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By Laurynn Davey, Assistant Editor Photos by Callie Hoadley During the tough times of COVID-19, a worldwide pandemic affecting many individuals, I have found myself both lonely and deeply affected by my mental health. Not being able to see my friends and hang out with them (as I normally would have a year ago) has brought me down both physically and mentally, and I’m sure the same can be said for other students. So I thought to myself, how can I escape this loneliness? For me, the answer was obvious. I need my cat.  For many young adults, college tends to be a difficult time. Meeting the expectations of professors and coaches, keeping up their grade point average, and just attending classes in general takes a toll on students. For students who live out of state, it’s particu...

By Haley Rey, Head Copyeditor Photos from Google McKendree is a very small university. When it comes to numbers, it better resembles a high school than a university. It’s always been said that we are a family here; in fact, that’s how we draw people in. Our professors know us on a personal level and, as a small community of students, we all know one other quite well—or, at least, of one another. For this reason, it does not go unnoticed when one of our beloved Bearcats disappears. At McKendree, just like any other university, there are plenty of people making an effort to help students feel welcome—recruiters, faculty and staff, student ambassadors, and coaches all try to give the students here reasons to stay. So, why have so many people left? Our school has become quieter and q...

By Mikayla Walton, Associate Editor Photos from Google If anyone is a big horror fan like I am, then perhaps you have heard of Dead by Daylight. Dead by Daylight is an online asymmetrical survival horror game, meaning there are 4 “survivors” going up against one “killer.” Yes, it is very dark, but the game itself is an interesting concept. Typically, as a player you get to choose whether or not you play as a survivor or a killer, but that isn’t even the best part. The best part is that the game itself has taken horror icons from every corner of the horror verse” and shoved them into one game! Well, maybe not every corner—there are no Stephen King characters making an appearance (yet).  Despite the lack of killer child-eating clowns such as Pennywise, you are liable to face many d...

By Kevin Memminger, contributing writer Photos from Harvard Gazette, Blackburn Center, and Unsplash In the society that we live in today, there is an influx on the importance of inclusion. There are millions of people protesting social issues across the country, whether they are for them or against them. During the late 2010’s the #MeToo movement began, addressing sexual harassment, abuse, and violence that women faced with public figures, as well as average joes. #MeToo produced one of the most prominent feminist movements. The movement addressed and publicized accusations of harassment that women face every day, whether that be in their everyday lives or their professions. The #MeToo movement is faced with constant backlash, as the feminist movements continue to deal with criticis...

By IS, contributing writer Photo from Adam Zyglis, cartoonist for Buffalo News When asked who in the United States has the greatest amount of power—how would you answer? Surely it must be the commander in chief or the legislators of congress that pen the laws, right? Or maybe you would argue: no, Izzy, that can’t be right. Checks and balances prevent any monopolies of power, this isn’t a dictatorship. And according to your 10th-grade textbook, you would be correct. The three branches of government—Executive, Legislative, and Judicial—were created to balance one another; they were created to limit each other’s power to avoid despotism. But in my humble opinion, the judicial branch is easily one of the most powerful of all, surpassing even that of the president.  As a student ...

By Victoria Sananikone, Editor In Chief Photos from Google and Justseeds I recently finished up a 10-day quarantine that I decided to wait out back in Texas. On my 12-hour drive back to Illinois, I couldn’t get enough of the TED Radio Hour podcast, each episode resonating deep within me. There was one episode titled “Slowing Down,” that talked about the stigma associated with procrastinating, a practice we have always believed to be detrimental to our productivity and overall success. These concepts are simply not true. It’s not just procrastinating; the world continuously feeds us the idea that we cannot slow down. You have to live fast and furious. You cannot look back. You have to be one step in front of your competition, or you will fall behind. If you want to be successful,...

By Haley Rey, Head Copyeditor Photos from anjuansimmons, rmselca, and reddit Video from TikTok Loneliness is one of the most difficult things to make the best of. During this pandemic, everyone can say they’ve felt the pain of loneliness at one point or another. So much has been taken away—community, certain freedoms, favorite activities, relationships, and plenty more. At McKendree, precautions have been taken just as the rest of the nation and/or world has done. However, the inevitability of loneliness has proven itself this semester when it comes to schooling. If there’s one word we’re all likely to be sick of, it’s this: Zoom.  An example of what some professors see every day. When we thought we only had to finish the back half of a Spring semester via Zoom, it was a he...

By Chloe Gamber, contributing writer When discussing one’s journey through art, there is never enough that can be said. We experience art and impressions of it even as an infant. Colors, shapes, and forums are seen but the fovea in charge of seeing details is not developed until age six. This gives comprehension to how visually we form and why children exercise their creative skills around such as age even if they may not continue to be as passionate about art when they grow. As we grow, we can assume our past mindsets, but we cannot get the same impact as we did at that moment. When analyzing my work, I feel interested in the possible thought processes behind them. There is no endpoint for us when we look at our past, present, and possible future art growth because it is ever-growing...

By Laurynn Davey, Assistant Editor Feature photo from Unsplash Interpersonal Communication is the ability to identify, connect with, and analyze interpersonal communication concepts by engaging in critical reflection, engaged discussion, and applied learning. To achieve this objective, over the course of several weeks, our COM 252 class will attempt to help our MCK students by providing advice and suggestions for creating and maintaining healthy relationships. The goal is to synthesize the content we have learned from this class, the class text, research, personal experiences, and write for public consumption. Dear Bogey, I have been getting very close to a friend whom I recently met at a party a few months ago. A few weeks ago I was dealing with a family tragedy and she was ...

By Kevin Memminger, contributing writer Photos from CNN and Yahoo Sports Throughout this year, the United States has struggled to find a solution to contain the spread of COVID-19. With over 8 million cases across the country, there has yet to be a premier stoppage in the spread of this disease. The National Basketball Association, also known as the NBA, was directly affected by the disease and suspended all operations. However, after a 141-day hiatus, the NBA season was resumed through egregious safety rules and regulations.  The NBA was able to combat COVID with remarkable success, and with zero cases since the restart. They did it with millions of dollars, Mickey Mouse, and essentially a really big bubble. When the NBA suspended all basketball operations on March 11, after a p...