western’s lone senior Taylor Higginbotham to a season low, as she went scoreless for the game. Freshman guard Danni Nichols scored a team high of 16 points and junior guard Annabel Graettinger added 10 points as the only two Leathernecks to scorer in double figures.

“A team like South Dakota is going to be able to score their points, but our lack of offensive movement, lack of spacing, and timing, needed to be better,” Gravina said.

This loss puts the team at 8-13 for the season and 4-4 in the conference standings. They sit in fifth place in the Summit League, but are only 1-7 on the road with four more road games left.

Despite that, it might seem as if these women were homesick since we are 6-3 at home this season. Luckily, the next two games will be at home as Gravina and company looks to regroup.

“We can’t lose our confidence.

We have a huge week coming up with North Dakota schools but what we have to do is continue to get better and try to compete in the middle of the pack of the league,” Gravina explained.

Western Hall is the place to be as we begin our two game home stand this Friday against the North Dakota Bison as the Leathernecks look to move up in their standings.

Twitter: DC_Juan00

MY'ANNA PERDUE/COURIER STAFF

Danni Nichols looks across court to make a pass.

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Sports 7

Monday, January 28, 2019

Tanking for Williamson and Barrett “Tanking” is a concept that has come into full effect in the NBA over the past few seasons. While the morality of the topic remains questionable, as well as participating teams’ integrity, it seems to be a trend that has planted its roots in today’s game. As teams fall out of playoff contention, they are then in a prime position to compete for the best possible consolation prize, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

The term “tanking” is best defined as a team’s intent to do as little as possible to win in order to secure a higher selection in the league’s upcoming draft. We often see this when a team goes through a roster turnover of some sort in an attempt to rebuild their organization from the ground up. It's seen as taboo in the eyes of NBA executives, tanking generally tends to go under-the-radar as teams take

more of a passive approach.

This kind of tanking is shadowed by player development and is harder for the league to identify. However, tanking becomes much harder to mask in situations where teams begin to rest or place healthy veteran players on the inactive list. Sitting core players for stretches of key games has become a normality for many bottom-feeding teams and was on full display from organizations like the Bulls and Mavericks just last season.

For die hard basketball fans that live for the competitiveness of the game, tanking might be the most frustrating strategy in all of sports.

After all, why would you watch your favorite team if you know that they’re purposely throwing games? The morality of the issue is indeed questionable, and while the league has attempted to put

a stronghold on tanking with new rule changes, it may not be enough to end this epidemic. Before the rule change on the NBA’s draft lottery odds, the team with the worst record in the league had a 25 percent chance to nab the top overall pick, while the second and third worst teams would fall next in line with 19.9 and 15.6 percent odds. Beginning this year, each of the worst three teams in the NBA have an even 16 percent chance at the top spot. It may not seem as advantageous, but there’s a reason that tanking in the NBA is more popular than in other sports. For example, in the MLB or NFL, tanking isn’t as justifiable with a larger number of players that make up their rosters. In simpler terms, one player doesn’t make a big enough difference to shift the tide of an entire organization (excluding franchise NFL quarterbacks). However, in the NBA, drafting the right superstar could launch any given franchise into a decade of title contention.

The Philadelphia 76ers may be the best example of this in recent history. In each sea-

son from 2013-2016, the Sixers saw no more than 19 wins. In the process, they managed to solidify their rotation for the next several years by selecting players like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid with the No. 1 and No. 3 picks of the 2016 and 2014 NBA draft. Now sitting at 32-18 and fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the 76ers are in a position to win for the foreseeable future.

Through years of mediocrity and top draft picks, the organization was able to assemble an undeniably talented roster.

NBA teams aren’t willing to tank for just anybody, but they won’t be faced with that dilemma this season as the 2019 draft class is front-loaded with superstar prospects. It all starts with the freshman forward from Duke University, Zion Williamson. Williamson is a massive individual (6-foot-7, 285 pounds) and just might possess the most raw talent of any prospect since LeBron James entered the league in 2003. It’s quite the comparison, but when looking for true superstar potential, Williamson checks off all the boxes. It’s not just the flashy dunks or the sheer

athleticism we’re accustomed to seeing on “SportsCenter.”

Williamson has a superb basketball IQ and ball-handling skills to pair along with his monstrous frame. On the defensive end, the Duke standout makes his presence felt as well (1.8 blocks and two steals per game). Aside from Williamson, Duke’s freshman point guard R.J. Barrett has also made a solid case for himself as one of the first players that’ll be selected come June. Any front office lucky enough to land one of these future two-way playmakers will surely be envied by the rest of the league.

While Duke’s freshman duo may be enough to entice any organization into a few extra losses this year, they’re just the latest case of NBA teams throwing games down the gutter with their sights set on the future. It may not be exactly what fans want to hear, but as long as this loophole in the lottery selection process remains, teams will continue to race for last place.

Basketball’s founding fathers may be rolling in their graves, but tanking is a trend that appears to be here to stay.

Women's tennis drops season opener

By Brad Piros sports editor

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The Western Illinois University women’s tennis team opened up their spring season on the road at the Southern Illinois UniversityEdwardsville. The Leathernecks were unable to win a matchup and ultimately fell 4-0 on the road. They played in six singles matches and three doubles.

Each of the six women on the team were granted a singles opportunity. Starting things off was the freshman from Hollywood, Fla. Mia Melnizki.

She lost the first matchup of the day in two sets (6-0, 6-2).

Next was one half of the Bjelica sisters and going first was Ana. The sophomore won the first set 6-2 but fell in the second 6-1. The match was unfinished. Her sister’s match was also unfinished after losing the first set 6-3 and going down 3-1 in the second.

Another freshman Anouk Maajong took to the court after but also fell in two sets (6-2, 6-1).

Junior Laura Ballesteros could do no better, being defeated by the same score. That left freshman Megan Tagaloa in the No. 6 position, but her match ended with no result.

The SIU-E Cougars clinched the match 3-0 after singles play but doubles play was still to come.

In the No. 1 spot was Melnizki and Maajong. The pair of freshman fell 6-2. The Bjelica sisters took the No. 2 spot but lost in similar fashion. Concluding

the day was the pairing of Ballesteros and Tagaloa who fell 6-0.

This was supposed to be Western’s second match, however their trip to the University of Missouri got cancelled last weekend due to the snow. It’s tough to say how the Leathernecks would have played with a match already under their belt.

Mizzou was by far their toughest opponent on their schedule and I think head coach Mirko Bjelica booked that match for a reason. It’s always good to play a skilled team the first match back because it sets a good bench mark. It sees where the team is at a whole and brings out the things that are needed to be worked on as well as the things that went well.

The match against SIU-E was exactly that. It was more of a learning experience for this young team. With only one upperclassman in Ballesteros, the other five are still rather new to the collegiate tennis scene and it showed in that match.

The good news from this matchup is that it can only get better from here. They’ll look to turn themselves around next weekend when they play another double header. On Feb. 8 the team will take a trip to visit the Missouri State University Bears. The following day the Leathernecks will be at home to host the Creighton University Blue Jays. That match will start at 11 a.m.

Twitter: bradjp08

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Mary Bjelica backhanding the ball over the net.

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Men's basketball comes back against Coyotes

Brandon Gilbeck dishes that ball inside to a teammate.

By Titus Perez courier staff

VERMILLION, S.D. — The Western Illinois University Leathernecks (8-13, 3-5 Summit) arrived in Vermillion with about as much momentum as they have had since head coach Billy Wright’s era began. The Purple and Gold had a big time blowout from the Purdue University Fort-Wayne Mastodons (12-10, 4-3 Summit) in their last contest, and was hoping that caliber of a win was enough to turn their season around. Their first test since that win was the University of South Dakota Coyotes (9-12, 3-5 Summit). This was a South Dakota team that had beaten Western five straight times before this contest.

Another roadblock in the way of Western was the fact that they hadn’t won a conference road game since Feb. 8, 2017, during this timeframe the Necks dropped 11 straight road games against conference opponents.

That all changed Saturday evening as Wright led his team to a 65-59 defeat against the Coyotes.

This back and forth affair was sealed by sophomore guard Kobe Webster, the Summit League conference fifth leading scorer (17.6 points per game), who took center stage and delivered the dagger to the hearts of the fans in attendance at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

The game began just as Western Illinois would have wanted. They controlled the pace of the game because of senior center Brandon Gilbeck’s defensive presence, and scored on the offensive end behind a very aggressive Ben Pyle. The

MY'ANNA PERDUE/COURIER STAFF

freshman Pyle dominated the first 10 minutes of action scoring eight of his team's high 15 points along with grabbing four of his team's high 10 rebounds.

This gave way to Western taking a 17-11 lead early in the first half with 8:10 remaining. However Wright decided to rest Gilbeck and the Coyotes took advantage, going on a 6-0 run to tie the game at 17. Webster answered with a jump that got Westren the lead back at 19-17 with seven minutes left to play in the first half. From there USD took control of the half.

Coyote senior forward Trey BurchManning playing in his second game back since being injured for the previous six was a major factor in the first half. Guarded by the bigger and slower Gilbeck, BurchManning stayed along the threepoint line where Gilbeck refuse to come. This resulted in him hitting three first half three-pointers, ending the half with a game high of 11 points.

USD took a 31-26 lead into halftime, holding Western to 35 percent shooting while surprisingly out-rebounding them 22-14. South Dakota hit on 41 percent of their shots in the first half despite a rough start to the game, the rough patch to start the game is credited to the fact that they couldn’t figure out how to attack Glibeck.

“We have to get the big guy (Gilbeck) away from the basket… we have to figure out a way,” the Coyotes head coach Todd Lee said at half.

Once they did that they had success, partly due to the threes Burch-Manning knocked down.

Wright was aware of those threes and said they had to smother

Isaa Johnson makes an outlet pass.

Burch-Manning and help out on the backside if he tried to drive to the basket; the Necks did exactly this during their game clinching second-half run.

The beginning of the second half saw USD temporarily take control of the game. They scored the first seven points of the half and captured the first double-digit lead with 17:51 remaining. Wright quickly called a timeout to try and calm his guys and the crowd.

On the ensuing possession trailing 38-26 Webster attacked the rim and got fouled. He hit both of the free throws to give Western their first points of the half, cutting the lead to 38-28. In the process, he caused the third foul on USD leading scorer on the season, sophomore Stanley Umude. Umude was forced to exit the game to avoid further foul trouble. During Umude’s time on the bench the Necks cut the lead to seven, 50-43.

Umude re-entered the game at the 8:33 mark with Western on a 6-0 run, however he was powerless to stop the Necks run as Western extended it to a whopping 16-0 run. The Leathernecks eventually took the lead on a Pyle three with 5:40 remaining and then extended it with another three on their next possession by sophomore Issac Johnson, Lee signaled for a timeout with the Necks up 55-50 and only 4:47 remaining in the game. Both teams traded missed baskets before the Coyotes were finally able to end their seven minute long scoring drought with a layup by the game’s leading scorer, junior guard Triston Simpson. The next Western possession ended in a turnover, USD savored the moment with a game-

tying three on the other end. Tied at 55, Western decided to feed Gilbeck down low. He was then fouled by Simpson and went to the line, hitting one of two free throws; making it 56-55 with 2:57 remaining. The next two possession ended in missed threes for both squads before Johnson got called for his fourth foul, sending Simpson to the line. Simpson, who is normally a great free throw shooter (79 percent) split the free throws, tying it at 56 with 2:17 left in the game. Wright smelled the victory and then asked Webster to close the game, calling for isolation for his best player on back-to-back possession. First, Webster took his defender to the lane, scoring over him on a driving layup, giving Western the 58-56 lead. USD took and missed a three on the next possession before Webster stuck the dagger in the heart of the Coyotes.

After the USD miss, Webster was being defended by Simpson. With the shot clock ticking down and him slowly dribbling at the top of the key, Webster then drilled a step-back three to give Western a 61-56 lead with 50 seconds left.

The Necks never looked back.

“That’s what we live for. As basketball players we dream about those moments since we were kids. Coach had confidence in me. He called flat and I made it," Webster said about the shot after the game.

After a USD missed three, Pyle made two free throws, that was followed by a made three from South Dakota making the score 63-59 with 30 seconds left. South Dakota wouldn’t make another basket from there and two Western free throws closed out he

MY'ANNA PERDUE/COURIER STAFF

game at 65-59.

“We just wanted defense stops... every four minute timeout we had a goal," coach Wright siad after the game about his team.

Western defense was at its best, proven by the three points given up to USD leading scorer Umude.

Webster, Western’s leading scorer on the season struggled from the field, shooting just five of 14 but he hit the two biggest shots of the game and ended with 13 points and three assists. Gilbeck’s 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks had a big effect on the game also, as well as C.J Duff’s 11 points on five of nine shooting. A far cry from the 30 points (eight of nine from deep) he had in the previous game but nonetheless very meaningful. The Coyotes were lead by Simpson’s game high of 17 points, Burch-Manning chipped in 14 points off the bench but had only three in the second half as WIU would not allow him to shoot the open threes he had in the first half.

The Leathernecks shot 50 percent (44 percent from three) in the second half compared to 33 percent

by USD, a great turn around from the first half. They also evened out the rebound totals with a 20-15 advantage in the second half.

South Dakota will look to bounce back against Purdue Fort-Wayne this Wednesday, while Western will take on the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks (8-13, 2-6 Summit) for the second time this year on Thursday in Macomb. Western will be going for their third straight win and trying to revenge the 71-65 lost from earlier in the season at the hands of UND. The game is set for a 7 p.m. and can be seen live on ESPN3.