Federal agency drains Little Grassy Lake to repair 81-year-old dam
Enan ChEdiak
@EnanChEdiak
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is draining Little Grassy Lake to conduct studies and repair its infrastructure, as the result of “massive flooding, erosion and deterioration due to climate change,” the agency said in a Dec. 5 press release. But some in southern Illinois are concerned about what will happen with the lake and how long the repairs will take.
The December press release came after the FWS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that they would conduct studies on the Little Grassy Lake Dam beginning in September of 2024.
The FWS conducted a dam and spillway safety modification study to “address structural deficiencies and improve functionality,” according to an article by Justin Sexton, the refuge manager of Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge.
“The Little Grassy Lake dam and spillway structure on the refuge has
Stan Reno named Carbondale City Manager
JaCkson Brandhorst @JaCksondothtml
The City of Carbondale announced on Friday that Police Chief and acting City Manager Stan Reno has accepted a conditional offer for the full-time, permanent position of City Manager, pending final approval of an employment agreement by the Carbondale City Council.
“Serving the City of Carbondale as police chief has been one of the greatest
honors of my career,” said Reno in Friday’s press release. “I look forward to continuing to serve our community in this new capacity as city manager.”
Reno had been the city’s chief of police since 2021 and assumed the interim city manager role in March of 2024 after the resignation of former City Manager Gary Williams.
Outside of Reno, other candidates being considered for the role were Thomas Thomas and Shawn Metcalf.
When asked what made Reno stand out among the other candidates, Carbondale Mayor Carolin Harvey said simply “he was the most qualified.”
Reno will now lead the way on multiple projects in Carbondale – some of which are currently ongoing and many of which are upcoming.
“I’m looking forward to working with him on completing current projects and bringing on new ones that will help the city grow
WSIL ownership reverses decision to axe weather department
JaCkson Brandhorst @JaCksondothtml
Allen Media Group (AMG), the parent company of The Weather Channel, WSIL-TV and 28 total news stations across the country, has informed some of their member stations that the media group will be reversing its decision to lay off their meteorology teams.
As of Thursday morning, what had appeared to be the propagation of an even more barren news desert in southern Illinois has been seemingly avoided.
Earlier this week on Jan. 18, AMG announced in a press release that it is “rolling out a groundbreaking format for local weather coverage powered by The Weather Channel across local markets nationwide,” which, for AMG, would have streamlined operations and reduced costs.
That decision would have subsequently ended the WSIL careers for local meteorologists Nick Boynton, Jacie Brianne and Garett Hamilton, but this is no longer the case.
“When I first heard about our jobs being taken away, I was shocked but saddened for the people of this community who would lose local severe weather coverage,” Boynton told the Daily Egyptian.
“Thankfully, now that the decision has been reversed, the people of southern Illinois will still have a place to turn to for live, local, severe coverage when they need it most.”
Before being informed of the company’s decision to cancel her layoff, Brianne had made her free agency public on LinkedIn, writing “I’m on the job hunt! While a lot of my experience is in a newsroom, I’m open to jobs outside of news and weather.”
Hamilton also recently took to LinkedIn, posting his highlight reel with a thank-you message to the tristate area.
“It’s hard to believe that I have now been working in the PaducahHarrisburg-Cape Girardeau market at WSIL for almost 2 years,” Hamilton wrote. “Moreover, I feel privileged
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Justin Sexton, Refuge Manager of Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge and Cyprus Creek National Refuge, poses for a portrait in front of Crab Orchard Lake Jan. 24, 2025 at the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Marion, Illinois. Enan Chediak | @enanchediak
Photo provided by the City of Carbondale.
LITTLE GRASSY | 3
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aged beyond its engineered design life,” Sexton wrote. The lake and its infrastructure were built in 1942 and were used by the Department of Defense (then the Department of War) as part of the Illinois Ordinance Plant, which manufactured ammunition during World War II, according to Sexton. In 1947, Little Grassy, Devil’s Kitchen and Crab Orchard lakes became part of Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge.
“The reason they built around this lake is because they needed water supply for fire suppression for the munitions industry,” Sexton said.
“Dam engineering has come a long way since the late ‘30s and ‘40s,” Sexton said in an interview. He said that highhazard dams aren’t often built with roads on top like Little Grassy Lake Dam but are usually separated so that problems with one don’t affect the other.
The water in Little Grassy Lake should not go over the road, which is what the spillway is for. Sexton said that if water goes over the top of the road at Little Grassy, it indicates a significant failure in the dam.
“The road is the dam,” Sexton said. “So, you know, and you don’t want it to go over top the road. That’s why you have that spillway.”
The lake itself is small in comparison to Crab Orchard Lake, which is almost 7,000 acres. “Little Grassy is about a thousand, and Devil’s Kitchen, a little more than that,” Sexton said. Although the lake is small, it is quite deep, Sexton estimating it to be about 70 to 80 feet deep.
Despite the lake’s small size, it is classified as a high-hazard dam.
“If there is a failure of a high-hazard dam, there can be significant loss of life and property downstream in the adjacent areas,” Sexton said. “So failure in my eyes is not an option because there would be loss of life and loss of property downstream.”
For these reasons, many in the southern Illinois community and in cities like Marion and Carbondale that are near Little Grassy Lake have questions about the FWS and the U.S. Army Corps’ plans to rehabilitate the lake’s infrastructure, especially the Little Grassy Lake Dam.
The December press release that first announced the lake’s drainage came as a surprise to many in southern Illinois, including Congressman Mike Bost. In a letter to Martha Williams, the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bost asked seven questions about the FWS’ plans.
Bost said that he was surprised after seeing the FWS’ press release “quietly announcing the lake would be completely drained.” He also wrote, “To my knowledge, there was no proactive communication with my office or the public regarding this issue.”
Bost’s concerns for communication come after the FWS’ own statement in the September article by Sexton that there would be opportunities for public input.
Sexton wrote, “As this project progresses over the next two years, there will be opportunities for public input.” He also said in an interview, “We’ll be seeking public comment in the future from the public about what alternatives we’re looking at.”
Since the December press release, the FWS has continued to drain the lake and conduct studies on the dam and the lake’s infrastructure.
“So currently right now we are draining the lake due to safety concerns with the spillway,” Sexton said. “The spillway has met its life expectancy, and some deficiencies were found that are going to have to be fully rehabilitated.”
The FWS decided to repair the dam due to concerns found after recent storms passed through the southern Illinois region.
over top the spillway,” Sexton said. “That’s what we were trying to prevent.”
Sexton said that the storms indicated that there was no way to rely on the dam’s valve and spillway in extreme weather conditions.
“We decided we had to open that valve and leave it open until we can fully rehabilitate the spillway,” Sexton said. “So that’s where we’re at now. We’re draining the lake, just letting it flow through that pipe and that valve will stay open until we can fully rehabilitate the spillway.”
The valve was built in 1941, making it about 84 years old. Because of the lake’s infrastructure’s age, it is due for repairs. But Little Grassy Lake’s dam is not the only one in need of repair.
In the FWS’ December press release, the FWS said, “Encompassing 1,000 acres, Little Grassy Lake is one of three reservoirs with high hazard dams within the refuge that need repair.” These reservoirs are Crab Orchard Lake, Little Grassy Lake and Devil’s Kitchen Lake.
These three lakes are in series, meaning that they are connected but have their own individual infrastructure.
“Both Devil’s Kitchen and Little Grassy Lake were built as supplemental reservoirs to Crab Orchard Lake,” Sexton said.
Because the lakes are in series, if Little Grassy Lake Dam fails, Sexton said that the effect on Crab Orchard and Devil’s Kitchen Lake is uncertain.
“If Little Grassy fails, would it impact Crab Orchard? I don’t know. But in an extreme weather event...if one failed and caused the other to fail, that’s where our major concerns came, and that’s
“We’re draining the lake, just letting it flow...until we can fully rehabilitate the spillway.”
- Justin Sexton Refuge manager, Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge
“So when we had the storms that came through, Hurricane Helene and Milton…basically we were in a 4-foot reduction as an interim risk reduction measure for the spillway, so it wouldn’t
why we decided to lower the lake.”
In the near future, people in southern Illinois can expect the temporary suspension of some recreational activities because of the lake’s drainage,
as Bost wrote in his letter.
At the time of this article’s publication, all water-based activity on the lake is open to the public. “Right now all water-based recreation is still open, unless we find it unsafe to do so,” Sexton said.
While all activities are open, some infrastructure like the boat ramps have become unusable because of the low water levels. Sexton said that, as the lake draws down, activities would be temporarily stopped if they became unsafe. “But you know if somebody wanted to put a canoe or kayak in there today, they’re more than welcome to do so,” Sexton said.
The lake’s drainage also means the relocation of its fish and wildlife. “The wildlife really won’t be impacted,” Sexton said.
Before Little Grassy was a lake, it was a canyon that was filled with water. Because it is a man-made structure, Sexton said much of the wildlife in the area will not be greatly affected by the lake’s drainage. As it is a manmade lake, the fish in the lake are supplied by fish hatcheries from around Illinois, including the Little Grassy Fish Hatchery.
In addition to this, the Little Grassy Fish Hatchery will be impacted by the lake’s drainage because it sources its water from the Little Grassy Lake. The hatchery supplies supplemental fish to lakes throughout Illinois as part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for recreational fishing, primarily supplying catfish.
“They do have another location that they will be able to do similar operations from,” Sexton said. He said that the FWS is working with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as they continue their study.
“This lake is heavily managed, heavily manipulated from a fishery standpoint with our partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources,” Sexton said. “So, our goal, too, is to put some new infrastructure in the
lake that benefits the fishery and other aquatic species. I mean, there’s all kinds of rock structures, vertical structures, and things that you can build and construct. We’ll be seeking either grants or partnerships to be able to do some of that type of work.”
Another impact that people in the southern Illinois area can expect is changes to Little Grassy Road. “So, we’re doing an alternatives analysis right now,” Sexton said. “There are alternatives that have removing the road, moving a road and bridge.”
The changes in infrastructure come because of the National Environmental Policy Act. “That will be part of our NEPA process that we have to go through and we’ll be seeking public comment in the future,” Sexton said.
Bost asked questions in his letter to Williams, the FWS director, expressing concern with the process of public input in the dam’s repair. The congressman wrote, “Have there been opportunities for public input throughout this process, as promised? If so, please explain how those opportunities were made available. If not, how does FWS plan to incorporate public input and when?”
In an interview, Sexton said that one opportunity for public comment will be during the NEPA process. “Part of the dam safety modification study will include us going through the NEPA process,” Sexton said. “That’s where we look at all the environmental impacts from alternatives selected to fix it. And that will include public comment.”
For now, the FWS and the U.S. Army Corps continue their study on the dam. “We’re steadily working on this dam safety modification study,” Sexton said. “It’ll take two years to complete that. It’s a pretty extensive process.”
Bost wrote in his letter that repairs on the dam were expected to take up to five to seven years.
Mussel shells litter the shore around Little Grassy Lake Jan. 24, 2025 in Marion, Illinois. Libby Phelps | @libbyphelpsphotography
Two sides of the inaugural coin
A first-person account of viewing and recording history
Will
Elliott @camEramanWill06
After what felt like three hours inside the arctic, two people from opposite sides of the coin met at the white marble steps of the U.S. Capitol building in pitch darkness –two 18-year-olds from Illinois now in Washington, D.C., experiencing a historic event in very different ways.
When I came home for winter break, I decided to go to a friendgroup reunion. The party was casual – no fancy clothes, no partners and no talking about how terrible the Chicago Bears were doing – just classic guy time. Soda cans and Jimmy John’s sandwiches littered the black leather ottoman my friend group utilized while playing our favorite game, Cards Against Humanity.
During the middle of the game, my good friend Aidan Maier began to tell us about his adventure with a few of our mutual friends,
“But that’s funny how we are both going to the inauguration.”
Charlie Mandziara is a former classmate of mine from Downers Grove South High School in the Chicago suburbs. He is now a freshman political science major at Ball State University in Indiana.
Mandziara is a Republican and even volunteered at the Iowa Caucus for the Trump campaign in 2024.
Mandziara and I settled for a dinner interview at Pierce Tavern in the heart of Downers Grove before he went back to Ball State.
The tavern itself was a cozy, modern tavern with old brick walls and a long bar with booze bottles shining from the vintage lights draping down from the ceiling.
Mandziara sat alone, waiting for me. After good food and catching up, I clicked the record button on my note-taking app and sat down in a plastic blue chair while Mandziara also clicked the record on his iPhone. Then the questions began.
On one side of the coin, you have... A person who is in D.C. to witness history... While on the other side of the coin, you have me, a person who was in D.C. to record the history...
-
Will Elliott Staff Videographer
including Charlie Mandziara. Of course, out of curiosity, I asked, “How is Charlie doing?”
Maier responded, “He is doing good, you know he’s going to Trump’s inauguration right?”
“I’m not surprised,” I responded.
RENO
CONTINUED FROM 1
and thrive,” said Harvey.
One city project that appears to be near completion is the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station (SIMMS) in the downtown area on the east side of South Illinois Avenue.
A project update posted on the city’s website earlier this month
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and honored to have been promoted to Morning Meteorologist a little over a year ago. I’ve covered everything the Midwest has to offer weather wise, including several tornado outbreaks, a tornado emergency, the Nashville, Illinois dam failure and a locally historic ice storm. It’s hard to believe my time here is rapidly coming to an end, but here’s a look at what I’ve been up to!”
On top of an outpour of public backlash from AMG viewers across the country, there was significant pushback from both local and national advertisers who expressed concerns about the impact
(Republican National Convention) although it was after I met Trump,” he replied. “I met some guys who volunteered to work for politicians and Trump and they offered to carpool out to the Iowa Caucus and volunteer for the Trump campaign.”
At the Iowa Caucus, Mandziara made phone calls on behalf of the Trump campaign. Mandziara recalls a funny moment from when he was nearly feet away from Trump
“This one lady called him a name and I said ‘It’s Mr. President,’ Mandziara reminisced. “I corrected her while he was there.”
A few weeks after the election, a different friend of Mandziara’s working for the Trump campaign asked Mandziara if he was going to the inauguration or not.
“I was like, ‘oh, I’m going to the inauguration,’” Mandziara said. “Even if I’m in the way back of the crowd, it’d be worth it to just say I was there.”
Mandziara got the tickets to go to the inauguration after our conversation. We both went our separate ways, both going back to our respective colleges, both with a hesitancy about the event that lay ahead.
“So tell me a bit about your journey to getting the invite to the capital,” I said.
“I’ve been to political events all over the country, like CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference), Amfest and the RNC
said that the interior and exterior of the SIMMS building are nearly complete and that concrete work and landscaping will continue as weather permits.
As Reno assumes his new role, Carbondale residents can expect him to play a pivotal part in upcoming projects such as the Downtown Entertainment and Events Plaza on Washington
this decision would have on viewership and advertising revenue.
Along with WSIL, AMG-owned and Iowa-based KWWL and AMGowned Mississippi-based WTVA were also informed on Wednesday that the reversal came after both local and national advertisers voiced their concerns about the bottom line.
Now, WSIL’s Boynton, Brianne and Hamilton can continue building their meteorology portfolios in Carterville.
As for WTVA in Mississippi, they were one of the first stations to let their viewers know that they wouldn’t be going anywhere — at least for now.
In a story published Thursday
I arrived in D.C. on Jan.19 and immediately went straight to work alongside my co-workers at the Make America Great Again Victory Rally at Capital One Arena. Four hours in the cold rain shifted to hail and slowly froze to snow, which felt like nothing on my reddish purplish hands as I interviewed people waiting in line for the rally.
I got a text from Mandaziara asking if I wanted to meet him at the back of the U.S. Capitol building and of course, I had to say yes.
Street, updates to the Superblock sports complex, the Saluki Greenway multi-use path from Old Highway 13 to Wood Road and the resurfacing of multiple Carbondale roadways.
Carbondale city officials said in the release on Friday that the city extends its gratitude to Reno for his “unwavering commitment to public safety,” and “looks forward
morning, the WTVA staff detailed how their corporate owners walked back the layoffs after facing public backlash through an onslaught of social media outrage.
“Wednesday afternoon, we received word from our parent company that they heard you loud and clear,” said WTVA.
“The communication we received was that their decision has mostly been reversed. So, what does that mean for us?”
According to multiple stations across the country, that means business as usual.
“The WTVA Severe Weather Authority — the meteorologists you’ve come to know and trust — will remain here,” the WTVA story reads, adding
Charles Mandziara of Chicago, Illinois stands outside the capitol on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States Jan. 19, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Mandziara attends Ball State University as a freshman Political Science major and is a volunteer for Donald Trump’s Iowa caucus campaign to make calls to supporters as well as put up signs at local polling places. “There’s a lot of influence and responsibility that comes with politics,” he said. “I wanted to get into it and use that force to build up the country.” Photo by Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
Editor-in-chief Lylee Gibbs, student managing editor Dominique Martinez-Powell and I walked to the south side of the Capitol Building. During our journey, the sun set to pitchdark, which left me to walk
to his leadership in this new role.”
In preparation for this transition, Reno will appoint an acting chief of police when he assumes his full-time role as city manager.
Details regarding the selection of an acting chief of police and the city’s nationwide search for a new police chief are expected to be announced soon.
that they are grateful for the role their northern Mississippi viewers played in helping them retain their jobs through outpouring support.
“Your calls, emails, texts…every word spoken in support of our team was heard, and without your outpouring of messages that rang so loud, this change may not have been possible,” said the WTVA in addressing their viewers.
WTVA news director Pat Petterson told the Daily Egyptian that while the Mississippi skies were looking gray earlier this week, the sun had once again outlasted the rain.
“It’s been a tough week here — severe weather is what we do. It was devastating
| 11
The Daily Egyptian has reached out to the offices of the mayor and city manager and will update this story as more information is received.
Staff reporter Jackson Brandhorst can be reached at jbrandhorst@ dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram at @jacksondothtml
when we got that news — but this (the reversal) is a big victory,” said Petterson, adding that while he’s been made aware that, like WSIL, his weather team will be sticking around, it’s unclear if that’s the case at all 28 AMG-owned properties.
The media group has yet to release any follow-up press material or external communication to the public on the status of their dozens of local weather departments across the country.
AMG declined to speak to the Daily Egyptian about the confirmation of these reports.
Staff reporter Jackson Brandhorst
COIN
Dividing opinions won’t lead to secession, political expert says
AnnAlise schmidt Aschmidt@dAilyegyptiAn com
Calls for Illinois to secede from the United States are reigniting longstanding debates about political and cultural divisions in the state.
The push, fueled by dissatisfaction with federal and state governance, has drawn both fervent criticism and advocacy from the local community.
Carbondale City Council member Clare Killman has become a prominent advocate for the effort, warning of potential threats to the state’s autonomy under the new federal administration under President Donald Trump’s second term.
“I can’t sit idly by while Illinois, a state I love most dearly, and our people will be subjected to becoming targets of a reorganized federal bureaucracy of sycophants and informants,” Killman said in a video posted to Facebook on Dec. 15.
She said she was proposing it as a necessary action to protect the state’s core values and independence from what she sees as an increasingly tyrannical federal government.
Killman did not respond to inquiries for comment regarding her proposal.
“Our continued participation in the United States will at best, make us passively complicit,” Killman said in the video. “At worst, it would be morally corrosive by forcing our active compliance in the spirit of what it means to be an Illinoisan.”
ourselves of a life worth living. To act preemptively is the only morally acceptable option to save our state and our souls.”
Killman said that her goal is not to use force in dissolving the union but to pursue a peaceful secession by consent.
The City Council member also voiced concerns about the potential for authoritarianism under Trump.
“Democracy is vulnerable to tyrants, populist demagogues who are intent on installing themselves to autocratic rule. Donald Trump is nothing but a vengeful, petty tyrant,” Killman said. “We must work so that his reign of terror does not touch our borders. We must work to continue to be a beacon in dark times. We must work to chart our own course forward.”
John Jackson, visiting professor at Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, has dismissed the feasibility of such a movement.
“It’s just simply impossible, not going to happen, both legally and politically,” Jackson said. “States can’t secede from the Union — we have civil war over that.”
Jackson also pointed out the difficulty of any secessionist movement within the state itself.
“States can’t be chopped up and divided, and parts of states can’t secede from other parts of their own state. Article 3, Section 4 spells that out,” he explained, referring to the U.S. Constitution.
southern, central and eastern Illinois have passed resolutions supporting the idea of creating a new state, separate from the heavily urbanized areas of northern Illinois.
Jackson attributed much of this discussion to the urban-rural divide and growing frustration with policies shaped by Chicago and northeast Illinois.
“In the case of the advocates for secession from the state of Illinois, people who are unhappy with being lumped in with Chicago and northeast Illinois…if they have cultural problems with the urban areas they’re trying to work out their frustration by doing this particular movement,” Jackson said.
Similarly to Killman’s calls for secession from the United States, Jackson believes this movement stems from frustration over Illinois’ cultural and political divides.
Jackson said, “Rural-urban division has always been there, but I think it’s gotten deeper as a result of the cultural wars and President Trump has mined that very, very successfully and continues to help turn the two against one another in polarizing fashion.”
Despite the lack of feasibility, the movement for southern Illinois to secede from the state continues to gain traction.
“It’s been a long-standing issue, and now it’s getting more media attention because of the frustration with state policies,” Jackson said.
“It draws attention and media coverage, but it’s not going to happen. Politically, its unrealistic.”
- John Jackson
Visiting professor at Paul Simon Public Policy Institute
Killman expressed that Illinois must take action before it becomes complicit in federal policies damaging to the state’s identity.
“It is with the utmost sincerity, thought and care that I advocate that Illinois secede from the United States of America,” she said. “To wait for the worst to come is to rob
The idea of secession, though, isn’t limited to Killman’s proposal for Illinois to succeed from the United States. There is also a growing movement within southern Illinois on the more conservative side of the continuum to secede from the rest of the state.
Jackson said at least 33 counties in
“But it’s still a movement that faces significant legal and political hurdles.”
Jackson said he believes this particular secession movement will likely lose momentum now that Trump is in power. He said he thinks those advocating for secession may feel more content with the current
national government and are unlikely to push the issue further.
“In that movement sense, it’s been around a long time and getting worse,” Jackson said. “In terms of the particular case of the City Council woman and this proposal, it’s completely unprecedented, as far as I know.”
As the movement continues to attract attention, it highlights deepening political and cultural divisions that are not easily bridged.
Jackson said, “One can see why she may be feeling stressed and beleaguered by the rhetoric and the hostility coming from President Trump and his administration, and I note that he’s made trans people particular targets in the culture wars for a long time.”
Killman broke new ground last year when she was elected to the Carbondale City Council, becoming the first openly transgender person in both the city and the state of Illinois to hold that position. With Trump now in office, Killman has been vocal in her criticism
of the administration’s policies, particularly those that have already undermined the rights and visibility of transgender individuals.
“Just since Monday, when he was sworn in, he’s issued an edict that there are officially only two genders, male and female, and he’s also issued a decree that no trans women can participate in women’s sports,” Jackson said.
The growing political climate, in her view, only intensifies her sense of urgency in calling for action to protect Illinois’ autonomy, Killman said in her video. Her proposal for Illinois to secede is a way to take a stand against what she calls a federal overreach, a call to action to safeguard the state’s values and independence.
“It’s symbolic politics,” Jackson said. “It draws attention and media coverage, but it’s not going to happen. Politically, it’s unrealistic.”
Staff reporter Annalise Schmidt can be reached at aschmidt@dailyegyptian.com
Photo provided by the City of Carbondale.
The Banterra Center was the place to be on Wednesday, Jan.
22 as Saluki Basketball faced off with the rival Murray State Racers (MSU) for the first time this season.
The packed arena, thanks in part to several hundred high school students via Agriculture Night as well as the annual Greek Life Night, was filled with the contagious energy that only a heated rivalry can provide all through SIU’s 74-64 loss to the Racers.
The fire, which has burned ever since a brawl in Carbondale following Murray State’s loss in early 2023, was only stoked by former Saluki AJ Ferguson’s revenge game, in which he had an efficient 22 points.
A very closely contested first half had the teams trading leads three times over the course of the half, and neither ahead by more than six through 20 minutes. While the Salukis held the lead for a majority of the first half, a push by the Racers in the waning minutes had the
home team down at the break.
Jarrett Hensley led the Salukis in the points column in the first half with 11, including two 3-pointers, the only SIU triples of the half. The 3-point shots were a big problem for the Salukis all night and on both sides of the ball. By the final buzzer, SIU was 3-20 from beyond the arc for a dreadful 15%, while MSU was 5-18.
“We just chuck it instead of putting it on the floor and going after them like they did us,” Coach Scott Nagy said.
The teams continued the back and forth affair early in the second half. This was the case until the Racers started pulling away from the Dawgs.
Around the 10-minute mark, MSU began a 12-2 run that ate up over three minutes of the clock and gave the visitors a double-digit lead that SIU was unable to dig themselves out of.
A lot of things went wrong for the Salukis; the Dawgs were out-rebounded 36-30, they turned the ball over five more times than the Racers and
they gave up 13 second-chance points to eight.
“Anything that had to do with physicality, we lost.” Nagy said.
The Racers’ big second half was primarily headlined by Ferguson scoring 16 of his game-leading 22 points on the other side of the break. The Racers also got complementary nights from Ellington, with 14 points and seven rebounds, and Jacobi Wood, who put up nine and assisted on seven Racer buckets.
For the Dawgs, Ali Dibba and Kennard Davis did the majority of the dirty work, dropping 21 and 20 and six and seven rebounds respectively.
The loss ended SIU’s threegame winning streak as the Salukis fell to 8-12 on the year and 3-6 in Missouri Valley play.
The Salukis will be back in action on the road this Saturday as they head up north to take on the Flames of the University of Illinois Chicago.
Sports Reporter Nick Pfannkuche can be reached at npfankuche@dailyegyptian.com
Despite Gift Uchenna’s 17 points in the first half of the game, the SIU Salukis still fell to the University of Northern Iowa Panthers on Friday, Jan. 24.
The Dawgs made only 30% of their shots, and SIU dropped to 1-6 in Missouri Valley Conference despite only trailing 37-31 after the first half of the game. Northern Iowa was able to open up their lead in the second half, even holding Uchenna scoreless in that time frame, and beat the Dawgs by 25.
The Panthers got it done on both ends; UNI broke through the SIU defense and shot 40% on the game and also swiped eight steals. They also held the Salukis to 29.9% shooting from the floor, including 21.1% from beyond the arc.
The officiating squad called a very tight game; SIU was
whistled for 15 personal fouls, while UNI was called for 17. Both teams were largely able to capitalize at the line, as UNI shot 13-17 from the charity stripe as opposed to SIU’s 15-19.
Uchenna once again led the Salukis in scoring and collected 13 rebounds, while freshman Isabella Palmqvist, who led the Salukis in minutes, also had 10 points and led the Dawgs with two made threes.
The game started with a quick six points for UNI before Uchenna earned an and-one opportunity, which she converted. Scoring came easier for the Dawgs after that, but every time they scored, the Panthers seemed to have an answer and would even widen the gap.
Salukis made a small comeback in the second quarter when Uchenna made a secondchance layup, closing the gap to 27-30 for a little over a minute.
It would represent their closest score of the game.
Once the second half began, the Panthers pushed through Saluki defenses and barely let the Dawgs score. Palmqvist, Ternadoo Agatha Agba and Mia Gaines were the only three able to scrape more than a point during the third quarter.
The last quarter saw the Salukis get outscored 21-12 as UNI built its lead despite some good shots from Palmqvist, who scored a three-pointer and broke the ice for the Dawgs in the last quarter of the game.
The Salukis will return to the court on Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. at the Banterra Center when they take on the Drake Bulldogs (11-8, 5-3).
Design chief Peyton Cook can be
Cartaesha Macklin, assistant coach, shouts to encourage the women’s basketball team Jan. 24, 2025 at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook @cookmeavisual
Courtside Salukis celebrate as the game becomes close for SIU to take the lead in the second half Jan. 22, 2025 at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Deangelo Handley
Rising flames, unyielding winds: An SIU student endures the LA wildfires
Joslyn Cole JCole@dailyegyptian Com
As wildfires ravaged through parts of California, including Simon Senior-Eaks’ hometown of downtown Los Angeles, the SIU aviation major found himself watching the fires get closer to his home. What began as a familiar and somewhat routine event for southern California residents, quickly became one of the region’s most devastating fires in years.
“When the wildfires first started, I thought it was a small fire,” Senior-Eaks said. “Since
California is dry, it’s not uncommon for fires to happen. But after a while, more fires started and that’s when I knew it was more serious.”
The fires started while SIU classes were dismissed for winter break so Senior-Eaks was back at home.
“Luckily, my family and I were fine but we were worried since the strong winds were blowing the fires and making them worse,” he said.
The fast winds not only fueled the fires but spread them to new areas, forcing thousands of people in LA to evacuate. For many residents, the
wildfires weren’t their only struggle, they also had to struggle with their insurance.
“Insurance was not helping people if their house burned down or if they lost anything in the fire,” Senior-Eaks said.
Microsoft Network Weather (MSN) says that several insurance companies have taken away policies in California, but recently, California’s Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara suspended insurance companies from canceling on homeowners affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires for one year.
Senior-Eaks’ family didn’t hesitate to offer help when one of his close friends lost their home to the fires.
“My friend’s house burned down, and my family opened our doors to him and his family,” he said.
The devastation caused by the wildfires has reminded many, including Senior-Eaks, of the importance of community during disaster.
“The community of California has been coming together to help the people who has been affected by the wildfires by giving them shelter, food and water,” Senior-Eaks said.
As progress is being made in northern LA, with evacuation orders being lifted on Jan. 23, new wildfires are starting in southern California.
On Jan. 25, a new wildfire was discovered at 8:26 a.m. in Los Angeles County.
The Sacramento Bee states that the wildfire has been burning on private land and there is no information on the containment. The cause remains undetermined.
The Hughes Fire which spanned 10,000 acres was more than halfway contained on Jan. 25, and all mandatory evacuation orders were lifted.
The Genasys Protect offers a way for communities to stay updated on wildfire updates not only for California, but the entire country.
Sports reporter Joslyn Cole can be reached at
Illustration by Day Starr-Fleming | @DaySF-Facebook
Photo provided by Simon Senior-Eaks.
Photo provided by Simon Senior-Eaks.
Freshman Liseska Gallegos swims the breaststroke in the women’s 200-yard individual medley Jan. 18, 2025 at Shea Natatorium in Carbondale, Illinois. Jason Isele | @iselephotography
Saluki Swimming and Diving’s bright future is already here
Ryan GRieseR RGRieseR@dailyeGyptian com
Coming off the celebration of senior weekend for Saluki Swimming and Diving, a casual fan may be worried about the future of the program.
After all, the class contains some of the best swimmers in recent SIU history, including Olympian Celia Pulido, NCAA nationals qualifier Alex Santiago, Donat Czuvarski, Henrique Pacheco, Jules Atkinson, Susana Hernandez, Karen Rodriguez and many others.
According to head swim and dive coach Geoff Hanson, the class has been essential to the revitalization of the program.
“It’s meant a ton… it’s a big class, but it’s a lot of quality swimmers who’ve done a lot of winning at the conference level,” he said. “Their leadership, their experience, they are going to be hard to replace.”
That doesn’t mean that the program is going to immediately fall off, though. Several freshmen have already swum themselves to success in the conference and are poised to carry on the legacy of dominance from SIU.
Carbondale native Willem Huggins has twice been named the Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Freshman of the Week and has shown how dominant he can be in freestyle and backstroke sprints already. According to Swimcloud, a database for swimming times and scores, Huggins is currently ranked No. 1 in the MVC in the 200-yard backstroke, second in both the 50 and 100-yard backstroke and third in the 50-yard freestyle, with Santiago being the only Saluki better than him.
Rodrigo Ramos Chavez, a freestyler sprinter who joined the team in January, received his first MVC Men’s Freshman of the Week award on Jan. 20. Despite swimming in only one meet, Chavez is ranked second in the MVC in the 200yard freestyle race.
Liseska Gallegos is perhaps the best of them all, having been named Women’s Freshman of the Week three times while competing in the same backstroke events Pulido has dominated for the past few seasons. Gallegos has the third-best time in the MVC in the 50-yard backstroke, the fourth-best in the 200-yard individual medley and is ranked second in both the 100 and 200-yard backstroke behind
only Pulido.
Hanson recognizes that the success of athletes like Santiago and Pulido, whose sustained success has started to forge a strong connection to Mexico, especially in the backstroke events, has helped to attract athletes in those same events.
“It’s helping in our recruiting, bringing in more quality athletes. I think about Celia Pulido and kind of the following that we’ve got from Mexico for women in her events specifically to become interested in this place that never would have been. Same thing on the men’s side with Santiago and some of the sprint depth that we’ve got now,” Hanson said.
With these kinds of top athletes coming in, SIU is set up for a long stretch of sovereignty.
“It’s those freshmen kind of following in the footsteps of some of those upperclassmen that have come to the program in those events,” Hanson said.
“We have a lot of pride in that, they’re keeping it alive.”
For Huggins, the older swimmers have had a big influence on making sure that their younger counterparts are ready to perform and continue what they’ve started.
“They’ve been really good with effort, holding people like me, not just freshmen but everybody accountable for what they’re doing,” Huggins said. “All the seniors in general, because they’ve obviously been through this three, four more times… they know what to expect, and they’re trying to help us realize this is not going to be easy, so you got to be ready.”
Gallegos, who hails from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, has had a similar experience with the older swimmers.
“In this pool, the swimmers are pretty good, and they always give me advice about the events, and how I can swim very fast,” Gallegos said.
For Gallegos especially, some of her teammates have been an extra help as she continues to get used to living and competing in the U.S.
“It’s been a little bit more difficult because I’m adapting to a new culture and country with new teammates and coaches,” Gallegos said. “Just enjoy and keep my responsibility in the pool and just do my best.”
And while freshmen like Gallegos and Huggins have already started to shine, Hanson is confident they will only get better.
“Everyone does it at a different rate. We have kids who come in and improve incrementally year over year… there are some who come in and really make a huge jump right away,” Hanson said. “And then there are some who kind of stay at a level until they adapt to the program and then make that big jump sophomore, junior year.”
“It’s that buy-in, that they see improvement from people ahead of them and they see their own improvement,” he said. “We’re one of the highest improving programs in the nation… in terms of rate of improvement overall and that’s throughout all divisions.”
Huggins, who has dropped over five seconds in the 200-yard backstroke, is seeing improvement already.
“I think in the past with like swimmers, clubs, swimming… you get better no matter what just from showing up. At college swimming, you got to really put in the work to get better,” Huggins said. “I think just trusting not only the process, but what the coaches do for us, you have to realize they’ve done this before.”
While they will be counted on to continue to improve and carry on the tradition of high-level swimming in future seasons, the one that is nearly at a close is still the focus.
“With the success that I’ve had in the past, I’ve kind of put it behind me, especially with what we’ve got going on next month,” Huggins said. “Conference is a big deal to us.”
“I said it to the team this morning… We’ve got tremendous top end. We’re going to win more events, we’re going to win relays more than any other team. It’s going to be our depth that helps us get a chance to win the conference itself,” Hanson said.
Huggins too thinks that a team conference championship is within grasp.
“I don’t think that is very far away. I think we have the team right now that can win, it’s just we got to put it together,” Huggins said.
Sports consultant Ryan Grieser can be reached at rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com
Sports Consultant: Ryan Grieser rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com
Digital Editor: Bhayva Sri-Billuri bsri-billuri@dailyegyptian.com
About Us
The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale on a weekly basis. Fall and spring semester editions run every Wednesday. Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale, Carterville, and Springfield communities. The Daily Egyptian can be found at www.dailyegyptian.com or on the Daily Egyptian app!
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The Daily Egyptian, the student-run news organization of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is committed to being a trusted source of news, information, commentary and public discourse, while helping readers understand the issues affecting their lives.
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Salukis get back on track, win thriller against UIC
Ryan GRieseR RGRieseR@dailyeGyptian com
The SIU men’s basketball team won an 89-85 nailbiter against the University of Illinois Chicago on Jan. 25 for their fourth win in their last five games.
Damien Mayo made what head coach Scott Nagy called “the play of the game.” With 44 seconds left and the Dawgs down 82-80, Mayo saved a ball from going out of bounds and threw it off a UIC player, which meant the Salukis kept possession. After the inbound play, a Kennard Davis Jr. layup and free throw made the score 83-82 and gave the Salukis a lead they’d hold for the rest of the game.
Davis Jr., Dibba and Jarrett Hensley went a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line to help ice the game in the last 40 seconds. Hensley, who finished with 11 points, went 4-4 in that series and 6-8 from the line for the game.
“To be down there, under two minutes to go, and kids fight back… as many things as our kids have been through, it would have been easy, down, to kind of just cave it in and they didn’t,” Nagy said.
The Salukis, led by Ali Dibba’s 26 points, went blow-for-blow with the
Flames, and neither team led by more than 8 points.
Nagy went deeper onto his bench for the matchup with the Flames, partially due to some foul trouble for Hensley and Drew Steffe; Sheridan Sharp played 18 minutes, Davion Sykes 21, and Jorge Moreno saw his heaviest minutes of the season, seeing 17 minutes of action off the bench.
“I thought Jorge, so proud of him tonight, the way that he played… A lot of good contributions that people may not even talk about,” Nagy said.
Davis Jr. shot a scorching 75% from the field, going 8-12 en route to 19 points.
He wasn’t the only sharp-shooter for the Dawgs; the team as a whole shot 55% from the floor despite only shooting 28.6% from 3-point range. Moreno was an efficient 3-4 from the field, and Sykes was 2-2.
“We played fast, we had a better pace to us, which I really like much better,” Nagy said.
The Salukis, who scored the first points of the game, had a slow start to the game, and UIC jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the first four minutes. SIU finally retook the lead at the eight-minute mark, and
went into halftime knotted up 4646.
SIU built up to a 6-point lead around the 15-minute mark, but UIC quickly cut the gap and held the Salukis scoreless for nearly three minutes before eventually taking the lead at the 9:50 mark.
UIC again retook the lead, 77-75, with 3:38 to go, and would keep it or be tied with the Dawgs until Davis Jr.’s and-one.
SIU, who have won four of five and now sit at 9-12, including 4-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference, will take the court again on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. in a road matchup with the Valparaiso Beacons.
Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com
DE 2 DC: What we saw, reported, learned and ate
Eight hundred miles from home, five Daily Egyptian staff members trekked the concrete jungle through an arctic blast that made President Donald Trump’s inauguration only the second in 40 years to be relocated indoors. We all owe a large thank you to those who made this possible for us. It is an experience that will set us forthright on our journeys into this career field and it is a valuable lesson that we will keep with us. Thank you for putting your trust in us to carry out this assignment and to represent the School of Journalism, we appreciate it. Here are our perspectives on this unique experience.
Lylee Gibbs, editor-in-chief
It’s August and I’m met with the idea of a group of us from the Daily Egyptian traveling all the way to Washington, D.C., to cover the inauguration –regardless of the 2024 election results. Over the summer, it was a surreal concept that sat in the back of my mind. Then I blinked and suddenly I’m loading a white university van with my camera equipment to drive 800 miles east with four of my friends and
colleagues.
We arrived in D.C. and hit the ground running. My clothes were left wet after rain, hail and snow showered on us day one. But it never dampened my mood, I was just thankful to be there with a job to do. I spent both my days outside documenting what was happening and had to become a friend to the arctic.
Things were changing by the minute after the weather moved events indoors and we had to adjust as well. I remember walking all around with Enan Chediak, the DE’s photo editor, the morning of the inauguration, unable to find a protest we were looking for. We ran into the line filled with people waiting to get into Capital One Arena – where Trump’s supporters gathered to watch the inauguration – and we decided that’s where we needed to be at that moment. We spent some time making images and grabbing quick interviews before trekking across the city for a rally where the environment became much more fast-paced.
I think this entire trip was such a groundbreaking experience. I was in the front seat to a moment in this historical chapter of our lives and I am beyond thankful
for the opportunity. I returned to Carbondale assured in my career decision and remind myself every day that this program has brought me endless opportunities – this trip being a prime example.
Carly Gist, news editor
When I heard the School of Journalism was looking to send students to the presidential inauguration early in the semester, I told myself that no matter which candidate won the election, I was going to apply for a chance to gain hands-on experience covering history. As a reporter, my job is to cover what is happening regardless of my personal opinion, and in D.C., I witnessed both sides of the coin. Thousands upon thousands of people from all over the world gathered in Washington, D.C., for Trump’s second inauguration. Some were there in celebration and others in opposition, but they had one thing in common: symbolic expression.
On Sunday, Trump’s supporters lined up outside the Capital One Arena, hoping to enter his Make America Great Again Victory Rally before its 20,000-person capacity was reached. We
Jarret Hensley (32) lifts the ball away from a UIC player Jan 25, 2025 at Credit Union 1 Arena. Photo provided by Saluki Athletics.
around the southside of the Capitol building on the phone scrambling to find Mandziara. Then standing in front of the steps was a person I had been waiting to see ever since I got to D.C.
Mandziara greeted me with a formal handshake. As the Capitol police kicked Mandziara, his friends, my co-workers and I out of the capitol grounds I was able to walk and catch up with him.
“I have been enjoying (Washington D.C.),” Mandziara told me. “ We were a little rained in but we’ve made our way to all the sites we have wanted to see, like the Washington Monument.”
Due to the cold weather – which also turned my hands into a raspberry red – the Trump inauguration was moved inside of the Capitol rotunda for the first time since the second Ronald Regan administration. Mandziara tickets to the inauguration were shifted from the Capitol building to the Capital One Arena.
“Anyone who had a ticketing issue
was going to that now, that’s the new event they put on for everybody,” Mandziara said.
Mandziara and I took one last photo together before shaking hands and walking away in the same direction. While Mandziara walked away into the dark D.C. night, I thought about how he and I are like two opposite sides of a coin of an inauguration.
On one side of the coin, you have Mandziara. A person who is in D.C. to witness history unfold right in front of their eyes. While on the other side of the coin, you have me, a person who was in D.C. to record the history unfolding in front of their own eyes. Both of these sides combine together to form something of value.
A memory, a story, a lesson to name a few valuable things one might find from an event like this. But like all coins, we wonder if they will be lost inside of our pants pockets or will be saved in a special place, while we watch its value grow over time.
Will Elliott can be reached at welliott@dailyegyptian.com
Charles Mandziara is interviewed by Daily Egyptian videographer Will Elliott outside the Capitol on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States Jan. 19, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Photo by
Lylee Gibbs @lyleegibbsphoto
approached people in the crowd, and I was surprised to find that it wasn’t just Americans celebrating — I saw a group of men carrying around a British flag and spoke to two Canadians who traveled from Alberta for the occasion.
On Monday, I spoke to those who were celebrating a different occasion — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dominique – our student managing editor – Will – a DE videographer – and I walked to King’s memorial in icy winds around 8 in the morning and interviewed visitors. Later that afternoon, we traveled by Lyft to the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church for the National Action Network’s MLK Day Rally, featuring a sermon from the Rev. Al Sharpton. Being around several large, national news outlets was a bit intimidating as a student journalist, but the atomosphere in the church was electric nonetheless. Chants were shouted, flags were waved and hugs were shared in support of Sharpton and MLK’s messages.
Both days ended the same for me — filing into the apartment with my co-workers, cracking jokes and laughing deliriously at one another – because we’re hilarious or because we didn’t sleep more than three hours each night, I’m not sure. But each day brought different groups of people with different beliefs and a different cause they were fighting for. This trip challenged my range as a journalist, and I walked away with a passion for the field shining brighter than ever before. I don’t think I could ever fully express how grateful I am for this experience. It’s one I will never forget.
Enan Chediak, photo editor
Having attended Hostile Environment Training only a week before, I was prepared for the worst on this inauguration trip. I felt like I overpacked, spent a lot of money on personal protective equipment and generally stressed myself out for the inevitable possibility that there would be a flood, an earthquake and a hurricane happening all at once in Washington, D.C. I still haven’t eaten all of the snacks that I packed.
Despite all of this, I still wasn’t prepared for the inauguration. To my surprise, I didn’t have to use a tourniquet, thankfully, nor did I have to pack any wounds – both skills we learned in our pre-trip training. In many ways, the trip went without event. But I do think I learned a lot about how to pace myself and listen to my body while working long hours.
The first major hurdle for me was driving. While I had driven a van before, I certainly had never driven one on a road trip, let alone in D.C. I was expecting to have more difficulty driving in the city but only had trouble finding parking spots and not accidentally running stop signs or turning the wrong way down a one-way road.
Everybody I met told me to dress warmly before I left. I guess I didn’t believe them. Maybe I
underestimated how cold it was going to be. Yet I was only in the rain and sleet for about two hours on Sunday and immediately knew that I had not worn enough layers.
Thankfully, I covered a story indoors. Carly and I could see the snow falling from the windows of the office building as we covered Congressman Mike Bost’s reception in the warmth, while Lylee, Dominique and Will worked in the rain, sleet and snow.
The next day, much of the snow had gone, although some places were still slick. Many people wrote political messages in the snow on people’s windshields. But the weather was much more manageable. I wore far more layers, knowing that I would be outside for much longer, and took longer breaks indoors.
Also, I ate food! My mom should be so proud of me: I ordered a pizza. I tried doing it over the phone, but the person on the other end of the line hung up on me because my service was bad. We stayed up late, working on stories, filing images,
and putting things online, and the next day we were up early again.
We also attended a Tiny Desk concert. To be honest, I had never heard of Tiny Desk until this trip, but it was interesting. The music was jazz and big-band inspired, with elements of rap and R&B. Traveling back was also a great experience for me. I think the exhilaration of covering the inauguration carried over for me because I stayed up till 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday even though I had class the next day.
I’m really proud of the work Daily Egyptian produced as a result of this trip and am thankful for the part that I was able to take in it. I’m really fortunate to be able to collaborate with like-minded students who like Buc-ee’s as much as me.
This trip caused me a lot of anxiety. I quite frankly lost a good amount of sleep over it. Sleeping during the trip was an issue as well.
The night when we returned home was long and filled with delirious editing from all of us. We struggled through the night to get everything up in the dead of night and forgot to feed ourselves. This probably did not help us be the best journalist we could be. As our editor-in-chief said, “The malnutrition goes crazy. I haven’t had a real meal in days.” Enan did end up ordering pizza eventually after a few reminders from our loving faculty managing editor Alee Quick.
The second day covering the MLK rally went even more smoothly despite some rudeness from a documentary filmmaker that was in the press section. I got to see the two faces of D.C. during inauguration time and I think both were equally important for me to experience as I move forward in my journey toward a career in journalism. I am forever grateful for the opportunity provided to us and even more grateful that we made it home safe and sound, with new and stronger bonds that will follow us all into our professional careers.
Will Elliott, videographer If you were to tell me at the beginning of the year that I would be going to D.C. as a reporter, I would say that you were crazy and also who are you and how did you find my home address?
I am just a small freshman on a journey for knowledge. Collecting what knowledge I desire inside of a school that I can proudly say, spoils and loves me like I am one of their own. I started off as a cinema major because frankly I thought making movies was my path in life, but to quote my loving father, “SIU is meant for experiments and finding new passions that guide you to YOUR path of happiness.”
But there was always excitement behind the anxiety. I heard rumors of plans to send students to the inauguration before the 2024 election had even wrapped up and I knew, regardless of the results, I wanted to be there.
Fast forward to me deathgripping a steering wheel thinking of everything that could go wrong after our very helpful but panicinducing safety training. I just wanted to make it to D.C., and the clunky tilting monster of a van SIU travel services gave us was not giving the faith that we were gonna beat the snow predicted in D.C. the next day. Luckily, we did make it – a first of many wins on the road to Washington, D.C.
We started the trip going to a Trump rally. For me, this was uniquely scary. I was walking into a space with odd stares and a snubbed handshake or two. I had a moment of thinking, “What the hell are you doing? You did not need to put yourselves in this situation.” Luckily most were friendly and open to discussion.
Washington, D.C., was my first SUPER-BIG assignment and also the first assignment I did where I had to travel outside of state borders. D.C. itself was a magical experience. Being a few feet away from some of the biggest civil rights leaders of my time and getting to hear them speak at the National Action Network’s MLK Day Rally was incredible. Also being put inside of these massive national news stories was such a vicious learning experience that left me in a state of “I’m not leaving this trip without a massive lesson.”
From me not being able to say African Methodist Episcopal Church to me cuddling a stuffed Buc-ee’s beaver to me enjoying a NPR Tiny Desk concert, I think I have had one of the funniest, monumental and influential journalism experiences of my entire life.
For my few final words, I would like to thank the following: Jan Thompson, Benjy Jeffords, Alee Quick, Steve North, Mary Long, Kari Alore, Mark Indraca and my four incredible inauguration coworkers for helping me become the journalist I am today.
DE staff can be reached at editors@dailyegyptian.com
(Left to right) Dominique Martinez-Powell, Lylee Gibbs, Enan Chediak, Carly Gist and Will Elliott stand in front of a Abraham Lincoln statue Jan. 21, 2025 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washinton, D.C. Photo provided.
