The Daily Egyptian - February 7, 2024

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Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2024

VOL. 107, ISSUE 20

Chancellor Lane one of five finalists for New Mexico State president

Cole Daily | cdaily@dailyegyptian.com

New Mexico State University announced a list of five candidates on Friday, February 2, who have the potential to be the university’s next president.

Among those named was Southern Illinois University’s Chancellor, Austin Lane.

“Me and my team are laser focused on supporting students, faculty and staff. We have been making tremendous progress on our top five priorities in the Imagine 2030 strategic plan and will continue to do so,” Lane said. “While I’m flattered that NMSU has recognized me as a finalist, it’s important to note that there are four others going through this process.

Until then, I remained focused on our goals we set for this year.”

The others featured on the list include: Michael Galyean (Texas Tech), Wayne E. Jones Jr. (University of New Hampshire), John Volin (UMaine) and Richard B. Williams (Utah Tech).

Largest ever donation to SIU goes to Law School, which will be renamed

Lane was appointed as Chancellor on July 1, 2020. As the face of the Salukis, his programs helped increase enrollment for the first time since 2014 this past fall, which continued into the Spring 2024 semester.

Lane’s main strategic plan at SIU, Imagine 2030, is a major factor in his consideration for the NMSU position, per the announcement from New Mexico State.

The university also stated that each of the five candidates are expected to visit the NMSU campus and get a feel for the community before being selected. These visits start in mid-late February.

There is no date listed for when the decision is to be made.

For more updates, check out the Daily Egyptian for continued coverage.

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

DE Editors | editors@dailyegyptian.com

SIU chancellor, Austin Lane, poses for a portrait in his office on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020 in Anthony Hall at SIU. Jared Treece | @bisalo

Looking ahead: Black History Month at SIU Joei Younker | @younker_joei

Black History Month is a time for acknowledgement and celebration of past and present accomplishments in the black community.

Black History week dates back to the early 1900s when Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Dr. Woodson initiated the first Black History week in February of 1926, this week was chosen because it includes the birthdates of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass.

The month-long commemoration that we know today didn’t commence until 1976 when President Gerald Ford urged all Americans to “recognize the important contributions made to our nation’s life and culture by Black citizens.”

It wasn’t until 1986 that Congress passed Public Law 99-244, which made February National Black History Month.

The theme of Black History month at Southern Illinois University

this year is ancestral healing. The university and a number of its registered student organizations will be hosting events throughout February to celebrate.

It’s kick off was February 1, the event hosted Peter Alexander, a Professor of Law as the keynote speaker. Alexander spoke about his connection to his elders and ancestors who have supported him on his journey.

A retrospective of the beginnings of Black American studies at SIU will take place Wednesday in the Student Services Building, Room 170. The event will be a presentation that discusses how Black Studies formed at SIU and what sacrifices were made to bring it about.

Guyon Auditorium will host Addressing, Unpacking and Healing “Misogynoir,” on Thursday, which will bring awareness to the ideology and provide a space to address experiences and to offer tools for healing for those who have been a victim of Misogynoir. Following this

event, the Mississippi Room will host a T.I.P. Presents: Black ‘N Queer Roundtable on AIDS: Then & Now to discuss how the AIDS epidemic impacted Black lives and what we can do to heal from wounds from the past and present.

The Black Resource Center will host a Vision Board and Paint Night on Friday to set goals and intentions for yourself for the new year and semester. This event is meant to create a space to come to peace with your past and set motion forward to your future accomplishments. Following this

Celebrate Black Culture

Peyton Cook @_peytoncook_

event, the Center for International Education will host a Cultural Show in the Student Center Ballrooms.

The 3rd Annual Black Expo 2024 “Soaring to New Heights” will be hosted at the Carbondale BLACK HISTORY MONTH | 8

A $10 million dollar gift from alumni John Simmons and his wife Jayne Simmons will be a significant boost to SIU’s School of Lawl, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Pending approval from the board of trustees, the couple will be honored by changing the name to Simmons Law School.

A blog post by the SIU foundation said the sizable donation, the largest in SUI’s history, will “enhance and expand the educational offerings to students and opportunities for faculty.”

“Fifty years ago, we were founded in the public interest to serve the public good,” said Camille Davidson, dean of the SIU School of Law. “This generous gift empowers us to advance our mission on a larger scale and with an even greater impact.”

Previous gifts from the Simmons include a $10.2 million commitment to the Simmons Cancer Institute at the SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.

Their most recent contribution comes as a major step in the ongoing $500 million Imagine SIU 2030 fundraising campaign, the blog post said.

“We are so incredibly excited and inspired by this act of generosity,” Chancellor Austin Lane said. “John and Jayne Simmons are shining examples of the impact individuals can have on our institution and the entire region. Their unwavering support and diligent service speak volumes.”

John Simmons, a native and resident of Alton, is an SIU Edwardsville graduate, member of the SIU Board of Trustees, and chairperson and founder of Simmons Hanly Conroy law firm.

“The SIU university system has provided me with many opportunities to better my life,” John Simmons said. “A thriving law school will help support others in southern Illinois who are working hard day-to-day to improve their own lives. SIU holds a special place for me. We would really like people to look at Simmons Law School as an attainable place where they are welcome, they belong and they can thrive.”

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Page 2 | Entertainment and Culture

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Sharp Museum showcases “Women’s Voices” with new spring exhibit Annalise Schmidt aschmidt@dailyegyptian.com

The Sharp Museum will be hosting an exhibition to bring visibility to creative women in the area and allow them to share their experiences.

Teresa Fix, the guest curator of the exhibit, introduced the concept in 2020 as a way for artists to express themselves through unprecedented times. It has run annually since 2022.

“I had been painting everyday as a need to express all of the emotions I was feeling from the craziness of what was happening in our country with politics, climate, immigration and division,” Fix said.

The Sharp Museum’s exhibition “Women’s Voices 4: Pushing Boundaries” will be on display from now to May 10. The exhibit will be located in the museum’s South Hall in the West Gallery.

The ongoing series has featured unique exhibits spotlighting the expressive thoughts and current prospectives of individual women in southern Illinois.

This year, 27 pieces will be on display, each from a different artist.

Fix said, “Each year we ask for women artists (or those who identify as female) to submit one piece for the exhibition. I’m very proud of how fruitful the idea of a community exhibition of women’s art has become, and how it continues to grow, now in the fourth year.”

Over the years, she has continued to be involved in the arts and with downstate area artists, and wanted to traverse this sort of exhibition, bringing fundamental elements of women’s art and their creative endeavors to the university’s museum.

Fix had also discovered many of her artist-friends were experiencing the same sort of powerful feelings, and found they were able to use their media to to be heard, since words alone are sometimes just not enough.

“One day in 2019, I saw a ‘Call for Arts’ that the museum curator, Wes Stoerger had posted in the newspaper. I called Wes and ran my idea of doing an exhibit where each woman artist could show their piece using this premise,” Fix said.

The exhibition has now acquired a reputation as an unprecedented annual event. Stoerger and Fix come together each year to rework the event to create new experiences for the public. They have a Call for Art around July with a cut-off date in the fall, keeping the title, “Women’s Voices”, while changing the theme.

Storeger said, “Each year’s exhibit is different. We don’t try to keep selecting the same artists every time. There is some

overlap from exhibit to exhibit, but we try and showcase different people in each show, which means each one is a pretty unique experience from the beginning to the end.”

It was important to them that artists were specifically from the southern Illinois area.

“We set up a geographical perimeter of about an hour and a half around here. We just had to pick what southern Illinois meant to us, and that seemed like a reasonable time and distance for people to be able to come to the gallery to view their work,” Storeger said.

The exhibition has expanded to include events such as monthly Saturday “Artist Talks”, where individual artists may use the opportunity to discuss their work, support each other and network under the umbrella of being a Women’s Voices artist.

Fix said, “I’m happy to say it seemingly comes together every year organically, each year taking on a different and individual flavor of sorts. For the viewer it serves as an enlightenment to current events and for the artists, gives a voice as we try and make sense of ourselves in our changing world.”

This was the first time a juror was used.

Mel Watson chose 26 pieces out of the total 63 submissions. She herself is in the show as an Invitational Artist.

“We have so many amazing women who are creating all sorts of contributions ranging from their own personal hobbies, to studio artists galore who sell the art they make locally and travel to markets and festivals all over the country supporting not only themselves but downstate tourism,” Fix said.

According to Storeger, when people think of an exhibit at the museum, they often think of professional artists that have had years of experience and potentially an MFA (Master of Fine Arts degree). But that is not necessarily the case for all the artists who participate in Women’s Voices.

“Some of these artists do have professional art training, but a lot of them found their way to art pretty naturally. It just showcases the raw talent that’s here, and hopefully encourages other people to pursue passions and things that might be a little bit outside of their comfort zone.

They might find that they have a talent they didn’t know that existed,” Storeger said.

Sarah-Anne Winchester is one of the artists whose piece was accepted into the exhibition. As a graduate assistant at the museum, she has gotten to see some of the behind the scenes action during the

process of putting together the exhibits.

“I have heard stories from the artists about how this is their first show, a new medium or new idea for them, that they want to connect with more artists in the area, that they are so nervous about their work being good enough a ‘real show,’ or they don’t consider themselves artists,” Winchester said.

This show brings together the local community and gives a boost of confidence to many of these artists.

“I feel lucky to be a part of such a diverse group, and I can help by figuratively and literally, since I do the gallery lighting, shining a light on the talent in the area that is often overlooked,” Winchester said.

Her piece is a video about her experiences with past relationships and the emotions she felt at the time of these events.

“In past relationships, I felt like I had removed parts of myself to be palatable to the other person. Sometimes, it was the expectations of my partner at the time, and other times, it was society’s expectations about what makes a ‘good girlfriend,’ Winchester said.

The act of removing armpit hair, which is regarded as a normal thing for a male to have, but is typically seen as “dirty” or “disgusting” on a female, represents her feelings about societal expectations and how they impact relationships.

“I presented a male figure (His) and then a shaved female figure (Hers) to showcase the different standards, and then the violent removal of the hair with tweezers (Ours). The viewer sees this as the removal of self to fit the standards being forced on them,” Winchester said.

At the end of the film, the female lightly caresses the armpit and leaves it as it is. It becomes a part of accepting oneself without conditions (Mine).

The construction of this piece helped Winchester to work through her personal conflicts and she is now in a happy and healthy relationship where she does not feel the need to minimize herself. It also allows her to share these experiences with the public, who can relate to the piece themselves or can realize the impacts of the expectations presented in the video.

Winchester said, “It’s a ton of work, but it’s so rewarding to see everyone’s excitement at drop off, the reception and as the show is up and people are coming to see friends and family shine in the spotlight.”

Jordan Faye Bardgett, a student in the School of Media Arts at SIU, said, “It excites me to share my work with the local community surrounding SIU.” Bardgett also has a piece that was accepted into the 2024 exhibit.

“The theme of pushing boundaries within an artistic space occupied by women means a lot to me as a transfeminine artist. Pushing the boundaries of what women can do and what even makes a woman are things I live with and examine every day,” Bardgett said.

Bardgett’s artwork is reflective of her personal experiences and the identities of trans women everywhere.

She said, “My piece is titled ‘Transistor’ which is a play on words; transistor as in

Sarah-Anne Winchester, an SIU MFA student in the ceramics department, poses for a portrait in front of her piece called ‘What’s yours is mine’ Feb. 3, 2024 at the Sharp Museum in Carbondale, Illinois. Photos by Dominique Martinez Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography

Jordan Bardgett, an SIU MFA in the school of media arts, poses for a portrait in front of her piece called ‘Transistor.’

a semiconductor that affects changes in signal voltage, and also a trans sister, as in a trans woman with two older brothers like me.

To make the piece, she combined both the electrical diagram image and transgender symbol. The image file of this visual was then converted into sound through using a digital audio workstation where sound effects were added before converting the file back into an image.

“This data-bending reflects the transformative properties of both gender and societal perceptions of gender,” Bardgett said.

She will be giving an artist talk to discuss her work more, along with Suzann Starchild Shepard, who also has work in the Women’s Voices 4 Exhibition. Their talk will take place April 6 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Sharp Museum.

Bardgett said, “If you’re looking to grow as an artist, keep an eye out for open calls for work from galleries, museums and journals. That’s what truly gets your work out there. Don’t fear rejection.”

“The first year’s exhibit I found myself begging a woman I knew who I had known to do so many special creations over the years,” Fix said. “One of her many designs was an armadillo puppet.

The creation was fabulous but seeing it in action, the head and arms moving, was pure joy and amazement.”

The artist had recently been working on puppets for the Carbondale Puppet Parade reusing & recycling materials, showing an awareness for the children’s safety by using tempera paints and nontoxic materials.

Puppets are one of many other

mediums that have been chosen and explored for this exhibit, each with unique meanings and interpretations.

Fix said, “There are paintings that the viewer must look at deeply with an open mind. What one might see as colored sea glass might actually be a pile of plastic bottles washed up along the shoreline.

And why are there teeth floating in the sky? Perhaps to give a feeling of uncomfortableness?”

The mediums range from collages, to not only paper, but also a leather twosided quilt sewn with intention using antique buttons to allow the viewer to also interact with the artwork by exploring and touching the different elements.

Pieces from a textile weaver who dyes her own yarn from vegetables she grows were also included.

“She enjoys the mathematical elements of the patterns she’s producing on the loom, making a 25-foot-long piece of colorful art for only her need to create,” Fix said.

The artists’ need to create leads to emotional scenes to get through times of grief or disconnection.

A dresser drawer diorama depicting the death of a child using words sewn into the pieces of clothing, has the potential to invoke sorrow and allow them to work though their own grief knowinging they are not alone.

Fix said, “These, and others alike, are the women I find so interesting and want to put in an exhibit. These are the voices.

These are women creating to be heard.”

Staff reporter Annalise Schmidt can be reached at aschmidt@dailyegyptian.com

News | Page 3

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Day in the life of a zoology major at SIU Jasmine Thompson jthompson@dailyegyptian.com

Elizabeth Forassiepi drags herself out of bed on a foggy January morning to prepare for the day.

To wake herself up, she throws on her headphones, blasts “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen, and heads to the gym for a quick adrenaline pump.

“It’s like my coffee in the morning,” Forassiepi said.

After that, she will spend the morning studying until her first class at 11 a.m.

“We have a lot of broad classes, just like basic evolution but then we have other classes such as myology [muscles], herpetology [amphibians and reptiles], and entomology [insects]. I was in that one last semester, which is focused on bugs so we do a lot of detailed studies on certain... evolution that might be very broad,” Forassiepi said. “Mammalogy, for example, is more like just studying mammals so we’ll do things in a lab, like practicing identifying specimens, learning taxonomy, learning where they came from and how they’re related to each other.”

This semester Forassiepi has four classes, chemistry is the study of chemical elements and how they interact with each other and the world around them; Earth through time, which is a geology course that focuses on the history of life on Earth from the earliest known organisms to dinosaurs, mammoths, and humans; intro to marine biology which centers around learning about ocean-dwelling organisms and their ecosystem; and lastly, developmental biology - the study of how organisms develop both before and after birth and the cellular processes involved.

“On our marine biology class trip to Mississippi, my class got to take a ship out to an island to collect some

specimens. Because our ship was pretty large and couldn’t get close to shore, we had to get a raft to get to the island,” Forassiepi said.

“When we did get on the raft to head towards the island (which was about one and a half miles out), the engine on the motor died, leaving us stranded while still being a mile from shore so we had no choice but to paddle the rest of the way and eventually one of the crew members got into the water and started pulling the raft behind him. Once we got to shore, the captain swam from the ship to the island with a toolbox to repair the raft’s motor. But when it was time for us to get off the island, the raft’s engine broke yet again, and we had to flag down some vacationers on a pontoon boat to give us all a lift back to our ship,” she said.

Forassiepi’s love for studying different animals and their evolution is evident from the variety of classes she has taken over the years. With a focus on handson learning, her classes involve detailed studies and practical sessions that help her gain a deeper understanding of the concepts.

“How I got more involved in this major was as I got older and started learning about environmentalism and global warming, climate change, all the things that were threatening the animals, then I was like, ‘yeah, no, definitely that’s what I need to be doing,’ because there’s not a lot of people who see that stuff and want to do something about it,” she said.

Forassiepi remains determined to complete her degree and pursue her passion for learning about the natural world.

“Yeah, I mean, technically, I am a super senior, so this is my fifth year here because COVID kind of threw off my graduation plans but yeah, so I’ll be

Liz Forassiepi browses the SIU sweatshirts for sale at the University Bookstore Jan. 26, 2024 at SIU Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois.

SSimShardPhotography

Liz Forassiepi catches a string ray in the Mississippi River with her Marine Bio Class. Photo provided by Liz Forassiepi.

graduating in May,” Forassiepi said.

Her classes this semester are more focused on lab work and science, rather than a traditional classroom setting.

“I feel like the data and analysis, looking at a table and being able to understand what you’re reading is one of the most important skills in this major,” Forassiepi said.

At SIU, the biology department offers a range of classes that cater to students with varying interests. The department also offers hands-on lab sessions that help students identify specimens and understand how different species are related to each other.

Liz takes notes during class.

“They’re very good within SIU at incorporating what we’ve been learning in class with our lab. So whenever we’re doing hands-on stuff, they will be walking us through, like, ‘Okay, remember what we talked about in class is what you’re seeing now in front of you.’ So that way, it’s more than just hearing it. You get to sit down and work with the stuff and get a better understanding of it,” Forassiepi said.

She is an ambitious individual who is focused on achieving her professional goals. Recently, she has been thinking deeply about the type of career path she wants to pursue.

“I always wanted to do animal training, like dolphins or something in that area but since coming to college I feel I might want to do wildlife biology, something where I’m in the field helping with conservation, but also working hands-on with animals,” Forassiepi said.

Her passion and love for all animals goes beyond just her career. Back at home, she has some critters of her own.

“I have a crested gecko named Pogo, a tarantula and I have a dog. I used to have a snake. The tarantula’s name is Artie. Artemis, but I call her Artie, and then my dog is Sadie,” Forassiepi said.

As an aspiring zoologist, Forassiepi is committed to studying the behavior, anatomy and physiology of animals.

She believes that by gaining a deeper understanding of these creatures, we can develop more effective methods for conserving and protecting them.

Forassiepi’s degree path in zoology has given her the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue her career goals and she is excited to see where her journey will take her.

“SIU does have a great program for it [zoology]. So, I would just say to anybody who’s considering it, give it a try. You know, it’s so much fun. It’s so worth it. It’s hard work, but you know, it’s very fulfilling,” Forassiepi said.

News reporter Jasmine Thompson can be reached at jthomspon@dailyegyptian.com.

Page 4 | News

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Staff members have discussions over majors and minors within the university Jan. 30, 2024 at Corker Lounge in Carbondale, Illinois. Jasmine Thompson | jthompson@dailyegyptian.com

Mcnair Scholars Program setup at Major and Minor Fair Jan. 30, 2024 at Corker Lounge in Carbondale, Illinois.

Student fair offers opportunities to find the right path forward

Alli Goering agoering@dailyegyptian.com

Not everyone who comes to college immediately knows what they want their future to look like. The Major and Minor Fair held on Jan. 30 helped many students learn more about their possibilities. The event was set up with round tables and booths, and was full of representatives from all the colleges at SIU to introduce opportunities to students.

“Part of that is exposing them to the variety of majors and areas of focus that they can go in here. For many of us, high school doesn’t expose us to nearly enough of the possibilities when it comes to careers and majors,” said Rita Medina, the recruitment and retention coordinator for the Exploratory Student Advisement Program.

The event was put together by the Department of Exploratory Student Advisement and the Department of First-Year Experience.

“Part of this is to make sure that, especially for our chief academic advisors and our advisors across campus, they do a lot of answering questions throughout the semester. So this is really to help assist them too with their time management.

So if there’s one place where students can come and talk, all in one, then maybe that’ll help eliminate or free

some time up for other advisors or have students come to them that are really a lot more certain now,” said Gena Albert, the associate dean of students and the director of First Year Experience.

All of the colleges and schools attended those included of the College of Agricultural, Life and Physical Sciences, the College of Arts and Media, the College of Business and Analytics, the College of Engineering, Computing, Technology, and Mathematics, the College of Health and Human Sciences, the College of Liberal Arts, SIU Graduate School, the School of Education, the School of Law and the School of Medicine. Students had the opportunity to sit with representatives to discuss majors, minors, job opportunities and what would be their next step.

“It’s for students who either came in undecided or were not eligible to go directly into their major. We wanted to host something a little more regular that included all colleges, departments and units across campus that were academically focused,” Albert said.

The Majors and Minors Fair was established in the Fall of 2023 to allow all SIU students to learn more about what the different schools and colleges on campus had to offer. It was created to be a more “laid back” experience so students would be comfortable talking

about their futures.

“Every time we do an event like this, we learn from it and try to make some changes and adapt and see what we can do to improve it, to make it appeal to more students. But we also know, especially in the beginning of the semester, we’re competing with a lot of other information being thrown at students,” Albert said.

Since the event took place a couple of weeks into the semester, after students had some time in class, organizers believed that students would have time to experience if they liked their current path. The fair catered to oneon-one encounters with representatives where students could browse along the booths or choose to sit at a table with a department of their choosing.

The event was open to all students on campus.

“The undecided and first-year students are the primary target, it is open to anybody on campus. So if there’s a junior that says, I’m thinking about adding a minor or a second major or we will have representatives from the law school and the graduate school. So if students wanna know more about continuing their education beyond their undergrad, they can do that as well,” Albert said.

At the event, the College of Health

and Human Sciences had a booth setup with representative Brittany Mcelory, the recruitment and retention coordinator.

Mcelory was there to inform students about the goals they can achieve through the college. She provided information about how large the student population is and the amount of majors and minors that are offered.

“The College of Health and Human Sciences, we make up 40 percent of the student population here on campus.

So we’re here to offer the different majors and minors that we have within the college and so providing program information, specifics about contact information, any of the degree requirements that are needed for those students to help them become successful on their path,” Mcelory said.

The College of Engineering, Computing Technology and Mathematics was represented by Tarnisha Green, the director of Seed Program, which stands for Success in Engineering through Excellence and Diversity. Green spent time informing students about the various opportunities that the College of Engineering, Computing Technology and Mathematics can offer them.

“I believe it’s important for us to be here because a lot of students don’t know about our majors. When we say engineering people get scared, but really

just alerting them to the jobs and the money they can make with it and letting them know that it’s not impossible and that it is not exactly what they think it is. I always tried to change their minds, to show them a different perspective,” Green said.

Both Albert and Medina are available for students to reach out too if they are in need of help finding a path. They can assist students in finding a major by providing them with information or point them in the right direction of who to reach out to.

“It may be a chief advisor, it may be another recruitment retention coordinator, it may be a program director or professor directly. Gena and I have been here long enough that we know most of the faces around here and most of the names around here. So if they’re looking for the quickest way to get to the right person, they can always reach out to us,” Medina said.

The career development center on campus provides resources for students who are exploring different career paths, both Medina and Albert refer students there often. Students can also find guidance by referring to the information Medina provided after the event.

Staff Reporter Alli Goering can be reached at agoering@dailyegyptian.com

Spring semester features yet another enrollment surge

Cole Daily | cdaily@dailyegyptian.com

Enrollment for the Spring 2024 semester at Southern Illinois University saw a 4% increase from the year previous, Spring 2023. Undergraduate enrollment is expected to be around a 4.39% increase, while graduate students make up about a 3.48% increase.

The Fall 2023 semester was the first since 2014 to feature an

enrollment increase, which means SIU is continuing a trend in the right direction. The 2023-2024 academic year has proven to be successful for Chancellor Austin Lane.

“After an amazing fall, we have a fantastic start to the spring semester.

This latest news again shows how Salukis imagine bold goals and then work tirelessly to achieve them,”

Lane said.

After some students graduated in December, there are currently around 10,525 students continuing their academic career as Salukis.

“Like our efforts to bring students to SIU-Carbondale to start or continue their education, our work to retain students and help them stay in school is university-wide,” Lane said.

The university has made strides to ease the financial burden on students who attend SIU, with programs like; Saluki Step Ahead, Saluki Commitment and the HEROES program.

SIU is also launching the Say Yes Initiative, a tool for qualifying local high school students to have their application process streamlined, in another effort to increase student

enrollment for the Fall 2024 semester.

“This success is not magic. It is the result of the strategic, diligent efforts of many Salukis – our faculty and staff, our alumni and friends, members of the community and even our students,” Lane said.

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

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Sports | Page 5

Bears’ big fourth quarter too much for Saluki women Lylee Gibbs | @LyleeGibbsPhoto

Saluki women’s basketball (7-13, 2-8) held their own against Missouri State (145, 8-2), keeping pace with the Bears only to falter in the final 10 minutes, losing 6252 at home on Saturday.

“I thought it was a pretty well played game for three quarters,” Saluki head coach Kelly Bond-White said. “Pretty evenly matched game for three quarters.”

The end of the third saw a key turning point as the Salukis held the lead in a two-point game before the Bears left them scoreless for the next seven minutes during a 10-0 Missouri State run into the fourth.

The loss extended the Salukis’ losing streak to three, leaving them tied for tenth in the conference, while the Bears now stand at 14-5 and remain

Jamilah Lewis

third in the Valley.

Jaidynn Mason led the Dawgs in scoring with 21 points, along with four rebounds and three assists. Lacy Stokes led Missouri State with 14 points and five assists, as well as grabbing five rebounds.

The Saluki offense struggled in comparison to the Bears, missing 10 more shots leading to a large margin in rebounds.

“You have to be able to compete on both ends of the floor,” Bond-White said. “It’s not just about jacking up shots, it’s about stopping possessions on the other end.”

Saturday marked the Salukis’ sixth loss in their last seven games dating back to their Jan. 10 matchup against Illinois State. Five of these losses have been within 10 points including Saturday.

“We’re gonna have to do some things

a little bit differently,” Bond-White said. “...You go back to the drawing board and you start over and repeat.”

Banterra Center welcomed several women’s athletic programs including volleyball, women’s golf, softball and women’s swim and dive to celebrate “National Girls and Womens In Sports Day” as well as some local girls basketball programs. The Saluki teams in attendance signed posters, t-shirts and other memorabilia (see story page 8).

The Salukis will play two games at home next weekend starting with Murray State (13-6, 6-4) Friday, Feb. 9 at 6 p.m., followed by Valley leader Belmont (16-5, 9-1) on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Photo editor Lylee Gibbs can be reached at @LyleeGibbsPhoto

Jaidynn Mason (22) moves towards the corner with the ball as the Salukis face Missouri State at home Feb. 3, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Missouri State rallies to beat Saluki men 76-75 in overtime

jlewis@dailyegyptian.com

With 20 seconds left in the overtime, Saluki guard Xavier Johnson made a pair of free throws to tie the game at 72. On the next possession, Missouri State’s Donovan Clay hit a game-deciding jumper for the Bears after having trailed by as much as 12 points in the second half.

The SIU Salukis (14-8, 6-5) fell to the Missouri State Bears (13-9, 5-6) by a score of 76-75 in overtime Wednesday night at the Banterra Center. SIU did

not score in the final 4:02 in regulation, leading by eight at that point before Missouri State rallied back to tie it with 18 seconds left in the second half.

“Disappointed in the way we finished the game…we’ve got to do a better job of executing and being able to get stops,” Saluki head coach Bryan Mullins said. “We’ve got to be able to close games out here, especially at home.”

Wednesday night was the first time SIU had played an overtime game at the Banterra Center since February 2018, and the first such

occurrence under Mullins.

The Salukis lost the turnover battle, giving it up 16 times while Missouri State only committed seven turnovers. SIU had previously committed 18 turnovers on Saturday against Murray State, a game the Dawgs came back to win after similarly trailing by doubledigits.

Johnson and Troy D’Amico combined for nine of those turnovers. Despite leading the team with 28 points, Johnson took accountability for the loss.

“Not good leadership on my

SIU’s Clarence Rupert (white 4) and Missouri State’s Cesare

SIU’s Xavier Johnson (10) shoots free throws during the overtime

Edwards (black 4) fight for the opening tip of the overtime period

period of his team’s loss to Missouri State Jan. 31, 2024 at Banterra

during their Missouri Valley Conference matchup Jan. 31, 2024

Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Johnson’s free throws would tie the

at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Brandyn Wilcoxen | @

game at 72 with 20 seconds left before Donovan Clay hit a go-

BrandynWilcoxen

ahead shot for Missouri State on the next possession.

part,” Johnson said. “Making sure that we just remained locked in through the rest of the 20 minutes of the half and keeping our foot on their necks.”

After a great first half, it seemed like the Salukis were headed for their third straight win. Johnson, D’Amico and Trent Brown combined for eight three-pointers in the first half, taking a 42-31 lead into half.

While those three finished with double-figures, the Bears had five players cross the 10-point mark, including Clay with a team-high 24

points on 12-for-17 shooting.

The Salukis will travel to Chicago on Saturday, Feb. 3 to take on the UIC Flames (8-14, 1-10) at 1 p.m.

“We’ve got to have a great practice tomorrow,” Mullins said.

“We’ve got to get up, we’ve got to get better here. We’ve proven we can play with anybody in this league. We’ve got to finish out, got to close a couple of these tough games that we’ve lost here.”

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

SIU

Page 6 |

Wednesday, February , 2024

| Page 7

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Salukis vs. Missouri State X2 Men’s - January 31 Women’s - February 3

Xavier Johnson (10) shoots a three-pointer while Missouri State’s Nick Kramer (21) contests the shot during their teams’ Missouri Valley Conference matchup Jan. 31, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Johnson shot 5-for-9 from three-point range on Wednesday night. Brandyn Wilcoxen | @BrandynWilcoxen

Sydney Prochaska (3) high fives her teammates as she steps onto the court while being announced for the Saluki starting lineup Feb. 3, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Xavier Johnson (10) drives to the basket during overtime of the Salukis’ 76-75 loss to Missouri State Jan. 31, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Johnson finished with a game-high 28 points on Wednesday night.

Brandyn Wilcoxen | @BrandynWilcoxen

Seairra Hughes cheers on the Salukis from the bench Feb. 3, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Se’Quoia Allmond (40) pushes through the Missouri State defense as she moves towards the basket Feb. 3, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Trent Brown (24) argues with a call during the first half of the Salukis’ 76-75 overtime loss to Missouri State Jan. 31, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Brandyn Wilcoxen | @BrandynWilcoxen

Quierra Love (0) dribbles the ball as she is guarded by Kyrah Daniels (21) Feb. 3, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Page 8 | Sports

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Women celebrate their place in sports Ceci Buhlman | Guest Contributor

On June 23, 1972, Congress made history in equality for women’s sports. Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in any educational program that receives financial aid from the federal government.

Fifty-one years later, on National Women and Girls in Sports Day, the SIU Women’s basketball team took on the Missouri State Bears in a game that celebrated all female athletes. (See page 5 for game recap).

Junior guard Tyranny Brown knows how important women’s sports are and can be, “The massive, massive improvement of fans from not even a year or two prior to Covid, just all those fans there to watch female athletes and to set the bar for younger athletes, that it does not matter if you’re different than the males you can still accomplish similar if not even better things than them.”

The improvement in fan numbers can be seen all across women’s sports. Nebraska volleyball in 2023 broke the world record for attendance at a women’s sporting event with 92,003 fans in attendance.

The Saturday matchup had many women’s sports teams there to support the Salukis. Female athletes from teams such as swim, volleyball,

basketball, golf, and softball all signed autographs and took pictures with fans after the game. Many young female athletes were very excited to meet the players showing the impact that female athletes have.

Sophomore catcher for the SIU softball team, Anna Carder, said, “It’s just a surreal moment when I used to go to games like this and then get my autographs from college softball players, and then now I’m the one giving the autographs to little girls.”

Junior Anna Jaworski from the volleyball team remembers her mentor from when she was young, Lauren Carlini, a player who graduated from Wisconsin to then be on the USA team.

“I remember always loving her attitude and mentality on the court because she owned everything she did and took pride in her game,” Jaworski said.

SIU athletes weren’t the only one celebrating National Women and Girls in Sports Day. During halftime a local fifth grade girls basketball team from Harrisburg Middle School played a mini game to celebrate young girls in athletics.

Guest Contributor Ceci Buhlman can be reached at ceci.Buhlman@siu.edu

Fans and young girls attend the National Women and Girls in Sports Day game as the Salukis face the Bears of Missouri State Feb. 3, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois.

Ceci Buhlman | ceci.Buhlman@siu.edu

Young girls line up at the scorers tables to talk with Saluki women’s athletic programs at SIU and get signatures Feb. 3, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois.

Ceci Bhulman | eci.buhlman@siu.edu

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CONTINUED FROM 1 Civic Center by The Black Chamber of Commerce of Southern Illinois on Saturday.

The following Monday, Feb. 12, Beta Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. will host Black Women’s Appreciation Lunch. This event will be a space for the community to gather and express their appreciation, admirationandloveforBlackwomeninthecommunity.

The Black Resource Center, University Honors and many others are hosting multiple events on Feb. 13 in the Student Services Building and Moe Auditorium including an Employer Informational with the US Air Guard, Breaking Curses and FInding Peace seminar and “Sankofa: Let the Songs of the Ancestors Teach Us to Fly,” interspersed with Dance Presented by Dominique Atwood.

Valentines Day will be another busy day hosted by The Black Resource Center and other contributors including All Faiths Discussion and Prayer Circle, an event for students to gather and pray for each other and the community. A Healing From Systems of Oppression Lecture and Discussion Series 1.0, a three part series led by international graduate student Adjoa Adu Poku, or AJ. AJ will guide attendees though the history of the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade and it impacts on her home country and continent. The evening of Feb. 14, Paul Purnell of the SIU Sages will host Health and Healing Mind Sets and Skill Sets, the event will show an

overview of practices and tools that support optimal health.

Throughout the remainder of Black History Month the University and its organizations will be hosting a number of other events to honor and celebrate the accomplishments and struggles of the Black community. Some of those events include My Ancestors Wildest Dreams: Black and an Officer in the US Space Force, the Black Magic Variety Show, Healing from Systems of Oppression Lecture and Discussion Series 2.0 & 3.0 and National Association of Black Journalists Media Day. The month will close out with the Inaugural “BRC Alumni Reception” as well as the Inaugural “BRC Awards Ceremony” on Feb. 29. The BRC Alumni Reception will be a space where the Black Resource Center provides an opportunity for alumni to connect with current students and cultivate conversation around past experience. The awards ceremony will be the concluding ceremony where the Black Resource Center will formally acknowledge and celebrate the campus, local and alumni community.

Black History Month is a time for the University to honor and celebrate the Black Community past, present and future.

For more information on Black History Month events readers can refer to the community calendar in the Daily Egyptian.

News Editor Joei Younker can be reached at Jyounker@dailyegyptian.com.

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Calendar | Page 9

Community Calendar

Contact Us

Email: editor@dailyegyptian.com

Wednesday Feb. 07 International Festival Food Fair 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM Student Center Ballroom ABCD Contact: Elaine Conrad, econrad@siu.edu

Song Festival presents Lassetter and Kanakis 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM OBF Recital Hall 104 Contact: Carissa Scroggins, carissa.scroggins@siu.edu

Public Service Job Opportunities 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Student Center Mackinaw Contact: Dr. Lanel Love, llove2@siu.edu

Saturday Feb. 10

Thursday Feb. 08 Marine Corps Information 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Student Center Art Gallery Table #4 Contact: Nicole Wood, nicole.wood@siu.edu My Saved Objects Soaps and Lotions LLC 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Student Center The Exchange Contact: Candace Weingart, candace@mysavedobjects.com Carbondale Fire Department L1961 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Student Center Art Gallery Table #3 Contact: Courtney Looft, Carbondale Fire Department L1961

FGC Practice 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Student Center Esports Contact: SIU Esports Club Sunday Feb. 11 Morris Library Game Night 1:00 PM - 7:30 PM First Floor Rotunda Contact: Carolyn Smith, carolsmith717@siu.edu Women’s Basketball: SIU vs. Belmont 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Banterra Center Contact: Saluki Athletics, SIUTicketOffice@siu.edu

SIU Chapter of Be the Match Recruitment Drive 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Student Center Art Gallery Table #3 Contact: Bethany Bergschneider, bethany.bergschneider@siu.edu

InterVarsity Chapter Night 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Student Center Kaskaskia/Missouri Contact: Annie McCormick, anniemccormick@siu.edu

Vanity Fashion Models: Valentine’s Day Baskets 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Student Center North Table #2 Contact: Jakayla Sherrod, jakayla.sherrod@siu.edu

Vanity Fashion Models: Valentine’s Day Baskets 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Student Center North Table #2 Contact: Jakayla Sherrod, jakayla.sherrod@siu.edu International Festival Cultural Show 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM Student Center Ballroom CD Contact: Elaine Conrad, econrad@siu.edu

News Editor: Joei Younker

ahammock@dailyegyptian.com

jyounker@dailyegyptian.com

Editor-in-Chief: Cole Daily

Sports Editor: Jamilah Lewis

cdaily@dailyegyptian.com

jlewis@dailyegyptian.com

Design Chief: Peyton Cook

Digital Editor: Bhayva Sri-Billuri

pcook@dailyegyptian.com

bsri-billuri@dailyegyptian.com

Photo Editor: Lylee Gibbs

Business Manager: Jessica Guthrie

lgibbs@dailyegyptian.com

jguthrie@dailyegyptian.com

Student Managing Editor: Brandyn Wilcoxen

Ad Chief: Makena Masterson

bwilcoxen@dailyegyptian.com

mmasterson@dailyegyptian.com

Monday Feb. 12

Saluki Rainbow Network (Weekly Meeting) 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Student Center Illinois Contact: Johnathan Crane, jazzmine.crane@siu.edu

Friday Feb. 09

Faculty Managing Editor: Annie Hammock

Club Rhythm Practice 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM Student Center Esports Contact: SIU Esports Club Tuesday Feb. 13 Walk Up Resume Critiques 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Student Center North Table #2 Contact: Nicole Wood, nicole.wood@siu.edu

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!

Mission Statement

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.

Publishing Information

The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale and functions as a laboratory for the School of Journalism in exchange for the room and utilities in the Communications Building.

The Daily Egyptian is a non-profit organization that survives primarily off of its advertising revenue. Offices are in the Communications Building, room 1259, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Ill., 62901.

Copyright Information

@2024 The Daily Egyptian. All rights reserved. All content is property of the Daily Egyptian and may not be reproduced or transmitted without consent. The Daily Egyptian is a member of the Illinois College Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Advisers Inc. and the College Business and Advertising Managers Inc.

Submissions Cole Daily

Cole Daily cdaily@dailyegyptian.com

Letters and guest columns must be submitted with author’s contact information, preferably via email. Phone numbers are required to verify authorship, but will not be published.

Students must include their year and major. Faculty must include rank and department. Others include hometown.

Submissions should be sent to editor@dailyegyptian.com

Page 10 | Sports

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Saluki softball ready to prove itself “one game at a time” Carly Gist | cgist@dailyegyptian.com

Batter up! The Southern Illinois University softball team will officially kick off its season at the Texas State tournament on Friday, Feb. 9 in San Marcos.

Salukis will go head to head against the Creighton University Bluejays at 10 a.m. and will face the Roadrunners from the University of Texas at San Antonio at 2:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Salukis take on Northwestern State University at 10 a.m. and Texas State University at 2:30 p.m.

They will finish the tournament on Sunday at 10 a.m. with another matchup with Texas State.

After the tournament, the 2024 schedule will consist of 46 regular season games and the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, which will take place May 8-11.

Head Coach Jennifer Sewell has high hopes for the team this season.

“Expectations are very high,” she wrote in an email. “We need to contend for the MVC championship but, first and foremost, we need to hear our name called if we don’t win the Valley tournament. We are an NCAA [tournament] squad on paper - but we have to prove that one game at a time.”

Sewell said the team has set a goal to be a Top 50 club going into the selection show.

“We are the top hitting team in the conference already and we will be in the top 3 again in defense,” she wrote. “If our pitching is healthy (unlike last year), we will be in the top 2 in the conference and probably #1.”

She emphasized that last year’s pitching wasn’t a weakness that needed improving, but rather an obstacle they needed to overcome.

“Our pitching staff doesn’t need to improve, it needs to stay healthy,” she said. “You can’t improve injuries - we just had to ride the wave last year. Our pitching was great when it was healthy.”

Sewell described the team’s chemistry as the best she’s ever been around. Third-baseman Rylie Hamilton and left-fielder Elizabeth Warwick agreed.

“We’re kind of like a family,” Hamilton said. “We’re like a sisterhood, girlhood. We’re really locked in. We don’t really argue, fight. We’re just friends and we’re all happy-go-lucky.”

Warwick added, “Like 22 really close friends. We love each other.”

Hamilton and Warwick are both seniors. The two players want to spend their last season embracing the special moments and working to exceed last year’s achievements.

“I’m looking forward to just being together again with the team,” Hamilton said. “We have good chemistry on the team so it’s

always really fun. I think the really hype moments in games [are] what I’m really looking forward to.”

Warwick followed up with, “We talk about this a lot in practice but we wanna go to super regionals, taking that next step. That’s kind of what we’re practicing and playing for, so that’s what we want to do.”

Between earning the MVC tournament title and competing in the NCAA tournament, Saluki Softball was full of success throughout the 2023 season.

While it may seem like a lot of pressure to follow up, the team isn’t worried.

“I don’t really think about it that much,” Warwick said.

“Obviously…we want to win, but we don’t really put that much pressure on ourselves. Like, we’re playing because we want to be with each other and we love to win with each other.”

Hamilton said the team makes sure to focus on “being with the people that you love and playing a sport that you love.”

“We’re just enjoying the moment,” she said.

Sewell said, “We don’t hide behind expectations.

This program has been doing this for a very long time. Expectations for SIU Softball started a long time ago, long before any of us got here.”

To prepare for the upcoming season, the team has been focusing on weight training.

“Shoutout to Meade Smith,” Hamilton said. “He’s our strength coach. He gets us right in the weight room, and we have a lot of fun with him. I feel way stronger than I was three years ago.”

There are several key players to look out for this season, Sewell said.

“Jackie Lis, Rylie Hamilton, Elizabeth Warwick and Madi Eberle are the physical leaders of this team,” she said. “But you’re going to see big years out of Maddia Groff, Anna Carder, Addi Baker. I think Emma Austin and Bailey Caylor could have major years.”

The team also has a promising future, thanks to the freshman class.

“The entire freshman class could be big,” Sewell said. “I think you’ll know Maddia’s name pretty quickly. But don’t sleep on Katherine Johnson, she could be a star right away as well.”

Warwick said, “They all come ready to go. They’re all really good and they’re definitely gonna be key contributors in the lineup and on the field.”

Hamilton said she thinks “every single freshman has something to bring to the table.”

“They’re just fun and they fit in,” she said. “They’re calm but they

Rylie Hamilton (1) and Jackie Lis (00) share a handshake after they score the first two outs of the inning back to back against the Beacons of Valparaiso Mar. 19, 2023 at Charlotte West Stadium in Carbondale, Ill. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphotography

Anna Carder (19) sends the pitch towards the shortstop of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville when the Salukis took on the Cougars at home game Feb. 26, 2023 at Charlotte West Stadium in Carbondale, Ill. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphotography

mean business…I’m excited for them. I remember being a freshman.

It’s just exciting, and I’m excited for them to experience all this.”

You can catch the Salukis in action at their first home game against Loyola University Chicago on Saturday, Mar. 9 at 1:30 p.m.

Staff Reporter Carly Gist can be reached at cgist@dailyegyptian.com

Sports | Page 11

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Houston, we have a Saluki: How SIU basketball built a strong Texas connection Ryan Grieser rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com

There are only 14 players on the Southern Illinois University men’s basketball team roster.

While four of them are from Illinois, there is a surprising state that supplies three more: Texas.

AJ Ferguson, Trey Miller and Cade Hornecker all hail from the Lone Star State. Ferguson and Miller are from Houston, and Hornecker is from Amarillo. Both cities are over 750 miles from Carbondale, which begs the question: how did these players end up in southern Illinois?

While some onlookers may say that the SIU brand may not quite be what it once was, it still holds a lot of respect around the country, Saluki head coach Bryan Mullins said.

“SIU basketball is nationally known and nationally recognized. Our league, the Missouri Valley Conference, is well respected across the country, so when we start to talk to parents and prospective student athletes… they’re pretty impressed with what we’ve accomplished here, and what type of basketball and the level that we play on,” Mullins said.

Hornecker spoke about SIU and the Valley’s reputations specifically.

“I know the history that they have here of winning, how successful they were when Bryan played here and now with him as coach,” he said. “I just felt like it was gonna be a good spot for me. I know the Valley’s a strong conference.”

This national reputation, beyond appealing to players, is an important factor in a crucial recruiting aspect: building bonds.

“It really comes down to relationships and the basketball community,” Mullins said.

“It’s a large community, but once you kind of get intertwined in it, it becomes a small community.”

Relationships with high school coaches, AAU programs and other college coaches often can be the difference in whether a program will look at a player.

“You really rely on your relationships across the country to help you get good information and make sure that the kids you’re bringing into the program are the right type of kid that fits your program and fits the university,” Mullins said.

Personal bonds with players are likely the most important relationships that coaching staffs have to form. For SIU, assistant coach Brendan Mullins is often the main point of contact for recruits and the person they get to know the best before they reach campus.

“I’m a relationship person,” Brendan Mullins said. “Building relationships with the recruits, but more importantly the players on our team, the families on our team.”

According to Bryan Mullins, building these friendships has gotten easier due to technology like FaceTime and other social media platforms.

Investing time in potential players is still a critical and long process though.

“A lot of it is making sure you develop a good relationship. And that’s just a daily process,” Bryan Mullins said. “Really investing time into that relationship with the prospective student athlete and their family and making sure they understand that you’re sincere about your interest in their son.”

For Bryan Mullins and his staff, the focus on Texas has developed within the past couple of years.

“Texas is an interesting state,” Brendan Mullins said.

While high school football may be the better known and more romanticized institution in Texas, everything’s bigger in the Lone Star State, making basketball just as big of a deal to many

Dominique Martinez-Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography

Texan high schools.

“The growth in Texas basketball has exponentially blown up over the last 20 years or so,” Brendan Mullins said. “It’s such a big state with so many cities that even schools within the state struggle to be able to recruit it all.”

SIU also fills an unexpected void in Texas that can offer them a unique recruiting edge.

“There’s not really a Texas school that is kind of level with us. They’re either smaller schools or, obviously, really big schools. From that standpoint, we have a little bit of an advantage if we want to go in there and recruit that state,” Brendan Mullins said.

All of these things certainly helped bring Hornecker to SIU, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic effectively shut down many schools recruiting efforts in 2020 and 2021. Another, more unique factor was in play during Hornecker’s recruitment, too.

“My high school, our nickname is actually Floorburn High. My coach came [to Carbondale] when Coach [Bruce] Weber was still here and stole Floorburn U from him. So there was some connection to that, it felt a little bit like home,” Hornecker said.

“There were some interesting connections that you don’t always find during Cade’s high school recruitment,” Bryan Mullins said.

Beyond the familiarity, both Mullins stayed hard on the recruiting trail with Hornecker.

“Coach Brendan was the main one who recruited me when he first watched me play in Dallas… After that, he was at Nike Peach Jam and watched me play,” Hornecker said. “So they offered me, and then Bryan was probably calling me at least once a week, texting me a couple times a week.”

Miller’s and Ferguson’s recruiting processes were also impacted by the pandemic. While they each had contact with SIU before committing to a school, both went different directions.

Ferguson attended East Central University in Oklahoma, and Miller attended Incarnate Word.

Though they had found collegiate homes, SIU’s staff didn’t abandon the connection they had formed with the players during the

recruiting process.

“Just not burning that bridge, not being upset about [them not choosing SIU] or anything like that, wishing them well,” Brendan Mullins said.

“Then, if it arises where they are looking to transfer, being one of the first to call them and then knowing that we already do have a relationship and having a little bit of a trust factor built in,” Mullins said.

Due to several factors, Miller’s initial recruitment didn’t fall SIU’s way. But when Miller entered the transfer portal, SIU was one of the first to come calling, drawing upon the preexisting relationship.

“Coach Brendan and Coach Bryan immediately hit [me up] as soon as I entered the portal. It was just talking with me and they wanted me to come on a visit to the school since I never was able to, so eventually I took the time to visit Carbondale,” Miller said.

Finding the right fit the second time around was also very important for Miller.

“During that time, the NCAA still had that rule that you can only transfer once… if I was going to transfer somewhere, I wanted it to be somewhere where I knew I was gonna like and I knew I was gonna stay and I knew where I was

gonna grow as a player,” Miller said.

Relationships in the basketball community once again played a big part in Ferguson’s SIU recruitment. According to Ferguson, a coach from East Central Oklahoma’s conference talked to Brendan Mullins, who in turn reached out to Ferguson.

“Coach Brendan reached out to me and told me everything they wanted in a player and everything they liked about me throughout the process,” Ferguson said. “He thought it’d be a good decision for me to come here.”

And while all Ferguson, Hornecker and Miller all did end up in Carbondale, it wasn’t without facing a significant change.

“It was a big difference, weather wise. A big, big difference… it doesn’t get cold in Houston,” Ferguson said.

Editor’s note: Hornecker and Bryan Mullins list different head coaches who were at SIU when Hornecker’s high school coach came to Carbondale; because a year was not given, it was not possible to determine if Bruce Weber or Chris Lowery was the head coach at that time.

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

Page 12 | Entertainment and Culture

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Bowling Night Pins are picked up by the machines to reset the lanes as students bowl.

A student bowls at the Cosmic Bowling Night Feb. 1, 2024 at SIU Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois.

Simeon Hardley | @SimShardPhotography

A bowling ball rolls down the alley as students and community members bowl.

Bowling pins are reset for the next frame.

A bowling display inside the Student Center Bowling & Billiards.

A participant bowls at Thursday Night’s Cosmic Bowling night.