The Daily Egyptian - March 27, 2024

Carbondale to Chicago: Mullins and D’Amico find new homes at DePaul

Jamilah lewis | @Jamilahlewis Brandyn wilcoxen | @Brandynwilcoxen

Former Salukis are finding new homes upstate.

SIU men’s basketball forward

Troy D’Amico announced his commitment to DePaul University on Saturday via his social media, one day after former head coach Bryan Mullins was reported to be hired at DePaul.

D’Amico, a native of Chicago, announced the move with the caption “[Troy D’Amico] is coming home,” in reference to Chicagobased DePaul. Mullins is a native of Hinsdale,

Illinois, and served as an assistant coach at Loyola Chicago for four years prior to his tenure at the helm at SIU.

Following Mullins’ departure on March 8 after being eliminated from the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, several players entered the transfer portal, including starters Clarence Rupert and AJ Ferguson, as well as rotation players Kennard Davis, Scottie Ebube and Jarrett Hensley.

A three-year player for Southern Illinois, D’Amico started all 32 games for the Salukis. He was second on the team in points with 9.3 per game,

Jason

Wristbands honor teen’s memory through mental health campaign

carly Gist | cGist@dailyeGyptian com

Trigger warning: This story contains content related to suicide and mental health challenges.

Outside of the newsroom, Daily

Egyptian Photographer Jason Isele has been working to promote mental health awareness one wristband at a time.

“I am doing it for a childhood

bestie of mine, Dylan Buckner, who died by suicide just seven days into 2021,” Isele said. “We [friends and family] weren’t sure how else

CAMPAIGN | 4

second in assists at 2.6 per game, and fourth in rebounds at 3.7 per game. He shot 43% from the field, and 36% from three in 2023-24.

Mullins compiled a record of 86-68 in five years as head coach at Southern Illinois, and joins a staff under former Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann. They will look to orchestrate a major turnaround at DePaul, which finished last in the Big East with a 3-29 record, and 0-20 in conference play.

Go to dailyegyptian.com for continuing coverage of the men’s basketball offseason.

Pulido swims fastest mid major backstroke ever, shines at NCAA championships

ryan Grieser rGrieser@dailyeGyptian com

In her second appearance at NCAA nationals, SIU swimmer Celia Pulido swam her way to even more appearances in the swim and dive record book, at SIU, in Illinois and nationally.

The MVC Swimmer of the Year from Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, placed seventh in the country in the 100 yard backstroke, swimming a time of 50.73 seconds.

According to swimswam. com, Pulido’s time is the fastest midmajor time in women’s 100 yard backstroke ever, and is also the fastest in Illinois ever. The previous SIU record, held by her, was the 50.98 second swim that earned her a spot in the A finals.

Nearly a second faster than her seed time in the event from the Missouri Valley Conference Championships in February, Pulido then competed in the 200 yard backstroke on Saturday.

Pulido’s prelims swim shattered her

SIU record of 1:53:80, dropping over a second en route to a 1:52:44, good enough to rank her number 14 of 52 swimmers in the prelims and earn her a spot in the evening’s finals heats.

Pulido competed in the second heat, or B final, and once again broke her own record, swimming a 1:52:31 and moving up one spot to finish 13th in the nation in the 200 yard backstroke.

Pulido, a junior, was able to score 12 points for her efforts in the 100 and 200 yard backstroke finals and helped SIU finish in 28th place of 41 teams at the NCAA championships.

Pulido is the first of two Salukis who will compete in the NCAA championships this month; Alex Santiago will compete this upcoming week in the men’s NCAA championships. Among their individual accomplishments, Pulido and Santiago also made history for the Salukis, as it is the first time that SIU will have a male and a female swimmer competing at NCAA nationals since 1992.

Freshman running back Kayleb Wagner (25) raises his fist with his bracelets to show support for the Dylan Buckner Foundation and all who struggle mentally March 22, 2024 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.

Isele | @iselephotography

Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at ryan.grieser@siu.edu.

Bryan Mullins during overtime of SIU’s loss to UIC in the MVC tournament March 7, 2024 in St. Louis. Photo by Brandyn Wilcoxen.

Troy D’Amico (0) holds up a three from across the court after scoring for SIU Dec. 2, 2023 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois.

Badd Axe Ladies sparks interest in fire service careers

AnnAlise schmidt Aschimdt@dAilyegyptiAn com

In a weekend packed with empowerment and education, eight young women seized the opportunity to step into the world of firefighting. The Badd Axe Ladies job-shadowing program was not just about teaching skills, but also about igniting passion and showing that gender is no barrier to the ability to provide service.

Over four days, students from SIU and local high schools got to participate in a number of activities at the Carbondale Fire Department.

Courtney Looft, a firefighter and a co-organizer of the event, said, “The weekend is a two day event where they’re actually getting hands-on experience to do all the different types of skills. They learn forcible entry, hose management, search techniques and then the big event is they actually get to see fire behavior and how it develops and interacts with different elements.”

Earlier in the week, the women had the option to choose between two days of preparation, which helped them gear up for the live fire-burn over the weekend.

These sessions included a station tour and observation of firefighters in action. Participants also received handson training, practicing gear donning, handling air tanks and participating in a quick call. These experiences provided exposure to the urgency and teamwork essential in firefighting.

Looft said, “We’re really trying to inspire the younger generation of females to look into the fire service as a career opportunity. Myself and my colleague Abby [Burnham], who helped create the program, had the benefit of our dads being firefighters. So we already kind of knew we could be firefighters too. We saw it day to day growing up.”

Looft and Burnham recognized that not all young women have the same exposure to firefighting, so they decided to create a program aimed at demonstrating the opportunities available in the field. They chose to schedule the annual program during March to coincide with Women’s History Month, aiming to celebrate and highlight the contributions of women in firefighting.

“They [participants] are able to see people that are females in male dominated fields and vice versa. Seeing males that are in female dominated fields is also very important so that we can create some equality across the field and offer services to diverse populations and communities, ” Looft said.

Working with younger students

who have an interest in the industry is especially beneficial. It gives participants the opportunity to spend a day with people who are passionate and dedicated to their work, especially girls who aren’t necessarily sure about their career yet but want to explore their options.

“That’s exactly what this program is about. If you’re unsure you can try this three day experience. Be like, ‘wow, I’m really passionate about it. I want to pursue this.’ We can then show these young girls the steps you can take, or just overall if they just want to go through the program to appreciate what firefighters do, but maybe it’s not for them, that’s perfectly fine, too,” Looft said.

By figuring out interests and career options early, students can start figuring out the steps they must go through in order to begin their career path.

Looft said that often the younger you determine that, the easier it is.

She said, “I started off at 16…I knew I wanted to be a firefighter, so I joined this program through my high school where I got to do an internship at a fire department. Then I went to college to get my fire science degree.”

The continuity and impact of the program could be seen as students participating in the program this year had the opportunity to talk to two previous members of the program who have gotten their EMT license in the years since attending the Badd Axe Ladies program.

Students were required to submit applications to participate in the event, showcasing their interest in firefighting and their readiness to engage in

hands-on learning experiences. Some participants already were similarly passionate about the field and were eager to gain experience through the event.

Josephine Bailey, one of the participants at the event, said, “I’m most excited about the training, and just learning new things, because I had a struggle figuring out what I wanted to do. But, I feel like this is the stuff that I want to do and I’m really passionate about, so I’m just excited to see how I’m going to do.”

She says her prior experiences helped her gain interest in the profession.

“I literally just watched a show. It had firefighters and it looked cool, so I started studying it more, and looking into it more. Also my mom knows a lot about fires because she’s had her house on fire. We lost everything. So she knows all about fire safety, and I like helping people,” Bailey said.

Other students were contemplating alternative career paths or just had an interest in the roles firefighters have in society.

Participant Katie Lipe said she wanted to join the program to explore career ideas and see what she could do. She was excited about the hands-on opportunities of the weekend.

“I just can’t wait to get in the fire,” Lipe said.

Kulisara Lukes is a student at SIU. She said, “Currently I’m majoring in mortuary science, so I would say I have a passion for serving the community. Now, it’s also why I was interested in coming here…I want to be able to interact with the people within my community by

helping them and getting to know them.” She said she wanted to explore other career opportunities to see how an institution such as this one would work within itself and how people work together as one.

Jenna Jamieson, SIU Public Health Undergraduate Program director and instructor, helped with recruitment for this program, trying to select and find young ladies that she thought would be interested in learning more about the community service aspect of firefighting.

Jamieson said, “Courtney and Abby are giving this program to young ladies just as another way in which they’re giving to our community. It allows young girls to see what fire service is all about, because I think part of college and high school is mentoring students to help them understand all the different careers we have in the community.”

Students were required to submit applications to participate in the event, showcasing their interest in firefighting and their readiness to engage in handson learning experiences. Opportunities like this one are often overlooked, and individuals may not consider it as a potential career path.

“A lot of times we go off at 16 or 18, and try to figure out what we want to do. Often, we don’t even realize that being a female in a fire station is a really big value to our community,” Jamieson said. She believes that more students could benefit from the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their community.

Jamieson said, “From a public health perspective, I think it’s just important for

students to see the value of fire service, because I think we often undervalue the people that serve our community. Public service employees give a lot to our community.”

Jamieson first mentored at Carbondale High School as a teacher in charge of job shadowing. She said that position is the reason she met Courtney and Abby.

“At first we kind of just did a little bit of job shadowing, and then Courtney and Abby are responsible for developing the program,” Jamieson said.

This year marked the program’s third consecutive year.

She said, “At first it may have just been a little bit less formulated. But I think that Courtney and Abby have been interested in developing this kind of structured program for several years now.”

Following each event, participants are encouraged to provide feedback on their experience, ensuring continual improvement and refinement of the program.

Looft said, “Every year we’ve done it, we’ve added a little extra to or we’ve changed something. The first year we did it with just the high school girls at Carbondale. It was only one day that we had the girls and we tried to jam packed so much into that one day, so we figured out we need to expand it to two days.”

With the event extended over multiple days, it provided the opportunity for a more comprehensive and immersive experience for participants.

The Carbondale community assisted this program through the sponsoring of gear and events this year. Firefighting gear can often amount to several thousand dollars; however, with the support of Sentinel Emergency Solutions, Dinges Fire Company and LION, each participant was able to be fit for full, protective gear.

Other changes to the program have included adding more schools. This year the program reached out to Carbondale High School, Murphysboro High School, SIU and John A. Logan Community College.

Looft said, “The more that we can reach the population, the younger the females the better. We want to reach every community and population that we can.”

To learn more about the program, check out the Badd Axe Ladies on Facebook.

Staff reporter Annalise Schimdt can be reached at aschimdt@dailyegyptian.com.

Josephine Bailey laughs with the other women as she puts on her helmet March 20th, 2024 at the Carbondale, Illinois Fire Station (2). Simeon Hardley | @simshardphotography

How sweep it is

Photos taken by Libby Phelps | @libbyphelpsphotography

Sunday: SIU 9 Valpo 5

See more at: dailyegyptian. com

Friday: SIU 6 Valpo 4

Saturday: SIU 13 Valpo 1

Nathan Bandy (7) slides to home base scoring a run for the Salukis during the Mar. 24, 2024 game against Valparaiso University at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. Libby Phelps | @libbyphelpsphotography

Saluki Al Holguin (25) pitches on the mound.

Easton Dermody (30) pitches towards a Valparaiso University batter.

Hesston Gray (18), Mathieu Vallee (5) and Bennett Eltoft (35) celebrate after scoring the final points during the 13-1 win against Valparaiso University.

to honor him except as soldiers for change, so one way I’m doing that is passing out some of these wristbands to SIU athletic teams.”

Dylan Buckner was a high school senior at the time of his death. His foundation’s page describes him as “blessed with numerous friends, outstanding academic achievements and remarkable athletic talent as the quarterback of the football team.”

Various wristbands have been designed in his memory. They consist of messages such as “Buck’s Buddies,” “Loyalty Over Royalty” and “We Miss and Love You Dylan.” Isele has designed ones that read “SIU for DB7” and “Team Dylan Buckner.” He has passed out these wristbands to athletic teams at Southern Illinois University, including football, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball and the spirit teams.

“Some of them wear their bracelets during games, others wear them just around campus,” Isele said.

Isele’s campaign began in early 2022. In March and April alone that year, five student-athletes nationwide died by suicide.

“One night, it was May 2022, when I was at a baseball game watching it with a few SIU athlete friends of mine, we were talking about the mental health crisis, and I let them know that I was going to email those coaches about the possibility of a mental health awareness game during their seasons,” he said. “And that’s when they all started discussing Rally Around the Pound.”

Rally Around the Pound was a campaign the SIU athletic department did to support mental and behavioral health initiatives. According to its website, Rally Around the Pound brought “speakers, outreach, awareness, and support to our region and the campus.”

Isele said, “It went pretty well the first year and I sent John Ihrig, the head of Saluki Sports Properties, some ideas for year number two, and that was when I found out it was forced offline due to a partner who helped put it together going down a different road.”

Isele then came up with a new plan to increase mental health awareness.

“I looked at my remaining bracelets of these various designs one night and I was like, ‘Wait a minute, they could represent Dylan Buckner,’” he said. “So then I brought it to the coaches’ attentions one by one, most of them face to face. And then they agreed with that, and I brought them in one team [at a time].”

Isele credited Women’s Volleyball Trainer Samantha Schiess for helping give him one of the openings needed to pass out bracelets.

Schiess said, “I did a very, very small, tiny part. Jason just approached me after one of our matches in the fall, and asked if it’d be okay to pass out the bracelets to the girls, and so I just put him in contact with one of our team captains, and she kind of took it from there. So my part was really small. Mostly it was just connecting him with the right athletes from our team to kind of disseminate stuff from there.”

She said it is important to have discussions about mental health, especially in athletic contexts, so they can define what the term truly means.

“Right now we’re kind of working through I think…what’s mental toughness versus what’s mental health,” she said. “And I think defining those two things is hard, and I think that’s why it’s important

that we keep talking about it, because for everyone it’s going to look a little different, but understanding, like, what is ‘I just needed to be a little bit tougher today’ versus what is ‘I need to check in with myself on what my mental health is.’ Those are two different things…We can’t make those definitions without having these tough conversations.”

To support her athletes, Schiess works to build trust.

“I think the biggest thing for me is having those relationships beforehand, so I really try hard to create open communication,” she said. “I have an open door policy with all my student-athletes. If they ever need anything, even if it’s not like a physical injury, my door is always open for conversation.”

She said she works hard to get to know them outside of volleyball as well.

“That way they feel more comfortable sharing more sensitive or difficult topics with me when those moments may arise,” she said. “So I really think a lot of it is doing that work beforehand, and…as athletic trainers, [we] get a really cool opportunity to be that first person that someone and especially the athletes will go to when they’re struggling because we really do see them almost every day, and so we get to know them very well.

Schiess said it is “a cool experience to be able to support someone that way.”

“Whereas a lot of other health care professionals, you may only see them when you really need them, [so] it’s kind of cool that we can build those relationships and help create that plan of communication,” she said.

Schiess said the athletic department has a counselor, Austin Alvarez, who is trained to work with athletes specifically. He is a staff member of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) which is available to all SIU students. Appointments can be made by calling 618-453-5371.

“My primary responsibilities are doing individual counseling with the studentathletes,” Alvarez said. “They can reach out to me directly, or they may be referred by a coach or an athletic trainer. Those people may hit me up and say, ‘Hey, I’m worried about this student.’ And then I’ll reach out to that student at that point.”

He said he loves that Isele has taken the initiative to spread awareness, and that “having a story behind mental health can be very powerful.”

“If you haven’t been through something, it can kind of seem like this abstract concept,” he said. “Like, ‘Oh, depression or anxiety, I don’t know what that’s like. It couldn’t happen to me. It’s just like something I see on TV or on social media.’ But when you’re able to hear stories about people who kind of went through stuff like that, I think it can make it more real and kind of, like kickstart to things like taking care of [ourselves].”

Alvarez said wristbands are “pretty cool.”

“Having this cool little symbolic thing can kind of help market it and maybe it strikes up a conversation with someone about mental health that never would have happened without the wristband,” he said.

He said he also thinks they create “a sense of community.”

“That can be such a powerful thing for people,” Alvarez said. “I couldn’t count the number of times when I’ve been talking to someone and they feel isolated because of their mental health.”

Additionally, he recognized the relatability speaking out as a student can bring.

“I can go and give a PowerPoint presentation…But I mean, at the end

of the day, I’m a university employee. I think it just lands differently when it’s a peer,” he said. “...I think that can have a different impact than, like, a coach or me or whatever other staff is trying to talk to the students about this type of stuff.”

One of the things Alvarez has been doing to support the mental health needs of student-athletes is offering training for the athletic staff.

“For example, the big one we had last semester was Mental Health First Aid training,” he said. “What that was, was to help different staff. I had a couple of coaches, I had some athletic trainers, I had academic counselors. They all came in and I gave a three day training on what types of signs to look for for mental health difficulties, how to respond to different crises, how people can get students in contact with different resources, things like that.”

Zoe Belcher is a student at SIU and former member of the women’s basketball team. She said she started wearing the wristbands during her time on the team to support Jason and “the cause as a whole.”

“I know a lot of people shy away from mental health when it comes to athletes or even young adults, so it was just to help support and spread awareness,” she said. “It feels good to spread his name…and when I wear it and people ask about it, I get to tell them what I know of his [Dylan’s] story, and it’s like the domino effect.”

Despite Dylan being from Chicago, Isele decided to bring this campaign to Southern Illinois because “it’s important to discuss [this topic] everywhere you go.”

“Mental health and suicide doesn’t just affect my hometown or universities like James Madison University,” Isele said. “It’s everywhere. It affects all people. We all have mental health. One in five people struggle with mental health, and one in

10 college students contemplate suicide.”

Isele said having conversations about mental health within the context of athletic environments is crucial to dismantling negative stereotypes.

“It is thought that the sports that people play are central to their identity and it’s falsely claimed that their athletic performance is a reflection of their overall worth as people, which is not really true,” he said.

Kayleb Wagner is a member of the football team. He shared his own experiences as a student-athlete.

“Being an athlete is our job. Some people don’t understand that that’s a big responsibility, a big task,” he said. “One moment the whole world could love you and the next the whole world hates you. It’s hard to deal with that mentally.”

While Wagner did not have a personal connection to Dylan, he joined his teammates in wearing wristbands to show support for the cause.

“It feels good…[to] be a part of something greater than football or greater than yourself. It’s always a great thing to just help out the community in situations and stuff like that.”

He said the campaign has motivated his teammates to take further action in spreading awareness.

“It inspired one of our guys to make some mindset shirts,” he said.

Belcher and Wagner both discussed how time-consuming athletics and college life in general can be, and emphasized the importance of taking time for yourself.

“It’s not really a lot of time that you get for yourself…If I need a day off, I have to express that; take that mental day for myself, and just kind of regroup with myself,” Belcher said. “And even now it’s kind of hard still because of classes and extracurricular activities, whatever they

may be. You always have to remember to just take a step back and think of yourself first.”

Wagner said, “You have to take days where you make time for things you want, things you like. Like…[listening] to certain music, anything like that, because at a point in time, a lot of it can become overwhelming too fast… No matter what’s going on, you have to make time, a week or a day or something like that, where you can just relax and do something you’d like to do or just chill and have a mental reset.”

Looking forward, Isele and his supporters have high hopes for the future of this campaign.

“Our hopes are that this stigma around mental health is finally eradicated before the birth of the next generation or the one after that; that we’re the generation that finally slays the stigma around mental health,” he said. “And no matter if that goal is achieved one day, we’ll always be wearing these bracelets, and whether or not The Dylan Buckner Foundation lasts forever, us friends and family [and supporters] will always be Dylan Buckner’s army.”

Isele wants to leave readers with one last message:

“You’re never truly alone in the world, you are loved, and asking for help is not a sign of weakness. And if you do ask somebody for help, you will not be burdening them, but rather making them glad that you realize that they’re there for you.”

(Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is contemplating self-harm or is struggling, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.)

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

Former Women’s Basketball athlete and current SIU junior Zoe Belcher stands for a portrait with a raised “Loyalty Over Royalty” wristband on a basketball court March 22, 2024 at the Student Recreation Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Jason Isele | @iselephotography

BAC Ebony Ball Week seeks to educate and empower

The Black Affairs Council (BAC), a student-led organization dedicated to promoting the culture and history of the African diaspora, recently hosted a Spirit Week from March 18-22. The week-long event was a way to kick off their highly-anticipated 3rd Annual Ebony Ball: In This Moment, which was held on March 23.

Spirit Week was a big hit among students who enjoyed a multitude of activities and events that reflected the strong bond they shared with their community. From the fun-filled Slime A Saluki event on March 18 to the Black Women’s Brunch named ‘Diamonds And Denim’ on March 20, there was something for everyone to enjoy during this week.

Traseanda Jones, coordinator of finance and one of the main organizers for Diamonds And Denim, said the theme is named Diamonds and Denim because “diamonds are formed under pressure and it’s showing the resilience and strength of black women.”

Jones and Talaya Keith were the organizers of the Black Women’s Brunch Event. It provided a safe space

for black women to share their voices and experiences. The two aimed to promote understanding and support for the unique struggles that black women face in college. Many students who attend the event said it is truly inspiring to see such powerful and empowering events being organized by individuals who care about the well-being of their community.

Jones and Keith had also made arrangements to attend The Big Event on March 22 but plans were rearranged.

The President of the Black

Affairs Council, Sarah Alli-Brown said, “We were supposed to have a private event where we went up to the high school, and we essentially had a panel for the students, but the students did testing that day, so we had to reschedule, and that’s rescheduled from April 29, so we’re still going to do the event.”

The highlight of the week was the 3rd Annual Ebony Ball: In This Moment. The event was a glamorous affair that brought together students, alumni and community members

to celebrate the achievements and contributions of the Black community. The night was filled with music, dancing and food.

“We’re the only college I know that does something similar to the Ebony Ball. The founder of the Ebony Ball, she created it because a lot of students did not have a prom that year and this was a way to reach students and for students to come out and actually celebrate themselves and also have a good time,” Alli-Brown said. “I’m not sure if other schools do it, but I know

that we do it the best.”

This was the third year BAC held the event, and many first-time guests agreed that it was a great experience and would recommend it to others.

“This year’s theme for the Ebony Ball was called In This Moment. We chose that theme because we want to encourage students to live in the moment and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. We often recognize that as black college students at a predominantly white institution, it’s hard to seize the moment and connect with the people that were around in our environment,” AlliBrown said.

She said she wanted to “create a space to build relationships” for Black students undergoing life’s academic pressures.

“We make it easy to handle our beauty and uniqueness. The event just reminds us that despite the challenges and the things that we go through we can still be full of joy and there’s a meaning behind everything that we go through,” Alli-Brown said.

Staff reporter Jasmine Thompson can be reached at jasminethompson@dailyegyptian.com

Jasmine Thompson

JasmineThompson@dailyegypTian com

Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sister stroll on the dance floor at the 3rd annual Ebony Ball March 23, 2024 at the Garden Grove Event Center in Carbondale, Illinois.

Jasira Petty looks through her clutch at the 3rd annual Ebony Ball.

Jabari Burguess (left) Darius Gunn (center), Dwayne Freeman Jr. (right) stroll on the dance floor at the 3rd annual Ebony Ball.

Jakayla Sherrod, Bella Musselman, Naomi Greer, KaMahri Scott wait as the other 2024 Ebony Ball Court contestants to be announced at the 3rd annual Ebony Ball. Naomi Greer won Miss. BAC Senior and KaMahri Scott won Miss. BAC freshman. Dominique Martinez-Powell @dmartinez_powell.photography

Maple Syrup Festival 24

A group of visitors warm themselves by a fire to escape the cold at the Maple Syrup Festival March 23, 2024 at the Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center in Makanda, Illinois.

Jim Linksvayer demonstrates how his pottery is made at the Maple Syrup Festival March 23, 2024 at the Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center in Makanda, Illinois. As a retired potter, Linksvayer said that he creates pottery “for the love of it” and also said that he enjoys teaching pottery.

Don Croft (left) and Isaac Biver (right) perform at the Maple Syrup Festival March 23, 2024 at the Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center in Makanda, Illinois. Puckett is the artist and owner of Brandy Pockett’s Art and Jewelry.

Ophelia Graham tries the climbing wall during the Maple Syrup Festival March 23, 2024 at the Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center in Makanda, Illinois.

Sam Gill (left) and John Cline (right) try to eat their 6-second record of sawing through a log at the Maple Syrup Festival March 23, 2024 at the Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center in Makanda, Illinois. Puckett is the artist and owner of Brandy Pockett’s Art and Jewelry.

Jessica “Mushroom Mama” Hatfield (right) and her son Oliver Hatfield sell some mushrooms at the Maple Syrup Festival March 23, 2024 at the Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center in Makanda, Illinois. Puckett is the artist and owner of Brandy Pockett’s Art and Jewelry. Hatfield is the owner of Flyway Family farm, which has been selling home-grown fungi since 2008.

Brandy Puckett makes a piece of glass jewelry in the shape of a maple leaf at the Maple Syrup Festival March 23, 2024 at the Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center in Makanda, Illinois. Puckett is the artist and owner of Brandy Pockett’s Art and Jewelry.

Drew Wennmacher explains how to identify a sugar maple tree during a demonstration at the Maple Syrup Festival March 23, 2024 at the Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center in Makanda, Illinois.

Cheer for the Holi Festival

Photos take by Enan Chediak @EnanChediakPhotography

Neelima Bhatt (left), Rin Hasegawa (middle) and Mandeep Redhu (right) put colored chalk on each other at the Holi Celebration March 25, 2024 outside the Morris Library at SIU in Carbondale, Illinois.

Connor Hamby (left), Sonia Bedi (middle) and Michael Harris (right) pose for a portrait showing the colorful festivities from the Holi Celebration.

Richard Bien (middle) allows others to put colored chalk on them.

Neelima Bhatt (left), Anup Kumar Rai (middle) and Cat Nimmo (right) pose for a photograph.

Mandeep Redhu smiles at the Holi Celebration.

A group of people celebrate and dance at the Holi Celebration.

Dementia Friendly Carbondale: Seal of Certification Achieved!

GeVonna Fassett GeVonna Fassett@siu edu

Carbondale proudly announces its official recognition as a dementia friendly community, awarded by Dementia Friendly America. This milestone is the outcome of collaborative efforts led by GeVonna Fassett during her gerontology practicum at Southern Illinois University (SIU). Working alongside Becky Salazar, Director of the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging, they successfully brought together the necessary elements to secure the certification. Carbondale is now the 31st community to receive the designation.

Dementia Friendly America acknowledges communities committed to fostering inclusive environments for individuals living with dementia. Carbondale’s achievement underscores its dedication to nurturing understanding, support,

and inclusivity for all community members.

Ms. Fassett, a passionate advocate, spearheaded the efforts during her SIU practicum. Collaborating with Ms. Salazar, who previously secured Dementia Friendly certification for Carterville, laid the foundation for Carbondale’s dementia friendly status. Together, they revitalized and successfully completed the required steps to fulfill Dementia Friendly America’s criteria.

Various individuals and entities rallied behind the cause, providing crucial support for Carbondale’s journey to become dementia friendly. The city of Carbondale issued a proclamation endorsing the initiative. The Carbondale Police Department, Carbondale Public Library, Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH), Alzheimer’s Association, SIU School of Social Work, and Prairie Living at Chautauqua all

Community Calendar

Wednesday March 27

Total Eclipse Art Show

All Day

Morris Library 1st Floor Rotunda

Bible Literature Display

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Free Forum (Morris Library)

Contact: Laramie Gustafson, vantagemt@gmail.com

Farmers Market

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Student Center The Exchange

Contact: Kent Epplin, kepplin@siu.edu

Black Women’s Task Force General Meeting

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Student Center Troy

Contact: janiyah Gaston, janiyah.gaston@siu.edu

Outside the Box presents Clarinet Studio Recital

7:00 PM - 9:30 PM

OBF Recital Hall 104

Contact: Eric Mandat, emandat@siu.edu

Thursday March 28

My Saved Objects Soaps and Lotions LLC

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Student Center The Exchange

Contact: Candace Weingart, candace@mysavedobjects.com

27th Annual Celebrate Women Event

4:45 PM - 7:30 PM

Banterra Center

Contact: Dr. Bobbi Knapp, bknapp@siu.edu

Saluki Rainbow Network (General Meeting)

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Student Center Delta Room

Contact: Johnathan Crane, jazzmine.crane@siu.edu

Smash Bros. Ultimate Practice Night

6:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Student Center Esports

played integral roles in the successful certification process. Carbondale’s dementia friendly community status reflects a shared dedication to creating an environment where everyone can thrive.

In addition to the certification, Dementia Friendly Carbondale plans to host community awareness events and educational programs. The collaborative spirit that propelled Carbondale to this achievement is expected to inspire ongoing initiatives and community support.

About Dementia Friendly America: It is a national network supporting communities across the United States in becoming more inclusive for individuals living with dementia. Through education, collaboration, and community engagement, Dementia Friendly America promotes understanding and support for those affected by dementia.

Friday March 29

Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship Meetings

7:00 AM - 8:15 AM

Student Center Delta Room

Contact: Jaedyn Vela, jaedyn.vela@siu.edu

SIU vs. UNI

5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

WEST Field

Contact: Saluki Athletics, SIUTicketOffice@siu.edu

Saturday March 30

Total Eclipse Art Show

All Day Morris Library 1st Floor Rotunda

SIU vs. UNI

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

WEST Field

Contact: Saluki Athletics, SIUTicketOffice@siu.edu

FGC Practice

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Student Center Esports

Contact: SIU Esports Club

Sunday March 31

Total Eclipse Art Show

All Day Morris Library 1st Floor Rotunda

SIU vs. UNI

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM

WEST Field

Contact: Saluki Athletics, SIUTicketOffice@siu.edu

Blood Drive

Monday April 01

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Student Center Renaissance Room

Contact: Tara Lincoln, Tara.Lincoln@redcross.org

USG Election: Campaign Meeting

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Student Center Vermillion

Contact: Tena Bennett, tenab@siu.edu

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About Us

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Santiago’s Story, from Unrecruited Walk-On to NCAA qualifying swimmer

Ryan GRieseR RGRieseR@dailyeGyptian com

Before he was an NCAA-qualifying swimmer and conference record-holder, swimmer Alex Santiago’s collegiate swim career was almost over before it began.

“Let’s be honest, he was an unrecruited walk-on,” assistant head swim coach Johno Fergusson said. “He was actually committed to go somewhere, not swim, but be at another university.”

Santiago, who was a multi-sport athlete in high school, realized that he “definitely really wanted to swim,” and ended up taking matters into his own hands during the summer of 2020 after going largely unrecruited.

Santiago said, “I reached out to some schools, but only two came up. One of them was D3, and then the other was Geoff [Hanson] from SIU.”

Despite these seemingly limited options, Santiago had a path to collegiate swimming. SIU and Hanson were interested in him joining the program, but there was one problem.

“We unfortunately didn’t have a spot for him at that time,” Fergusson said.

Undeterred, Santiago decided that he was going to go to SIU anyway, and then, an opportunity arose.

“A spot happened to open up in August, and we were able to get him enrolled,” Fergusson said. “He started his journey with us two weeks later than he should have. But to be an unrecruited walk on, to see the development

he’s had, we’ll take that journey.”

Santiago’s first two years at SIU were productive, but didn’t contain the highs of the 2023-24 season. His best races his freshman season were the 50 and 100 yard freestyles at the SIU A3 Performance Invitational with times of 20.91 and 45.78 seconds, respectively. He was also a contributor to several successful relays.

Santiago’s emergence came this year, when he became one of the best freestylers in the Mid American Athletic Conference. His best times this season, and the ones that set MAC records, in those same events were 19.12 and 42.92 seconds, showing astounding improvement to this point in his career.

According to Fergusson, that kind of development is extremely uncommon for swimmers.

“As an unrecruited walk-on, he came in as a 21 [second] for 50 freestyle. To go to 19.12 in three years, that’s pretty unheard of,” Fergusson said.

One thing that may have held Santiago back in his early years at SIU was how hectic the transition to college can be, especially as an athlete.

“I’d say my freshman year, it was kind of all over the place, going to a new school, new college,” Santiago said.

Santiago knew he could perform at a higher level, and finally found the key to unlocking his potential: consistency.

“That’s kind of trying to make my life very consistent. I eat the same thing for breakfast

everyday, go to class, try to keep my schedule the same every day,” Santiago said. “With doing that, it kind of helps doing the same things, like trying my hardest at practice everyday, giving 100% everyday, and it adds up.”

Fergusson also speaks to how consistency has helped Santiago become the dominant swimmer he is today,

“He is the quintessential professional.”

- Johno Fergusson assistant head swim coach

“He is the quintessential professional. He is in bed really early. He takes care of himself outside the pool, so that we can do all the stuff we need to do in the pool.

While many outsiders wouldn’t have guessed that Santiago would burst onto the scene, Ferugson and the rest of the coaching staff were more certain of an emergence.

“I had no doubt. He had a wonderful summer of training, training all through from the MAC championships last year,” Fergusson said. “Swimming is a conditioning sport; there’s no ways to get there easy, and he’s obviously taking the right decision to put him where he is at right now.”

Santiago’s decisions on how hard to train were heavily influenced by several fellow standout teammates, including Donat Czuvarsky.

“He was a big help with me. When I first came in, he was the big dog,” Santiago said.

Santiago is also quick to recognize the impact his teammates have made on him and how they’ve helped advance his swimming career.

“We train every day together, we’re right next to each other the whole time, so when they beat you… it makes you want to come back fast,” Santiago said.

Spending this amount of time together in the pool alone, not including outside of the water, leads to tight bonds being formed.

“Spending the amount of time that we do together, we become very close, and we want the best for each other… I want all my teammates to do as well as they can and I know they want me to do well too,” Santiago said.

These kinds of relationships, especially among exceptional swimmers, have helped to set a standard of excellence within the SIU swimming and diving program.

“Their efforts, in and out of the pool, inspire the others,” Fergusson said. “We have great freshmen that are coming through as well now that see what the standard is… we’ve got there because of what they’re doing, what they’re learning.”

The improvement of swimmers like Santiago can also be inspiring for younger teammates.

“It’s great to see a guy like Alex and Donat,

and Jack [Khrypunov]... to see where they started and to see that improvement throughout their four years, or three years. Where they’re at is good, but they know they can get better throughout their time,” Fergusson said.

Santiago’s goal-setting, and the achievement of those goals is also something that should be noted by underclassmen looking to take their career to the next level.

“At the start of the year, he made a goal of not only making NCAA’s, but at the MAC championship winning the 50, 100, 200 freestyle, and he did. And there’s only a handful of sprinters that have ever done that in the MAC,” Fergusson said.

To Fergusson, Santiago’s journey to NCAAs, which will be held in Indianapolis, started after his freshman season and his viewing on TV of the NCAA championships.

“He was able to see how those men are able to catapult themselves into the water, their starts, their underwaters, the detail work, and then he took ownership of that,” Fergusson said.

Santiago’s ownership of the small details is something that is clear in his approach to both practices and meets.

“There’s not one day that I have to remind him to keep his kick counts or hold his tempo. He does that… he’s still working on those details so he’s the best he’s ever been,” Fergusson said.

Part of being the best Santiago’s ever been means getting more recognition than ever before, including being named the MAC Most Outstanding Swimmer.

“It’s awesome. Before MAC’s, I definitely had thought about it, but I never thought it could be possible,” Santiago said. “There’s a lot of really outstanding swimmers in the MAC, and to be named one of them, it’s pretty crazy to me. I’m definitely very proud of that.”

Fergusson is very excited for what Santiago’s future holds, but also realizes that Santiago still has a year to develop further.

“First time at NCAA’s, it’s a big step… It’s the fastest meet on earth,” Fergusson said. “I think this first year he wants to be greedy, but there’s also a really good education. What he learns in the next week and a half, I think he’ll be able to implement that so that next year, he can be even more greedy and go for those A finals spots.”

In the meantime, Santiago’s name will now be on the records board at Edward J. Shea Natatorium, visible for every person who walks onto the pool deck to see. He’s not shying away from embracing the challenge of living up to the expectations he’s created for himself though.

“Definitely just putting my head down, getting to work. I’m very proud of my accomplishments, but I know I can do more and push harder,” Santiago said.

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

Photo spotlight: Athletic trainer Mike Lyznicki

Photos taken by Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

In the athletic training room located just next to the locker room in the lower-half of the athletic facility on the campus of SIU Carbondale, Football athletic trainer Mike Lyznicki has consistently worked with over 100 athletes. Lyznicki has been certified for almost five years and came to SIU as a graduate assistant. He went on to work for Middle Tennessee University before coming back to accept a full-time position with the Salukis. “Coach Hill called me and asked me if I wanted to come back to SIU,” Lyznicki said. “That was something I wanted before I had even left, was to stay here, so I was glad that worked out like that.”

Mike Lyznicki presses an acupuncture needle into the leg of defensive end Dewey Greene Feb. 23, 2024 at SIU Athletic Training Room in Carbondale, Illinois.

Mike Lyznicki works to stretch cornerback David Miller just before afternoon lifts.

Mike Lyznicki sits at his desk to fill out paperwork at SIU Athletic Training Room in Carbondale, Illinois. The wall behind his desk is covered in photos, seasons worth of sideline passes from different schools and even a signed photo of NFL Saluki Jeremy Chinn.