The Daily Egyptian - January 17, 2024

THE

Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.

DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2023

VOL. 107, ISSUE 17

FAFSA complications causing distress for Southern Illinois families

Cole Daily | cdaily@dailyegyptian.com

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid has been a national headache for weeks now. It all began back in 2020, when Congress approved the FAFSA Simplification Act, in an attempt to make filling out the form easier for families. Since most states require students to submit a FAFSA application, the United States populus demanded a change.

The old FAFSA would require potential students, or their parents, to fill out a long, complicated form that would feature roughly a hundred questions regarding the family’s living situation.

The goal of the new FAFSA was to simplify the process, with only around 50 questions. The new application was designed to make it much easier for the government to provide benefits to families in need.

However, it has been proven to be a more tenuous process, at least in the beginning.

Jessica Guthrie, the mother of one (potentially two) Southern Illinois University students, experienced this firsthand.

“It was glitchy. So, it’s more streamlined than it looked like in years past, because I’ve had to fill it out for Will, my oldest son, for the past four

years. And now I’m filling it out for my youngest who’s going to college in the fall [...] But there were a couple glitches here and there as I tried to get it filled out last night,” said Guthrie, who is the business manager for the Daily Egyptian.

The new site was delayed for months, leaving many families curious as to when they would even be able to apply. The updated system dropped December 31, 2023, on the last possible date it could legally go online.

Wendell Williams, the associate vice chancellor of enrollment management at SIU said, “For the last five to six FAFSA | 8

Yarauseth Zavala | yzavala@dailyegyptian.com

New book ban law aims to protect representation in libraries and schools Jared Harris and Brandon Jones Guest Contributors

As of January 1, banning books is illegal in the state of Illinois. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 2789, better known as the Banned Book Ban law, over the summer.

Pritzker has been a vocal supporter of the bill.

At the bill signing at Harold Washington Library in Chicago he said, “Young people shouldn’t be kept from learning about the realities of our world; I want them to become critical thinkers, exposed to ideas that they disagree with, proud of what our nation has overcome and thoughtful about what comes next.”

He followed with, “Everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in the books they read, the art they see, the history they learn. In Illinois, we are showing the nation what it really looks

like to stand up for liberty.”

The new law protects the freedom of libraries to acquire materials without external limitations. The law tasks libraries and state librarians in Illinois with adopting the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights.

This bill of rights indicates that reading materials should not be proscribed, removed or restricted because of partisan or personal disapproval. Illinois libraries would only be eligible for state-funded grants if they adopt it.

Kevin Fee, senior special litigation counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, called the law “a powerful statement of public policy against book banning” while cautioning that it’s not a cure-all.

Across the country, schools have banned books about race,

BOOK BAN | 3

Day Starr-Fleming | DaySF-Facebook

A most unusual race with “profound” consequences: the 2024 election Jamilah Lewis | jlewis@dailyegyptian

The 2024 Presidential election is months away with the first Republican caucus held in Iowa on Jan. 15 and the first primary in New Hampshire on Jan. 23.

According to the American Press, in the Republican party, former President Trump leads the polls for the nomination along with

four other nominees. President Biden announced reelection early last year with two other nominees for the Democratic Party.

Despite Trump being the first president to face impeachment twice and the first president to face 34 criminal charges he remains highly favored by Republican voters. If Biden were

to win this election, he would make history by being the oldest U.S. president ending his second term at 86.

According to BBC, the states of Maine and Colorado ruled Trump ineligible to run as president on their ballots with both states believing he ELECTION | 10

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Page 2 | Sports

Wednesday, January 17, 2023

The ball is put into play during a try in a pickup game of rugby Nov. 11, 2023. The rugby team still met, practiced, and played even when it was cold or sometimes even raining.

Photos by Enan Chediak | echediak@dailyegyptian.com

SIU RUGBY

The SIU team prepares for a scrum in a SIU pickup rugby game Nov. 11, 2023 in the upper arena court at SIU in Carbondale, Illinois.

Although it is not the most recognized sport on campus, the rugby team at SIU is an aspiring club that came together and had a great season in the Fall semester of 2023. Through rain and cold, the team came together and practiced every week for games at SIU and elsewhere.

With the support of their fans, the club pushed through victories and losses, showing perseverance and a drive as well as their ability to come together as teammates and friends on and off the field.

The SIU team walks to its Turkey Bowl event, a pickup game of football to cap off their rugby season this semester at track and field arena at SIU Nov. 15, 2023.

Blake McCarthy (left) runs with the ball while Hank Smith (right) tackles Victor Himich (middle) in the SLU vs SIU rugby game in the upper arena court Sep. 9, 2023.

News | Page 3

Wednesday, January 17, 2023

Illinois offers many resources for the LGBTQ+ community Brandon Jones and Jared Harris Guest Contributors

While other states are passing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, Illinois is establishing itself as a safe haven.

In addition to several new laws championed by the LGBTQ+ community, we also were able to identify numerous resources and other positive developments in our surrounding area that positively benefits the LGBTQ+ community.

Juniper Oxford is the coordinator of the LGBTQ+ Resource Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Oxford says coming back to SIU felt like a homecoming and says she chose to come back to work with her community around her.

“It really comes down to me realizing that what I wanted to do was, you know, work with my community and start, you know getting away from,the book stacks and everything, and getting into actual conversations that we can have and learning oral history as well through discussions with people who have been around.”

This resource center provides support for LGBTQ+ identifying individuals and their allies and helps to further educate others about the community.

One service that is offered, for instance, could be helping someone who is transgender make sure their preferred name is used.

“We do referrals to a bunch of other centers and departments on campus. We’re here to be advocates.

So, you know, we have the Outlaw Clinic and the Legal Clinic here on campus, they help with legal name changes, legal gender changes, those kinds of things.”

Oxford says they are there to help guide students towards those resources and to help them on the informational side of things to help make sure they fully understand and know what resources they have at their disposal.

“The resource center is a great bridge to counseling and psychological services. I can do referrals over there, too. In fact, we have a couple of people from campus in our hallway, thankfully.”

There have also been key victories for the LGBTQ+ community in the state.

Earlier this year, Clare Killman became the first transgender person to be elected to city council in Illinois. Not only did she make history, but she also has been hard at work to make sure Illinois is a safe place for everyone.

In July, not long after she was elected, Killman said that she and her colleagues on the council passed a new title in Carbondale’s City Code, one that Killman said

ensures “human rights for all people who exist within the city limits of Carbondale.

The new code, she said, includes “numerous protections, including a specific chapter devoted to bodily autonomy so that people seeking health care services here, be they LGBTQ+ or otherwise, will find safe refuge and will not be extradited to states who might be hostile for their reasons to come here.”

While it may be more challenging for students at the high school level.

There are still some resources for them as well.

Over the course of a few months we reached out to many different schools in the Southern Illinois region to see what resources they had for LGBTQ+ students. Two did not respond, but one, Carbondale Community High School, is a bright spot.

Ryan Thomas, principal for CCHS, said in an email that the school takes great pride in establishing and maintaining a safe, accepting, and inclusive learning environment for all students.

CCHS, he said, “has an active Gay Straight Alliance organization that is led by students and faculty members.

GSA meets at least monthly and participates in events such as The Day of Silence and events outside of the school day, such as the recent Take Back the Night march.”

CCHS has a wonderful team of school social workers and school counselors that support all our students daily, including our LGBTQ+ students, he said.

Another great resource in our community is Rainbow Cafe,

BOOK BAN gender identity, and sexual orientation. In total, 2,571 unique titles, most written by or about LGBTQ+, Black, POC or Indigenous people were targeted for censorship last year, 1,200 of those were censored.

Many of the book bans occur

in the South, but there were 67 attempts to ban books in Illinois in 2022.

Recently, there was a secret vote by the Yorkville School Board to bar the inclusion of Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Of the 13 most challenged books last year, four are tied at 10th place and seven of them involve LGBTQIA+ content.

young adults in the area.

Any SIU student wanting more information can call the Resource

Center at 618-453-3740 or by going visiting https://smrc.siu.edu/lgbtq/

CONTINUED FROM 1

Day Starr-Fleming | DaySF-Facebook

located on North Illinois Avenue in Carbondale, which offers programming for teenagers and

Page 4 | News

Wednesday, January 17, 2023

The so-called “ring of fire” presents itself on the big screen at Saluki Stadium during the annular eclipse on Oct. 14 in Carbondale, Illinois. Photo provided by SIU Communications

SIU researchers lead $465K project to bring 2024 eclipse to schools outside moon’s shadow

Tim Crosby | SIU Communications

Young students in Southern Illinois will have their second chance to witness an awe-inspiring total solar eclipse, being fortunate enough to live near its path. Faculty at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, however, are planning to bring the celestial event to many other youngsters who are not in the shadow this time around.

Faculty researchers have planned a project called the REAL Field Trip Model, which is aimed at pioneering a way to allow any school, regardless of location, to actively participate in large-scale scientific events such as space launches, aquarium and zoo events, volcanic eruptions, turtle hatchings and so on. REAL stands for Remote Engagement and Access to Learning.

Cori Brevik, assistant professor of practice in the School of Physics and Applied Physics, is leading a team of researchers from SIU and Adler Planetarium in Chicago on the project, which is funded by a two-year, $465,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.

“The big picture goal of the project is to create a model by which students who are not located near a big scientific event can still have an opportunity to experience the event firsthand in an interactive manner,” Brevik said. “The total solar eclipse is an example of an event that many students across the U.S. will not be able to witness firsthand because they are not in the path of totality.”

Brevik, along with SIU researchers Harvey Henson, Bob Baer and Karla Berry, as well as Michelle Nichols from the Adler Planetarium, will develop and assess the effort. The group conducted a trial run at Saluki Stadium during the annular eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023, and plans to have the effort fully operational on April 8, 2024, when the next total solar eclipse swings across North America into the Southern Illinois area.

Bringing the experience home To measure the success of the project, the team is partnering with three middle schools in the path of totality, as well as three middle schools outside the path of totality.

Following the eclipse, the researchers

will compare the experiences of each group of students to determine how close they came to giving the out-ofpath students the same experience as those in the eclipse path.

To achieve this parity, the team is relying on readily available technology with a twist and a personal touch.

Leading up to the eclipse, all of the students involved in the project will study the event and receive a visit from Adler Planetarium staff. The students also will have the option to create recorded reports, broadcasts and video logs to upload and share from an SIU website.

During the eclipse, the out-of-path students will watch the livestream show coming from SIU’s Saluki Stadium, including watching images of the eclipse as it occurs in realtime. They also will watch interviews with experts and guided viewing discussions that will help them interpret events as they unfold.

At the same time, an in-the-path school will be paired with each outof-path school, helping students share their experiences over interactive video conferencing.

“We hope to give the students both the personal experience as well as the group experience that comes with observing a total solar eclipse,” Brevik said. “It will be much more than just watching a video or livestream of an event.”

Annular eclipse testing Brevik said the team tested some concepts and technology during the annular eclipse that hit the southwest United States on Oct. 14. During the test, the team placed several telescopes in the path of the annular eclipse and practiced pulling in live feeds and maintaining views of the event on the big screen on the north end of the football field and on SIU’s YouTube channel.

“It was a very successful test of the equipment and broadcasting network,” Brevik said. “For the total solar eclipse, we’ll expand it to include more telescopes and more viewing locations, all pulled together to share with schools.”

Expanding the network For the total eclipse in April, the team plans to tap into about 70 telescopes spread across North America as part of the Dynamic

Eclipse Broadcast Initiative network.

Led by SIU researchers Baer and Matt Penn, the DEB Initiative is a citizen science project with teams composed of amateur astronomers, college students and high school and middle school students using telescopes to provide critical coronal data as the moon’s shadow traverses the continent.

Some DEB telescopes will be designated to broadcast images as part of the livestream that will be produced by SIU, allowing those who tune in to watch the eclipse from its first contact in Mexico across the United States and into Canada. The live images will be interspersed with interviews from solar experts, eclipse chasers and more.

Other segments will guide the viewer through events as they occur and provide information about what people should be looking for at any given time. The livestream will be available for anyone who wishes to tune in and avoid any inclement weather issues, with its reliance on a network of telescopes across a wide region and not just one location.

News | Page 5

Wednesday, January 17, 2023

Shelters fill with unwanted animals gifted during holiday season Heather Traver | Guest Contributor

Imagine, if you will, waking up every day confined within the same four walls with no way to get out and explore. Nothing to keep you busy and preoccupied. You’re given the same food every day and are forced to drink from stale water with food particles floating in it.

This is the reality of many animals in captivity whose owners bought them on a whim without doing the proper research on those animals’ needs.

Shelters see a surge in unwanted pets this time of year, as those given as “gifts” for the holidays end up being more work than anticipated.

One of the biggest contributors to animals being put into homes that aren’t ready to properly care for them are pet stores. Many people who enter pet stores see the animals in their small temporary environments and decide to impulse buy the animal without properly educating themselves on what the animal will need in an environment long term.

McKenna Scaff, the lead of pet care at PetSmart in Peoria, Illinois, said that lots of people buy animals for their children as a sort of toy. A popular choice for children would be the hamsters, who are actually nocturnal and don’t enjoy small cages riddled with tubes. A better environment is a large tub with plenty of bedding to burrow in.

Many exotic pets are then returned to the store within their 14-day policy, either because they weren’t what the owner was expecting or they’re on their deathbed due to improper care. This is especially the case with reptiles.

“Do your research before bringing home any living being. It is a soul who feels pain and suffering. Ignorance is such a sorry excuse for not taking proper care of your pets,” Scaff said.

Pet stores also get a lot of their animals from mills. Animal mill breeding can lead to a lot of genetic illnesses, as well as behavioral issues. For example, many pet mice sold at chain pet stores are a lot more skittish and anxious than a well-bred pet mouse would be. A wellbred mouse is more calm and mentally developed, as well as more used to the scent of humans than a mouse coming from a mill would be.

While these animal mills are still being used by large chain pet stores, Illinois has banned the sale of puppies from puppy mills in stores. Advocates say that this is a step in the right direction, although many puppies still end up in shelters through accidental and “backyard” breeding.

Shelters do all that they can to care for unwanted cats and dogs in order to hopefully find them a new home. What a lot of people don’t realize is that different types of cats and dogs require different kinds of care and environment. And there are always more animals that need homes than there are people who are able to take them in.

A lot of people go for size and appearance when looking to take in a new cat or dog. With that comes different levels of coat care, environmental concerns, diet and exercise needs. A large dog with a fluffy coat of fur is going to require a lot more time and attention than a small, short haired dog. For example, a popular breed of dog is a husky, but their coat requires a lot of regular maintenance, and their energy levels are a lot higher than new owners are generally prepared for.

According to a report on dog ownership in the National Library of Medicine by Katerina Holland, only 40 percent of dog owners do any prior research within a week before taking home a new dog and one fifth of dog owners don’t do any prior research at all.

Jupiter Thompson, a kennel technician at the Humane Society of Southern Illinois, gave her take on some major reasons that people surrender their animals.

“It’s usually just people not realizing the amount of commitment that comes with taking care of an animal, it’s like a 15-to20 year commitment, not just a 2-to-3 year thing. And we have people who’ve had their animals for a couple months to a couple years before surrendering an animal.”

Thompson also says that around graduation time in the spring is another period shelters see an influx of animals being surrendered. When people are graduating college and moving away for potential jobs, they realize that they are no longer able to keep their pet.

Another issue around this time

An abandoned dog taken in by STAAR stares at elderly cat Nov. 1, 2023 at Striegel Animal Hospital in Carbondale, Illinois.

Mo Collar | @mo.alexander

would be breeding season, according to Thompson. It’s a major reason why shelters and veterinarians push to get your dogs and cats spayed and neutered, because if they get out and make babies, many of those babies end up unwanted and in the shelter within the first few years of their lives.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), approximately 6.3 million companion animals are surrendered to a shelter each year. About 3.1 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats, although the number of surrendered animals has declined by almost one million since 2011.

Still, about 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized every year. While a large number of unwanted animals are still entering the shelter system, the number of euthanasia cases has decreased by about 2.6 million since 2011.

The ASPCA says this decline could be due to an increase in animals being adopted and strays being reunited with their owners. Another factor could be an increase in pet ownership knowledge and an increase in spays and neuters. With the general public becoming more aware of the issue with

unwanted animals, it’s creating a larger call to action in preventing unwanted animals from being born or otherwise brought into homes that can’t care for them.

Sometimes it’s in a person’s best interest to buy a purebred dog rather than adopting one. This could be due to a person’s individual health needs or other considerations. When looking into a purebred dog, rather than looking at stores or mills, it’s best to do local research on reputable breeders around the area. Many reputable breeders put a lot of time and money into their puppies and keep them up to date on vet appointments and vaccines. These animals aren’t mass produced and are very well taken care of, and many reputable breeders make sure that their puppies are going to a knowledgeable home.

SIU student Annabell Watkins said that while she personally never owned an animal without doing previous research on their care, her younger brother got a bearded dragon that eventually became hers when he was unable to properly care for it.

Fellow student Gayla Orrill confided that she was gifted a bunny when she

was younger with no knowledge on its needs or how to care for it, and then did the same thing again in 2016 where she spontaneously bought a bunny without being ready to care for it.

Watkins said that all of her cats and dogs, except for her great Pyrenees, had been rescued from the park by her home.

It’s a popular place to dump animals, but Watkins feels that it’s inhumane to dump animals outside.

“I feel that if [the original owners] can’t care for them, they should at least drop them off at the shelter rather than outside.”

Watkins also feels that cats and dogs as strays, running around outside, largely impacts the ecosystem. She says that it’s mainly a human issue and believes that people should get their animals fixed to avoid unwanted animals being dumped or ending up in shelters.

Orrill believes that dumping animals, leading to stray animals, can negatively impact the ecosystem as well.

“It’s bad, like the reptiles in Florida can be dangerous, like all the snakes and everything. And all the cats can really negatively impact an ecosystem. So, I think people should spay and neuter pets and not dump them,” Orrill said.

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Wednesday, January 17, 2023

Wednesday, January 17, 2023

| Page 7

Salukis Winter Sports SIU Basketball watch from the bench as the Salukis trail behind Drake Jan. 14, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Se’Quoia Allmond attacks the basket for a close shot against the Beacons defense Jan. 6th, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Simeon Hardley | @simshardphotography

Laniah Randle and Jaidynn Mason help pick up their teammate Shemera Williams after a hard foul Jan. 6th, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Simeon Hardley | @simshardphotography

Xavier Johnson looks to shoot from the three Jan. 14, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois.

Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Scottie Ebube (2) shoots a free throw after a foul on Drake Jan. 14, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Quierra Love (0) prepares to perform an “up and under” reverse layup against Layla Gold (21) of Valparaiso Jan. 6th, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois.

Simeon Hardley | @simshardphotography Jaidynn Mason attacks her defender on a fast break Jan. 6th, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Simeon Hardley | @simshardphotography Jaidynn Mason drives past her defender as the Salukis take on the Valparaiso Beacons Jan. 6th, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Simeon Hardley | @simshardphotography

Page 8 | Sports

Wednesday, January 17, 2023

Salukis fail to avenge last year’s MVC tourney loss Jamilah Lewis jlewis@dailyegyptian.com

A fierce game was played by the Salukis (12-4) and the Drake Bulldogs (13-3) on Saturday, January 13 at the Banterra Center with Drake coming out on top, 76-58.

The Bulldogs’ head coach Darian DeVries is in his sixth year with the Bulldogs. He led them to last year’s Missouri Valley Conference championship and a tournament appearance. His son, Tucker DeVries, is the star of this Drake squad.

The game was tied for a few seconds in the first couple minutes, with the Bulldogs leading most of the first half averaging more than 10 to 20 points ahead, ending the first half with a substantial 11-point lead, 36-25.

The Salukis still put up a tough fight with 12 three-pointers attempted, trying to get back into the game.

“I give Drake a ton of credit tonight. They were the better team. Disappointed with the result obviously,” Head Coach Bryan Mullins said. “We had a great crowd, great atmosphere in there and just wish we could’ve allowed the crowd to make a difference for us today.”

At the start of the second half, SIU guard Xavier Johnson started it strong with a three-pointer followed by another triple by Rupert at 17:38, with a score of 4331, Bulldogs in front.

FAFSA

CONTINUED FROM 1

months, we have been familiar with what’s been going on with the FAFSA and we just sat back. We took a lot of proactive steps to see what we could do to help ease some of the concern from our local high schools, and the local students.”

As soon as the new FAFSA was up, people immediately started noticing problems. You could only complete the form at certain times of the day, and there were many problems getting logged into pre-existing accounts.

“Even though they said the testing phase should be over and the website should be up from 8am-8pm eastern time, they’re still struggling,” Guthrie said.

She said she was put in a ‘virtual waiting room’ her first time attempting to complete it. After 25 minutes or so, she decided to wait and try again the next day.

On her second attempt, she was able to log into the system and create an account for her youngest son. But, when asked to verify his email and phone number, it took the verification three attempts just to work.

“I am not the only one. I am friends with some of Xan’s classmates’ mothers and a lot of people are having a lot of trouble logging on [or] they can’t even get on. It’s saying that it’s down for maintenance,” she said.

Another parent, the mother of two

Mullins said the team let their offense impact its defense on the court tonight because of missed shots in the first half, but made sure to start off the second half strong.

“We got to be able to respond and we have to come back out of the second half better than we did,” Mullins said. “I think they scored like five or six straight times to start the second half.”

Guard Trent Brown said the team’s communication can be better on defense and takes accountability for not communicating better on the court.

“I expect us to do a lot better come practice, so it starts with the next day,” Brown said. “It was disappointing, I’m disappointed in myself but that’s just the way it went tonight.”

He said credit to the Bulldogs for its performance on court playing like a championship team; with expectations the Salukis will play the same if not better in the future.

Mullins said with the previous practices communication on court has been improved but wasn’t shown fully on court tonight and plans to be better for the game against Bradley on Wednesday January 17.

That game will take place at 7 p.m. at the Banterra Center, on the Salukis’ home court. They hope to bounce back against a seasoned Bradley team.

Sports editor Jamilah Lewis can be reached at jlewis@dailyegyptian.com

current SIU students, said the process feels repetitive. With all the changes, Tiffany Day felt one more should’ve been included.

“The whole form itself is kinda pain for the parent, especially with multiple children. So for people with multiple kids in college, they have to fill in the same information more than one time,” Day said.

She acknowledged she was luckier than most when trying to complete the FAFSA, but Day has seen a lot of discussion on Facebook surrounding the glitches in the system.

Worry has started to build for families on whether or not their child will be accepted for priority deadline at particular schools. A lot of future students’ decisions on where to spend the next four years rests on submission of the FAFSA. “They want to be able to select their college but they need to get their FAFSA in so that their scholarship offers can come out to them, so then they can select what colleges are going to be the best fit for their field of study as well as their budget,” Guthrie said.

Williams wants to emphasize that Southern Illinois families can rest easy and that it’ll all get itself figured out in time.

“The message that needs to get out right now, is to stay calm,” he said.

Williams said Southern Illinois University has a plan in place to make this less stressful for everyone

Trent Brown (24) shoots the ball as Atin Wright (10) attempts to block Jan. 14, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

involved. It is his understanding that SIU will make adjustments accordingly.

“This coming year with things the way that they are, all of those deadlines are going to be pushed based upon when students can get in, and so we’re going to accommodate,” Williams said.

Because the site has been open for just a couple weeks now, he compares it to years ago when the healthcare insurance system was launched. In his eyes, there is no need to panic.

“Students and families will have ample time to complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA, and they don’t need to rush and fill out the form immediately,” Williams said.

With all the confusion this year, there are questions from Illinois residents as to whether or not completing the FAFSA should even be mandated. If parents know they won’t be receiving money, why should they have to go through this all in the first place?

Guthrie understands the sentiment from some residents, but overall, thinks it’s a good regulation.

It is there to benefit as many people as possible.

“By putting some of these things in place, you’re just leveling the playing field for all students regardless of their home lives,” Guthrie said.

Day doesn’t have a problem with everyone completing the FAFSA. However, there is a glaring hole in the

setup she has a problem with.

“My girls worked through high school and built up a savings account to go to college. So they’re having to report their saved income which is really at a disadvantage to them.

If my kids have 7k built up in their savings account, that counts against what they can earn as loan money,” she said. “So I don’t really think it’s fair to the kids who have saved up a bit. You’re better off to have nothing in your savings account.”

Day argues these are the inconsistencies that makes her question why completing the FAFSA is mandated for all Illinois residents.

Williams said roughly 95% of students have some sort of financial assistance while attending SIU. And while all that may not be through the FAFSA, the application gives the university an understanding of who needs aid.

“We want every student, especially with the new FAFSA, to complete it. And the reason why is that a lot of our scholarships are need-based scholarships and we use that FAFSA to determine that need,” Williams said.

The completion of the FAFSA is obviously of the utmost importance, not just for parents but for the universities themselves. Luckily, the bill passed in 2020 wasn’t for nothing.

Day and Guthrie have noted that the form itself is actually much

easier to complete.

“The process for the parent part was way quicker. I probably got mine completed in under a half hour,” Day said.

Guthrie said, “So far, with the exception of the glitches, everything has been easy. It was all information I had on hand that I knew I would need.”

Because the form is a whole lot easier, it has become more plausible for students to actually complete it themselves, without parental aid.

SIU’s Director of Financial Aid, Elyse Weller, provided a list of events the university will be hosting to encourage students to complete the FAFSA. This list includes hosting regional FAFSA nights at local high schools starting this week through the month of February.

The Financial Aid Office will also be hosting several FAFSA aid workshops at Morris Library the first week of the Spring semester. These will be held from 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. from January 16-19.

On Jan. 19, the office will partner for an extended FAFSA-assistance night from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. with the Black Affairs Council.

“Our students can rest-assured that we are doing everything possible to serve them the best that we can,” Williams said.

Editor-in-Chief Cole Daily can be reached at cdaily@dailyegyptian.com

Wednesday, January 17, 2023

News | Page 9

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Page 10 | News

Wednesday, January 17, 2023

Religious attendance fails to recover after pandemic Cecilia Buhlman | Guest Contributor

Bright white walls, modern furniture, and a log fireplace invite students who are searching for a place of relaxation, connection and ministry.

While these renovations were put in place in hopes of attracting more students, the Wesley Foundation at SIU, like many religious organizations, has not garnered much activity in recent years.

When asked by the analytics firm Gallup this year, “Did you, yourself, happen to attend church, synagogue, mosque or temple in the last seven days, or not?” only 31% of Americans reported yes.

While many Americans might assume that the pandemic is to blame for lower worship attendance. Statistics show America was already declining in the way of attending religious services before the virus hit.

Since the year 1939, when the poll started collecting data, the highest recorded attendance was 49 percent in the years 1955 and 1958.

From that time, the percentage mainly stayed around 40 percent until a drop in 2021 to 29 percent, likely due to the nationwide shutdown.

However, in the last two years that percentage has barely rebounded, by a mere 2 percent.

The director of the Wesley Foundation in Carbondale, Sherry Smedshammer, works with college students all the time. She said the attitude among them seems to be “If I have time to do it, I’ll do it.”

A percentage of those who attended church at the request or requirement of parents don’t see a lot of passion for faith now that they are on their own.

Carbondale has more than 40 churches with a couple of synagogues and mosques. It is also a town filled with young students learning about the world and developing their own views.

ELECTION

CONTINUED FROM 1

went against section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

The director of the Paul Simon Institute, John Shaw, said calling this the most unusual election in American history wouldn’t be a stretch. Mainly because of Trump and his political history, never having a candidate like him in the past.

“Even after I guess the thing that I mentioned…playing a very active role in the January 6 insurrection to effectively, you know, overturn, to attempt to overturn the election of 2020,” Shaw said.

“The fact is that he is in a strong position to be the Republican nominee.”

Shaw said the possibility of Trump winning the GOP nod is high and, if he were to be elected, it would fundamentally change America’s democracy and the country’s role in the world.

“Polling has shown him with a commanding lead over all other candidates. But the voters have not spoken yet and it is possible that these polls are wrong,” said Shaw. “Right now the field

20-year-old student Claudia Bobb shares her story on why she does not attend church anymore despite going every Sunday as a kid.

“In the past couple of years, I have realized through self-education and exposure to the opinions of certain people that there is a lot of discrimination and hypocrisy within religion that I don’t support,” Bobb said.

An unscientific poll of members of the SIU community shows the national trend holds true here.

Out of 90 people responding, 83 percent said that they have attended regular church services in their life, but when asked if they have attended church in the past month, only 41 percent said yes. 53 percent said that it was a life choice they made to stop attending church.

One 20-year-old male respondent wrote, “I stopped attending church when I was about 8 years old, primarily because I felt I didn’t necessarily have to come to a physical place of worship, when I can love God at any time, anywhere.”

A 47-year-old female said, “I have not found a church that fits my values

and beliefs. I have found many want to include political issues/positions, have hypocritical/intolerant positions, or I disagree with their interpretation of the Bible.”

Of those who chose to stop attending church, many gave their reason as something to do with the church rather than their beliefs. Some even stated that they still believe, they just don’t trust the church.

Losing faith in a higher power or just faith in the institution of religion are two different things. But statistics show churches are not the community focal points like they may have been fifty years ago.

There were some respondents who have defied the social norm and actually started attending church in recent years.

An 18-year old female said it was someone close to her who brought her into church.

“I started attending church again about 3 years ago with my boyfriend because he is very christian (sic). I started going to his church and I loved it and I’m now a part of my church’s worship team.”

Another student, 20-year-old Xavier

Preston, had the opposite experience of Bobb. Nervous about moving to college, he looked for a place to be at peace.

“The main thing I looked for was a community of other college students that went to church and had the same beliefs and values that I have,” Preston said.

For as long as churches, synagogues and mosques have been around, they have been a place to gather, a place of community and connection. So, if people are less likely to go to church, the question is, where are they finding community?

More and more people are finding spaces online to share their opinions and ideas. Social media is coded to specifically show you things you are interested in. This tailored social media feed limits exposure to views opposite of the user. Thus, having those disagreements when out in the real world is not something the newer generation will be used to. There are groups you can join on platforms like Facebook, Discord, and Instagram that are based on one topic of interest.

How does this apply to churches?

Are they dying out or adapting? This is what many polls set out to find.

has six or seven candidates. It could be that it will close down very quickly to just one alternative to Trump and it could be that there is, you know, that there is an alternative that emerges, but the polling does not suggest that is likely.”

Other Republican nominees include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former cabinet official during the Trump presidency Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson.

Besides Biden, Democratic nominees include former 2020 presidential candidate and author Marianne Williamson and Minnesota congressman Dean Phillips. Independent nominees include the nephew of former president John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., environmental activist Jill Stein and progressive activist Cornel West.

“I think many of the people who voted for Joe Biden in 2020, you know, hope that he would be a one-term president, hope he would help the country get through COVID-19 [and] get the economy back on track,” Shaw

said. “Then step aside and let someone, another Democrat run, you know, to kind of finish his legacy.”

Shaw said he’s seen the concerns about Biden’s age and believes public perception usually assumes Biden moves slowly and Trump is healthier when we don’t know if that is the case.

“I think that there’s a wide number of people who voted for him in 2020, who might not vote, you know, so I don’t think they think he’s provided capable sound leadership, not exciting, you know, inspiring leadership and they will just choose not to vote, Shaw said. “I think Biden’s greatest concern should be that many of the people who voted for him in 2020 will not vote in 2024.”

With Biden and Trump being the lead nominees for their parties, Shaw said most Americans would rather not see a rematch between the two, but like most elections years, voting third party wouldn’t make a difference in the polls.

“A [look at the] history of American politics is pretty clear that, you know, at least at this point, still, the next President will be either Donald Trump or Joe

Biden,” Shaw said. “Casting a vote for another candidate is an act of protest, but I don’t know that it would be you know, I don’t know that it would be a productive way of expressing concern.”

Nominees like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could possibly earn thousands of votes with his family name and difference in his politics than his father’s democratic ideals, but wouldn’t make a dent in a country with over 300 million people but could still impact the election, Shaw said.

Shaw said there’s been little discussion of political issues that usually come up around election time such as budget policy with the country being in trillions of debt or healthcare. Trump and Biden’s focus doesn’t seem to be on such topics for this election.

“I think Biden is going to fight the election out on that ground, that the election of Trump would be a threat to our democracy,” Shaw said.”And Trump is going to argue that, you know, his election is necessary to make America great again.”

Something important Shaw said the Republican party should do if Biden wins

Another Gallup poll looked at how adults are expressing their religion.

In the poll taken, 67 percent of participants said that they attended church weekly or almost weekly growing up. Now? 31 percent do.

There are two main factors predicting whether a person in the U.S. will attend church. The first factor is age.

“Fifty-eight percent of adults under age 35 say they went to church every week or almost every week growing up, compared with 70 percent of adults aged 35 and older.”

The next factor that is dividing many things in society is political affiliation. How likely are people to stay in a place with conflicting views politically?

Pew research shows that there is a disparity between political parties and church attendance, with Republicans more likely to attend church than Democrats.

Carbondale has remained Democratic in all presidential elections since the year 2000. Because of the university environment there is a lot more diversity and communities joined together in a place where many are searching for a place to belong.

College campuses have so much going on and lots of exposure to other viewpoints, this could be a critical moment in many young people’s religious journey.

In the age of technology many resources are available for religious research at home. There is also a still rather new availability of watching church online.

The combination of factors keeps growing that can keep people away from places of worship. Only a continued watch of charts and surveys will tell if religion becomes a less important part of American culture over time.

again is pass the victory over peacefully unlike the 2020 election.

“It was the first election in American history in which you know, the loser did not concede, and actually disputed the outcome, and then battled to block the peaceful transfer of power,” Shaw said. “ By failing to do that, they provided an outlet for conspiracy theories to arise.”

It’s unknown as of now what the voter turnout will be. Illinois’ primary isn’t until Tuesday, March 10 along with Arizona, Florida, Kansas and Ohio. The National Republican Convention is from July 15 to the 18, and the Democratic National Convention from Aug, 19 to the 22.

“There’s gonna be two competing factors, there’s going to be a sense of disappointment in the two candidates that might have a depressing effect,” Shaw said. “But the consequences of this election seem like they’re so profound, that also could have a countervailing effect and push voter participation and turnout.”

Sports editor Jamilah Lewis can be reached at jlewis@dailyegyptian.com.

Sports | Page 11

Wednesday, January 17, 2023

Saluki baseball rebuilds with new load of transfers Ryan Grieser rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com

If you’ve been following Saluki baseball during head coach Lance Rhodes’ tenure, you know that every year is going to bring another round of new faces.

While this may not seem any different then any sport, Rhodes’ teams have a bit more turnover than others. The current team has only one player that started his career as a freshman at SIU, Cade Carter, and there are also zero players who aren’t juniors or seniors.

This means that there is serious roster turnover every season, with the 2024 roster being no exception; 23 new players will suit up for the Salukis this season. Rhodes isn’t deterred by it; it’s what he and his staff want to build.

“We’re looking for a roster that can continually stay mature, to have a roster that has a bunch of college at-bats or college innings under their belt already.

That can make the learning curve of playing Division 1 baseball a little shorter,” Rhodes said.

This approach to team building makes players like Carter, a fourth year pitcher, even rarer. But Southern Illinois native Carter didn’t even start his collegiate athletic career as an SIU baseball player.

“Originally, I came here as a football player,” Carter said. “I previously had some connections with the pitching coach here at the time, Tim Jamison, so I reached out to him after I decided I was going to move away from football.”

Searching for any chance to find his way onto the team, Carter asked if there was any chance if he could get an open tryout Carter said, “I was lucky enough, they gave me the opportunity to come try out for the team… I went out there, took some batting practice, threw with coach Rhodes, fielded a little bit, did some ground ball work. And [Rhodes] called me back, actually about a week later, and told me that I had a spot on the team.”

Senior outfielder Mathieu Vallee had a bit of a different path to SIU. Vallee is originally from Saint-Joseph-Du-Lac, Québec, where he even played on the Academy Baseball in Canada [ABC].

Baseball in Canada had its differences, though.

“When I was in high school, we would be inside for like six months a year… The facilities here, and just being able to do so much stuff in a day, it’s crazy to me,” Vallee said.

Despite a standout high school career and being one of the best prospects in Québec, Vallee only received one offer: Northeastern Oklahoma.

“It was pretty much my only offering, because one of my best friends had played there the year before me. So otherwise, I would have been done with baseball,” Vallee said.

It proved to be a good decision for both Vallee and NEO; in his two years there, he batted .426 and was an AllRegion and All-Region Gold Glover.

After a year at Dallas Baptist

University, Vallee was again on the move.

SIU, with its efforts led by Rhodes and hitting coach/recruiting coordinator Brett Peel, had called him when he was in the portal the year before, so they were a familiar factor. A friendly face on SIU also helped Vallee in his decision.

“I think the fact that I knew PO [former Saluki outfielder Pierre-Olivier Boucher] a little bit before that helped a lot,” Vallee said.

Boucher also was able to sell the environment of SIU. Vallee said, “I decided to come here because PO was telling me about how good of a place it was, and all the coaches and how all the other guys were, so I knew this was going to be a great decision.”

Part of SIU being the destination that it is for baseball players is the culture that they’ve instilled. Rhodes says that the coaching staff works to keep certain ideals in place from year to year.

“We have our standards and our expectations that we want everybody in our program to abide by… we know what we expect out of each individual person, and we’re going to hold everyone to a high standard,” Rhodes said.

According to Rhodes, “you kind of got to start over every year, and that’s ok.”

He said having a bunch of new players from different teams mean they’ve been taught a bunch of different ways.

“You bring them in here and you try to have them learn the system… and getting everybody on the same page, and

then trying to build the relationships off the field to where our guys are comfortable around each other and building that tight knit culture,” Rhodes said. “It’s a fun process. It’s a lengthy process, but it’s fun.”

Returning players, even if they’re only in year two, also play a critical role in constructing culture.

“We have our returners, who know those expectations from previous seasons and help those new guys along the way and just continue to hold everybody up to a level of excellence that is going to help us win a championship,” Rhodes said.

As the most tenured player by multiple years, Carter is uniquely positioned to do this.

Rhodes said, “He knows the expectations of our program, whether it’s in the classroom, on the field, and just helps instill those values that we want all our players to have, and to all the new players that are around him every single year.”

Carter is stepping into this role seamlessly, providing a valuable voice of experience from a player’s perspective.

“I feel like I’m comfortable here now, and I’ve got an understanding of… what it takes to win, so I feel like I’ve been able to be a good resource to the new guys coming in and kind of what’s expected of them. And then if they need help with anything, I’m always there to offer a hand,” Carter said.

Culture is largely made up of the relationships that players have with

each other. Carter thinks that this team, though they haven’t been together long, has formed a strong connection.

“It’s really neat seeing a bunch of guys coming together from different parts of the world and just meshing as a cohesive unit,” Carter said. “I think this year’s group has been the best team that I’ve been a part of as far as everyone really gets along and enjoys each other’s presence. It’s just a good group of guys to be around.”

Vallee thinks that the shared experience as transfers plays into the bond many players feel.

“Even this year, there’s not really like new guys, returners. I feel like everyone’s new every year… I didn’t realize it last year, but even if it’s your second year, I feel like you’re kind of a new guy still,” Vallee said. “It’s just having the mentality that everybody is new here, and we have to come up as a team in the first few weeks.”

Vallee has no worries about the team coming together, though.

“I think the guys, everybody likes each other… it’s just, we’re coming to have fun together.”

Vallee sees another key factor playing into the connection among the team: age.

“Everybody’s old here… I think that all the guys having pretty much the same age, all of us feeling old, just brings us together even more. We just feel old and we’re just here to have fun,” Vallee said.

Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com.

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