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Thursday, October 12, 2023 Vol. 77 No. 7
insidE: Friends, family remember late professor Riley Maynard PAGE 3
‘Little Women’ puts feminist spin on classic story PA G E
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Jo March, played by Madison Swanson, perches on a table performing a play she wrote for her family’s Christmas celebration. Below, Meg, played by Emily Beach, plays the role of the damsel in distress. | Francesca Boston / The Alestle
SIUC and SIUE students collaborate on history book PAGE 5
Softball sweeps weekend series with two wins PAGE 8
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Thursday, 10.12.23
Late Mass Comm professor Riley Maynard remembered DYLAN HEMBROUGH editor-in-chief
“A pillar of knowledge and inspiration,” according to his memorial website, the late mass communications Professor Riley Maynard certainly left a tremendous impact on everyone he interacted with.
The professor
continued giving back to SIUE even after his retirement in 2014. “Riley was a big supporter of this department,” Kapatamoyo said. “He always wanted to advise on curriculum, what we could do better and what didn’t work at all. I saw him run the Planning Committee — which collected all the equipment and software needs for the department — and he would advocate for those funds until we got what we needed.” Kapatamoyo said Maynard’s contributions to the department — both as a professor and as a retiree — resulted in the Riley Maynard Excellence in Media Production Award being set up in his honor.
Gary Hicks, a professor in the Department of Mass Communications, said he first met Maynard during a job interview in 1998 when Maynard introduced him to his family. “If you know anything about academic interviews, it is like hazing. They keep you for about two days and they never let you out of their sight,” Hicks The father Maynard’s daughter Mersaid. “[Maynard] was tasked edith Mallon, of St. Louis, dewith taking me back to the airport in St. Louis. He decided scribed her father as intelligent, to take me to his home, which kind, loving and sarcastic. “He was very well-spoken was wonderful.” and intelligent. He literally came According to his colleagues, Maynard had a reputation for from nothing, grew up in West his “unusual” teaching strate- Virginia [with] a coal miner/ Riley Maynard speaks at the 2022 Mass Comm Alumni Night gies. Hicks said Maynard’s ap- pastor father, and really made about a scholarship being named after him. proach was meant to prepare his something out of himself,” Mal| Courtesy of Nathan Maynard students for the outside world lon said. “He had so many amazing accomplishments but was so of journalism. “He knew how rough-and- humble. I don’t have a bad thing yourself, figuring out where you if nobody can understand what tumble the world of journal- to say about him — just really in- need to get things to cook for you’re saying, you can say almost spirational and aspirational.” yourself when you don’t speak anything you want.” ism and media can be, Nate Maynard the language … It was great and he certainly tried of Peoria, Arizona, being exposed to a different Last impressions to prepare his students Maynard’s son, said culture [and] different part of Mallon said that, ultimately, for it,” Hicks said. “His his father was a teach- the world.” her father taught her the value of [teaching] method was er in a lot of aspects Mallon said her father determination and perseverance to infuse that real world of his life, not just as moved in with her and her fami- in the face of adversity. into the classroom, and a professor. ly after the death of her mother, that’s what some stu“My dad really showed me “I couldn’t have Barbara, in 2017, when the two dents immediately took Riley Maynard … that you could make someasked for a better dad,” became even closer as adults. to and loved.” thing of yourself from essentialNate said. “He literal“I named my son after ly nothing,” Mallon said. “He Musonda Kapatamoyo, a professor and current chair of the ly taught people how to be suc- him,” Mallon said. “So he’s grew up very poor in West VirDepartment of Mass Communi- cessful in a very demanding, very Little Riley.” ginia, got a PhD and was truly cations, said Maynard shared his tough business. If he could teach living his dream. He pushed young adults how to do that, he The comedian years of experience with his stuhimself and really showed that could teach kids how to tie their Maynard is universally redents whenever he could, both shoes or how to change the oil membered by family and col- hard work, determination and during their time taking his class on a car.” leagues as a funny man, one who believing in yourself will get you and after graduation. Mallon said her father joked around and lightened the very far.” “He knew a lot of people Nate said his father was loved to travel with his fami- mood whenever he could. in the industry and would make a huge role model and ultily and experience new sights “He had one of the driest that connection between the mately inspired him to become with them. senses of humor,” Hicks said. “As interests and talents of a stu“My dad took me to see a we left [my job interview] and a teacher. dent now and what they might “He’d make you feel so spespace shuttle launch in Florida,” we pulled up to the airport, he be in 10 years if they stayed the Mallon said. cial when you got something said, ‘I know course,” Kapatamoyo said. “We also went right. He’d definitely push you we’ve put Tom Atwood, instruc- to the Olymyou through when you needed it, but you tor of media production, said pics in Atlanhell. So, find were always better for it in the he had Maynard as a professor ta when they the nearest end,” Nate said. “He was the in 2006 when Atwood was a came, and M y dad really bar you can.’ reason I became a teacher, and graduate student. that was very, And I did I’m glad so many people got to “The class I took from Dr. very cool. My showed me ... just that.” experience that through him.” Maynard was one that he devel- favorite adult At wood Hicks said Maynard was a that you could oped … on one of his favorite trip is probareferred to “continuous presence” at the topics, which was television com- bly when we make something Maynard as a university both during and after edy,” Atwood said. “This was a went to San “come d i a n” his time as a professor. of yourself from class he really wanted to teach, F r a n c i s c o . who leaned “Even when you didn’t see so much so that he invented it. He was givinto his per- him, you knew when he was in essentially nothing.” I don’t know if he liked us so ing a speech sonality for the building,” Hicks said. “Of Meredith Mallon, much or if he liked the topic so at Berkeley, laughs. Riley Maynard’s daughter all the people I’ve worked with much, but instead of a final exam and he took “He was in my entire life, I will never forhe gave us a pizza party and gave me with him always tryget Riley, and it brings a tear to everyone an A for the final.” … We went ing to make Atwood, who was in his down to Fisherman’s Wharf and people laugh, and he had this my eye to know that he’s gone.” Atwood said he remembers 50s when Maynard was his pro- rode the trolley car [and] got West Virginia accent — kind of Maynard’s care toward other fessor, said he never got the clam chowder.” a drawl — and I think he used people, particularly students, impression that Maynard was a Maynard got a Fulbright that to his advantage,” Atwood most of all. tough professor. Scholarship that ultimately took said. “It was funny just to lis“Riley Maynard was a very “His reputation as being him to Latvia, where he taught ten to him talk, because I think kind of a gruff, tough, hard-to- for a year. He brought his son he leaned into that accent for caring person. He took time for get-along-with professor that with him, which is an experience effect. I just thought he was students, not only during their time here, but after they’d grada lot of students are afraid of, I Nate said he will never forget. hilarious, really.” didn’t find him that way at all. “It was an amazing experiNate said his father still uate. He continued to mentor He’s the only professor I ever ence, just seeing that part of the cracked jokes in Latvia, even certain students and help them had that canceled the final and world, having to grow up quite when nobody around him knew along. He was a very caring person, and I’m going to miss him.” gave a pizza party,” Atwood a bit to be really independent,” what he was saying. Information regarding dosaid. “He was the nicest guy Nate said. “Figuring out public “[He was] funny as the day transportation when you don’t is long,” Nate said. “My dad nations to the Riley Maynard you’d ever meet.” Kapatamoyo said Maynard speak the language, cooking for taught me to enjoy the fact that memorial can be found online.
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10.02.23 An officer responded to a domestic incident between a couple in Cougar Village, though the officer reported it was only a verbal argument. 10.09.23 A car did not stop when an officer attempted to pull it over after the driver reportedly broke multiple traffic laws. Police weren’t able to identify the driver of the car. 10.10.23 An eyewash station in Science East was set off due to unknown reasons. An officer reported that nobody was seen nearby.
ISRAEL Saturday’s invasion by Palestinian militant group Hamas led to Israel declaring war. Hamas’ attack killed hundreds, and Israel has heavily bombed the Gaza Strip. BRAZIL Amazonian indigenous peoples have called upon the government to declare a climate emergency due to rivers drying up. Many villages have no water or medicine. NIGER French troops have begun leaving Niger. Niger’s government demanded their removal soon after July’s coup. The troops plan on leaving through neighboring Chad. SOUTH KOREA The U.S. has sent an aircraft carrier to South Korea in a show of force against North Korea. The carrier will be docked until Oct. 16 in Busan.
FINLAND Undersea communication and oil cables in the Baltic Sea have been damaged. The action is believed to be deliberate, though it remains unknown who or what caused it.
Information courtesy of Reuters / AP
Thursday, 10.12.23
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Student Senate votes in bylaw revision, new senators DYLAN HEMBROUGH editor-in-chief
The Student Senate welcomed two more senators and voted in a bylaw revision that had been discussed at the last couple of meetings. Luke Head, a senior in the School of Engineering, was sworn in as Non-Traditional Student Senator, and Vashanti Reynolds, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, was sworn in as Athletics Student Senator. The Student Senate also passed one of the bylaw revisions that had been discussed in previous meetings. It will
allow for the establishment of vice-chairs to communicate Senate news to the executive board. This revision goes handin-hand with another proposed bylaw revision that would make executive attendance at Senate meetings optional. In addition, a new constitutional revision was discussed at the meeting. Currently, if the Student Senate votes in favor of constitutional changes, these changes have to be approved by the chancellor. Senior Mackenzie Richards, student body president, said this additional revision would change that process, allowing the
Senate more autonomy. “From the conversations that I’ve had with the chancellor … he’s very supportive of students having a say in things that impact students,” Richards said. Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Miriam Roccia also spoke at the Senate meeting to clarify any questions on the revision. If approved, it will be Roccia’s job to review future constitutional revisions instead of the chancellor signing off on them directly. Organization Relations Officer Barrett Larkin brought forth a couple of concerns relating to the potential abuse of this
new process, but Vice President Jared Jess explained that student government, as a student organization, should not have to rely so heavily on administration to make decisions. Richards said she hopes to vote on this revision in the next Senate meeting, which will also allow the Senate to expedite the process of passing future revisions. Richards said there are a slew of other revisions in the works that will be voted on throughout the year. “As we work through our Constitution … we’ll probably have the Senate approve [the revisions], either in chunks or in
one big, long thing,” Richards said. “We’re hoping for chunks just to make discussion a lot more digestible.” Associate Professor Mark Poepsel from the Department of Mass Communications also spoke to the Senate. Poepsel was present to discuss the implementation of Open Educational Resources and the introduction of the system to SIUE in the coming years as Textbook Services is restructured. OER, according to Poepsel, will allow for easier textbook access in the future as the debate between using physical and electronic textbooks continues.
Israel forms emergency government for war against Hamas GALIT ALTSTEIN ALISA ODENHEIMER Bloomberg News (TNS)
Israel formed a rare emergency government with a key opposition member on Wednesday to see the country through its war with Hamas. A “war management cabinet” will be established with three members, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. They are Net-
anyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and ex-Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who now heads an opposition party. Ron Dermer, who’s strategic affairs minister, and Gadi Eizenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, will be observers. During the war period, no bills or government decisions will be promoted that do not concern the conduct of the war. All senior appointments will be
automatically extended during the period of conflict. A place in the war cabinet will be reserved for Yair Lapid, who’s head of the opposition and was prime minister until late last year, when Netanyahu succeeded him. The move follows Saturday’s devastating attacks by Hamas, which killed at least 1,200 Israelis and shocked the nation to the core. The government is wide-
ly expected to move troops into the southern Gaza Strip, where Hamas is based, and has said that the Iran-backed militant group must be completely destroyed. The makeup of the war cabinet means far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, will not be part of helming Israel’s military operations.
Israel is also facing pressure on its northern border with Lebanon. On Wednesday, Israeli forces exchange fire with Hezbollah militants, who, like Hamas, are funded and supported by Iran. Hezbollah has expressed solidarity with Hamas. It is thought to have tens of thousands of missiles and analysts have said it may opt to attack Israel more forcefully, especially if Israeli troops move into Gaza.
NEXT WEEK: STEPHENSON’S HOUSE RECREATES HISTORIC FUNERAL PAGE 4
Classic comes to life
lifestyles alestlelive.com
contact the editor: lifestyles@alestlelive.com (618) 650-3528
Thursday, 10.12.23
‘Little Women’ runs through Sunday FRANCESCA BOSTON lifestyles editor The opening show of the academic season “Little Women” highlights feminist issues in a new twist on an old classic. The play, written by Kate Hamill, is an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s book. Junior theater performance major Raina Heberer said she grew up reading “Little Women’’ and has seen all of the movie adaptions Amy, left, portrayed by Joshalynn Gibson, is held back by housekeeper Hannah, played by Raina Heberer. In middle, the sisters’ multiple times, but has enjoyed mother, played by Katherine Garrett, steps in front of Jo, played by Madison Swanson, to prevent her from attacking her sisseeing the show through a new ter after Amy burned her manuscript. The other March sister standing to the far right, Beth, played by Mia Williams, watches, lens with the play adaptation. unable to help due to her failing health. I Francescsa Boston / The Alestle She said the adaptation explores the humanity of the characters, that she’s very determined, but has multiple working parts such also more loving and loyal than as windows that can open and their flaws and good sides. pianos that the characters are “This adaptation is definite- anyone else.” Rollins said the show deals able to play. ly different from how the story “Roger [Speidel] did a fanusually goes,” Heberer said. with societal gender rules and “But I like that it feels more cen- each character is playing a role to tastic job. We really appreciate it tered towards the girls and their fit into their world. He said the and he put his heart and soul into bond together and their griev- characters are allowed to make it,” Rollins said. Heberer said she has loved ances with each other. It really mistakes and grow throughout watching the set come together explores humanity and all the the show. Senior theater performance and is able to feel at home in the characters. I like the depth [the major Joshalynn Gibson, who impressive set. adaptation] brings.” “Roger [Speidel] is a comSenior Ontarplete artist with every one of ius Rollins, perhis productions. I feel fully imformance major mersed into the show and feel portraying John very much like a part of the Brooke, said part In this show, home,” Heberer said. of the work that people aren’t really Rollins said the show’s director Geovoncrew has been great and he day Jones has the seeing the women is thankful for their support cast do as preparain this show behind the scenes. tion for their per“We got a great crew. Havformances is deep for who they are. They’re ing [that] support supporting background charus in the back end, they know acter work to find seeing them for what’s going on,” Rollins said. the motivations bewhat they should be Rollins said the costumes hind the character’s add another dimension to the actions. in society,” show. He said the costumes “Don’t look at Joshalynn Gibson bring the characters to life and it as how you would Junior, Portraying Amy March add another layer to the characdo it. Look at it as ter’s personalities. For example, how [the character is] doing it, why they’re doing plays Amy, one of the sisters, said Rollins said he feels stuffy when it, there’s a lot of depth that gender identity is one of the big- wearing his costume, not only goes into it. Once I got the hang gest parts of the show. She said because his character is a tutor, of it, it was really enriching,” many of the characters don’t fit but also because of his charac- Laurie, left, played by Brandon Baxter, confesses his love to Jo, played by Madison Swanson, who is unable to return the into the roles they are expected ter’s lack of wealth. Rollins said. “I don’t feel fluid and the sentiment and turns down the proposal. Senior theater performance to play, an idea she finds to be clothes don’t fit right because and psychology major Madison true today. I Francescsa Boston / The Alestle “A lot of women and fe- he’s poor and he’s not higher Swanson, who portrays Jo, the “Little Women” and the audi- themselves the space to exist with lead character, said she loved the male-presenting people are seen class,” Rollins said. Heberer said for those who ence is going to have fun experi- the feelings the show brings up. movie adaptations of the books as having to fit into these cerand had a fun time discovering tain things. In this show, people grew up loving “Little Women” encing another world. “I feel like it takes people on aren’t really seeing the wom- to keep an open mind, because it “But keep an open mind, a really big journey from start to her character. “She searches for her place en in this show for who they is not the “Little Women” they because we really take our spin finish,” Gibson said. in the world, a world that is built are. They’re seeing them for may have grown up with and on it, and that it’s still going to The show opened Wednesfor men, specifically at that time, what they should be in society,” the show makes the audience make you think, laugh and cry, day, Oct. 11, and will run think about what it means to so maybe bring a pack of tis- through Oct. 15, in Dunham not that it’s changed too much Gibsons said. Roger Speidel, technical di- be a family. over time,” Swanson said. “She sues,” Swanson said. Hall Theater. Swanson said the show has lives bigger than life and doesn’t rector and instructor in the theGibson said the show is a Tickets are available online do anything half-heartedly and ater department, designed the the wonderful exciting moments very emotional one, and she en- and SIUE student tickets are free runs into it full speed. I found extensive set. Rollins said the set that people know and love from couraged the audience to give with valid I.D.
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Thursday, 10.12.23
MICHAL KATE CASTLEMAN reporter Pickleball has quickly become a popular sport nationwide, and now SIUE’s Pickleball Club is experiencing that growth themselves. Mollie Morrisey, senior geography major, is president of SIUE’s Pickleball Club. She said the club began late in the Fall 2022 semester and has grown ever since. “[The club] didn’t really kick off until the 2023 spring semester,” Morrisey said. “Now we’re official. We’re doing tournaments and everything.” After Morrisey joined the club last fall, she said she decided to run the Pickleball Club Instagram account to reach out to SIUE students who may be interested. Morrisey eventually ran to be president of the club and
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was voted in by other members. The Pickleball Club hosts intramural tournaments at SIUE, and recently competed against St. Louis University’s Pickleball Club. Morrisey said SIUE did lose the tournament at SLU, but the experience was good for the club. “We’re hoping to do more in the future with some other schools,” Morrisey said. “Pickleball is a fast-growing sport, and a lot of other colleges have pickleball clubs, so we hope we can do tournaments with them.” Jadon Wing, a sophomore nursing major, is the vice president of the Pickleball Club. He said he joined the Pickleball Club due to how much he played outside of school and wanted to play at SIUE as well. Wing said he loves pickleball due to its simplicity and how easy it is to play.
‘Fastest-growing sport in America’ is making a racket at SIUE
“[Pickleball] is easy to get good at,” Wing said. “So you can have fun, competitive games right after you start, which you can’t do with a lot of other sports.” According to Wing, the Pickleball Club is constantly welcoming new members to the organization. He said most new members continue with the club after their first time attending. Wing joined the club in the spring semester and said the club has doubled in size since he joined. Jack Buehnerkemper, junior mechanical engineering major, decided to join the Pickleball Club after he transferred to SIUE. He said he chose the club to get involved and has enjoyed being in the club. Buehnerkemper credits pickleball’s growth to the media,
such as television commercials, which has successfully marketed the sport as it becomes more popular. He said the sport is similar to tennis, but is different in strategy and speed, which makes pickleball stand out. “I think they’re calling it the ‘fastest-growing sport in America,’” Buehnekemper said. “It’s crazy that a sport that wasn’t anything two years ago is now popular.” As the club has grown, Buehnerkemper said he continues to make new friends while playing pickleball. He said the tournaments are a good way to meet others who enjoy the sport. “Everyone that comes is welcomed,” Buehnerkemper said. “It’s a lot of people from different backgrounds and different majors, it’s really fun.” As the Pickleball Club
grows, Morrisey said the club has been looking into participating in larger-scale tournaments to play in this semester. She said that as the club’s members gain more time and funding, they will begin competing in larger-scale events outside of SIUE. Morrisey said the Pickleball Club uses Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating, an organization used in order to compete with other schools. She said she hopes the SIUE Pickleball Club will be able to play in out-of-state tournaments and against other schools as more universities start their own pickleball clubs. The Pickleball Club will be hosting their next tournament on Oct. 27, at Plummer Park in Edwardsville. If you are interested in joining Pickleball Club, you can visit their Instagram page or email Mollie Morrisey.
New book brings campuses together in publishing efforts FRANCESCA BOSTON lifestyles editor
SIU University Press recently published an annotated edition of “The New Star Chamber and Other Essays” by Edgar Lee Masters, that was edited by SIUE students and designed by Southern Illinois University Carbondale students in a collaborative academic effort. Jason Stacy, SIUE history professor, said his first student co-edited book was back in fall of 2018. He worked on “Legends of Mexico,” which was initially published in 1847 by George Lippard. He said he enjoyed the process of working with students to publish a book, and he created a standalone course — Editing History. The first class was taught in Fall 2021, the class edited Edgar Lee Masters’ book that had been out of print for more than 100 years according to Stacy. He said he chose the book because Masters is a wellknown Illinois poet, and he, himself, had just published a book on Masters’ “Spoon River Anthology.” While the book’s text content was done by SIUE students, SIUC students in Typography and Graphic Design which were taught by Corey Tester, and Communication Drawing, taught by Jason Wonnell, did the design work to bring the entire book together. “Southern Illinois University Press was interested in publishing it, and they had a really good idea. SIUE students edited the book, which means we wrote the introduction, we annotated the text and we indexed the text,” Stacy said. “Then students at SIU Carbondale designed the book, laid the typeface and added illustrations. It really was a collaborative effort between SIUC and SIUE, published by SIU press.” Allison Thomason, chair of the history department, said the chance to work with SIUC and SIU University Press was a wonderful opportunity. She said that she will continue to support Stacy’s efforts. “Stacy has been superb. It’s not something we all do, or we all can do. We
will absolutely continue to support any publication we can going forward as I’m chair,” Thomason said. Stacy said the bulk of the group work was done in a single semester, where students edited and annotated, acting as a type of editorial board. He said the class approaches the edits as teams, helping divide the text more reasonably. Stacy chooses the text, as he said it could take an entire semester to choose a text alone. “We approach this in a very systematic way. The first six weeks we spend in a seminar fashion diving into historians who are experts of that time period and topic, just to familiarize ourselves with the topic,” Stacy said. “Then we move into the editing process and we move into our editorial teams.” Stacy said the annotations in the books are not just footnotes, they are annotations, meant to help the reader understand the context and explain individual words whose meanings have changed over time. “These are often paragraph-long annotations. When we edit these books I acquire for my students contemporary dictionaries published during the period so that they can consult those, not our modern dictionaries,” Stacy said. Jessica Guldner was a graduate student who worked on the book while not only in the HIST 446 class, but throughout her two years in her graduate program. She currently works as an admin project coordinator for Washington University in St. Louis. “When we got into the actual editorial process, it was a lot of work. I think [Masters’] poetry is actually very interesting. It’s very well-written, but his aca-
demic essays, what we published into this annotated edition, he used a lot of lofty language,” Guldner said. Stacy said the skills the students acquire in the class are worth the effort it takes to create the book, and having a physical copy of a book the class produced is a wonderful thing to be able to show a future employer or academic program. “The skills that are acquired in that regard are innumerable. Those skills are tied to generally research skills, writing skills, workflow, organization, planning ahead, seeing a project through to its end, working in teams. These are all basic professional skills that people undertake no matter what field they enter,” Stacy said. Guldner said she finds the book has many ties to the modern world, especially in the political sphere as the books follow trends that have been in American politics for more than 100 years. “[Topics] that kind of relate it to our own world, which ended up being surprisingly easy, because a lot of the things that he’s talking about are about having this desire to go back to when things were better, or when America used to be great,” Guldner said. Guldner said she just fell in love with the editorial process and changed her desired career path from educator to working in the editorial field. “I totally fell in love with it and wanted to make that my career. This whole project was — it kind of sounds dramatic, but it was truly life-changing for me. I thought my entire life that I was going to be a teacher. I just loved it so much,”
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Guldner said. When the book was published this past fall, the SIUE History Department held a small event, inviting back the students who worked on the book, as well as some of the faculty. Guldner said Chancellor Minor attended as well and all the students signed his book. “It’s such an honor to have the Chancellor of the school come,” Guldner said. “The fact that he came and had direct conversations with us, we almost had like a panel discussion at the beginning of the event and to know that he genuinely has an interest in what the students are doing at the school.” Jennifer Egan, acquisitions editor at the Southern Illinois University Press, said when she was approached by Stacy, she loved the idea of publishing a book on an Illinois poet. “I thought it was a really great idea. It just sounded like such a good way to get students involved in publication and in the publication process and give them experience with publishing. The subject matter is also fascinating. Edgar Lee Masters’ fiction was set here in Illinois,” Egan said. Egan said book publication is a lengthy process, but something that made this project unique was the fact that the SIUE history class was able to do the bulk of the work in a single semester. She said she looks forward to doing more collaborations between the SIU University Press, SIUE and SIUC. Stacy said when he teaches the class again in Fall of 2025 he would more clearly explain how the class works, the amount of time a book takes to be published and the fact that their work will physically live in the world. “I would more clearly explain to students that this is going to be a class unlike they’ve ever had.” Stacy said. “We are editing the original so that it can be used again today. It really is a collective effort. I think the results are at least equally rewarding.”
OPINION
NEXT WEEK: MEN ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE ALLOWED TO ENJOY THINGS
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Share your thoughts: opinion@alestlelive.com (618) 650-3527 Thursday, 10.12.23
DYLAN HEMBROUGH Editor-in-Chief
BRUCE DARNELL Managing Editor
FRANCESCA BOSTON Lifestyles Editor
AUDREY O’RENIC Sports Editor
UDIT NALUKALA Multimedia Editor
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Don’t run us over on your way to class, please THE ALESTLE STAFF editorial board
Electric scooters, skateboards and bikes have a lot of potential to shorten the long walks between classes, but careless students threaten to ruin the fun for us all. Electric bicycles can reach speeds of 28 mph. While slow on an interstate, SIUE is not crisscrossed by highways. The sidewalks that wind around the brick buildings on campus are filled with students, most of whom walk from class to class. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with using electric vehicles to get from place to place — students have been using regular bikes for years to shorten the trek between classes that seem miles apart.
Like their people-powered counterparts, users of electric scooters and skateboards also have the responsibility to watch out for pedestrians and not hit them. In the rush to get from class to class, or simply because of carelessness, people’s safety is in danger because this responsibility is ignored. Some may suggest separate lanes on the sidewalks where electric vehicle users can go as fast as they need to, but such a change would be expensive and untenable due to the amount of students who walk — not to mention how expensive some of these vehicles are themselves. The sidewalks of SIUE’s core campus were paved with walkers in mind, and it is unfair to cordon off parts of the university to people who either do not want to — or
simply cannot — acquire one of these vehicles. A more fathomable one might be to outright ban these vehicles from campus. This is also not a good idea. While the last proposal was classist, this one is ableist. Electric vehicles themselves can be used to increase the accessibility of campus. People with disabilities that interfere in their ability to walk long distances greatly benefit from these vehicles, and it would be unfair to take that opportunity away from them. That said, electric vehicles, for most people, are just a matter of convenience. The walk from the University Park to Art and Design, for example, is daunting for anyone. Electric bikes, scooters and skateboards can drastically reduce the amount of time
spent walking across campus, and if it’s 100 degrees outside, most would prefer not to show up to class drenched in sweat and half-burnt. Clearly, there are a lot of pros to electric vehicles on campus. Their convenience comes with the responsibility of watching out for other people — something any driver should be well-acquainted with. The benefits of these vehicles outweigh the costs as long as people who use electric vehicles do not shirk their responsibilities as users of these vehicles. The bottom line is this: watch where you’re going. If you were a walker on campus, you would not want your peaceful, scenic commute between classes to be interrupted by a 20 mph bicycle plowing into your back.
SIUE’s new logo does not do its community justice MATTHEW WOLDEN copy editor
SIUE’s switch from the lowercase “e” to the capital “E” goes against everything SIUE is meant to stand for. The point of a logo is to represent an idea of what the organization is. They always stand out from the other logos and represent specifically what the brand wants us to perceive. The old cougar logo truly captured what SIUE is. The new logo, however, does not represent that. It has the most basic things at the forefront. Nothing stands out and nothing about the new logo represents SIUE. The old logo was something unusual and eye-catching, much like how SIUE presents itself with art located about the
campus, representing each artist’s own unique vision, or the nature surrounding SIUE due to the Edwardsville campus being a preserve. It is also made to look fierce like a cougar. It shows off something unyielding. Also, the old logo just looks cool. Another thing that was changed was the “e” within the old logo, which was turned from lowercase to uppercase. The capitalization was used to signify that SIUE is a premier school and shouldn’t just be a “backup” to people, but a serious option that can give people a serious education. But there is another way to think about the little “e.” The little “e” represents the little guy. The one who, to most, seems insignificant. But the little guy, at this school, can thrive and become bigger than he was. With
its cheap price and incredible break away from the norm, this college helps acclimate people to a new world, a world where they are the intimidating ones, where they are the cougars. The little “e” is also iconic simply because of the statue on campus. It is a literal monument on campus. The new logo falls short in achieving this spectacle, instead simply feeling underwhelming in its presentation. The new logo feels empty of any unique identity and feels as though it only encompasses a general idea of SIUE. It feels as though this college is simply SIUE and its mascot is a cougar. It does make sense for a new logo to have been made with a new chancellor in charge, but this is not a new direction for SIUE. Students boldly do what
they love in the many clubs on campus and become the people they want. In my freshman year, I remember seeing students try to perfect a vehicle on my way passing the engineering building, and seeing LARPers while walking into the MUC. There was something so powerful about the old logo that falls flat with the current logo. The old logo held power in how it looked, and now SIUE just discards the design. What’s worse is that SIUE seems like they are more than distancing themselves from the old logo. It feels as if they are trying to completely get rid of it and any impact it had on the students. The old logo shouldn’t just be forgotten, though. It is a part of SIUE’s history and was a part of many people’s experience here. If anything, the old logo should come back.
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Certainly not a drag
| Maximilian Lenhart / The Alestle
ABOVE: Tassandra Crush performs to Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” and collects a tip from an audience member in the front row. Tickets for the event were free but included the option to donate to the Safe Zone Scholarship Fund.
| Maximilian Lenhart / The Alestle
Managing mental health
Hannah Ledford Thea Weltzin Brandi Spann
LEFT: Drag queens performed during SIUE’s Safe Zone Drag Show on Oct. 6. Tiffany T. Hunter reaches out to accept a tip, as tipping is an essential part of drag-show etiquette.
contact the editor: sports@alestlelive.com (618) 650-3528 PAGE 8
SAM MUREN reporter SIUE softball unleashed their offense in two Saturday victories against Lincoln Land Community College and St. Charles Community College with a united team effort at Cougar Field. “It was nice to see the offense come out and break out,” SIUE Head Coach Ben Sorden said. The offense did not take long to explode as the Cougars put up eight runs in the first inning before their first out against the LLCC Loggers. SIUE’s offense continued strong through the rest of the game. The team scored three runs in the second inning and added two more in the fifth. SIUE put up some runs, but the defense also prevented the Loggers from attempting any comeback. Junior pitcher Emma Henderson started the game on the mound for the Cougars. She got the opportunity to play with her twin sister, Anna Henderson. “We’re extremely humble and grateful for the opportunity [to play together],” junior catcher Anna Henderson said. The twin battery kept the Loggers off the board through the first two innings of the game.
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NEXT WEEK: MEN’S SOCCER PLAY HOMECOMING WEEKEND AGAINST HOUSTON CHRISTIAN
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“We’ve been pitching and catching together forever, so it’s just exciting to have another opportunity here,” Emma Henderson said. Eventually, the Loggers got on the board with a run in the third inning, but that was all they could manage. Junior infielder Madison Kearns stopped a hit heading toward third base and made a throw to first to get the third out and finish the game for the Cougars. A big offensive start and a strong defensive finish gave the Cougars a solid 13-1 victory. “Everybody contributed in some fashion,” Sorden said. The team’s strong play continued into the second game of the day against St. Charles Community College. Senior pitcher Kelsey Ray started on the mound for SIUE in the second game. Throughout the game, she had multiple strikeouts and didn’t give SCC much of an opportunity to get on base. Like the first game, the defense made some big catches when they had to. Unlike the first game, the offense was more spread out. The Cougars got on the board in the third inning after freshman outfielder Maleah Blomenkamp successfully attempted to steal second and drew away attention from freshman infield-
er Jenna Little who stole home for the first run. Blomenkamp then made it home after a hit from Kearns. SIUE was up 3-0 after the third inning. The floodgates had opened and SIUE scored five more runs through the final two innings. Ray finished her night pitching after the fifth inning with no runs allowed. “I feel pretty good. It’s my second start of the season. So, I’m doing better than I did the first game,” Ray said. Emma Henderson relieved Ray in the sixth inning and helped keep SCC off the score sheet to shore up SIUE’s 8-0 victory. Ray pointed out her improvement from her first start, but the team as a whole made big strides in their performance on Saturday. “I think we’re finally coming together, we’re working as a team, we’re having each other’s back, and for me it’s great to go out there and have confidence with my teammates,” Ray said. Confidence was apparent, as the team put up a score of 21-1 in the two games they played on Saturday, a noticeable difference from the tight games the week before. “We just went back to the basics and wanted to keep things simple. Our focus was to hit the ball hard up the middle,”
Thursday, 10.12.23
Junior pitcher Emma Henderson pitches in a game against Lincoln Land Community College on Oct. 7 at Cougar Field. | Pedro Henrique G-M / The Alestle Sorden said. Shadowed by the high-scoring, the defense also impressed Sorden in the big moments. “Left side of the field was absolutely amazing in both games. Jenna Little had a nice play in the first game up the middle to take a hit away. We just did a lot of really nice things. I think we turned two if not three double plays today as well. They played very solid defense,” Sorden said. The team will now focus on
next week’s homecoming game with some confidence from these two wins. “It’s always exciting to play during homecoming. I hope we have a number of our alumni coming back. We play Missouri Baptist on Saturday and it should be a good ball game,” Sorden said. The Cougars will play Missouri Baptist next at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Cougar Field.
Cougars soccer Oct. 5 doubleheader ends in ties UDIT NALUKALA multimedia editor
Junior forward Kaitlyn Nichols attempts to keep a hold of the ball as Tennessee Tech senior defensive player Sami Cullum chases after her. Even though the game ended in a tie, Coach Derek Burton said they played well. | Chloe Wolfe / The Alestle
Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams tied in their respective games on Oct 5. in Korte Stadium. The women’s soccer team put a halt to the winning streak of Tennessee Tech by drawing the game 0-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference. SIUE now has a 2-11 record in the OVC. The Cougars attempted six shots on goal and saved four, while the Golden Eagles attempted four shots on goal and saved six. SIUE had three offsides and Tennessee Tech one; both teams had four fouls each. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Taylor Spiller saved four goals, allowing none. “We were more intent on how we wanted to play. We were doing everything we needed to get loose balls, regain and keep possession and create a scoring opportunity,” Head Coach Derek Burton said. “As a team I feel we are defi-
nitely getting into a rhythm now. We are definitely getting more confident on the field,” junior defender Mary Fetter said. The women’s soccer team will play next on Oct. 12, in Evansville, Indiana, against the University of Southern Indiana. The SIUE men’s soccer team concluded its game with a 2-2 tie against Lindenwood University. The Cougars are now 2-0-1 in the OVC. The Cougars scored their first goal at the 31-minute mark by redshirt sophomore midfielder Jake Karolczak, assisted by senior defender Sam Layton. The second goal came in the 54-minute mark by graduate student forward Mitchell Murphy, assisted by Karolczak. Graduate student goalkeeper Sam Gomez saved four goals and allowed two. It is the first time that SIUE has allowed more than one goal in a game. “It was great coming out here playing in front of our fans and with my teammates — it’s
perfect,” Karolczak said. “We are taking one game at a time, and as long as we do that, then we can continue our winning streak.” The Cougars attempted eight shots on goals and saved four goals, while the Lions attempted six shots on goal and saved six. The game had three yellow cards. Lindenwood received two, one of which was given to the coach at the 82-minute mark following a fight during the game. “It’s a shame that there was a little melee and two red cards, but at the same time, we learned some good lessons about ourselves and how to control that should we find ourselves in a similar situation moving forward,” Head Coach Cale Wassermann said. The men’s soccer team remains unbeaten and one of the 10 teams in the United States to have consecutive wins. The men’s team will play next at 6 p.m., Oct. 12, in Korte Stadium against the University of the Incarnate Word.