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the Valley Forge The Student Newspaper of Rock Valley College
11.19.2013 / vol. 54, no. 3
“When you sit down to dinner tonight, pause a moment, and thank a veteran,” Steve Hall, Navy Veteran and current RVC student Photo courtesy of Max Gersh/ Rockford Register Star & rrstar.com
Veteran’s Day at RVC By Rebecca Denham News Editor
the United States: White for innocence, red for valor and blue for vigilance, perOn Monday, November severance and justice. 11th at 1:00 PM in the Stu“The ending of dent Center Atrium, several speakers commemo- the fighting of rated different aspects of World War I ocAmerica and its veterans. It began with a color curred at 11:00 guard comprised of Korean War Veterans prop- AM on the eleverly installing the Amer- enth day of the ican Flag and the Illinois State Flag at the front of eleventh month,” the room, while a veteran said Sue Swenson, Veterbugle player blared a mel- ans Specialist at RVC. Swody. enson also noted that there Joe Drought, Chief of are currently 375 veteran Police at Rock Valley, read students attending Rock a brief piece about the his- Valley College. tory of the American Flag, RVC Humanities Profesand then led the crowd in sors, Dr. Penelope Blake, the Pledge of Allegiance. read a poem about war, The flag’s colors sym- written by a World War II bolize different aspects of veteran.
SGA on page 3 Meetings summarized
“I’m not a hero, nor am I a coward. I am an American Veteran,” said Steve Hall, Navy Veteran and current student at RVC, who came forward and read a piece he’d written for this event. Next was Milana Herman, employee at RVC and an Army Veteran, who read “What a Veteran Knows” by Joe Carter, a Veteran Gunnery Sgt. In the Marine Core. Dylen Larson, owner of Larson’s Community Eye Care and Patriot store in Belvidere, is an Air Force Veteran. Open since June 1st of 2012, the store donates 6% of the profit to various programs and organizations, such as the Wounded Warrior Project, that aims at helping
came to the stage and spoke about the Marines. He mentioned facts that weren’t commonly known by the average person, such as “the Marine Corps “The coolest thing I band is the oldest musical do at my store is give a organization in US histofree American Flag to ry.”
wounded veterans integrate back into civilian life. The store sells “flags, embroidered military hats and patriotic attire,” according to Larson.
“The Marine Corps every veteran who steps through my door,” said transcends through all Larson and he then pro- generations; you could ceeded to give a free flag get the youngest Mato every veteran in the rine in the world and room. the oldest Marine toIt was at this point in gether, and they’d be the event that various mili- brothers,” said Coe. tary pep songs were played from every branch of the military, and veterans were asked to rise, based on the branch they served in. Afterward, Tom Coe, Sgt. In the RVC police force and Marine Veteran,
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The Color Guard then retired the flags and Dr. Blake closed the ceremony with a resounding “thank you” to all the veterans for their Service.
THOR 2 Should you see it? page 6
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11.19.2013 / vol. 54, no. 3
The Valley Forge
CAB goes all out in Atrium By Devin Severson Staff Writer
On Thursday, October 31, the Rock Valley College (RVC) Campus Activity Board (CAB) went all out in the Atrium for Halloween to celebrate with a wide range of activities and prizes as a way to end their Mystic Week. “I actually thought it went pretty decent. I really enjoyed seeing people glowing happily with the facial make-up from Funky Faces. I just enjoyed seeing people happy. I was actually surprised people showed up for the costume contest. That was just thrown into the event for fun, but it had a great turn
out,” said Renee Stohle of CAB. Throughout the Halloween week, CAB enlisted the assistance of several performers to entertain students in the Atrium and get them ready for the night. On Halloween CAB ended Mystic Week with a Special Moments Photo Booth, a costume contest, and a professional face painting. It was free to the entire school and it filled the Atrium in celebration. Marjorie Funk, of Funky Faces and Body Art, spent time creating facial art designs on students. Some matched costumes, and others donned intricate patterns. Funk has been painting faces for around ten years, and her design repertoire ranges from animals of many different sizes and shapes to Henna and Chinese calligraphy to demons and monsters. Students flaunted
her work of masks and animals, some even used the face paint to help them in the costume contest. “I got into face painting and art thanks to my wonderful, fantastic sister. She sent me to a face painting convention in New Orleans and I was just blown away. All I had was my small palate of acrylic paints, and I was surrounded by artists that had so much talent and potential. I felt so out of place, but I absolutely loved it and I haven’t looked back since,” Funk said while she painted a student’s face during the event. Students took to the photo booth with friends.
RVC Professor presents at Rockford Art Museum By Zach Thanasilangkul Staff Writer For the second installment of its Centennial Lecture Series, the Rockford Art Museum invited Rock Valley College Art Professor, Cherri Rittenhouse, and Doc Slafkosky, of the J.R. Kortman Center for Design, to talk about local artists, how they got their start, and how the city of Rockford shaped their careers. The presentation, “Grass Roots: Local Artists In The RAM Permanent Collection,”lasted about an hour and included a gallery walk. Cherri Rittenhouse is a prominent artist in the Rockford region and was recently appointed academic chair of the Humanities and Fine Arts division at Rock Valley College. She sold her first piece to
Doc Slafkosky and Jerry Kortman when she was only eighteen years old, and she served as curator of Kortman Gallery for the first four years of its existence. Rittenhouse has been teaching art at Rock Valley College for over twenty years. The Centennial Lecture Series is part of the Rockford Art Museum’s current feature exhibit entitled Through The Ages: 100 Years of RAM, which celebrates the museum’s one hundred year history. The exhibit features paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, photography, glass and other media from the RAM Permanent Collection. John Molyneaux will give the next and final presentation in the Centennial Lecture Series on Thursday, December 12, at 7pm. It will be on display through January 26, 2014.
Many who had their face painted did before and after shots. It was easily the most popular event during this Halloween celebration. Near the end of the event, the costume contest took place. Ten great costumes made the stage. The winner, Holly Stohle, of Rock Valley’s Student Government, dressed like Google Maps, won first place and a fifty dollar gift card. The second place runner up was Sarah Glickenbarger, dressed as one of the Village People, also of Student Government and the taker of third place, Kaelin Moore, dressed as a crazed anime doctor, left with a ten dollar gift card to commemorate their success. After the contest, members of CAB handed out Mystic Week T-shirts, color changing cups, and Magic 8 Balls to round off Mystic Week.
“I was not exp e ct i ng to win. I was looking for something creative, fun, and easy to make. I didn’t think anyone would get my costume, but I had a lot of fun during the event,” said Student Goverment secretary and costume contest winner, Holly Stohle. The members of CAB hope that this Halloween Bash will become an annual event at RVC, with other events surrounding holidays.
Mary Tuite resigns By Brandon Lee Staff Writer
together at conferences throughout the state. The Board has 60 days from her he Rock Valley College Board resignation to appoint a replaceof Trustees accepted the resig- ment who will serve until the next nation of Mary Tuite at their election in 2015. This adds to the monthly meeting on October 22nd. Board Chairman Michael Dunn growing list of responsibilities of Jr. met with Tuite on Monday and the board including the presidential received her resignation in person. search, a proposed tuition increase, Tuite, who did not wish to be in- the current CL1 renovations and terviewed, told both the college future building renovations. and the Valley Forge she was stepping down due to personal reasons. During the meeting many of the trustees shared thoughts on working alongside Tuite. Dunn described their time campaigning together and working together during the teacher negotiations in 2012 as a positive one. “I will miss her,” said Student Trustee Marshawn Massenat who Photo by Shannon Doyle talked about getting to know her Mary Tuite at a while the two of them spent time BoT meeting
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Award-Winning Student Newspaper of Rock Valley College
Topic of discussion:Underwater Prisons By Devin Severson Staff Writer
S
everal prisons throughout the world are considering making holding cells for the most dangerous criminals - underwater. According to a Yahoo.com news article titled “Drastic Cell Proposals may Leave Dangerous Inmates Sleeping with the Fish”, prison officials in Bang’quang, Thailand, Sydney Australia, St. Petersburg, Russia, and Washington D.C. have begun discussing plans to make an underwater environment for the most dangerous and psychopathic criminals awaiting Death Row. Leaving the apprehended individuals chained by their wrists in a glass box in the water, underneath
the actual prison, guarded by harpoon armed scuba divers, only to be let up three times a day for meals, and half an hour exercise is what is being discussed. While some say it is cruel, inhumane and dark, others say it is deserved. “I think it is ridiculous how these prisons plan to keep somebody isolated underwater. That could seriously mentally scar someone and cause them to develop deep phobias. I also feel like it would be an environmental hazard,” said RVC freshman, Sabrina Older. Brought forth to cut down on population in prisons, and remove the most dangerous individuals from society all together, there is definitely nothing set in stone about this proposal, and it has a lot
of planning, testing and approval to go through before it can even be put into action. “The idea behind it sounds practical. It sounds effective. It seems inhumane, but at the same time, if you are that far along, and have committed such evil crimes to push yourself to that brink, you’ve pretty much lost the chance at freedom and free will anyway.” said RVC sophomore, Zac Politsch. Some more extreme thinkers believe that this idea was taken from a popular Adult Swim cartoon, American Dad, where one of the characters went crazy with revenge and attempted to kill his family and was then framed and imprisoned underwater and watched by a harpoon wielding guard. Director of
Katingal Long Bay Correctional Centre in Sydney, Australia, William Frederick Nietenstein, assures that is the furthest statement from the truth. “We do not even know if this idea will ever become a reality. It was designed and brought to the table as a possibility for the overcrowding of prisons and to lower the anxiety of the people that fear these dangerous individuals and what they are capable of,” said Nientenstein in an interview. Whether it comes into play, or fades out of reality, officials are hoping to have a definite answer by mid 2014.
Student Government Association at RVC At the end of the month, the club that has collected the most items will be awarded a special table runwith the clubs logo to use for uring the ner events and displays. month of No- “While it is a healthy competition the clubs,” said Kullens. “Ultivember, the for mately this is for all students to parSGA will be hosting ticipate in, with the clubs...helping decorate all these really nice bins a food drive to collect us so we can put them around campus dried and canned goods and collect all the canned goods to for the Rock River Val- donate.” While not all RVC clubs are parley Food Pantry. ticipating, the ones that do are very Jonathan Kullens, SGA Vice excited to decorate and help a good President of Student Development, cause, said Kullens. Most of the bins are noticeably is spearheading the food drive and decorated for the drive, but some being assisted by many of the campus clubs. Each club will be deco- may not be labeled well enough. A rating and displaying a large bin few of the bins have been used as that RVC students can put the food garbage cans and have no food in them. Kullens was disappointed by items in. this, but not really surprised. The possibility for posters and flyers to raise awareness are planned. It’s also up to the clubs that are participating to tell other students to donate and where the bins are located. The food drive was hosted in 2012 by then VP of Student Development, Altovise Loyd. It was such a success that it was decided to do it again this year. Donations to the bins will be accepted till the end of November, at which time the bins and food will be returned to the food pantry. By Brandon Lee Staff Writer
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Photo by Brandon Lee
sessions of the SGA between October 2nd and October 30th: WTC Room Named in Honor of Foundation Board Member Room 117 in the WTC has been renamed the John Mink Room in honor of long time RVC Foundation Board member John Mink. Mink serves as the community liaison for the board. The Foundation provides scholarships, purchases educational equipment, and holds activities, among other things.
to watch it on, are provided for free by MTVU and will be installed around campus. SGA To Appreciate Adjunct Faculty The Faculty Events Committee is planning to hold an Adjunct Faculty Appreciation day to celebrate the work done by the adjunct faculty at RVC. Current plans include buying coffee and doughnuts for the shared adjunct offices. SGA and Rock Out Plan Walk Lety Aguirre, Freshman Senator, is working with Rock Out to plan a ‘Walk a Mile in Her Shoes’ event. Aimed at raising awareness of rape, sexual-assault, and gender awareness, the walk involves male participants to walk a mile in high-heeled shoes. Rock Out had planned a walk in the past and Aguirre hopes to use their experience to plan this years event..
Dual Credit Contract Set to end after 2014 Spring Semester When the Rockford Public School system sold what became the Stenstrom Center to Rock Valley College one of the stipulations of the deal was that RPS students would get Dual Credit courses free of tuition. This agreement is set to expire after the Spring semester. While there is no official word on how this will affect Running Start and High School students, Jocelyn James the High School Senator has Veterans Association Hallowbeen meeting with Dr. Amy Diaz to een Party a Success discuss the issue further. The Student Veterans Association hosted a Halloween party for MTVU Coming to RVC area children on the 26th on the Representative from MTVU, a RVC campus. Over 200 children atcollege-focused TV channel, pre- tended and got candy at the event. sented to the SGA information on Many clubs were on hand to assist bringing the station to RVC televi- the Veterans Association, including sions. The channel airs music, news the SGA and the BSA. from ABC, specials on topics close The following are topics dis- to college students, and viewer crecussed during open meeting ated content. The channel, and TVs
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The Valley Forge
11.19.2013 / vol. 54, no. 3
Table Top Gaming Club horrifies RVC By Devin Severson Staff Writer
To get into the spirit of Halloween, and to raise some funds for the club, Table Top Gaming held a horror based fundraiser on Tuesday, October 29, in the Student Center Atrium from 4 to 8 PM. With an assortment of horror based card games, face painting, zombie themed survival role playing games and raffles, Table Top put on quite an event. “We wanted to celebrate Halloween in a fun way that people, even outside of the club, would want to join in on. It was a very entertaining event, and we look
forward to having it again next year; hopefully we get even more students who are interested in participating,” said Mary Sutton, Secretary of Table Top Gaming. A dollar cover charge allowed any RVC student access to a wide array of spooky confections. Several boxes of Clue like card games were placed on tables around the Atrium, spooky themed music played over the speakers, and the Atrium was decorated with zombie banners and Halloween props. The biggest eye catcher of the lot was the face painting table. Everyone that entered the event was given
a number, and were called up to the table according to their respective number. Natasha Martin, an RVC student that has worked with special effects and haunted houses for several years, was breathing new life into her victims with professional grade make up effects from fake scars, wounds, and road rash to incredible monster faces. “I think the event went marvelously. I think everyone had a great amount of fun, the games went great, it was very interactive. I thought the special effects make-up had a great turn out. I had many people ask me the next day if I was
the one that let the zombies loose over campus. The only thing the event needed was more publicity,” said Martin. A large scale Role Playing Game on the stage called “All Flesh Must Be Eaten” was played. The basic principal of the game was if you played a survivor, you used the weapons and attributes specific to each unique character to survive. If you were a zombie, you found the survivors to eat them. The game was played on a large paper map that displayed hotels, parking garages and buildings. It was a turn by turn game that only allowed each character
to typically move one space in any direction, not counting special vehicles and attributes. Each player that participated had their name placed in the raffle each time they played. On top of this large scale RPG, card games like a werewolf version of Clue, and games that let you choose zombie or human, were spread across the Atrium tables. “Running around the campus as a zombie was my favorite part of the night. It was a great way to advertise for the event.” said RVC student Zachary Politsch. Table Top Gaming looks forward to putting on more events in the future.
Rockford Sexual Assault Counseling is seeking volunteers to provide medical advocacy to survivors of sexual assault. Please call 815-636-9811 for more information.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Shannon Doyle, Editor in Chief Catt Garcia, Encore/Features Editor Rebecca Denham, News Editor Meico Gowan, Photo Editor Damien Pitts, Sports Editor
COLUMNISTS & REVIEWERS Alec Heaton Brandon Lee Shaquil Manigault Devin Severson Victoria Sockwell Zach Thanasilangkul
PHOTOGRAPHER Andrew Doyle FACULTY ADVISER Prof. Frank Coffman
Send letters and opinions to valleyforge@gmail.com
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The Valley Forge needs change By Brandon Lee Staff Writer
The Valley Forge can not survive in its current state. Maybe I should start with a little back story before I get up on my soapbox and start declaring the end of the world (or a newspaper in this instance.) Between October 23rd and the 28th staff from the Valley Forge attended the National College Media Convention in New Orleans, LA. Besides having a lot of fun I think I can safely say that everyone that went learned quite a bit about media and journalism. The conference portion of the event had literally hundreds of lectures to choose from in numerous topics and fields. The staff was given the opportunity to choose which ever lectures we felt would benefit ourselves the most. Being a still-somewhat-inexperienced news writer I could have chosen to go with the lectures aimed at improving my writing or reporting abilities but instead I chose to attend
lectures focused on building and improving an online presence. It’s no secret that print news has been on a slow decline since the introduction of the internet. In 2009 alone 105 newspapers shut down for good and 10,000 newspaper-related jobs were lost. That year Rockford Register Star’s parent company GateHouse Media cut over 10% of their workforce and up to 15% of the remaining staff had their pay cut. Services like Craigslist, Match. com, and Google Adsense took away from papers the revenue that kept them alive. While in New Orleans I heard stories of their local paper, The Times-Picayune, drop from daily distribution to tri-weekly and focus on a new digital-first business model. The Times-Picayune, a pulitzer winning paper, the first paper to carry a woman’s advice column, had been in print since 1837 but couldn’t survive in the 2013 economy. But unlike those 105 papers that shut their doors in 2009 the Times-Picayune adapted. As it stands I don’t believe the Valley Forge can survive going in
the direction it currently is. While we don’t face the financial hurdles that for-profit newspapers do, there may come a time when the school takes a good hard look at the viability of our current system and decides it isn’t worth the costs. Now please don’t misunderstand and think that I’m advocating for eliminating the paper altogether. A physical, print newspaper may well be the best means to teach journalism. And I think the Valley Forge is already ahead of the curve by being a monthly distributed paper. During one of the lectures in New Orleans a student asked the lecturer for advice. After explaining that his school paper (of which he was the Editor-in-Chief) decided to eliminate their print edition outright and focus solely on their online edition, he continued to say that without the paper lying around campus students soon forgot about their news organization and the entire course suffered. The lecturers advice? Bring back the print edition. What I’m advocating is a digitalfirst model. One of the lecturers that
I listened to in New Orleans was Ryan Frank of the Daily Emerald, the student news organization of the University of Oregon. After they restructured to a digital-first model they have seen massive growth in readership. In fact their model became so innovative that for-profit news groups began looking to them for tips on doing the same. The Valley Forge needs to shift focus to our new website, www. the-valley-forge.com. We are supposed to be the first source of news for happenings on the Rock Valley College campus but we’re getting scooped by the Register Star because they can get news on their website and twitter immediately, while we wait anywhere from a week to a month for the next issue to be published. It may be a bad pun but is what we are writing really “news”? Posting articles online first, sharing them through social media, and getting the student body involved is the only way that the Valley Forge will live up to the potential every
member of the staff knows it can reach.
Same sex marriage legalized in Illinois By Devin Severson Staff Writer
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n November 5, at roughly 4 P.M., Illinois became the fifteenth state in the United States to legalize gay marriage. This news was well received by all of the LGBT community and their many allies, not only in Illinois, but everywhere. Some couples even made their engagements or marriages official after they found out.
“Its been so many years that we have waited for this. I have searched a long time to find that person and I have found him. I feel whole but without marriage equality I sort of felt like something was holding us back. When I heard that they finally made it legal, it was like I was ready to have the biggest moment of tremendous change. Now I feel complete,” said RVC student, Brian West. A big moment has been made in Illinois history,
but that is nowhere near the end of the discrimination and subjugation. Illinois, the rest of America, and the rest of the world have a long way to go before everyone is equal in every way. Gay marriage equality just happens to be the problem at the forefront right now, due to all of the positivity and negativity flying around Capitol Hill and other states that don’t agree with same sex marriage. The key now is for other states to follow suit and do what is right. Not religiously, not biased, but right. “My wife and I have been through many versions of “marriage equality”. First we were simply, privately committed to one another. Five years in, we had a formal commitment ceremony in a Christian church with family and friends. Then nearly 14 years into our commitment we became
legal domestic partners under state law in Illinois. This Fall we were legally married in Minnesota in order to gain access to potential new protections offered by recent supreme court decisions. Now Illinois law supports same-sex marriage. We are thrilled for this growth in public support/opinion. However, we still need a federal marriage equality amendment to truly enable nationwide equality. Our fight and hope for national growth continues,” said Rock Valley College Rock Out LGBT+ Community adviser, Stacey McCaskill. Members of the LGBT+ Community are not the only ones super excited, and super anxious and hesitant about this monumental achievement, and the struggles at hand for even greater achievements. Allies to the
community and those who really don’t care what others do with their lives are also very uncertain about the strife that is sure to be ahead. They want everyone everywhere to be equal, and to be happy, or can we really call it equality? “I think it’s about time that our state moved forward and legalized gay marriage, but it’s not the end, though. We still have a long way to go. We are not done until every state has gay marriage legalized,” said
RVC student and LGBT ally, Jeffery D’Angelo. Fifteen states have already taken the polar plunge into the icy pool of controversy and the battle of yes and no. The people wonder which state will be next? How much longer until this entire gay marriage debate will end? What will be the next big thing in controversy and righteousness across the nation? Time will tell. But America is definitely taking steps in the right direction.
Photo by Devin Severson Brian West and Blain Deihl, recently engaged
All comments regarding articles should be submitted to the Valley Forge via email at valleyforge@gmail.com. We look forward to your thoughts and opinions.
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11.19.2013 / vol. 54, no. 3
The Valley Forge
Thor: The Dark World
Photo courtesy of cinema movies Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman in the motion picture “Thor: The Dark World”
By Alec Heaton Staff Writer
have high hopes for what Marvel has in store for their future films. With box office earnings The film begins with raking in $85 million over Thor (Chris Hemsworth) opening weekend, Thor: working to bring peace to The Dark World is Marvel’s the nine realms of the uninext chapter in taking over verse after the catastrophthe cinematic universe. ic events his brother Loki As a comic fan, I absolutely loved this movie, and
(Tom Hiddleston) had set in motion in The Avengers. In the aftermath of every battle, instead of drinking and reveling with his friends, Thor spends his nights at the Bifrost Bridge, keeping a watchful eye on Earth and his love interest, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). Ultimately, this film was far better than its predecessor. Although set in a much darker atmosphere, there was a surprising amount of comic relief to compensate—from Thor and Loki’s endless bickering to the usual Stan Lee cameo and even one of Captain America. The special effects were spectacular, and the many action scenes kept me on the edge of my seat for the entirety of the film.
Never has any other Marvel film ended with such a cliffhanger as did Thor: The Dark World. This film definitely confirmed suspicions and speculations regarding the ending of The Avengers. The casting for the movie was great, as it has been for previous Marvel films. Portman and Eccleston’s performances were spot on. Anthony Hopkins once again did a great job as Odin, king of Asgard, as did Idris Elba and Jaimie Alexander, who both performed very well as Heimdall, the immortal guardian of Asgard, and Lady Sif. While Hemsworth was perfect as Thor, it was Hiddleston who stole the show. I have never loved a movie villain as much as Loki. I
will be as bold to say that Hiddleston’s Loki is on par with Heath Ledger’s Joker. Throughout the movie Loki is completely unpredictable; you keep wondering if and when he’ll betray Thor. After Loki’s story of betrayal, redemption, and sacrifice, I was very pleased to see that even after all was said and done, he came out on top. All in all, I was very satisfied with this movie. I am definitely looking forward to future movies from Marvel, which, from what I’ve read, will go into at least 2021. All I can say is that its going to be a very long ride until Marvel’s franchise reaches its end, and I hope to enjoy every minute of it.
Breaking Bad Breaking Bad
By Michael Swalve Staff Writer
It’s all over now. Walter White’s journey has come to an inevitable end. AMC was constantly reminding us that, “All bad things must come to an end,” and they weren’t bluffing. Many of us have become about as addicted to Breaking Bad as a junkie to the crystal blue methamphetamines made by Heisenberg himself, and from the first episode we were completely hooked. Since 2008, we’ve followed the last two chaotic years of Walt’s life as the series has come to a close. Did Walt’s corkscrewed journey conclude the way you wished? For some of us it did, and for others it was far from what was expected. The truth is that Breaking Bad went out on a high note
Photos courtesy of GQ
and ended the show before it had a chance to lose any momentum. Transforming a loveable protagonist (Walter White) into a devilish antagonist (Heisenberg) is fascinating, but it certainly isn’t easy. Along the way, some fans even chose to turn their backs on Walt, and others, myself included, made up our minds a long time ago to stay on Walt’s side amidst all of the darkness; no matter what. All in all, Vince Gilligan and his crew left no stone unturned. We received closure on everything, and it is all wrapped up. The grand finale of Breaking Bad went out guns ablaze. It was a highly emotional ending, and even Oliver Stone considered it to be much too violent; coming from the director of the film Scarface
and all. When Walt said, “I still have things to do,” he wasn’t kidding. And now we know just what those ‘things’ were. He was away for months living under the radar and finally decided that it was time to tie up some loose ends. And once again the show never ceases to amaze me on how much ground they can cover in a single episode; especially in the pilot and series finale. Walt found a potential way to provide for his family, which was exactly what he set out to do in the first place. But, since they won’t touch the drug money from their monstrous father, Walt confided in the rich and prosperous Elliot and Gretchen to make things right. He sets up a way for Walter Jr. to receive his remaining cash, left over from the $80 million (around $9 million), in a trust fund from them. It was nice to see Badger and Skinny Pete help out one last time. Another loose end that needed attending was Lydia. It was true genius placing the Ricin into the Stevia packets that she was constantly dumping into
her drink at the café. And the phone conversation between her and Walt, on Todd’s phone, was a cynically comical way to wrap her chapter up. Next was the most emotional part for Walt. He seems to know that it will all be over soon. His visit with Skylar was a final goodbye, and to hand her the lottery ticket revealing the coordinates of the bodies of Hank and Gomez. And we finally hear Walt admit, “I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really -- I was alive.” It was Walt finally speaking the truth about all that has gone on and why. He got to hold Holly one last time and at least saw Flynn, although it was from a distance. The final showdown with Jack and his Neo Nazi crew was Walt wit at its’ best. The crew that killed Hank and Gomez, stole the majority of Walt’s money, and held Jesse as a meth-cooking captive. For the entire 5th season we had been wondering what would be the use of the M-60 machinegun. And leave it up to Walter White to use it the way
that he did. It cannot be put easily into words. Since Walt was much too weak to go out like Rambo or Scarface, he turned towards his inner criminal mastermind and created an automaticspray, trunk-firing mechanism, made from a remotecontrolled garage door opener, and strapped the machinegun to that. Much could have gone wrong, such as: not having the keys, parking improperly, or getting killed by Jack before he had a chance to use the thing. But, it was a relative breeze to go into the situation essentially hands free. And once he got in there and grabbed hold of his keys once again, it was pure revenge, vengeance, chaos and death. The M-60 did most of the work taking out the Neo Nazis. Walt gets the satisfaction of shooting Jack, and Jesse gets the thrill of killing Todd. It almost seemed as if it were a poetic attempt at justice. And with them gone, Walt’s family is now safe from harm. Not to mention that Jesse is completely, finally free.
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Breaking Bad cont’d from page 6 He’s free from captivity; free from Walt; he’s free from it all. Walt is finally free from it all as well. He collapses to the ground moments before the police arrive. He died in the field, so to speak, admiring the laboratory that he designed himself. He was amongst all the science and chemistry that he loved so much. Walter White did exactly what he set out for. As soon as he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, he knew that his time was limited, and he knew that he needed to provide for his family. Breaking Bad goes to show, never give a man an expiration date, because you never know what he’ll do to make himself feel like he is living right before he dies.
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reviews 7
By Victoria Sockwell Staff Writer
Aries: (March 21-April 19) The symbol for this sign is that of a ram for good reason! Aries is full of life and possesses high energy, which makes this sign always looking for a challenge. The typical Aries person is full of vitality, curiosity, and has a heightened sense of justice. They often excel at anything where a bit of competition is involved, whether this is of a cognitive nature or physical. The challenge is the thing. If there is a chance to win, to best someone, to show off abilities, Aries is in it to win it. The Aries person feels most alive when they are in control and leading others. They are often impatient and abrupt with those whom they feel are not their equals and are in a leadership position. Most Aries do not like being told what to do if the person in charge is less talented than they. Taurus: (April 20-May 20)Taurus’ symbol is the bull because this sign’s characteristic is to be peaceful and methodical. This sign is often very deliberate in their actions, relaxed, and enjoys all of the sensual pleasures that abound in this dimension. Food, drink, sex, and luxury, are all sought after by the typical Taurean. Because this sign loves luxury they are willing to work hard to obtain it. They are slow to anger, but once disturbed, can be volatile. Tauruses look for stability in their lives, partners, and co-workers. They are people who are not typically in a hurry, and can take many years to decide what it is that they would like to do for a living, or even where they might go on vacation! Many of this sign prefer to live in the country as they are drawn to the earth and the natural world. Gemini: (May 21-June 20) The Gemini symbol is that of a pair of twins because they rarely like to do anything alone. Gemini are never happier than when they are sharing ideas and concepts with someone else.
Communication is a key element for this sign, and people of this sign go into occupations that include some type of communication in large capacity. Curiosity is a key characteristic of this sign, as well as being a people person. Gemini are great at parties because they can find almost anything to talk about with anyone. Gemini are adventurous by nature and engage in traveling as often as they can. It allows them the opportunity to meet new people, experience new ideas, and learn new concepts. Cancer: (June 21-July 22) The quick and curious crab, is the symbol of Cancer. They have an offbeat sense of humor, often finding something humorous that others don’t. They are extremely good listeners and have a heart for the problems of others. In fact, many gravitate toward this sign because they intuitively know that a Cancer will understand. When a Cancer becomes your friend, you can be sure that they are truly your friend and will not consider using someone to their own benefit. Cancers are dependable and reliable. They will tell you anything you want to know about them without blinking an eye, because they are drawn to honesty in themselves as well as others. Leo: (July 23-August 22) The lion is the symbol for this sign because the lion embodies the best characteristics of the Leo; proud, regal, relaxed, and in charge. Leos know they are in charge, even when outwardly, it seems as if they are not. Leo signs tend to like relaxation, preferably someplace warm and comfortable. Leo likes the big picture, not the small details and fine print. Things that are too complicated, involved, or boring, have no patience for Leos! They are natural leaders and don’t often do well in situations where they have to take orders from others. Virgo: (August 23-September 22) The cool, calm, clarity that this sign exudes is why the symbol of the
Maiden was chosen. Virgos are mild mannered on the surface, but underneath there is a flurry of activity. Their minds are never quiet; always thinking, calculating, assessing. They love making something out of nothing, nurturing, and growing small things. They tend to be extremely detail oriented and particularly like producing something that is not only useful, but beautiful and skillful. Libra: (September 23-October 22) Libras tend to need a balance in their lives like no other sign of the zodiac! Which makes the symbol of the scales particularly appropriate. Libras need to keep a balance between their work lives and recreational lives, as well as an equal balance in their emotional/spiritual and physical lives. Because of this need, Libras can sometimes seem wishywashy when they are asked to make a decision. This is because they must ‘weigh’ all of their options. However, rest assured, that when a Libra makes up their mind the decision is likely to be the best for all involved and benefit many people. This sign does not like to see people unhappy. Scorpio: (October 23-November 21) The symbol for Scorpio is the scorpion. This creature was chosen because it typifies many of the characteristics of this sign. The Scorpio is not necessarily aggressive on its own, unless provoked and in general would rather be contemplative. They crave alone time and often become extremely annoyed when they don’t get it. Scorpios are great secret keepers and feel each emotion more intensely than other signs. Perhaps it is because of this that they are discerning when assisting people with their problems. They are able to cut to the bottom line and show others the best and worst in their lives. Sagittarius: (November 22-December 21) A strong and brave Centaur is the symbol of Sagittarius. People of this sign crave the freedom of the open
road, both metaphorically and physically. They are most unhappy when they are tied to a normal routine and can become restless in situations where there is not enough variety involved. Because they travel so much and are eager to experience new things, those of this sign are fun to be around and often have large numbers of friends. They question everything and think that everyone should do the same. Capricorn: (December 22-January 19) The mountain goat is the symbol for this sign because of the characteristic of the goat to climb higher and higher without losing his footing. Capricorns are the type of people that are goal- oriented and driven to succeed despite all odds. They will work long and hard hours toward a purposeful goal. Self-disciplined and successful, it is no wonder that some of the world’s greatest scientists, leaders, and teachers are Capricorns. Aquarius: (January 20-February 18) The man who carries the pitcher of water is the symbol for this sign. This is because Aquarians are often generous with their time and resources. For this reason this sign often finds themselves in occupations where they are helping on some humanitarian level. They have a deep concern for the welfare of others. They never know a stranger and are generally loved by all. Aquarians never meet a stranger and often will go out of their way to meet with people that they have not heard from for years. Connection is at the core of this sign. Pisces: (February 19March 20)The fish is the symbol given to this sign, primarily because fish live in a secretive and mysterious place. Pisces tend to be daydreamers, often dreaming up brilliant ideas and plans which they are unable to facilitate themselves. They have a happy and vibrant inner life that few get to share or see. They are deeply caring about others
4 features
11.19.2013 / vol. 54, no. 2
The Valley Forge
{Catt}astrophe
and changing his name to that nauseatingly theatrical paradisiac, age his talent. After a couple of side projects and a Danzig tour, Doyle put down some roots and went back to the glory days for his latest musical venture, DOYLE. Together, longtime friends Alex Story (Cancerslug), Dr. Chud (Misfits) and “Lefthand” Graham Reaper (Let It Burn) formed the self-titled band, creating a whole new wave of horror-punk magic. More guitar, more bass, more Dr. Chud. Time to Photos courtesy of No Problem! Marketing dust off that old tube of white face paint. DOYLE’S debut album The Doyle - Album cover Abominator, is a big slice of warm punk pie: meaty riffs, drilled-inyour brain lyrics and a chunk of By Catt Garcia hearty originality to keep those Features Editor cravings satisfied. The AbomiWith the devilock still spared of nator is a mirror of what their fagrey, Doyle Wolfgang von Franken- vored genre does so well: let nothstein lets none of his 49 years per- ing be your brand; create, destroy, forming with The Misfits, Danzig, repeat. While beginning tracks Abominator and Learn to Bleed rip
Doyle-The Abominator
Magician wows RVC By Alec Heaton Staff Writer
On October 29, 2013, famous magician Mat Franco performed for RVC students in the atrium of the student center. Franco put on an excellent performance of various tricks blended with plenty of humor. Some of the tricks Franco performed included spontaneous item replication, and having a vanished twenty dollar bill reappear in a sealed pack of ramen noodles. Franco also did a wide variety of card tricks. A most interesting trick Franco performed, was being able to tell exactly what a person had just read on their phone by only reading their eye movement. “The magic for me isn’t just the tricks that happen on the stage, but the way the audience perceives it. For me, the tricks only happen inside the heads of the audience members. The way you feel when you see it and forget about life for an hour while sitting here—to me that’s the real magic,”
Franco replied when asked what magic meant to him. He continued by saying, “As long as people are laughing and having a good time, that’s always more important to me than fooling people or pulling a fast one in front of the crowd.” Franco has been practicing magic since he was four years old—when watching magicians on television sparked his interest— and has been performing in front of audiences since elementary school. Franco has traveled all over the country, and has mainly performed in the college circuit for the past few years. He has also worked with famous mentalist Eric Dittleman from America’s Got Talent on various occasions. “Magic isn’t always about making the impossible possible,” Franco said, “but by engaging the audience and creating the camaraderie, and then seeing them enjoy themselves— that’s the magic for me.”
open the fresh stitches of a Doyleshredded wound, it is the venom of Dreamingdeadgirls which spreads the disease. Brazen in Dr. Chud’s kick drum, DOYLE’s version of the perfect girl includes females who are slightly less alive. Showing off some vocal range, Story nails Love is Like Murder to a wall of Graham’s drippy bass lines, meeting on terrifying ground. The war-ridden cries of Bloodstains fire incessantly at love, sparing no one the glamour of falling head over heels. But hook, line, and sinker, this is The One. Bust them speakers wide with the exaggerated tragedy we call ‘love’ double dipped in malicious vocals and butchered melodies. Follow the trail of carnage straight into Hope Hell Is Warm and you have yourself a chilling feast of the same abhorrence from which the album takes its name. Previously on tour with Danzig, DOYLE is currently on their first headlining tour, eager
to dive in head first. But you better keep up, these boys are on a mission to bleed ears, noses, and teeth. Most pleasantly, of course. If 49 years old treats us as good as Doyle, nothing excuses you from challenging that barricade at each and every show. Buy the album, buy the ticket, live.
Photos courtesy of No Problem! Marketing Doyle and Alex
Social graces of a serial dater
By Rebecca Denham Serial Dater
I was on a particularly dreadful blind date when it struck me: I have a lot of terrible, awful, no good, absurdly ridiculous dates. I enjoy casual dating so much so, that I have gained the title of a “serial dater.” I am not a tease, nor am I a whore; I am simply a flirtatious youth. And this aforementioned date will be the first of many tales encompassing my experiences on several casually mistakenly romantic endeavors.
Date #1 picked me up from my place of employment (it was rather impromptu) and took me out to drink coffee and get to know each other – seemingly a safe first get together. My mood towards the occasion shifted when he pulled into none other than…a Road Ranger. Now, I enjoy gas station coffee as much as the next college student, but my suspicions towards this fellow’s gentlemanliness were further heightened at the cash register. We both got medium coffees, but when we held them up to show the cashier, he raised his Styrofoam cup higher than mine and said, “She got a small coffee.” Of course, the cashier gave him a look, implying that he was an idiot, and charged him for two mediums. Now, if he was short on cash, I would have given him the extra thirty cents. But when he paid for our coffees with a fifty
dollar bill, you can imagine the face I made, mirrored only by the cashier. What was I to think of this lad? That he was simply frugal? Or perhaps a cheapskate? A miser? No, this boy was simply sleazy. As I sipped quietly on my watered-down dirt water, spiked with seventeen packets of sugar, he drove us to a forest preserve. A redemption, you might presume? False! Upon arrival, he tossed his to-go cup out the window and lit a cigarette. As much as I despise smoking, when the utterance of a feminist joke escaped his lips, my temper boiled over and I immediately asked to be taken back to my vehicle. He complied, dropped me off, and drove away without another word. Dreadful Date #1: Over.
Award-Winning Student Newspaper of Rock Valley College
news/features 9
The history behind Mountain Dew FEATURE: by Devin Severson Staff Writer
F
or years, one of the most popular sodas in America has been Mountain Dew. Crisp, refreshing, delicious, and unique, just some of the ways that the popular soft drink has been described. But very few know why Mountain Dew was originally created. It was in fact, not made as a cold treat on a hot day, but as a mix for whiskey. 4000 years ago, whiskey was created to purify perfumes and aromatics. Over time, it was discovered as a drink. But was too strong for most people to handle alone, so they needed a mixer to bring out the taste and add new favors.
When soft drinks and pop came into the picture
in the 1800’s, many of them were mixed with whiskey to very little effect. But the Hartman brothers invented their own whiskey mix in the 1930’s; Mountain Dew. “I wouldn’t think it would be a very good mix for it. I mean, you could understand people using it as a chaser, but, the flavors, I can’t think that would be a good mix,” said Rock Valley student Matthew Larson. Not only was it made for whiskey, Mountain Dew was also named for it. Mountain Dew was a slang name for moonshine which is slang for illegally homemade whiskey. It was called moonshine because it was made at night to hide the smoke from the stills during prohibition. So
for a while, Mountain Dew was also considered illegal because of the reason of its inception. When the Hartman brothers pitched it, no company was interested. Not even Coca-Cola. But Pepsi adopted Mountain Dew into their repertoire, albeit thirty five years later. “I never knew Mountain Dew had an alcoholic origin. I’m amused now even more by how much my friends and I drink it at gaming parties and most hang outs. I guess it really doesn’t affect my opinion much especially since regardless of its past it’s just unhealthy, delicious caffeine. Whether it was whiskey or arsenic back in its
original use, it’s still my favorite soda,” said RVC student Kaelin Moore. Chad Upton, Editor-inChief of Broken Secrets, a magazine that reveals the darkest secrets of everyday items and sundries, and an official Yahoo Answers Contributor, tested different whiskeys, scotches, and bourbons with Mountain Dew. Purely in the name of research of course, Upton tried different mixed drinks and shots. He determined that whiskey was indeed the best, and probably only good alcoholic mix to be put with Mountain Dew. “I drank these, solely in the name of research and science! After repeatedly testing Mountain Dew
with whiskey, I concluded that it’s very similar to a Whiskey Sour. Although, I do suggest impregnating it with a little more lime for a little more punch,” Upton was quoted in saying in a Broken Secrets article for Yahoo Answers. So from humble beginnings to worldwide popularity, Mountain Dew has grown to quite the big boy soda. Despite the fact that it started off as a mix for a strong drink, people still drink Mountain Dew daily. Finding out that it was once a mixer for moonshine might make people drink it even more. It seems now the phrase “drink responsibly” now applies to common soft drinks.
Activist visits Rock Valley campus A
NEWS: Special to The Valley Forge by Noah Neiber
WARD WINNING WRITER, activist, and lec-
turer Loung Ung visited the Rock Valley Campus on Wednesday, November 6, 2013 and held a speech and book signing in the Atrium. She was invited by the Rock Valley Communications Department to come and speak about her writing and life experiences. This event was open to the public and by the start of the event the Atrium. Mrs. Ung has written two memoirs about her life, the first of which was titled, First They Killed
My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia which was about childhood which took place during the reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia from 19751979. The second of which was titled Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind which dealt with her escape from Cambodia and immigration to America. Her books have won the Asian/Pacific American Librarians’ Association award for “Excellence in Adult Non-fiction
Literature.” As well as this, both were bestsellers and are widely used for study in colleges across the nation. Her visit to Rock Valley attracted around 100 visitors including faculty, students, and visitors. The main lecture was held first and was an hour and fifteen minutes long. It was followed by a question and answer session and ended with her book being sold and signed by Mrs. Ung.
Escape Plan: The Latest Guilty Pleasure
S
REVIEW: Special to The Valley Forge by Addie Schommer
OME OF YOU may remember the 80s as the golden age of action films. From the cringe worthy one-liners to eminent explosions following a gasoline spillage, these were the films that defined today’s action film cliches. As two of the most prevalent action movie stars of their time, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were never without an arsenal of weapons and an inexplicable immunity to various assaults that came their way. Now at the age of 66 and 67 respectively, you’d think that becoming middle age would cause them to give up the action spotlight. But as Escape Plan demonstrates, nothing can stop this dynamic duo from escaping the perils of a high security prison. Eager to start off with an explosion, our story begins with Ray Breslin (Stallone), a man who makes a living out of studying the layout of prisons for security. However, this isn’t a simple inspection job. In order to truly test their security he himself must become incarcerated
and try to see if he can escape the prison. After another flawless escape job, Breslin is offered his most difficult objective yet. An agent of the CIA asks him to test out one of their top secret prisons and as compensation he will receive a large sum of money. Breslin agrees to the request, but quickly finds that he got more than he bargained for. Joining forces with fellow inmate Emil Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger), the two do whatever it takes to break out of the most secure prison ever built, and in turn find out its dark secret. Escape Plan seems to do what it sets out to; harken back to the action films of yore and with the campiness intact. Stallone is still very capable of taking down those more than half his age and Schwarzenegger makes sure to fit in a one-liner at the ending. Being friends long before Escape Plan hit the silver screen, you can see the two obviously enjoyed working together as well as having fun playing out the sometimes ridiculous plot devices. The antagonists as well still keep the tradition of making sure the audience knows they’re
evil; complete with showing the main villain likes to preserve dead butterflies as a “macabre” pastime. Couple that with the typical interrogation scene and Schwarzenegger valiantly refusing to talk and you’ve got two antagonists with about as much personality as cheese grater. However, being essentially an homage to the 80s films, the two actors were most likely aware of their performances and their cliche and almost silly manner. If anything, I believe they had fun with the roles in making them as hammy as possible; they enjoyed not taking it too seriously. As such, viewers should go in having the same mindset. Escape Plan is certainly no Emmy Award winner, yet that didn’t seem to be the director’s goal in the first place. Viewers should watch the film with the same mindset as watching a B movie; you know the plot is nonsensical and occasionally has subpar acting but that’s what makes the film all the more enjoyable. The film should be taken as it is, without a critical approach and instead recognizing that bad can be good.
sports11
Award-Winning Student Newspaper of Rock Valley College
BULLS & BLACKHAWKS & BEARS…oh my! By Michael Swalve Sports Writer
Photos courtesy of Sports-logosscreensavers.com
The Chicago Bulls started their season off against the defending champion Miami Heat. Miami had their ring ceremony and set out on what appeared to be a blowout victory against Chicago. The Bulls had a slow tempo and seemingly no rhythm, but they never quit. With the end of the game only minutes away, the Bulls charged a comeback and brought the game within 8 points, but the effort was too little, too late. Despite 37 points in the 4th quarter, the Bulls fell to the Heat by 12 points (107-95). The Chicago Bulls (3-3) appear to be off to a slow start to this season, but, aside from the Indiana Pacers, that is currently a common issue around the entire NBA league. Flaws are visible in the Bulls. Their defense seems to be lacking, and the bench seems depleted; missing players such as: C.J. Watson, Kyle Korver, and Nate Robinson. Jimmy Butler is now a starter, and the Bulls have added some range and length with the acquisition of Mike Dunleavy from the Milwaukee Bucks, but they still lack depth. Right now Carlos Boozer is their leading scorer and Joakim Noah is playing through some injuries. Derrick Rose is back on the court, but his physical health is a constant cause for concern. He seems to be trying to find his rhythm. Rose did show more of his signature explosiveness, but suffered a minor hamstring injury against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Rose has been a shade of himself, but I believe that the Bulls
The 2012-2013 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks are looking to win it all again this year with a repeat. Although they aren’t off to the red-hot start that they had last year, they do have a respectable record of 12-2-4. Patrick Kane has played at a high level, as usual, and has accumulated 10 goals early in this season. They currently sit at second in their division, and there is much of
Photos courtesy of WALLIKE.com
the season left to go. It’s a hard task to win back-to-back championships, but the Chicago Blackhawks are looking to accomplish the feat. The Chicago Bears have had a rollercoaster season this year and are sitting at 5-4, 2nd in NFC Northern Division. Injuries have been a great factor, as well as the fact that this year is Marc Trestman’s first as the Bears new head coach. Jay Cutler suffered a groin injury against the Washington Redskins and was out for the big Monday night game against the Green Bay Packers. Josh McCown was in at quarterback and led the Bears to victory with 272 throwing yards and two touchdowns. The Packers, on the other hand, lost both the game and their starting QB Aaron Rodgers. Cutler was back in the starting lineup on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. He did well at first, but his health was an issue of concern. It turns out that Cutler suffered a high ankle sprain in the 2nd quarter, and the injury escalated as the game went on. Down by 8 points in the 4th quarter, Josh McCown is called upon to execute the Bears final drive. He was able to throw a touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall to bring the game to within 2 points. But McCown was unable to score on the 2-point conversion to tie the game and send it to overtime. Perhaps Josh McCown should have been put in earlier and given the Bears a chance to get back into the game sooner. All in all, the Photos courtesy of WCKG.com Chicago Bears fell to the Detroit will get back on the track that they Lions and allow the Lions to sneak were last season. It’s only a matter into the top spot of the division. of time.
Everyone’s moving up
Photos courtesy of sportsnetwork.com
By Shaquil Manigault Sport Writer
Another season of NBA basketball is upon us and Derrick Rose has finally returned to the starting lineup for the Chicago Bulls. Although Rose looks fully recovered from his knee injury, it may be awhile before fans see the MVP caliber player and statistics that they are accustomed to. Through the first three games Rose is shooting an abysmal 29 percent from the field. This low shooting percentage most likely can be attributed to a common trend among players coming back from a serious injury, timing. At the professional level the game moves extremely quickly, and Rose had not been involved in that kind of speed for 18 months. Athletes are creatures of habit. As Rose begins to become more familiar with the speed, his timing and shooting percentage will increase dramatically. From watching the few games that he has played this year it is obvious that he still is as athletic and possibly even more explosive then before thanks to the five inches he said to have gained in the offseason. Not only has Rose gotten off to a slow start, but the Bulls team as a whole has. Starting the year off 1-3 leaves some wondering if the team will return to the championship contenders they were a few years ago. I am one of those peoples. This team could legitimately start the playoff anywhere from a three to a five seed with the current roster they have assembled. And it mostly has nothing to do with what Chicago did, but more of what other teams have done to get better. In the East alone, the Miami Heat have added even more depth at a discount price with signees like Michael Beasley and Greg Oden. The Indiana Pacers have bulked up their shaky bench with sharp shooter Chris Copeland and big man Louis Scoala, along with the
emergence of Lance Stephenson. The team is still at the top of the Eastern Conference. The newly named Brooklyn Nets have gotten older ,but much more talented with the additions of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry. Also not to be overlooked are the New York Knicks who added sharp shooting seven footer Andrea Bargnani who is sure to stretch out any defense. So where does this leave the Bulls who got rid of Marco Belinelli and Nate Robinson, two big contributors in there playoff run last year? As great a team as the Bulls are on the defense side of the ball they still lack a go to scorer that can create their own shot whose name doesn’t rhyme with pose. Any Bulls fan will tell you that Jimmy Butler is that missing wing scorer Chicago has so desperately been needing. For Chicago’s sake, I hope this is true. In the first game of the season the Heat basically laid out the blueprint to stopping the Bulls, double Rose off screens and make the others beat you. Granted the Heat are on the high end of the spectrum talent wise and they will not face competition like that on a nightly bases. The Pacers defensively are just as good as the Heat and they will need to beat at least one of those two teams once the playoffs role around if they want to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. Derrick Rose is still a great player, their defense is still top notch in the league and the trade deadline is still months away. With a lot riding on the emergence of Jimmy Butler, their future is yet unknown. All positive notions for the Bulls to feel good about but if the wing position is not filled from a scoring position, the Bulls may not have the talent to win a NBA title.
The Valley Forge
Award-Winning Student Newspaper of Rock Valley College
11.19.2013 / vol. 54, no. 3
Men’s Basketball starts season undefeated By Damien Pitts Sports Editor
The Rock Valley College Golden Eagles Men’s Basketball team is off to a red hot start this season as they are undefeated at 3-0. Their latest victims were the Clinton Community College Cougars or C.C.C.C. for short. On Saturday November 9th at 7:00pm the men of Rock Valley dominated every facet of the game to beat C.C.C.C. A nearly ten minute delay preceded the nights’ action as the shot clock would not work initially. This slight distraction was just that; slight. If you haven’t been to a game you wouldn’t, nay, couldn’t understand the true meaning of a torrid pace on a basketball court. We push the ball up the court at any given opportunity and harass, pester, and swarm when on defense. Our men’s coach Craig Doty has brought back a sense of pride to his basketball program. This can be seen
in the fast-paced, hard-nosed effort given thus far this season. The team implements a suffocating full court press that forces other teams into playing faster than they are used to and this leads to said team turning the ball over. The team has forced their opponents into double digit turnovers in 2 of 3 games, making C.C.C.C. commit 19. Led on this evening by small/power forward Ben Grygiel (14 points) the Golden Eagles won going away by a score of 90-30. The men are averaging 86.6 points per game, while holding their opposition to just 48.6. Returning starters Keenan Franklin, Tairhe Turner (12 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists), and Brandt Voiles (13 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists) have definitely added some veteran stability to an otherwise young squad. As with last seasons’ team, this Golden Eagles squad shoots a lot of three pointers, they also make a lot
of three pointers. They average just around 50 percent from behind the three point arc. The offense runs a ton of screens for a team filled with shooters. The coaches can literally interchange the whole team out (kind of like a line change in hockey) with little or no lag between the starters and the players coming off the bench. Case in point would be #11 Frank Cimino. At about 5’9” and 150 pounds, Cimino is not an intimidating figure on the court…unless you’re guarding him. Upon entering his first collegiate game, the 18 year old freshman guard from Rockford Boylan promptly hit 7 out of 12 three point shots and he is shooting 58.8% on his home court. When asked about his performance in front of his home crowd and family Cimino said “it was really cool”. The coaches also have quite a bit of size inside in brothers Sam and Jack Harrison from Minnesota. At 6’7”and 6’6” these can hold it down
defensively in the paint while adding post scoring and rebounding. Teams have to respect their height, which spreads the floor for the shooters. Regrettably for defenses these big men have a touch soft enough to shoot long range jump shots themselves. Like I mentioned before, this is a team full of shooters. It took the Cougars a few minutes just to score their first bucket and that was a desperation three heaved up by Clintons’ #35 Onterier Brown. With a flurry of defensive pressure the Golden Eagles found themselves up 42-15 at the half. The Eagles kept up the defensive pressure they had exemplified earlier in the game in the second half outscoring the Cougars by a score of 4815. At no time was this game close. The men from Clinton may not have looked overmatched physically, but they were absolutely overmatched when it came to preparation and skill. Come out and see what I mean. Support RVC sports. Go Eagles
Coach Misty Opat talks championships By Shaquil Manigault Sports Writer
The 2013-2014 season has started for the Golden Eagles women’s basketball team and one thing is still the same from the previous season, they are reining champions once again. This is the Golden Eagles second consecutive national title and they have their sights set on a third straight. There are some coaches who go their entire career and never win a ring, which is why both national championships are special to Coach Opat. “Each one of them are special in their own way, each one brings different challenges, every team has different characteristics,” says Coach Opat, which is a tribute to her ability to adjust with new players. With the program being as dominant as it is, Opat doesn’t allow complacency to set in
with her, her players or the staff. “Both years when the National Tournament was over, that night you start processing in your head, what are we going to do to get this done again...That’s what were doing now. We’re not big but our guards are very talented. And how are we going to do it again with a completely different look?” Coach Opat stated. So much for an offseason. But thats the type of commitment that it takes to sustain preforming at high level. The make up of this team is drastically different from last years team, in the sense that that they are much smaller and more guard oriented because of the lack of a true post presence. With that being said, the team is going to try and push the ball as much as possible as well as force turnovers with full court press defenses. They have outscored their
opponents 196-70 in the first two games so its safe to say that this style of basketball is going to be beneficial to the team. The program has dominated at this kind of rate for the last two seasons but coach would attribute this sustained success to her players talent level rather then her scheme. Coach Opat goes and looks for the best talent she can find. “My philosophy, and I tell all our coaches, recruit like you are at a NCAA Division I school,” Opat went on to say. This has led to her teams being very deep when it comes to the roster with a regular rotation reaching nine to ten players deep. A prime example of this philosophy in action is in the recruitment of sophomore guard Marquiesha Grant. “ I know your set to go to Northwestern, but if things don’t work out give me a call,” was the entire recruitment conversation Opat had
with Grant. And sure enough when that July rolled around Grant was calling to see if there was still a place for her on the team. Grant helped lead them to their second national title in a row. The team will undoubtably have a target on the back this year and the they know it. Coach doesn’t allow for the team to overlook opponents and treats every game as if they are eight games in one. “We Break it down in five minute increments: “Okay, don’t look at the scoreboard, we’re playing five minute games, win every five minute.’” And that type of culture is what keeps the team motivated and focused even in games where they expect to win. If there was a weakness for this team it would be its rebounding. Last year they had big post players who could control the paint on defense and offense. This year the starting post is a
guard who can out jump tall players because of the lack of height that the team has. Coach Opat doesn’t seem too worried that it will be a problem because of the way the team hustles and works. But also from the extremely talented guard play they have from sophomore Marquiesha Grant to the 8 new freshman guards. This is one of Opat’s strongest and deepest freshman classes ever. What the team lacks in height and rebounding the make up for in guard play and shooting, averaging 27 assist per game and 8 three pointers made per game (that’s ranked first and third overall respectively). The season is still young but between my short time spent with Head Coach Misty Opat and the numbers they have been putting up it looks like a third straight title is almost likely for the team.