How origami influences science
Guest Commentary by Rashmita Kashyap
Have you ever imagined the power of a piece of paper? Paper was said to be documented during the Eastern Han period (25 – 220 CE), when paper was primarily used for artwork, writing and for packaging staffs. In 105 CE, Chai Lun, a Chinese court official has brought up the idea of paper. His paper making skills mainly involved fishnet, old rags, hemp waste and bark of trees. During the 6th century, Buddhist monks carried the concept of paper making to Korea and Japan. In 1680, Ihara Saikaku, a Japanese poet first described Origami through butterflies. Origami is a compound of two Japanese words: "ori" meaning to fold and "gami" translates to "paper". In 1797, Senbazuru Orikata, the first origami instruction book was published revealing several origami stories from Japanese culture. Origami, the ancient art of Japanese paper-folding, has been used for creating stunning works of art for years, but we never focused on the fact that origami can be used in many practical applications like car airbags, stents and even in space applications. Robert Salazar, a technologist from NASA said, "Seeing the single uncut sheet, it has everything you need to create all of the origami that has ever been folded. It is all in the single sheet so there is endless potential". His endless efforts on paper-folding sheets have been appreciated at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The underlying mathematics of origami has proved an efficient technique of folding large thin sheets used in the biggest rockets in NASA, which is only 5 meters in diameter. Eventually, many space projects have used the folding principles of Origami like the solar array wings on the ISS (International Space Station) which uses a "Z" folding pattern and the Mars Phoenix lander used a fan - folded solar array, called the Ultra Flex. Have you ever tried to take a picture of someone when the bright sun is beating down on them? Your subject is washed out and it is impossible to capture any detail. Well, this is the same problem faced by astronomers while trying to image exoplanets. For an earth-sized exoplanet orbiting a sun like star, they can’t be imaged in detail, because the stars they circle are much brighter than they are. This is when the Starshade comes in, to help suppress that bright light to better help astronomers learn more about these mysterious planets and look for bio signatures for life. Starshade is roughly the size of a baseball diamond. So, the researchers came up with a way of folding these very large structures that can be launched into space inside a rocket. Once it gets into space it can unfold itself. This giant space flower, under development at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, may look simple in design but not in mathematical implementation with a requirement of accuracy in millimetres. Origami has been practiced on Earth for years, and scientists will continue to draw inspiration from it to help package big space structures more efficiently. From solar sails that use sunlight for propulsion, to sun – shades for space telescopes like Gaia, and the James Webb which was launched in 2019. When it comes to the future of space exploration, if we want to think big we also have to think small.
About the author: Rashmita Kashyap is working as a training officer for the Indian government at Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in India. She has completed her master's from National Institute of Technology, Arunachal Pradesh and has authored several scientific journals for research proposals. She enjoys great food, likes to travel and have a passion for adventures in her leisure time.
Porter, Kimball combine for 41 points against Pontiac
Box Score
| Unity | 13 | 13 | 11 | 27 | - 64 |
| Rantoul | 20 | 13 | 20 | 21 | - 74 |
Unity
Kimball 3 (4) 3-5 -- 21, Cowan 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Hensch 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Rawdin 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Rutledge 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Knoll 2 (2) 0-0 -- 10, Porter 2 (5) 1-2 -- 20, Drennan 3 (0) 0-0 -- 6, Page 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Langendorf 3 (0) 1-3 -- 7, Alt 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Jokisch 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0. Pontiac
Bauman 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Friedman 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Adcock 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Murphy 1 (2) 3-5 -- 11, Bauknecht 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Gerdes 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Cramer 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Brummel 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Davis 1 (0) 6-7 -- 8, Monahan 1 (2) 0-0 -- 8, Trevino 2 (3) 4-8 -- 17, Barnett 6 (0) 8-10 -- 20, Kuska 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Cheek 1 (2) 0-0 -- 8, Brummel 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0.
Kimball 3 (4) 3-5 -- 21, Cowan 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Hensch 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Rawdin 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Rutledge 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Knoll 2 (2) 0-0 -- 10, Porter 2 (5) 1-2 -- 20, Drennan 3 (0) 0-0 -- 6, Page 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Langendorf 3 (0) 1-3 -- 7, Alt 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Jokisch 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0. Pontiac
Bauman 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Friedman 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Adcock 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Murphy 1 (2) 3-5 -- 11, Bauknecht 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Gerdes 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Cramer 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Brummel 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Davis 1 (0) 6-7 -- 8, Monahan 1 (2) 0-0 -- 8, Trevino 2 (3) 4-8 -- 17, Barnett 6 (0) 8-10 -- 20, Kuska 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Cheek 1 (2) 0-0 -- 8, Brummel 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0.
Vaccines for kids could be available by September according to Fauci
by Caroline Chen, ProPublica
Children as young as first graders may be able to get the coronavirus vaccine by the time school starts in September, presuming trials are successful in those age groups, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview with ProPublica.
Photo: Matthew Henry / Burst
"We’re in the process of starting clinical trials in what we call age de-escalation, where you do a clinical trial with people 16 to 12, then 12 to 9, then 9 to 6," Fauci said. When asked what was the youngest age group that might be authorized for the vaccine by September, he said, "I would think by the time we get to school opening, we likely will be able to get people who come into the first grade." As optimistic as Fauci is, several pediatricians and infectious disease experts said they wish the pediatric trials would move more quickly. In addition to restoring stability to the education system and parents’ work schedules and keeping kids and those around them safe, vaccinating children is essential to helping the country, as a whole, reach herd immunity and decrease the threat of new variants. Otherwise, “we’re going to have tens of millions of individuals in our communities that are able to maintain the virus. And when that happens, what that allows is for these unusual variants to emerge that may have the ability to evade our immunity,” said Dr. Buddy Creech, associate professor of pediatrics and director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program. Despite the need, Pfizer is the only manufacturer whose pediatric vaccine trials are far enough along to potentially have data on elementary-school age children by the end of the summer. Pfizer has finished enrolling participants in its study of 12- to 15-year-olds and anticipates having data in “the early part of 2021,” according to a spokeswoman. "From there, we will plan to finalize our study in 5-11 year olds," she added. As Pfizer completes its trials in adolescents, then 5- to 11-year-olds, it’ll need to submit the data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for review and get authorization for the vaccine’s use in those age groups before it’s available; currently in the U.S., the vaccine is indicated only for those ages 16 and up. Moderna is still enrolling participants in its trial for adolescents ages 12 to 18, and it is "on track to provide updated data around mid-year 2021," the company said in an emailed statement. Stéphane Bancel, Moderna’s chief executive officer, has said that the company’s goal is to have data from the adolescent study in advance of the 2021 school year. Moderna said it’ll begin an age de-escalation study in children ages 11 years to 6 months this year, but Bancel has said that the company doesn’t expect clinical data until 2022. Johnson and Johnson hasn’t started any pediatric studies yet. "We are in discussions with regulators and partners regarding the inclusion of pediatric populations in our development plan," a spokesman said. Novavax, similarly, hasn’t begun any trials in children, and a company spokeswoman said it couldn’t share any details at this time. The University of Oxford, which partnered with AstraZeneca in developing a vaccine, will begin tests in 12- to 18-year-olds next month, according to Bloomberg News. The American Academy of Pediatrics has been "really advocating to try and make these trials happen with the same urgency that they happen for adults," said Dr. Sean O’Leary, who is vice chair of its committee on infectious diseases.
Why It’s Important to Vaccinate Kids Against COVID-19
Early on in the pandemic, some thought that children might be entirely immune. That's clearly been disproven. Out of more than 20 million U.S. cases where age information is available, about 2.2 million, or 11%, have been in children under 18. Some get very ill, though this is rare. As of Feb. 8, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tracked more than 2,000 cases of what’s known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a serious condition associated with COVID-19 that can result in cardiac dysfunction and kidney injury; 37% of the cases recorded were in Latino children and 32% in Black children. It’s also become evident that children are capable of transmitting the virus to some extent. On one hand, kids aren’t superspreaders: COVID-19 is clearly dissimilar to influenza or the common cold virus, Vanderbilt’s Creech pointed out. “You put one of those in a classroom, then in a few days, it’s overrun,” he said. “That’s not what we see with COVID.” But exactly how infectious children are remains somewhat unclear, in part because schools have not been fully open, making it hard to gather data, said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a pediatrician and professor of global health and infectious diseases at Stanford University. Studies from other countries, while informative, may not always extrapolate well to the U.S., she added. So while the "preponderance of data" points to children being less likely to infect people when compared with adults, "they certainly do," said O’Leary, who is also a professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “So, if you’ve got vulnerable people in the household and your 7-year-old comes home with COVID, it’s not to say they can’t give it to anybody else. They absolutely can. It’s just a bit less likely.” It’s important to note that the vaccines have only been proven — so far — to prevent disease and not infection (data on that is harder to gather and takes longer to prove), which means it’s not guaranteed yet that vaccinated individuals can’t spread the coronavirus.But there are some inklings of hope that vaccination can at least reduce onward transmission. So if this bears out, the more people who are vaccinated in a community, including children, the more likely transmission will drop overall.
"Our current chaos about children not being in schools is just terrible for children, and I think a lot of the concern would be assuaged if children were immunized," said Dr. Sarah Long, professor of pediatrics at the Drexel University College of Medicine. "That doesn’t mean to me that they can’t get the infection or transmit it every once in a while, but it would reduce those possibilities tremendously." Long is also a member of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, where she has been reviewing the trial data and helping to make recommendations on how the vaccines should be used. She continued: "There are real virus control reasons, there are real societal reasons and there are economic reasons, because if children can’t go to school, people can’t work." O’Leary said children as young as 6 months, which is the youngest age that Moderna plans to test, can get vaccinated so long as trial data shows the vaccines to be safe and effective. Infants under 6 months are likely to be protected by antibodies transferred through the placenta if the pregnant mother is vaccinated, he added.How the Vaccine Will Be Studied in Kids
The pediatric vaccine trials will not be as large as the final stage adult trials, which enrolled 30,000 or more participants, giving a placebo to half and the vaccine to half. Pfizer’s 12- to 15-year-old study has enrolled 2,259 participants and Moderna’s adolescent trial is a similar size, aiming for about 3,000 participants. In both trials, some teens will receive a placebo. That’s enough to prove safety and benefit, experts said, in part, because the adult trials have already paved the way. To show the vaccine is safe, among the many things that Pfizer is tracking includes the percentage of participants reporting “local” reactions such as pain at the injection site, redness and swelling, as well as the percentage of participants reporting systemic reactions such as fever, headache, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and joint pain. After the trials are completed, tracking for any safety issues will continue in the real world as physicians and patients will be encouraged to report to the FDA and CDC any side effects they think may be due to the vaccine. Doctors said they’d want to make sure that there are no signs that the vaccine overinflames the immune system or causes any allergic or autoimmune responses. "I think most people that are developing these vaccines feel like the vaccine is not going to trigger MIS-C, but it’s something that will be monitored for very closely both in the trials and more importantly, post-licensure," added O’Leary, from the University of Colorado. Maldonado said she’ll also be on the lookout for any cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, which is often a concern when it comes to vaccines, but she noted that no significant increases in cases were seen in any of the adult trials. When it comes to proving benefit, the pediatric trials will focus on a different metric than the adult trials. The adult trials’ primary efficacy measure was to compare how many vaccinated people wound up sick with COVID-19 symptoms compared with those who received the placebo and whether the vaccine impacted the severity of illness. Since children rarely are hospitalized due to COVID-19, the vaccine’s ability to reduce severe cases would be hard to measure unless the trials enrolled an enormous number of children. Instead, Pfizer’s and Moderna’s adolescent trials will focus on evaluating participants’ immune response by measuring antibodies, according to Pfizer’s spokeswoman and Moderna’s clinical trial website. Scientists haven’t yet identified an "immune correlate of protection," which is usually defined to be the level of antibodies in the blood at which they can feel confident that a person is going to be protected from infection. Some vaccines that have been approved, like the one for measles, have an immune correlate of protection identified, while others don’t. In the absence of a definitive immune correlate of protection, the trials would compare antibody levels in children with those found in adults and extrapolate that the efficacy should then be similar. The FDA and advisory groups like the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices would then need to discuss whether the evidence is compelling. If scientists are able to identify an immune correlate of protection, however, “and you can demonstrate that kids get that with the vaccine, that’s even more satisfying,” O’Leary said. One final difference in pediatric studies is the potential for lower doses. Moderna has said that it will run its studies of children under 12 testing lower doses first. "As we go down in age, we give the smallest possible dose of vaccine that we think is reasonable, and then we steadily increase until that point when we get that magic ‘Goldilocks’ level at which it works great and the side effects are tolerable," Vanderbilt’s Creech explained. " don’t think one dose fits all."A Call to Speed Pediatric Trials
Some pediatricians and infectious disease experts said they were eager for pediatric studies to move faster. "My understanding is that the entity formerly known as Operation Warp Speed had a lot of involvement with those adult trials, but with pediatric clinical trials, they’re not having the same degree of involvement," O’Leary said. "So it’s more up to the manufacturers, and from my perspective, these manufacturers don’t have the financial incentive to conduct these trials with the same urgency that they did with the adult trials." Stanford’s Maldonado added that she’s concerned that there’s not as much pressure on the manufacturers to recruit children of diverse backgrounds as there was for the adult trials. "I think it’s important to get those kids in to understand factors around the actual vaccine and also to get buy-in of those communities where we’re seeing more hesitancy. We want to make sure they are feeling comfortable about being represented," she said. While O’Leary is not as confident as Fauci that we’ll see Pfizer’s data on younger kids by September, he feels very optimistic about the availability of a vaccine in the coming months for kids as young as 12, who tend to get sicker than the younger age group. "I think that’s a really big deal," he said.This story was originally published by ProPublica on February 11, 2021. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
Rival girls teams meet on the hardwood, SJO vs Unity tonight
The undefeated St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team host the Unity Rockets tonight with both a junior varsity and varsity contest tonight. Both games along with Unity Middle School boys basketball's home game against Marshall are available this evening on the NFHS Network.
Here are tonight's games and links to the live streams:
SJO Girls Junior varsity Basketball vs Unity | 5:25 PM Central
Unity Boys Middle School Basketball vs Marshall | 5:30 PM Central
Unity Girls Varsity Basketball @ SJO | 6:57 PM Central
If you are not already a subscriber, follow this link sign up for a monthly or annual subscription to watch SJO or Unity sports via live stream or archived by the NFHS Network. Monthly passes are just $10.99 each or save 47% and purchase an annual subscription at $69.99.
Photo of the Day - February 18, 2021
Major decision
(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
Village Crier: Youth summer sport programs open for registration
Summer softball registration in St. Joseph closes soon
St. Joseph Summer Softball is now underway. This year's registration fee will include the $5 village fee. Parents will to register online with a credit card.
The program will not have a separate age division for girls four years-old or in kindergarten this year. The organization is encouraging parents with kids in the age group to play Bitty Ball or T-Ball through the St. Joseph Youth Baseball program.
Questions can be sent by email to stjosephsummersoftball@gmail.com. Registration closes on February 21.
Unity FFA pork chop lunch next week
The Unity FFA is celebrating FFA Week next week with their annual pork chop lunch. The drive through service will take place on the UHS east drive on Wednesday, February 24 from 11:00am - 12:45pm. Pork chop sandwiches are $5 each with proceeds going toward supporting the FFA program. Customers can get a meal deal for an additional $2, which will include chips, drink, and cookies.
Sidney summer ball sign up this weekend
Sidney Baseball/Softball/Tball signups will be held this Saturday from 10am to 12pm at the new Sidney Community Building located at 211 E Main Street in Sidney. An additional sign up day is scheduled for February 22 from 5:30-7:30pm. Ages groups are ages five and six for T-Ball and ages 7-15 for baseball and softball athletes. Registration cost is $55.
Questions or if parents are unable to make it to the in-person registration dates, they are encouraged to send a message to (217)649-7450.
Annual Chili Dinner in Sidney next week
The Sidney Fire Protection District will host its annual chili dinner on February 27 at the new community building, located at 211 East Main, from 4-7pm. The dinner will be available only through drive-through service. Toppings, hotdogs and drinks will be provided with the meal.
Sidney Fire Department cancer awareness shirts will also be available for purchase. Donations help support the local district's firefighter association.
Spots still available in Tolono virtual raffle
The Tolono Firefighters Association is doing a virtual raffle for a $500 Allen Meats Gift Card. Tickets for the drawing are $10 a piece and limited to the first 100 sold. Tickets can be purchased through Venmo or PayPal.
As of yesterday there were 34 tickets still available for the drawing. For more information visit the Tolono Firefighters Association page on Facebook.
Area COVID cases dips to 3-month low
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District reported the number of cases rose by five today.
The agency's dashboard now includes mortality data for Champaign County. Out of the 1,427 cases identified in our area, eight individuals lost their lives to the virus. Two individuals from Ogden, four from Tolono along with one resident from Sidney and St. Joseph succumbed after being infected. As of today, 123 county residents have died from the viral infection since March of 2020.
Put it On The Market
Do you have a home for sale in one of our six communities? The Sentinel would like to highlight it in the upcoming new local real estate feature called On The Market.
Each calendar week our online paper will pick a residential property from those submitted for consideration to promote to our audience. With over 700 readers daily, The Sentinel hopes the new section will direct more potential buyers and competitive offers to sellers in our area. For more submission information, sellers and agents can contact us at editor@oursentinel.com.
Show us your art
We know there are more artists in our area. We just haven't met you yet but would enjoy seeing fruits of your creativity. If you paint, draw, sculpt or do metal work, The Sentinel would love to feature your work and share your artistic talent. Do you spend hours at the potter's wheel, dabble in mixed-media, do glass-work or design jewelry pieces? We would like to hear from you.
If you are interested in having your work featured in a story, please send a brief bio in an email with a link to your website or a online gallery featuring your work to editor@oursentinel.com. We very much look forward to sharing your passion and vision with our readers.
As time and space allows we will publish details for upcoming community events. Please send your business, social or community organization's press release or event information at least four days in advance to The Sentinel at editor@oursentinel.com.
Photo of the Day - February 17, 2021
Rockets wins shootout by 11
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity's Nate Cain fights for a rebound with Cissna Park-Crescent-Iroquois' Quinn Steffen (right) at the Shootout at the Hall in Champaign on December 16, 2007. The Rockets beat the Timberwolves, 46-35.
SJO basketball faces Oakwood tonight at home, catch the game online
Bundled up in front of the fireplace and want to catch a local sports team in action? Too sore to move off the couch after shoveling the 10+ inches of snow? Below are the links to each of tonight's available streams.
After weather forced yesterday's home game against Central Catholic to be postponed until later in the season, St. Joseph-Ogden made a last minute addition to their schedule about 16 hours ago. SJO will play host to the Oakwood Comets boys junior varsity and varsity squads tonight. Like all SJO home games this season, the contest will be broadcasted via live stream on the NFHS website.
A day earlier, the Spartan boys' program added a non-conference game on Saturday, February 20 with Robinson High School. The JV game is scheduled to start at 1:00 PM and the Varsity game after that at 2:30 PM on the road. Both games will be available via live stream.
If you are not already a subscriber, follow this link sign up for a monthly or annual subscription to watch SJO or Unity sports via live stream or archived by the NFHS Network. Monthly passes are just $10.99 each or save 47% and purchase an annual subscription at $69.99.
Sentinel area sports tonight
St. Joseph-Ogden Boys Junior Varsity Basketball vs Oakwood | 5:25 PM Central
St. Joseph-Ogden Boys Freshman Basketball @ Central Catholic | 5:55 PM Central
Unity Girls Middle School Volleyball vs Argenta-Oreana | 6:00 PM Central
St. Joseph-Ogden Boys Varsity Basketball vs Oakwood | 6:55 PM Central
SJO & Unity basketball streaming schedule tonight on NFHS
Games on hold
Update: At 1:16 PM, the St. Joseph-Ogden athletic department announced all games for tonight have been canceled due to weather conditions. New date TBA. At 1:42 PM, Unity games were also been postponed. JV and varsity contests will be played at Prairie Central on February 25.Catch the Unity boys basketball team or both the boys and girls St. Joseph-Ogden basketball squads in action tonight via the NFHS streaming services.
Sentinel area sports tonight
SJO Boys Junior Varsity Basketball vs Central Catholic | 5:25 PM Central Unity Boys Sophomore Basketball @ Prairie Central | 5:30 PM Central SJO Girls Junior Varsity Basketball @ Central Catholic | 5:25 PM Central SJO Girls Varsity Basketball @ Central Catholic | 6:55 PM Central SJO Boys Varsity Basketball vs Central Catholic | 6:57 PM Central Unity Boys Varsity Basketball @ Prairie Central | 7:00 PM CentralCitizen-Initiative proposal could give more power to special interest groups
Republican lawmakers will propose a series of constitutional amendments they say would give residents a more direct voice in Illinois government, but which critics counter could give more political power to special interests. The three resolutions would open up the use of citizen initiatives, allow residents to hold referendums on legislation and expand the existing governor recall process to apply to all public officials. Alisa Kaplan, executive director of Reform for Illinois, said regulating campaign spending on ballot questions is nearly impossible, so the amendments could give wealthy special interests an outsized impact. "It's hard to find that balance between empowering citizens and preventing special interests from hijacking the process," Kaplan acknowledged. "But we think it's a worthwhile discussion to be having right now." She pointed to the example of an initiative in California in which companies such as Lyft, Uber and DoorDash spent $200 million to effectively overturn a state law requiring those companies to classify workers as employees rather than independent contractors. Kaplan pointed out other efforts in various states have brought about important change. Michigan established an independent commission for redistricting by a ballot question in 2018. That same year, New Mexico voters passed an initiative to create an independent state ethics commission to keep lawmakers in check. "We really are missing out in Illinois on the opportunity to use citizen initiatives to enact meaningful reforms," Kaplan contended. "That's particularly true of areas where politicians might be particularly invested in the status quo and unwilling to act themselves." She noted the legislative inspector general's office in Illinois has often been seen as ineffective in providing oversight over lawmakers. She hopes democracy reform, without the influence of big money, will help in the future.
Guest Commentary | We need to all stop biting each other
by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator
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Democrats have proven once again that they can find fault in President Donald Trump.
Almost any politician will disappoint you...Do you think Nancy Pelosi is perfect? I don't. Is Mitch McConnell perfect. He is not, nor are any of the other members of the House or the Senate. Some are better than others. Some try harder, work harder, try to live disciplined lives more than others. Some try to work harder for their districts better than others. Some are good moral people and excellent parents. Some may not be so great. Almost any politician will disappoint you, eventually. It's bound to happen; they are imperfect people. We have to come to grips with the fact that perfect people are not to be found. I thought my mom was pretty perfect but I'm very prejudiced when it comes to my mother. My heart would never allow me to see anything wrong with her. Love is like that. Love often sees no wrongs. Sometimes we are like this toward a child, grandchildren, a spouse, our minister, or priest. There are people that we often hold in such regard that even if they are doing something wrong and we know it's wrong, our hearts have a hard time seeing that it's wrong. Too often love is blind. Americans want someone to love and respect. We want to be loved. We like holding people in high regard. The people we direct it to enjoy the feeling when we make them feel special. It's all good to some extent. Truthfully though whoever you are enamored with will eventually disappoint you if you look and listen long enough. Human beings, all of us are capable, and often say the wrong thing. Use the wrong language. Get angry. Say hurtful things. Do things that are often regretted. We make mistakes in words we use and things we do. All of us. As 2021 moves forward, so must we. Joe Biden is President of the United States. It is likely Donald Trump will run again. In the meantime, we need to all stop biting each other and get this country healthy, back to work, back in the restaurants, churches and kids back in school.
Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of American Issues, Every American Has An Opinion and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.
This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Sentinel. We welcome comments and views from our readers.
College Notebook | Former SJO player knocks one out the park
Micah Downs finishes sixth at CCIW meet
Last February Micah Downs went 4-1 at the IHSA state wrestling meet at the State Farm Center to bring home a bronze medal for the Rockets. This February, a freshman wrestling at 184 pounds for Millikan University, Downs finished sixth at the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin conference meet in Rock Island on Saturday.
Dowling hits first college homer
Well, that didn't take long. Former St. Joseph-Ogden softball player Bailey Dowling cranked the first home run of her college career this weekend. A starting shortstop for the University of Alabama, the true freshman when yard for a two-run shot to put her team up 3-0 on Valentine's Day against Louisville (0-2). The Crimson Tide went on to win 4-0, which was the exact result of their three-day, four-game schedule this past weekend. Here is the video of Dowling hitting the ball out of the park on Sunday.🚨 Outta Here! 🥎🚀 https://t.co/C9GEPs3cx8 pic.twitter.com/U8lAe2qtvA
— Alabama Athletics (@UA_Athletics) February 14, 2021
Kaiser notches 6 kills for Parkland
Katie Kaiser contributed 4 blocks and 6 kills in match two of Parkland College's doubleheader against the JV squad from Lincoln College. Ella Godsell, a freshman with the Cobras, had 11 of the team's 49 team digs. The former Rocket volleyball players helped undefeated Parkland (7-0) sweep the visiting Lynx in both matches, 3-0. Kaiser, a sophomore, and Godsell travel to Quincy, Ill., for an M-WAC match against John Wood CC on Wednesday, February 17, at 6:00 pm.Former Spartans keep Parkland team undefeated
The Parkland women's basketball team improved to 6-0 on Sunday after rolling over John Wood Community College, 62-41. Peyton Crowe scored 12 and Bree Trimble added another 11 points in the Cobra's home win. Crowe the team's top rebounder with nine boards. She was also credited with four assist and two steals.Trimble lights out against Maryville
When he was in high school Brandon Trimble dropped 44 points in St. Joseph-Ogden's Class 2A semifinal against Breese Central. Now a junior at Lindenwood College in St. Louis, the sports management major scored 24 points and collected six rebounds in the Lions 83-69 win over Maryville College on Thursday. After 15 games in his first season, he is averaging 11.5 points per game. Since the start of his college basketball career starting in 2019, Trimble had scored 20 or more points in eight games.Baker 2nd at the Grand Valley Big Meet
Eastern Illinois University sprinter Riley Baker is just a half second off the qualifying for the NCAA Division II track & field national championships. The junior turned in a 48.99, good for a second place finish, in the 400-meter run to assist the EIU men's track team effort at the Grand Valley Big Meet on Saturday in Allendale, Michigan. Baker and the Panthers host the Friday Night Special at the Lantz Indoor Fieldhouse this weekend.Coursey posts strong start for Redbirds
Last Thursday, Andrea Coursey started her senior season with the Illinois State University softball team on fire. The St. Joseph-Ogden product padded her stats with a pair of hits in ISU's road game against North Florida. One of three hit by the opposing pitcher during the game, she was left on base on all three times in the 4-0 shutout and season opener.Lincoln Land streak ends, Taylor leads team in assists
The Lincoln Land Loggers drop a heartbreaker to rival Illinois Central College 85-62 on Sunday. Sophomore Maclayne Taylor, who competed in volleyball, cross Country, track and basketball at St. Joseph-Ogden, lead the team with six assists and contributed seven points in the loss. The loss ends a 5-game win streak for the now 6-2 Loggers.Know a Unity or St. Joseph-Ogden graduate playing at the collegiate level? Let us know their name, sport(s) and where they are playing. An email or a link to their social media account for interviews is a big help, too. Send The Sentinel a message to us at sports@oursentinel.com.
Cast your bucket where you are
by Rick Jones
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The Co-Moderators of the 224th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) say churches need to step out of their comfort zones to bridge the divide in race relations across the country. Ruling Elder Elona Street-Stewart and the Rev. Gregory Bentley participated in a Zoom webinar initiated and co-sponsored by Westminster Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia but attended by many more congregations. Participants represented 33 different churches, many Presbyterian, but also Baptist, Methodist, and Catholic.
There’s an inverse relationship between charity and justice.
Prep Hoops | Not holding back, SJO keeps perfect record intact
The St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team put their collective feet on the gas and didn't let up for four quarters in last week's home game against Rantoul. Rallying behind Peyton Jacob, Ella Armstrong and with double digit scoring all four quarters, SJO posted a 64-32 rout over the visiting Eagles.
Jacob notched the first two buckets for the Spartans sandwiched around a pair of free throws from Armstrong in the first four minutes for a 6-2 lead. Despite points after a SJO turnover and subsequent score by Eagles' Tanaya Young, SJO never had look over their shoulder to pick up their third victory and second conference win of the season.
Armstrong then widened the scoring gap to 11-4 with a jumper and trey. From here on, point production became a team effort for St. Joseph-Ogden. Payton Jones started bucketfest after putting a shot through the rim for a nine point advantage with 44 seconds left in the first quarter.
Rantoul's Young, determined not to let the game get away from her team, hit a three making it a 13-7 game.
SJO responded with basket from 6-foot-3 junior Taylor Wells to close out the first quarter.
Rantoul, thanks to a strong defensive effort by the Spartans, was held scoreless during the first 4 minutes and 49 seconds of the second half. By the time Kianna Berlasky's sank a free throw for her Eagles for their first point of the quarter, the Spartans had built a 17-point advantage.
Berlasky went on to finish the loss with 12 points for RTHS behind Young's team-high 14.
Once again, the Spartan offensive effort was a team collaboration. Armstrong led nine other scorers from her team with 16 points and she was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
When Rantoul's defensive effort transitioned to clamping down on Armstrong and Payton Vallee, Jacob doubled her first half output with eight points in the third quarter point to secure the conference win with 12 points. Wells rounded out SJO's top three scorers with seven points.
Wells and the Spartans travel to Bloomington tomorrow night to face Central Catholic. Fans can catch the Illini Prairie Conference game on the NFHS Network starting with the junior varsity game at 5:30pm.
Box Score
| St. Joseph-Ogden | 15 | 15 | 18 | 16 | - 64 |
| Rantoul | 7 | 3 | 13 | 9 | - 32 |
St. Joseph-Ogden
Ashlyn Lannert 2 (0) 0-0 -- 4, Taylor Campbell 2 (0) 0-0 -- 4, Payton Jacob 6 (0) 0-0 -- 12, Taylor Wells 3 (0) 1-2 -- 7, Atleigh Hamilton 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Taylor Hug 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Abby Behrens 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Isabell Smith 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Peyton Jones 3 (0) 0-0 -- 6, Alyssa Hamilton 1 (1) 0-0 -- 5, Payton Vallee 3 (0) 0-3 -- 6, Ella Armstrong 2 (2) 6-6 -- 16.
Ashlyn Lannert 2 (0) 0-0 -- 4, Taylor Campbell 2 (0) 0-0 -- 4, Payton Jacob 6 (0) 0-0 -- 12, Taylor Wells 3 (0) 1-2 -- 7, Atleigh Hamilton 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Taylor Hug 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Abby Behrens 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Isabell Smith 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Peyton Jones 3 (0) 0-0 -- 6, Alyssa Hamilton 1 (1) 0-0 -- 5, Payton Vallee 3 (0) 0-3 -- 6, Ella Armstrong 2 (2) 6-6 -- 16.
Rantoul
McClyde 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Walton 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Berlatsky 3 (0) 4-8 -- 10, Emery 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Jackson-Romper 2 (0) 0-0 -- 4, Sutherland 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Dixon 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Young 4 (2) 0-1 -- 14, Vermillon 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0.
McClyde 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Walton 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Berlatsky 3 (0) 4-8 -- 10, Emery 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Jackson-Romper 2 (0) 0-0 -- 4, Sutherland 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Dixon 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Young 4 (2) 0-1 -- 14, Vermillon 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0.
Photo of the Day - February 14, 2021
Downs finishes 3rd at state!
(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
Prep Hoops | Porter delivers 15 points in Unity's third loss
Brady Porter and Dillon Rutledge drilled three treys apiece in Unity's home game against Illinois Valley Central (2-1) this past Tuesday. Their combine effort was not enough in the Rockets' eventual 59-43 loss.
A three-pointer from both players and another from Will Cowan left UHS with mere six-point deficit after a competitive 17-11 first quarter. Once again, the Rockets' were crippled by second quarter shooting woes, delivering just two field goals and a free throw to fall behind at the half, 32-18.
The period might have been more manageable if it wasn't for the plethora of foul calls against the Rockets. IVC took advantage of all six trips to the foul line, missing just two of the nine attempts offered. It more of the same in the second half. After the final buzzer, the Grey Ghost capitalized on 22 of their 32 shots from line.
Meanwhile, on the side of the scorer's table, the Rockets drew just six foul calls from the guys in stripes. Austin Langendorf made one of his four attempts while William Jokish finished the game 2-for-2.
Unity's effort was led by Porter who finished the night with 15 points. Rutledge chipped in three first half long range shots for nine points and Damian Knoll added eight points to the cause, all tacked on in the second half to round out the Rockets' top three shooters.
Mac Parmelee spearheaded the Illinois Valley Central offensive. The 6-foot-3 senior buried seven field goals and was 6-for-8 from the line good for 20 points in IVC's second win of the season. Stepping back to a supporting role, Holt Geltmaker was 7-for-8 from the free throw line and finished with 15 points.
Still in search of their first victory of the season, the 0-3 Rockets are on the road at Olympia on Tuesday.
Box Score
| Unity | 11 | 7 | 15 | 10 | - 43 |
| Illinois Valley Central | 17 | 15 | 18 | 9 | - 59 |
Unity
Kimball () - -- , Cowan 0 (2) 0-0 -- 6, Hensch 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Rawdin 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Rutledge 0 (3) 0-0 -- 9, Knoll 1 (2) 0-0 -- 8, Porter 3 (3) 0-0 -- 15, Drennan () - -- , Page 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Langendorf 0 (0) 1-4 -- 1, Alt 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Jokisch 0 (0) 2-2 -- 2.
Illinois Valley Central
Hulson 0 (1) 2-2 -- 5, Parmelee 7 (0) 6-8 -- 20, Brooks 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Hulett 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Harms 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Rainey 1 (0) 1-4 -- 3, Mercer 2 (0) 4-8 -- 8, Sawyer 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Wollard 3 (0) 0-0 -- 6, Geltmaker 4 (0) 7-8 -- 15, McNaught 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, McCoy 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Edlman 0 (0) 2-2 -- 2. <Reed leads Rocket ladies in road loss at Pontiac
Last night, Unity's lone senior scored 11 second half points against Pontiac. Despite Chloee Reed's best effort and that of the entire team to pull off a come from behind victory, the Rockets' girls basketball team dropped their conference road game against the Indians, 43-34.
Pontiac was paced by Addison Masding, who scored her 1,000th career point two days earlier against Bloomington Central Catholic. The senior started the game with 12 first half points, six in each quarter, forcing Unity to claw their way back from an early deficit. Combined with Tristina Henry's 12-point contribution, the pair was responsible for 29 of their team's 43 points after the final buzzer.
"We outscored them in the 2nd half," said Unity head coach Dave Ellars. He plans to focus on shooting in upcoming practices and is confident his team will continue to improve with practice. The additional focus on shooting will be beneficial moving forward. "With Covid, kids weren’t allow to shoot as much during the summer or our normal contact days."
Reed went on to finish the Illini Prairie Conference contest with a 14 point effort thanks to her four three pointers.
"Chloee is a good leader," said Ellars, who counts on her experience to guide less experienced players. "She has been involved in close games and learned last year what it takes to win."
While she only contributed three points in the loss, Taylor Henry was huge in the paint for Unity on Thursday. The junior forward hauled in a team-high nine rebounds.
"Taylor is a winner, does all the things that aren’t in the scorebook," Ellars explained. "Most of the time the girl she guards is 4-5 inches taller, she has a big heart and is always up for the challenge."
Unity also received point contributions from Katy Moore with six points along with Lauren Miller and Erika Steinman, who provided four points apiece. Maddie Reed and Taylor Henry rounded out the Rockets' effort with 3 points each as the Rockets drop to 1-2 on the season.
Unity will host Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond, better known as ALAH on Saturday morning. The JV game is scheduled to start at 9:30am followed by varsity getting underway at 10:30am.
All things considered, Ellars said his program is excited with the opportunity to play right now. With the constant uncertainities as Illinois athletics navigate the pandemic. "We treat every day as it could be our last game."
Box Score
| Unity | 7 | 7 | 10 | 10 | - 34 |
| Pontiac | 12 | 17 | 9 | 5 | - 42 |
Unity
C. Reed 1 (4) 0-0 -- 14, England 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Renfrow 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Miller 2 (0) 0-0 -- 4, Stringer 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Steinman 2 (0) 0-0 -- 4, B. Henry 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, M. Reed 0 (1) 0-0 -- 3, Moore 2 (0) 2-2 -- 6, Alagna 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, T. Henry 2 (0) 1-2 -- 3, Flesch 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0.
Pontiac
T. Einhaus 2 (2) 2-4 -- 12, J. Einhaus 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Fisher 1 (0) 2-3 -- 5, Hartfield 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Collins 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Fox 0 (1) 1-2 -- 4, B. Masding 1 (0) 1-2 -- 3, Coates 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, A. Masding 6 (1) 2-5 -- 17, Fletcher 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Hillary 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Pickett 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Johns 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0.
C. Reed 1 (4) 0-0 -- 14, England 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Renfrow 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Miller 2 (0) 0-0 -- 4, Stringer 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Steinman 2 (0) 0-0 -- 4, B. Henry 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, M. Reed 0 (1) 0-0 -- 3, Moore 2 (0) 2-2 -- 6, Alagna 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, T. Henry 2 (0) 1-2 -- 3, Flesch 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0.
Pontiac
T. Einhaus 2 (2) 2-4 -- 12, J. Einhaus 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Fisher 1 (0) 2-3 -- 5, Hartfield 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Collins 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Fox 0 (1) 1-2 -- 4, B. Masding 1 (0) 1-2 -- 3, Coates 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, A. Masding 6 (1) 2-5 -- 17, Fletcher 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Hillary 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Pickett 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Johns 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0.
Porter, Armstrong earn The Sentinel's first Basketball Player of the Week
~ Boys ~Brady Porter Unity
Brady Porter finished the first week of the IHSA season with 18 points, 2 rebounds and 2 blocks. The senior led the team scored six points by way of a pair treys against Maroa-Forsyth and 13 points against Paris for the 0-2 Rockets.
Honorable Mention: Austin Langendorf, Unity Dillon Rutledge, Unity |
~ Girls ~Ella Armstrong St. Joseph-Ogden
Ella Armstrong collected 19 points, 15 from a team-high performance against Villa Grove, after the first two games of the season. Making eight trips to the free throw line, she finished the first week of play sinking 62% of them to help the Spartans go 2-0 during week one.
Honorable Mention: Payton Jacob, SJO Abby Behrens, SJO |
Looking for their voice, young Spartans ready for forging
St. Joseph-Ogden head coach Kiel Duval watches the Spartans during first half action in their home game against Williamsville in 2019. After undergoing COVID-19 protocols resulting in the cancellation of one contest and rescheduling of another last week, he and the SJO squad are ready start playing basketball tonight.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Game day.
With barely a month left in an already shortened basketball season season due the pandemic, tonight the St. Joseph-Ogden boys basketball team will finally be able to run the floor, drill three-point shots, haul in rebounds and foul a couple of players.
Are they ready to play? You bet.
"It's exciting. I'm excited for the kids," said head coach Kiel Duval. "They have been waiting for this for a long time. It has been a roller coaster year for them to say the least. I told them tonight - there will be nerves. We are going to make mistakes."
The delay from the typical November start, COVID protocols, wearing masks and a canceled week of competition will be unforgettable in the lives of tonight's players.
The lads from SJO open their season against Rantoul at home tonight. The Eagles with two games under their belt, both resulting in losses, dropped their first game 64-42 to Champaign Central and suffered a 68-37 loss to Prairie Central last night.
"I do think this will be a game they remember for a long time because of the road it took to get here," Duval said. A math teacher at the school, he was a three-sport athlete for the Spartans.
Is there a reason to be a little nervous at this point?
Sure. With hours to go until the opening pass - there are not tipoffs under COVID rules, a positive test from one or more player on either team between now and then could jeapordize tonight's conference game between the two schools. Fingers are cross tightly, for whatever good it will do, there are fans, players and coaches hoping that it doesn't happen.
The first interview of the season, I asked Coach Duval what I should be writing about or looking at that no one else is talking about. Here is what he said:
Ty Pence is going to draw a lot of attention every night. The guys that are out there with him are starting to understand that his attention he draws will give them opportunities. What will be interesting to me is what guys step up to be "Robin" each night.Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. There are multiple guys that can score, but which one it will be on a given night - I have no clue. The next question that we have been asking ourselves is which guy is going to be our "lockdown" defender. We've always had one. Every team as far back as I can remember. It has been what has made this program special over the years. We are searching.
We have ideas of guys that have the ability. It comes down to if they want to do it for 32 minutes consistently. That part is tough. "How bad do you want to be really good?" is a question we ask them all the time.
The Spartans is a team full of youth. There's going to be some aches and pains as inexperienced varsity players and their cohort matures.
"We have a lot of guys that need to figure out how to play at a varsity level. It is very different going from freshman to jv to varsity," Duval explained. "The transition is huge. I think our goal should be to make strides and improve each day. For us to have a chance to be successful at all in the future our guys need to grow together now. This time together is critical."
Andrew Beyers see action for the Spartans during the team's 2019 home game against Paxton-Buckley-Loda, who will join the Illini Prairie Conference this fall. Duval expects down the road, opponents will be intimidated by his speed and quickness.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
The departure of the Class of 2020 took left ten openings for the 2020-21 season. Only two players, Ty Pence, whose play has already earned him an offer from Western Illinois University in Macomb, and Cameron Costa.
"We do not have a lot of varsity experience," Duval said. "In my mind, we have 7 starters."
The seven, who hope to become magnificent this season are Ty Pence, Andrew Beyers, Lukas Hutcherson, Jackson Rydell, Evan Ingram, Cameron Costa and Hayden Brazelton. Duval said the goal for him and his coaching staff is to help all seven "find their voice."
"There will be other guys that will have roles that will likely grow throughout the year, but these seven will likely play significant minutes early," Duval said highlighting the talent on the team. "They all have strengths individually, but they are figuring out in practice they are much better when they play together.
"When they communicate. When they pick each other up. Show leadership. I'm hoping by the end of the year they grow as leaders and develop toughness that will help them far past basketball."
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"Hutcherson will handle the point guard spot for us most nights. He has really looked like a senior in practice," he said. "He is very easy to root for."
Then there is a "quiet and reserve", 6-2 junior forward to watch.
"Andrew Beyers is a kid that is very skilled, but you would never guess it. When he really gets his basketball legs under him, people will hate guarding him," Duval said about Beyers' future and the potential impact he will have on the program. "He has a refuse-to-quit mentality on the offensive glass."
Then, there is another junior, Evan Ingram, who "has the makings to be a very good high school basketball player".
Duval said, "We are still working on him everyday to understand all the aspects of the game to be great. He has grown. He has become more coachable each day."
A junior varsity game starting at 6:30p will precede tonight's 8pm varsity game. Both St. Joseph-Ogden and Rantoul fans can watch both Illini Prairie Conference games via live stream on the NFHS network.
This story originally reported St. Joseph-Ogden's opening game as a home game. An oversight on the editor's part, this game was originally scheduled and played as an away game. We regret this error.
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