A look forward: SIU women’s basketball

by: Stile T. Smith

With the forthcoming Christmas vacation, there will be no editions of the Daily Egyptian to report on the next seven SIU women’s basketball games.

With that, I will give a preview of each of the next seven opponents the Salukis will face.

at Chicago State, Dec. 14, 2:00 p.m.

The Lady Cougars are currently 4-4 on the season with a win over Northwestern of the Big Ten. Senior guard Jasmin Dixon is leading the team with 18.8 points per game and 31 assists. Junior guard Alyssa Waldon, meanwhile, has averaged 10.8 points per game and is shooting 39 percent from 3-point range.

at Central Arkansas, Dec. 16, 7:00 p.m.

The Sugar Bears are currently 2-4 on the season including a 19-point loss to Southeast Missouri State. Junior forward Meaghen Kelleybrew is the only player averaging double figure points with 11.3 points per contest. Sophomore forward/center Jamye Adair is just off the double figure plateau, averaging 9.2 points per game.

vs Tennessee Tech, Dec. 21, 2:05 p.m.

The Golden Eagles are currently 2-6 on the season with a loss to SIU rival Drake by 11 points. Senior guard/forward Blair Bowens is leading the team in scoring, averaging 12.6 points per game while shooting 30 percent from 3-point range. Freshman forward Krystal Stirrup, meanwhile, is averaging 9.4 points per game while leading the team shooting 52 percent from the field.

vs Northern Illinois, Dec. 28, 2:05 p.m.

The Huskies are currently 3-5 on the season with an eight point victory over Northern Iowa and a 15 point loss to Bradley. Sophomore center Ebony Ellis leads the team with 11.8 points per game and 9.9 rebounds per game. Junior guard Marke Freeman is averaging just under double figure points with 9.9 points per game while shooting 35 percent from 3-point range.

at Evansville, Jan. 2, 7:00 p.m.

The Salukis begin their Missouri Valley Conference schedule against the 4-3 Aces of Evansville. The Aces have four players averaging double digit points, led by YEAR Robyn Jennings with 14.6 points per game including 58 percent from 3-point range. 

at Bradley, Jan. 9, 7:00 p.m.

The Braves are currently 6-1 on the season with a win over the University of Illinois of the Big Ten by 18 points. Senior forward Monica Rogers is averaging a double-double with 13.7 points and 10 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Michelle Lund, meanwhile, is averaging 13 points per game while shooting 48 percent from 3-point range.

at Northern Iowa, Jan. 11, 3:00 p.m.

The Panthers are currently 2-5 on the season with a 15-point victory over Western Illinois. YEAR guard Nicole Clausen leads the team with 12.9 points per game while shooting 49 percent from 3-point range. YEAR guard K.K. Armstrong is averaging just under double figure points with 9.9 points per game.

How to keep tabs on Saluki basketball over break

By: Luis Medina

Are you trying to figure out how you’re going to live without the SIU men’s basketball team in your life?

Here is what is on tap for Salukis during the winter break.

The SIU men’s basketball team begins a three-game road trip Sunday as it travels to face Nevada (3-4) in a rematch of last year’s BracketBuster showdown. The Salukis (3-4) beat the Wolfpack at the SIU Arena last season, 74-49, but both teams are missing its top two scorers from last season’s match up.

Looking for a reasonably priced road trip? I’ve got a deal for you Saluki fans.

SIU returns to the Midwest to face in-state rival Northern Illinois (4-5) on Dec. 17. The Salukis defeated the Huskies last season, 88-68. Head coach Chris Lowery said it will be a homecoming game of sorts for several SIU players as guards Bryan Mullins, Kevin Dillard and Ryan Hare, along with forward Christian Cornelius return to play in the northern Illinois area.

Fans in the Chicagoland area should definitely make the trip to DeKalb and turn Northern’s home court into SIU Arena North.

The trip concludes Dec. 20 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis as senior guard Wesley Clemmons returns to his home town as SIU will face Saint Mary’s (6-1) in the Wooden Tradition. The Salukis are winless in their two neutral court games, falling to Duke and UCLA, and the competition does not get easier for SIU. The Gaels feature one of the nation’s best guards, Patrick Mills, who averages 20.1 points per game.

So if you want to see the Salukis play in an NBA arena and watch some exciting basketball (the tourney features nationally ranked Purdue and Davidson) then a trip to Indianapolis seems to be more affordable than one to New York City.

The Missouri Valley Conference portion of SIU’s schedule tips-off Dec. 28 as it travels to Peoria to face Bradley (4-3). The Salukis bounced the Braves in both of their match ups last season.

Staying in Carbondale? I’ve got a solution for you!

SIU wraps up its out-of-conference schedule Dec. 22 as it hosts Western Michigan (2-7). The Broncos beat the Salukis last season, 57-41, as SIU put forth one of its most disappointing offensive efforts. The Salukis only shot 26.9 percent and had no players score in double figures.

SIU hosts Northern Iowa (5-3) in a New Year’s Eve showdown. The Salukis dropped two of three to the Panthers last season, including a 54-49 loss in St. Louis which knocked them out of the MVC Tournament. However, SIU has not lost against UNI at the SIU Arena since 1997.

Defending MVC champion Drake (6-2) comes to the SIU Arena Jan. 4 in both team’s first game of the New Year. The Bulldogs and Salukis split a pair of games last season as each team was victorious on its home court. SIU upset then-No. 14 Drake, 65-62, as the Bulldogs misfired on what would have been a game-tying 3-point shot as time expired.

SIU returns home Jan. 10 to face Evansville (5-1) in its final game before classes resume Jan. 12. The Salukis have won four of their last six games against the Purple Aces, including 10 straight at home.

One more game of note…

The Salukis travel to Wichita, Kansas to face Wichita State (3-4). SIU swept the Shockers last season with a 63-52 win at home and a 74-67 overtime victory on the road. It was the first time the Salukis were able to pick up a road win against Wichita State since 2003.

Career counselor urges graduates to network

Posted by Barton Lorimor

Congratulations to this week’s newest SIUC graduates, and good luck navigating the job market.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced Friday the unemployment rate throughout the nation had spiked to 6.7 percent. That is the latest insult added to the injuries the country has sustained during a recession that began in January.

“Unfortunately, it is pretty grim. So for students that are graduating in a few weeks, it’s pretty tough. There have been a huge amount of layoffs…and companies are having hiring freezes until the new year,” said Courtney Pike, director of operations at Job Bound.

But Pike said younger job seekers still have a chance because they are cheaper to hire than those who have previously had careers. She said recent graduates should prepare to put on a suit every day and start networking with potential employers.

“Companies are being flooded with resumes,” Pike said. “If students are submitting their resumes online, it’s going to get lost in the flood.”

Pike said her organization has recently been working with more students and middle-aged workers included in the 6.7 unemployment rate than any other time in its six years of existence.

Yet not all job fields have been affected by this year’s recession. Powered by the aging baby boomer generation, the health care industry has proven to be recession proof as well as education.

Blog Wars: Worst job you have ever had?

Audra Ord:

Two summers ago, I worked maintenance at a factory. My job was to clean out air conditioning units. Seven hours a day. On a metal roof. In the middle of summer. No joke.

Here’s how it worked: pick a unit. Shut off the power. Take off the panels. Spray it with cleaning solution out of a weed sprayer. (But be sure to wear gloves because that stuff will eat your skin.) Let it foam and sit for a few minutes. Spray it down with a high-pressure gardening hose. Watch the gunk and nasties flow out of it. Spray it again with high-pressure gardening hose. Repeat gunk watching. Spray again. Watch nasties again. Repeat until the water runs clear. Depending on the size of the unit, this process could take anywhere from three to six hours. There were nearly 150 of these units. Do the math.

One day, one of my colleagues and I shared an elevator with a woman on our way to the roof. The woman has the audacity to say, “Why in the world is the air conditioning shut off? It is SO hot in here!” I wanted to punch her. She was complaining because it was 80 degrees instead of 75 in her nice little cubicle, while I was on the METAL roof on a 105-degree day. The nerve.

On the rare occasion that we ran out of units to clean or didn’t have time to start a new unit in the afternoon, we were supposed to comb fins. Ever looked at an air conditioner? There are these super-thin metal fins that are usually all flattened against the unit. I had to comb them straight with a tiny comb. Most boring job ever.

On rainy days we stayed in the maintenance shop cleaning up oil spills. I can’t even fathom how many times I mopped that floor. It had probably never been done before. When the supervisor decided the concrete floor was clean enough, he had us spray paint weight load warnings on the catwalks. I also changed air filters, carried hundreds of boxes up and down stairs, cut and threaded metal pipe, and patched the roof (the absolute WORST part of the job. The patch was awful and thick, kind of like taffy, and it smelled horrible.).

Although it was painful, uncomfortable, boring, etc., I’m glad I did it because it gave me a better appreciation for why I was in school studying to become a journalist. I think I’ll write a book about my experience, probably titled “Maintenance and Mascara: Audra’s story.” Look for it in bookstores in December 2010.

Sean McGahan:

In high school I had a short stint as a Chinese food delivery boy. The biggest perk was a free order of pork fried rice at the end of the night. The biggest flaws were the lousy tips and constant trips to the ER.

The nearby hospital was a breeding ground for expecting parents, concerned relatives and angry insurance holders with two things in common — a tremendous hunger for Chinese food and other things to think about than a 16-year-old delivery boy’s income.

Regardless of the amount of times I delivered to the hospital, I never quite figured out the layout. I was constantly lost, and several times found myself in areas I had no business being in. Without getting too specific, there were some nights that the complimentary pork fried rice just didn’t taste as good and really didn’t seem worth the hassle.

And I do realize how fortunate I am that this was my worst job.

Disappointment in the Dawg Pound

By: Luis Medina

After the SIU men’s basketball team’s 66-64 loss to Charlotte on Saturday, it all became apparent to me.

The 49ers have the Salukis’ number. And to be honest, I’m not sure why.

Not only has Charlotte defeated SIU in its last four match ups, it has won two of the match ups at the SIU Arena where the Salukis are usually invincible.

Did you know Bobby Lutz’s kids are the only team to have beaten SIU in The Arena twice since the beginning of the 2001-02 season. That’s astonishing especially when you take into consideration some of the great Creighton teams that have come into the arena just to leave with a loss hanging around its neck.

And as much as the loss hurt SIU, it was felt throughout the arena as many students experienced their last game at the SIU Arena.

I would know. I spent four years as one of those nutty fans. Defeats such as Saturday’s two-point loss are hard to swallow.

A friend of mine told me he sat in the Dawg Pound, shocked by the Salukis defeat, until the cleaning crews asked him to leave. Another student told me it wasn’t the way he wanted his last game as a Dawg Pound member to end. A third was disappointed the loss came against a team that entered the game with a 1-6 record, as he could understand if SIU would have lost to what they would have considered a better team.

All three told me they will continue to follow Saluki basketball and plan on returning to one of the most boisterous student sections in the country.

They heckled opponents as mercilessly as they cheered their favorite players in the home whites.

Unfortunately, their efforts weren’t enough to shake Charlotte forward An’Juan Wilderness as he sank a pair of free-throws with four seconds left to push the 49ers past SIU.

Ending their time as SIU Dawg Pound members with what us sports writer folks would consider a tragic ending.

Blog Wars: Brokest you have ever been?

Madeleine Leroux:

The stereotype college student that I am, I have been beyond broke way too many times to count. I guess the brokest I have ever been was probably last year when it got to the point where I did almost anything for anyone if they offered cash reward (anything outside of prostitution that is) and I was surviving on croutons for weeks at a time.

Although, for at least one week before Thanksgiving break this year, I survived solely on Smarties that I found at work.

I’ve done laundry and housecleaning, ran errands, helped with people’s homework, you name it and I’ve probably done it for cash. Or for the promise of food. Mmmmmm.

Never do you realize how important it can be to have money than when you have none to your name.

Alexis Boudreau:

I’m going to have to go ahead and say every Christmas season ever. I mean, I love my family and friends, but spending money on them hurts my wallet sometimes.

Amber Fijolek:

Christmas always takes its toll on me. I like to give expensive gifts. Last holiday season, however, was my first after turning 21, so I had a lot of bar-hopping to catch up on. With gift-buying being my first priority, I was forced to dig into couch cushions for the change needed to compensate for my drinks. Paying for drinks with quarters from my pockets was definitely one of my broke-est moments, but probably not my classiest.

USG senators face impeachment

By: Jeff Engelhardt

Ten months after Project Eco-Dawgs introduced the “green” fee, the Undergraduate Student Government unanimously voted to support it.

Both the senators and Eco-Dawg members were excited and relieved that everyone could come together in support of a fee that gained tremendous student-support in a referendum back in April.

But for two senators, the feeling of relief did not last long as they had to face the threat of losing their positions.

Senators John Boddie and Brandon Allen faced impeachment after the senate accused them of missing multiple meetings and not filing constituent reports.

Boddie defended himself in front of the senate, stating he had been actively meeting with his constituents, but failed to document an official report. He also pointed out he had only missed one meeting and his duties as president for Black Affairs Council sometimes requires him to arrive late or leave USG meetings early.

When asked if he would be willing to take his duties more seriously, Boddie mentioned his work as a senator from previous semesters shows his passion for the senate.

The senate voted to keep Boddie in USG after a secret-ballot vote.

Allen was not as fortunate as Boddie.

Allen, who had missed more than two meetings, left Wednesday’s meeting before he could defend himself against impeachment. The senators said that proved he did not care about the organization and voted him off the senate with a unanimous decision.

The finance committee will also have a new look starting in the spring semester.

Finance committee chair Krystin McDermott and committee member Pricilliano Fabian will leave the group because of executive positions they are taking outside of USG.

Constitutional guidelines require senators who hold executive positions in other groups to leave the finance committee so there is no favoritism.

Senator Ashley Epps, the current vice chair for the committee, will take over as chair in the spring.

Blog Wars: What are you doing to be green?

Shaneika Booker:

In order to be green I am using those really expensive light bulbs. I really don’t understand why they are so helpful; I am actually only using the light bulbs because they came with my lamp. I would like to do things to go greener but i don’t really know what to do and most of the things that I do know, I don’t really have the patience for. However, i will eventually catch on to the whole “going green” fad.

Audra Ord:

In my effort to save the world and some precious H2O, I am now using an outhouse and I have completely forgone showering.

Okay, so not really. I’m still as hygienic as I was before Al Gore warned us all that the earth is going to collapse on itself. But after living in Boulder, Colo., for a summer and developing a hippie mindset, I have altered a few things in my routine to save a little energy here and there. Here are some simple suggestions that you can implement in your life.

1. Recycle. Honestly, there is no excuse for not taking a few seconds to separate your papers and your plastics. If you don’t want to get a bin to collect recyclables in, use a cardboard box.

2. Ride your bike/walk/skate/unicycle to work and school. You’ll get exercise and save a some fossil fuels — it’s like killing saving two birds with one stone.

3. Unplug electronics when you’re not using them. You’d be surprised at how much phantom energy a cell phone charger uses, even when your phone’s not connected to it.

Alexis Boudreau:

It’s the little things, really. Turn off the light when I leave the room. Unplug the cell phone charger when I’m not charging the phone. Don’t run the water the entire time I’m brushing my teeth.

Coincidentally, these are also the things that save me money on my monthly bills.

Amber Fijolek:

I feel like we can do more to be green. When I was studying abroad in Spain, it was stressed by my program liaison, my landlord, and my Spanish host family that I need to conserve. I lived very differently there for the duration of three months, but there were three distinct reasons for which I consider Spaniards to be more green:

Propane was stressed to be turned off when it wasn’t being used (something my roommates and I in my apartment struggled with because most of us were used to having gas available at the twirl of our hot-water faucets).

Showers were stressed to be short. I was yelled at by my spanish host mother when she thought I had left the water running while I shampooed, loofah-ed and conditioned (something I struggled with because I tend to get cold while standing wet in a shower stall with no water running).

There were no such things as clothes-dryers. Everything was hung in a patio-area out-side to dry (something I struggled with because I lost about a third of the wardrobe I had brought there to the neighbors that lived below me in my apartment building.)

Now that I’m back, I don’t light up a gas tank before I jump in the shower or turn on the stove, nor do I risk not seeing my favorite shirts again by letting them sway in the wind attached to string by  flimsy clothespins, but the shower thing stuck, making my green contributions considerable. My showers are limited as it is because I don’t have the time to take them as often or for as long as I’d like to, but what I lack in cleanliness, i make up for in the good-sense-of-self I feel for turning off the water when I’m not rinsing.

AND I recycle, too.

Defense by the numbers

By Luis C. Medina

First, I’d like to reintroduce the Beyond the Stat Sheet blog, where numbers matter. Important statistics will be highlighted in bold-faced type.

Now, on to business.

Coming into its game against Saint Louis University, the SIU men’s basketball team struggled on the defensive end. It was coming off three straight losses in which its opponents (Duke, UCLA & Western Kentucky) averaged 79.6 points per game. It looked as if “Floorburn U” was a blip in the rearview mirror, but the Salukis stepped up their game and took it to the Billikens.

Granted, the SLU offense isn’t going to be confused with the Harlem Globetrotters as it averages only 56.2 points per game, but it is encouraging that SIU was able to shutdown its L-squared offensive attack led by guards Kevin Lisch and Tommie Liddell III.

Lisch and Liddell average 14.2 and 12.8 points per game, respectively, and they got theirs Tuesday night. But Chris Lowery’s bunch shut down their teammates, holding the Billikens almost 8 points below their season average.

Prior to the Salukis’ match up against SLU, they had allowed opposing offenses to average 72.8 points per game. A far cry from past SIU squads that were defending teams as soon as they got into Carbondale city limits. By only allowing 48 points to the Billikens, it dropped its opponents PPG four points as it allowed 24.8 points less than it had allowed coming into the game.

And while the SIU offense isn’t going to drop a hunny (or a hundred for those of you grammatically inclined) on its opponents, keeping its opponents off the scoreboard is as important as scoring.

I know my classic saying is “You can’t win if you don’t score”, but you can’t win if the other team scores more than you do.

Things not to do during finals week

By: Allison Petty and Diana Soliwon

10. Drink your sorrows away. While this may seem like a fantastic idea at the time, the imminent hangover will lead you to do destructive things. See #9.

9. Burn all of your notes in effigy outside of your professors’ homes. They will still make you take the final (unless you are in jail … but we can’t be sure).

8. Frantically Facebook-stalk ex-boyfriends, ex-girlfriends, friends, acquaintances, celebrities and people you barely know. Social networking sites provide ample opportunities for procrastination, but when it’s over, it’s more like a one night stand – you just want to take a shower and forget all you know.

7. Cry.

6. Hide under your desk/in your closet/under your covers/in an abandoned car. They can still see you.

5. Call in crazy. DOES NOT WORK.

Example:

“Hi, (insert professor’s name). I just, I know, I mean, I haven’t really been – look, it’s been a really bad semester. (Begin to sniffle.) Bad, like, my (grandma/cat/fish/aunt/cactus/pet rock) died. Also, I was diagnosed with (insert really long nonsensical word ending in -itis). (Begin to breathe heavily.) And then the love of my life abandoned me for a reality show competition runner-up who is much, MUCH younger than me. (Voice begins to screech.) I just, (primal moan), NEED, (howl), TO TAKE MY FINAL SOME OTHER TIME!

“Like never. Thanks! Byeeee.”

Again. Does not work.

4. Flirt with/proposition your professor. Highly inadvisable, and if it is effective … you will probably regret it. Remember that feeling you have after you Facebook-stalk? This is 14,000 times worse.

See also: SIUC’s sexual harassment policy.

3. Crack.

2. Attempt to break the world record of sleep deprivation (about 11 days).

1. Plagiarize.

See also: SIU’s plagiarism policy.