Daily Egyptian

Budget cuts have led to the merging of two offices and one man losing his job.

The University Programming Office and the Student Life office merged on July 1, in what’s now known as the Office of Student Engagement.

Blake Bradley, the coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life, will not have his contact renewed because of budget cuts and the new blended office.

Bradley was hired on a one-year interim basis to oversee Fraternity and Sorority Life. He took over the position after Andy Morgan became the acting associate Dean of Students.

The coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life serves as the primary staff member working with the univeristy’s 34 sorority and fraternities and four governing councils, Bradley said.

Vamsi Manne, associate director of the Student Center, said the decision not to

renew Bradley’s contract was made in an effort to be more fiscally responsible.

Manne said he will oversee the converged office and Morgan will again oversee the Greek community after Bradley’s departure.

Bradley said the university must make difficult decisions regarding finances and the budget to provide the same quality experience for as many students as possible.

“At the end of the day, at least in my opinion, it is vastly important that decisions made result in minimizing the negative impact on the student experience,” Bradley said.

Since Bradley’s contract wasn’t renewed, he will no longer be employed by SIU after Dec. 30.

“I am pursing options at this time and hope to find a fit at a university setting,” Bradley said. “Wherever I end up, I do know it will be falling up versus falling down.”

The SIU Board of Trustees approved the replacement of the Neckers Building heating and air conditioning system, and renovations of parking lots near Saluki Stadium and SIU Arena on Thursday.

Interim Chancellor Brad Colwell and Kevin Bame, vice chancellor of administration and finance, recommended the proposals for the renovations.

Parking lots 37 and 52, which are adjacent to the south side of the Engineering Building, and the section of Saluki Drive between US Route 51 and Douglas Drive will undergo resurfacing. The work is anticipated to happen next summer.

The projects are expected to cost $750,000, which will be paid for by the Parking Division and Parking Facilities Replacement and Reserve Fund.

Each lot will also have lighting replaced and mounts for possible security cameras to be installed. Cameras may be installed if renovation costs are less than the projected

amount, otherwise it will be deferred. “The infrastructure would be there if we

wanted to run security cameras,” Bame said. “I think eventually we will go there.”

He said the strip of road has wear and tear from traffic and the base has given out. A new asphalt top will be laid after the base is restructured.

“The infrastructure under it is not as solid,” Bame said. “It’s going to be a little bit more extensive work on that section.”

The HVAC system in Neckers, which has been in use since 1963, is also past its prime.

Sam Quinn, a freshman from Pontiac studying zoology, said many classrooms in Neckers tend to be abnormally hot and some teachers even have to open doors to try to cool the rooms.

Bame said the estimated lifespan of the unit is between 30 to 40 years.

“It’s been maintained, and that’s been the reason we’ve been able to get some extra life out of it,” he said. “Now it’s time to replace it.”

Daily EgyptianTUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2015 DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM SINCE 1916 VOL. 100 ISSUE 30

@DAILYEGYPTIAN

Prepping for the test

Jacob Wiegand | @JacobWiegand_DEMinju Kim (tbottom-left), a sophomore from Korea studying business and marketing; Mohammed Alabdulwahab (bottom-right), a sophomore from Saudi Arabia studying electrical engineering; and Yae Ji Kim (top-right), a sophomore from Korea studying biological science, study for their statistics and calculus exams at the Student Center on Monday. Alabdulwahab said he is a bit stressed, but does not feel too bad about exams. Minju usually studies individually, but today decided to join her friends in the Student Center.

Neckers, parking lots to get upgrades next summerCORY RAY | @coryray_DE

KRISTEN LEVINE | @KLevine_DE

Cuts force restructuring of student programs

Please see CONSTRUCTION | 2Please see BRADLEY | 2

A letter to the Department of Justice from the Ferguson City Council indicates that the inability of citizens to review the cost of a federal monitor and proposed reforms are hindering an agreement between the city and federal agency.

Negotiations between the two parties began months ago, shortly after the Justice Department denounced Ferguson’s police and municipal court for constitutional violations and predatory policing after an investigation following the protests over the 2014 Michael Brown shooting.

The letter says the city objects to a DOJ deadline that passed Dec. 8, contending that city needs time to make residents aware of the cost of a federal monitor, which is projected at $350,000 the first year and $225,000 yearly afterward.

“The citizens of Ferguson must bear some responsibility to make community policing and other programs work and must pay all of the cost associated with the agreement,” the letter, dated Dec. 4, says. “They are entitled to know how the agreement and the associated costs will affect their families, their financial situation, the services they receive from the city and the overall outlook of the city.”

Despite the letter, signs of progress in the negotiations have surfaced over the past week.

Emily Davis, a member of a group

called the Ferguson Collaborative, said that DOJ officials met with the group Wednesday, advising it that Ferguson’s reluctance to approve an agreement may be softening and that a settlement could be reached within days.

Last week, the collaborative sent letters to city officials requesting that as part of the agreement police undergo recurring training on nonbias and nonprofiling practices and adopt robust community policing program — the top two concerns that came out of the group’s survey of 400 residents earlier this year.

As a part of its response to the collaborative, the city also drafted the letter to the DOJ, which noted that while it disagreed with some of the collaborative’s points, citizens “must have a fair opportunity to share their thoughts prior to any agreement being signed.”

Ferguson released the letter Monday in response to request from St. Louis Post-Dispatch under the state’s open records law.

A spokeswoman for the DOJ said in a statement: “The Justice Department continues to engage with the community on the issues addressed in our investigation. While we cannot comment on the content of negotiations, the tzalks with the City of Ferguson to develop a monitored consent decree have been productive. The department believes that in order to remedy the Justice Department’s findings an agreement needs to be reached without delay.”

Interim Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Lori Stettler made the decision to merge the offices.

“I think there were a few factors that went into the decision. But, at the root of it is efficiency — being fiscally efficient ... so we are providing the best services and efficiency in resources in a time when we cannot afford to operate in silos,” Manne said.

Tena Bennett, an associate director of the Student Center, said the new office will provide advisement, support and programming for student organizations and the student body as a whole.

The new office, now called the Office of Student Engagement, includes Fraternity and Sorority Life, Student Involvement, Student Leadership Programs, Student Programming Council, Student Council, Student Center Programs,

University Programs and advisement of Undergraduate Student Government as well as the Graduate and Professional Student Council.

Bennett said reorganizing the office space the departments currently occupy is being considered in order to be more efficient.

“With the current uncertainty of the state budget, we are being as efficient as we can with all funds,” Bennett said. “While specific cuts have been limited, we are looking at all ways to best manage the funds we are appropriated.”

Manne said that members of the university have gotten creative on ways to deal with the budget crisis.

“The good thing is that offices are willing to collaborate on ideas and programs because we simply cannot afford not to,” Manne said.

Kristen Levine can be reached at @KLevine_De or at klevine@

dailyegyptian.com

PAGE 2 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2015

Editor-in-Chief:

Managing Editor:

Campus Editor:

Sports Editor:

Photo Editor:

Assistant Photo Editor:

Multimedia Editor:

Digital Adviser:

Fax: (618) 453-3248

Email: [email protected]

Contact Us

Aaron Graff (618) 536-3397

[email protected]

Branda Mitchell (618) 536-3334

[email protected]

Austin Miller (618) 536-3325

[email protected]

Brent Meske (618) 536-3333

[email protected]

Aidan Osborne (618) 536-3327

[email protected]

Braden Barton (618) 536-3327

[email protected]

Aja Garman (618) 536-3327

[email protected]

Luke Nozicka (618) 536-3327

[email protected]

Advertising Manager:

Business Office:

Ad Production

Manager:

Faculty Managing Editor:

Dan Lausas, ext. 237

Arunima Bhattacharga, ext. 224

Jody Nelson, ext. 244

Eric Fidler, ext. 247

About UsThe Daily Egyptian is published by the students of

Southern Illinois University Carbondale 43 weeks per year, with an average daily circulation of 7,800. Fall and spring semester editions run Monday through Thursday. Summer editions run Tuesday and Wednesday. All intersession editions run on Wednesdays. Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale and Carterville communities. The Daily Egyptian online publication can be found at www.dailyegyptian.com.

Mission StatementThe Daily Egyptian, the student-run newspaper of

Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is committed to being a trusted source of news, information, commentary and public discourse, while helping readers understand the issues affecting their lives.

SubmissionsLetters and guest columns must be submitted with author’s

contact information, preferably via email. Phone numbers are required to verify authorship, but will not be published. Students must include year and major. Faculty must include rank and department. Others include hometown. Submissions should be sent to [email protected].

Copyright Information© 2015 Daily Egyptian. All rights reserved. All

content is property of the Daily Egyptian and may not be reproduced or transmitted without consent. The Daily Egyptian is a member of the Illinois College Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Advisers Inc. and the College Business and Advertising Managers Inc.

Publishing InformationThe Daily Egyptian is published by the students of

Southern Illinois University Carbondale and functions as a laboratory for the school of journalism in exchange for the room and utilities in the Communications Building. The Daily Egyptian is a non-profit organization that survives primarily off of its advertising revenue. Offices are in the Communications Building, Room 1259, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Ill., 62901. Uche Onyebadi, fiscal officer.

BRADLEYCONTINUED FROM 1

CONSTRUCTIONCONTINUED FROM 1

The renovations are expected to disrupt two teaching and research labs, according to the proposal presented to the Board.

Bame said the estimated $1.5 million project does not have a projected start date.

Brianna Daniels, a freshman from Pinckneyville studying biological sciences, has chemistry

lecture and lab in Neckers and said the heat can be even worse in the summer when attending lab because students must adhere to a dress code of pants and tennis shoes.

“You have to wear full clothing,” Daniels said. “We’re in this room that is super hot while it’s 85 degrees outside. It’s really hot.”

Cory Ray can be reached at [email protected] or at 536-3326

Ferguson says lack of public

input on cost, reforms are

obstacles to agreement with DOJ

STEPHEN DEERE ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

A year ago, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush began assembling his presidential campaign. He heads into Tuesday’s debate far from being the presumed favorite.

Bush has effectively been running for president for an entire year, traversing the country to collect benefactors’ checks, recruit staff, tackle fickle voters’ questions, and pledge, time and time again, that he would “show his heart” to win over the Republican primary electorate.

He has little to show for it.Bush announced on Facebook

last Dec. 16 that he would explore a 2016 Republican presidential bid. Prohibitive favorite, pundits asserted. Presumed front-runner. Political juggernaut.

A year later, Bush enters Tuesday night’s GOP primary debate in fifth place in many national polls, a drop that began in July, only a month after Bush formally launched his candidacy. The millions spent on his behalf for advertising — about $45 million by the Right to Rise USA super PAC, more than for any other candidate — may have halted his slide, but they’ve failed to move his numbers up.

The real juggernaut turned out to be celebrity real estate developer Donald Trump, who steamrolled into the race a day after Bush.

Republicans don’t start making decisions until the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses, which Bush’s camp has never expected to win. Voters in New Hampshire, who cast ballots Feb. 9, tend to make up their minds at the last minute, so Bush’s campaign insists he still has time to improve. Early polls, they like to say, aren’t necessarily predictive.

But a month ago, Bush was privately telling political donors that Trump’s popularity would be on the wane by Dec. 15. He was wrong: A national Monmouth University poll released Monday showed the real estate magnate garnering his highest support yet, 27 percentage points ahead of his nearest competitor, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Trump led Cruz 41-14 percent.

Bush’s tally? Three percent. And the former Florida governor is faring only marginally better in state-by-state polls.

His campaign largely blames the Trump effect.

“I don’t think anybody expected somebody with Donald Trump’s liberal track record leading the field in December,” Bush spokesman Tim Miller said Monday. “That said, Jeb knew from the start this was going to be a difficult race. He knew this nomination would have to be earned.”

“He continues to outwork everyone in the field,” Miller added.

“And in seven or eight weeks, when voters start picking a commander in chief to lead the country through perilous times, given Jeb’s proven track record and his plan to take on ISIS, he’s well-positioned to be that person.”

But Bush has also faltered on his own, according to about a dozen Florida political insiders interviewed by the Miami Herald. Before Trump was even a candidate, Bush took four tries in May to disavow his brother’s Iraq War — despite knowing that the question was inevitable. He built a campaign operation so large and expensive that manager Danny Diaz, brought in later, was forced to make two rounds of significant cuts.

Once Trump labeled Bush “low energy” in the late summer — despite Bush’s grueling campaign schedule and Florida reputation as a grinder — Bush struggled to respond. In their second debate in September, Bush repeatedly pushed Trump to apologize to Bush’s wife after suggesting Bush’s immigration views were tied to his wife’s Mexican heritage. Trump called her a “lovely woman” but never said sorry.

“Trump kind of took his lunch money,” said Dario Moreno, a Florida International University pollster backing Rubio. He pinpointed Bush’s fall to his failure to capitalize on the few weeks when

it looked as if the GOP contest had come down to Trump vs. Bush.

By the next debate in October, Bush had set his sights on Rubio, his one-time protege, for missing work in the Senate. But Bush’s rebuke appeared half-hearted, and Rubio got the better of him.

The best moments of Bush’s candidacy came early. By the end of January, he had flexed enough muscle — and locked in enough staffers and consultants — to keep Mitt Romney from running again. In February, Bush mostly held his own in front of a hostile audience, the Conservative Political Action Committee conference in Maryland.

Bush’s single best day, the people interviewed for this story unanimously agreed, was his kickoff speech, delivered forcefully to a packed auditorium June 15 at Miami Dade College’s Kendall campus. The place felt like a Latin-infused party, with live music and Spanish speakers (both of which helped minimize an interruption by immigration activists). Bush had practiced, and it showed.

Another highlight: the big reveal of Bush’s political cash. As of the end of June, Right to Rise had amassed a stunning $103 million, which, on top of the $11 million Bush had raised for his campaign, gave him the deepest pockets in the race. The

figure has kept Bush donors, many of them heavily invested in his candidacy, from bolting.

“People are going to get beyond the sound bites at some point,” said Rodney Barreto of Coral Gables, who attended Bush’s donor retreat at the Biltmore Hotel earlier this month. “I tell people often, ‘Donald Trump is the Kim Kardashian of politics.’ At some point, we’ll get over that.”

Some Bush aides privately admit the candidate, who last ran for office in 2002, was rusty, and the campaign was unprepared for the Trump phenomenon. Since then, more staff has moved to early states. Bush has shown notable improvement behind the microphone since hiring a media coach and image consultant. He gave a well-received speech on national defense days after the Paris terrorist attacks.

Yet all that mattered little to a Republican focus group of past and current Trump supporters held by pollster Frank Luntz last week in Alexandria, Va.

Luntz himself forgot to name Bush as a Trump alternative. When the group realized the omission, Luntz asked how many of the 28 voters would pick Bush as their second choice.

“Zero,” he said, as no hands were raised.

PAGE 3 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2015

What a difference a year makes for Jeb Bush’s presidential ambitionsPATRICIA MAZZEI | MIAMI HERALD

Opinion TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2015PAGE 4

‘Run, hide, fight’ at schoolThe day of the mass shooting in

San Bernardino, Calif., my son’s high school was placed on a short lockdown. He was remarkably nonchalant when I picked him up. “It was just a Level One,” he said, brushing off my concerns. “Everything’s fine now.”

It wasn’t, in fact; the horror was still unfolding and would come even closer to home that afternoon, when law enforcement found a veritable arsenal in the assailants’ townhouse. But I recognized my son’s need to normalize what had happened.

I listened attentively as he explained the difference in lockdown levels: A Level One is when an active shooter is in the town or city; a Level Two is when the shooter is in the neighborhood; and a Level Three is when the shooter is actually on campus.

During a Level One, my son

explained, teachers lock their classroom doors and lower the blinds. Some continue with the day’s lesson plans. Others choose to take the more extreme measures required during a Level Two or Three. They turn off the lights and instruct the kids to turn off their cellphones. They ask everyone to gather silently in the corner of the room farthest from the door and windows.

Once they’re given the all-clear signal, teachers may take additional time away from instruction to discuss what just happened, knowing that it’s hard for kids to snap right back to Latin or biology when they’ve just been contemplating a shooter on the loose.

I may be 33 years my son’s senior, but in many ways he’s more worldly. When I was in high school in the 1980s, the terms “active shooter,” “lockdown” and “shelter in place” weren’t buzzwords. “Active shooter”

entered the lexicon not long after the Columbine massacre in 1999. “Lockdown” has been around longer, but until recently was most commonly used in prisons.

In the wake of the Sandy Hook attack, the Department of Education released guidelines for school emergency plans. Specific requirements vary by state. California’s Education Code doesn’t mandate “active shooter” exercises but does expect school districts to develop comprehensive safety procedures for each campus. Some schools around the country, eager to stay ahead of the curve, have taken it upon themselves to stage simulations complete with uniformed officers, fake blood and student actors. Sometimes schools announce drills in advance; sometimes not. The goal is to minimize the “freeze” response, which can prove fatal. Instead, participants learn to “Run, Hide, Fight.”

I get it: Preparedness is key. But there are possible downsides

to these morbid war games. For starters, we don’t know how kids may respond to them in the long term. (There’s little research on the subject.) And they scare the hell out of the community. An “active shooter” drill at an Irvine elementary school in August was realistic enough that surprised neighbors called the police. Responding officers were unaware of the drill.

Our schools are confronting the new normal through preparations that would once have seemed ridiculous. At my daughter’s elementary school, the Parent Teacher Association voted to buy portable toilets and privacy curtains for kids to use during lockdowns. It was a prudent decision. After the school’s last lockdown, my daughter told me that a fellow second-grader had to pee in a trash can, shielded by a flip chart the teacher set up to provide privacy.

Somehow, we’ve gotten to the point in California where, like earthquakes, school shootings are an acknowledged part of our kids’ lives.

Each October, the state goes all out publicizing the Great California ShakeOut. The chirpy online “ShakeOut Shop” offers T-shirts, coffee mugs and buttons reminding Californians to “Drop, Cover and Hold On” in the event of an earthquake. Can a similarly upbeat “Bullet-Wise” preparedness day be far behind?

Teaching kids to “Run, Hide, Fight” reinforces the nihilistic view that mass shootings are inevitable, diverting energy from the struggle to stop them. Instead of crafting catchy phrases to help kids stay safe in the event of an atrocity, we should work toward stronger gun ownership background checks and assault-weapon restrictions. We need more than preparedness; we need prevention.

Lisa Lewis | LOS ANGELES TIMES

EDITORIAL CARTOON

PulseTUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2015 PAGE 5

‘In the Heart of the Sea’ falls off coarse

Thor plus “Moby Dick” does not equal interesting.

“In the Heart of the Sea,” directed by Ron Howard and starring Chris Hemsworth and Cillian Murphy, proves to be boring and mismanaged with only a few bright spots.

Owen Chase, a whaler, is hired as the first officer on the Essex. His Captain, George Pollard, Jr., is inexperienced and only hired him because of his name in the whaling business. Chase is hired to make sure this inexperience doesn’t get in the way.

While out in the middle of the sea, Pollard makes a bad decision to go to a dangerous spot and the crew end up attacked by a whale. The animal destroys the Essex, and the survivors end up stranded and having to do the worst to each other to survive.

Ron Howard, as a director, can be incredibly hit or miss.

“In the Heart of the Sea” is definitely a miss. The scripting was stilted and undeveloped.

Whether Howard or screenwriter Charles Leavitt is to blame is hard to say. What is easily talked about is how the dialogue of this film comes straight from an after school special and audience members are unable to connect with any character.

Some roles don’t even come off as archetypes. Pollard, as an example, is underused and the rich jerk shtick goes nowhere.

In the Heart of the Sea’s tone and storytelling ability fails the movie hard.

The trailers for this film made it seem like a monster movie involving a whale. Instead, it serves as a tale of survival and what people will do to live.

This isn’t a problem, except for how the actual telling of the story is treated. It feels more like a boring history professor lecturing

about an event, than a heartfelt, emotionally gripping tale of desperation and survival.

The actual technical aspects of the film are fine, but the movie rarely does anything differently when it comes to camera angles, lighting or musical arrangement. When it does, it detracts from the film a bit. But overall, the normal presentation of these aspects comes off as beautiful.

Howard knows how to make a movie, even if sometimes it doesn’t turn out well. His technical direction helps make this film passable in some ways.

Jacob Pierce can be reached at [email protected] or at 536-3326.

JACOB PIERCE | @JacobPierce1_DE

The Jacob Show

MultimediaTo see a video report visit:

www.dailyegyptian.com

How do you prepare for ‘Star Wars: The Force

Awakens’? Buying a ticket could be enough

Close to 40 years after “Star Wars” changed the pop-culture landscape, fans are bracing for the newest installment, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” in theaters this week.

The official opening is Friday but there are showings on Thursday. Some are sold out already. Commercials and stores are pitching all sorts of “Force Awakens” merch — or just want to be connected to the movie in some way. “Few things feel like the first time you saw Star Wars,” says one ad, before suggesting that a new car can cause the same feeling.

But if you have not already experienced “Star Wars” exhaustion, you may be facing another question: How much do I really need to know to see this movie?

Do I need to know if Han shot first?

Or what the deal was with Jar Jar Binks?

Or how to spell Wookiee? (Yes, it’s two e’s.)

Do you need to come over to my house and watch my old VHS tapes of

Star Wars movies, which I can’t give up because original maestro George Lucas kept messing with the movies?

OK, maybe there was some nerd TMI there. Still, for some people, such as super-devoted fans and copy editors, details matter a great deal. There’s a long and tangled history attached to “Star Wars,” in which “The Force Awakens” is the seventh live-action film. (Completists might consider it the eighth movie in total, since there’s also the animated “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.”)

The Los Angeles Times devoted an estimated 8,000 words to a style guide detailing the proper names of films, characters and gear — as well as how to keep track of the various releases, re-releases and home-viewing versions of the movies.

Based solely on the trailers for “The Force Awakens,” fans have launched debates about what will happen — and what should or should not.

But, again, how should you dip into the “Star Wars” legacy to prepare for the new film?

Here are four suggestions, arranged in increasing order of commitment.

1. Do nothing (except get a ticket): Figure that whatever needs explaining

will be. After all, “The Force Awakens” is directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, who has previous experience with franchise titles (“Star Trek” and “Mission: Impossible”).

With the 2009 “Star Trek,” he successfully revived a series that had seemed dead seven years earlier. And he did it by making a movie that could be enjoyed by an audience with little or no prior knowledge — while pleasing the hardcore fans with references to “Trek” history.

Especially with so much time having passed (the first film was in 1977, the most recent one in 2005), “Star Wars” has to follow a path similar to “Trek’s.” That also means doing more than providing state-of-the-art effects. You also need story and character. Other-wise, you end up with “The Phantom Menace.”

One good sign: Abrams has said in interviews that the new film will not have two of the more controversial elements of the earlier films: Jar Jar Binks and Ewoks.

But let’s say you don’t want to be completely out of the legacy loop, especially if you’re sitting next to fans having a stage-whispered discussion throughout the film. Well, then ...

2. See “Return of the Jedi” (1983): The main chronology of “Star Wars” has up to now included six movies. But they were made out of order, with “Episode IV — A New Hope” kicking off the screen adventures, then followed by “Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back” and “Episode VI — Return of the Jedi” to seemingly wrap up the saga.

Then, 16 years later, Lucas went back before “Episode IV” to make “Episode I — The Phantom Menace” and two sequels leading up to the events in “A New Hope.” So, if you want to see the most recent events in Star Wars’ screen history before “The Force Awakens” (which itself is set decades after “Jedi”), just watch “Jedi.” That should tell you the key characters and ideas at work.

But those folks next to you are still whispering. So ...

3. Watch the original trilogy (“A New Hope,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Return of the Jedi”): Really, this is all you absolutely need. These are by far the best of the six films to date, with “Empire” often ranked the best of all, even with a cliffhanger ending. The movies are not without

flaw (including a still-weird arc in the Luke/Leia relationship). But if you want to understand everything that people love about “Star Wars,” these three will do it.

Which brings us to the worst-case preparation ...

4. Watch the six episodes: All right, this isn’t the worst of the worst. You could try to watch the “Clone Wars” movie and the TV versions, read all the companion novels, memorize Mark Clark’s “Star Wars FAQ” and maybe even find the “Star Wars” Christmas special.

You could check out all the side-by-side presentations on ways Lucas changed the films. You could study every single extra bit of footage; the Blu-ray of the six films has three discs of accumulated bonuses. But getting through those six movies will be challenging enough, since Episodes I-III (“The Phantom Menace,” “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith”) can be unbearable.

But at some point, you’re going to have to get out of the past and into “The Force Awakens.” Then you can decide how much you want to go into “Star Wars” past.

Rich Heldenfels

AKRON BEACON JOURNAL

Taylor Swift and Prince will release new

projects to streaming services

Taylor Swift and Prince are releasing exclusives to competing music streaming services they support, Swift serving up a free stream of a performance from her 1989 Tour for Apple Music, and Prince delivering his latest album on Tidal.

Swift took time Sunday, on

her 26th birthday, to make the announcement that “The 1989 World Tour Live” will stream free to Apple Music users on Dec. 20.

The performance was recorded during her tour stop in November in Sydney, Australia. In addition to video of the concert itself, the stream will include scenes from backstage and excerpts of rehearsals with many of the guests

she brought on stage with her in different cities over the course of the tour.

The stream will be offered at applemusic.com/TaylorSwift.

Meanwhile, Prince dropped his new album “Hitnrun Phase Two” over the weekend as an exclusive available only on the Tidal music service.

After working in recent years

with his stripped-down group 3rdEyeGirl, Prince has brought back his large-scale New Power Generation band on the new collection of a dozen tracks, several of them featuring a 16-piece horn section combining Prince’s NPG Hornz and Minneapolis-based Hornheads.

It was recorded over a period of about four years, according to

Prince’s spokeswoman.Among the tracks on “Hitnrun

Phase Two” is “Baltimore,” the call for peace and better understanding that he released in the wake of rioting sparked by racial clashes in that city.

The new album follows quickly on the heels of “Hitnrun Phase One” that Prince released on Sept. 7.

Randy Lewis | LOS ANGELES TIMES

Today’s Birthday (12/15/15). Expand your territory, with Saturn in your sign this year. Renew your domestic space this spring for a social year, especially after Jupiter enters Libra (on 9/9). Creative collaborations thrive. New professional doors open after next autumn, provoking domestic alterations. Take action for what

you love.To get the advantage, check the day’s

rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Action goes farther than words. Slow and steady does it. Harmony requires effort. Confer with a wise elder. Don’t show a loved one unfinished work. Get it done first. Your past work shows what you can do.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 6 -- Settle into a meditative mood. Clean house, and discover stuff you’d forgotten. Tidy up and enjoy the results. Unexpected expenses or controversy could shake up your daydreams. Listen to your team. Together, you can pull off miracles.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Remember the rules. Costs are higher than expected. The more you complete, the more you advance. Balance all accounts. Your skills are admired. Make sure you understand

what’s already expected of you. Then go to committee.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Be patient, and stand firm. Fix up old before buying new. Don’t stir up jealousies. A partner can help you advance. Follow a strong leader. Hold out for the best. Humility is a virtue. Show a skeptic about love.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Talk it over with your partner before taking on more work. Figure out what’s going on behind the scenes. Travel is possible. Try a new mode of transportation. You’re gaining points with someone you admire.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Share the load, and get family in on the action. A physical job goes faster with extra hands. Parcel out tasks. Don’t be too critical. Make an overdue change at home. Feed everyone who shows up.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Set realistic goals, and schedule steps. Invest in your business. Show up on time. Keep your word and avoid a confrontation. Take another’s opinion into account. Being productive pays off. Think about personal decisions. Plan a social event.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 6 -- Technology makes your work easier. Connect with someone influential. Share resources. Friends provide motivation. Get together in person and teach each other. Collaborations get farther. Let people know what you’re up to and invite participation.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 6 -- Invest in fixing up your place. Repair something before it breaks. Replace something volatile with something secure. Guard against overspending or overindulging. Organize supplies. Completion leads to advancement. Enjoy the support of home comforts.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Make a date for something you don’t get to do very often. Don’t worry about someone who doesn’t understand you. Creativity makes it more interesting. Replenish your reserves by spending time with friends. Laugh and play together.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- Apply finishing touches to creative work at home. Play with color, form and line. Replace something that’s broken. New paint works wonders. Use something you’ve been saving. Purchase one new item. Tap into a secret source.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Set aside old fears, and follow your curiosity. Explore the subject of your fascination. Friends teach what they know. Someone finds your obsession charming. Get energized by their enthusiasm. The draw seems magnetic. Discover new terrain together.

<< Answers for Monday’s Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk

207 West Main StreetCarbondale, IL 62901Ph. 1-800-297-2160

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

FOR RELEASE DECEMBER 15, 2015

ACROSS1 Big name in

designer bags6 Wild guess

10 “Oh, darn!”14 Edmonton NHL

player15 Caen’s river16 World’s longest

river17 Gets dirty18 Facts and

figures19 “My life. My card”

co.20 Madison or

Jackson, e.g.23 Start of

something?24 Figs.25 Golf lesson

subject29 Little taste30 Illegal diamond

pitch32 Workplace social

event36 MADD concern37 Scottish denials38 Many a

Monopoly rd.39 “__ No

Sunshine”: BillWithers hit

40 EmancipationProclamationfirst name

41 Camper’s giftfrom home

45 Like the Titanic47 Monk’s title48 Put up a fight49 Bikini part50 Float up and

down53 Deviation from a

normal routine,and a hint to thispuzzle’s circles

57 Traffic complaint

60 Prejudicial view61 Churchgoer’s

donation62 Figure skating

leap63 Tackling a

problem64 Bygone

anesthetic65 Shopping bag66 Cravings67 Salon

employees

DOWN1 Wild West law

group2 Laugh-a-minute

types3 Name after 39-

Down4 Shoulder

muscle,informally

5 Pesticide poison6 Coke and Pepsi7 Catch8 Voting against9 Skedaddles

10 “CSI” facility11 Canyon edge12 Pub choice13 Apt name for a

Dallas cowboy?21 Deal with it22 Divorce

proceeding rep.26 Gymnast

Comaneci27 Stuck28 A-list group29 Sally, to Charlie

Brown30 Fed the piggy

bank31 Word in some

private schoolnames

32 Broadcasting

33 Story with alesson

34 Senses35 Remove, as a

rind39 Police blotter

letters41 Payment option42 “Way to go, kid!”43 Hardly a buzz cut44 Skillfully made46 Prone to flip-

flopping

49 Triumphs over50 Get clean51 Earth pigment52 Pub choices54 Four and five, but

not six and seven55 Dieter’s setback56 “That’s a shame”57 Bowler or boater58 Kitchen gadgets

brand59 Common URL

ending

Monday’s Puzzle SolvedBy C.W. Stewart 12/15/15

©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC 12/15/1512/15/15

Monday’s Answers

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2015 7

Former Saluki fullback Mika’il McCall on Monday announced via Facebook he has joined the Indoor Football League and will play with the Nebraska Danger.

The Danger won the Intense Conference last season, and lost in the United Bowl 62-27 to the Sioux Falls Storm.

McCall’s best season at SIU was in 2012, his sophomore season, after he transferred from University of Iowa. He played in all 11 games, starting four, and had 662 total yards and nine touchdowns.

Former coach Dale Lennon cut McCall for disciplinary reasons after the 2013 season opener.

McCall returned to the team in 2014, and played in seven games, rushing for 308 yards and two touchdowns.

He did not travel with the team when they played Missouri State for disciplinary reasons. He played in seven of the nine games before Missouri State, and did not play the remainder of the season.

Waymon James is the only running back on The Danger’s roster. He played for Texas Christian University and was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He did not post any stats in the NFL.

On Thursday, The Danger announced 16 new additions to the team. IFL teams are allowed up to 40 players at pre-season camps, but the roster needs must be set at 25 by the first game.

The additions include former SIU nose tackle Kayon Swanson, who played with the Salukis from 2008 to 2012. Swanson recorded 136 tackles in 45 games through four seasons.

Swanson was named the national Defensive Player of the Week after a Sept. 10, 2011 game against University of Mississippi. He had eight tackles, three tackles for a loss and two sacks in the 42-24 loss.

McCall and Swanson were teammates at SIU during the 2012 season.

The Danger begin their season at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 with a home game against the Wichita Falls Nighthawks.

Sports TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2015PAGE 8

Former Saluki joins Indoor Football LeagueBRENT MESKE | @brentmeskeDE

DAILY EGYPTIAN File Photo

Scouting the Racers

It’s finals week at SIU, and the men’s basketball team has a competition-free week until traveling Saturday to Murray State.

Here’s a preview of the matchup:Murray State — 7 p.m. Friday at CFSB

Center, Murray, Ky.Coach Barry Hinson and the Salukis

return to the CFSB Center for the first time since Hinson’s infamous post-game rant after a 73-65 loss on Dec. 17, 2013.

The all-time series between the Racers and Salukis is tied at 16-16. Murray State has won the matchup the previous two seasons.

First-year head coach Matt McMahon is establishing his own reputation with the Racers, who went 31-2 in 2011 when he was an assistant coach.

This year he has led Murray State

through a tough non-conference schedule, playing four top-100 Rating Percentage Index teams. The Racers won against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 17 and against Milwaukee on Nov. 23. The teams are 74 and 89, respectively, in RPI rankings.

SIU’s only game against a top-100 team was a 72-69 win against Kent State on Nov. 18. Murray State will be the third top-150 RPI opponent thus far on the schedule, joining UTEP.

The Salukis will be the Racers’ third consecutive Missouri Valley Conference opponent. They lost 85-81 in overtime to Evansville on Dec. 5, and lost to Illinois State 63-61 on Dec. 13.

Murray State is shooting 44 percent overall and 33 percent from three-point range this season. SIU is shooting 48 and 35.6 percent, respectively.

Junior guard Bryce Jones is shooting

three-pointers at 39.3 percent for the Racers. He is also the leading free-throw shooter at 93.5 percent.

The Racers have shot 168 free throws this year, compared to the Salukis’ 273.

Murray’s likely five starters average between 9.6 and 14.4 points per game, but its bench is not deep. Three bench players have played in nine of the Racers’ 10 games, while SIU has had five players off the bench in all 11 games.

Senior forward Wayne Langston leads the team with 14.4 points per game and a 67.7 field goal percentage. Langston is Murray State’s second tallest player at 6 feet, 7 inches. Saluki junior center Bola Olaniyan and senior center Ibby Djimde will likely guard Langston.

Sean Carley can be reached at [email protected] or at 536-3304.

DAILY EGYPTIAN File Photo

SEAN CARLEY | @SCarleyDE

Salukis reconstructed as a true team

Saluki men’s basketball coach Barry Hinson could probably pursue a second career as a disaster recovery specialist if he wanted.

After last season’s 12-21 season and five player, two assistant coach exodus, Hinson had to fill six roster spots with four months until fall practices began. The team is 9-2 this season, and with a week until conference season starts it appears Hinson accomplished that mission.

“We’re 9-2 and we were picked ninth in the [Missouri] Valley,” Hinson said. “Right now, we’re on top of the Valley.”

The five players who left after last season averaged 29 points and 13.5 rebounds per game combined. This year’s additions are averaging 21.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Hinson said he was honest with recruits’ families about how hard he was going to work them, and what their role would be.

The stats may seem like a drop off, but junior guard Tyler Smithpeters said the unselfish nature of the team picks up the slack.

“We care about the team more than ourselves,” he said. “Whether you play the most minutes or least minutes, it’s about getting the win.”

The Salukis have 139 assists in 11 games this year. At this pace they would finish the year with 404. The Dawgs had 274 in 33 games last season.

Junior guard Leo Vincent said the team’s chemistry has been the most significant contribution to their triumphs this year.

“We got a group of guys that like to see everybody succeed,” he said. “Everybody has bought in to what we’re trying to do.”

But, the team’s bond also goes beyond the arena.“[Off the court] we all really get along together,” Smithpeters

said. “Whether it’s playing [video game franchise NBA] 2K, or watching college basketball, or basketball in general, we have a good time together.”

Hinson said he enjoys practice everyday because he genuinely likes the players on his team, and the positivity echoes through the rest of the coaching staff.

First-year assistant coach Brad Autry dives on the locker room floor following Saluki wins and the team piles on top of him.

“Every time we win, he just comes in and sits there. Then all of a sudden he starts yelling and just dives on the floor,” Smithpeters said. “It’s fun, but it really just gets us pumped up.”

Sean Carley can be reached at [email protected] or at 536-3304.

SEAN CARLEY | @SCARLEYDE