The Daily Egyptian - August 18, 2021

THE

Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.

DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM.COM

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 18, 2021

VOL. 104, ISSUE 19

Please see pages 8 & 9.

Josh Combs plays a vinyl record over the house speakers Aug. 11, 2021 at the Record Swaps and Needle Drops event at Buckwater Brew Works and Whiskey House in Carbondale, Ill. Combs organized the event and said, “It’s something that kind of came out of just listening to records with friends and thinking that enough people enjoy listening to records that they might come out and like to do it in public.” Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography

“A Servant’s Heart:”

Fallen Police Officer Brian Pierce Honored at Service with Statewide Turnout William Box | @William17455137

Mourners from around the state gathered on Saturday, August 14, to honor fallen Police Officer Brian Pierce Jr. of Carbondale, Illinois.

Prior to the funeral, Pierce’s death was shared throughout social media, prompting an outpouring of public support.

A miles-long line of American flags were placed along the side of the route that the caravan would take from John A. Logan College to Pierce’s final resting place in Carterville.

The funeral was held in the

auditorium of John A. Logan College.

Pierce, a Brooklyn, Illinois, officer, was hit and killed by a car on August 4 while on duty in Venice. No suspect has been found.

Pierce joined the MakandaFire Department in 2016, where he achieved the rank of lieutenant and fire investigator. Pierce owned Priority Response Equipment and also worked as a Supervisor of Security at Consume in Carbondale. He commuted to Brooklyn to serve there.

Pierce had been involved in law enforcement from a young

age, attending the State Police Junior Police Academy and graduating at the top of the class. Throughout his middle and high school years, he worked with the Raymond/ Harvel Fire Department, Elkville Fire Department, and aided local law enforcement in the busting of unauthorized sales of tobacco and liquor to minors.

After graduating from the Illinois Correctional Academy, Pierce worked briefly at the Menard Correctional Facility.

Continued on page 3.

Please see page 7.

Campus

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Contact Us

Email: editor@dailyegyptian.com

Faculty Managing Editor: Annie Hammock ahammock@dailyegyptian.com Editor-in-Chief: Oreoluwa Ojewuyi oojewuyi@dailyegyptian.com

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

SIUC staff call fall COVID guidelines a “balancing act” amid rising case numbers

Design Chief: Chloe Schobert cschobert@dailyegyptian.com Photo Editor: Sophie Whitten swhitten@dailyegyptian.com Multimedia Editor: Chris Bishop cbishop@dailyegyptian.com News Editor: Jason Flynn jflynn@dailyegyptian.com Sports Editor: Ryan Scott rscott@dailyegyptian.com Business Manager: Lyn Sargent lsargent@dailyegyptian.com Business Office: Arunima Bhattacharya 618-536-3305

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 @2021 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 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

acknowledgements The design and artwork provided in this publication are supported by a Windgate Scholarship Charitable Foundation scholarship awarded by the School of Art and Design, Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Jason Flynn | @dejasonflynn Joel Kottman | jkottman@dailyegyptian.com Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC) has not joined the wave of colleges mandating vaccinations for COVID going into the Fall 2021 semester.

Kim Rendleman, the executive director of university communications and marketing at SIUC, said the university’s guidelines requiring masks for everyone on campus, and a program for cleaning high traffic areas are in line with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).

“I’m really happy that they came out with the mask mandate.

That, to me, is extremely important,” Student Adviser Jean Miner said. “We also are giving students the option to do a zoom appointment, as opposed to coming in understanding that students may also have that kind of hesitancy.”

SIUC also launched a “Protect the Pack” program which offers prizes and incentives for people who have been fully vaccinated.

“I think that the frequent testing, especially in the residence halls, and the asking of the questions, and trying to do the surveys of where people are, I think that those are all, to me, indicators that people are being very attentive to what’s going on here,” Brown said.

According to a Jackson County Public Health (JCPH) press release on August 11, the county recorded 115 positive COVID cases, breaking the previous single day record set in November of 2020.

“There are cases rising across the country and our area, and you’ll notice the map of the CDC has said our area’s one of high transmission,” said Rendleman. “That makes the need for vaccination all the more urgent, so we’re going to continue to promote vaccination.” JCPH Administrator Bart Hagston said the department has advised SIUC officials on COVID measures.

“Things we are concerned about, though, are the increased number of students, and the number of variants including the delta variant,” Hagston said.

SIUC has not required students or staff to be vaccinated despite increasing numbers of other universities and public institutions around the US doing so.

At least 20 universities in Illinois have implemented a vaccine mandate, and Gov. JB Pritzker ordered vaccines be required for staff at state facilities like jails and veterans’ homes.

Some SIUC faculty and staff members called the decision to require masks, but not vaccinations, a “balancing act,” weighing the safety of the student population against the difficulties of taking classes remotely.

“I think the guidelines reflect what I consider to be the basic premise of all society, which is to strive for the common good,” said Joseph Brown, a professor in the Department of Africana Studies at SIUC. Brown said many of his students experienced difficulties with poor internet, and trouble with at-home responsibilities pressing into what would normally be uninterrupted work time.

Peter Owens, a graduate assistant at SIUC, said distanced education has also made teaching difficult, as it’s severely limited the array of options instructors have for engaging students.

“As we all have discovered, doing remote communication is more taxing than being in the same room as someone,” Owens said.

Owens also said working remotely had changed his relationship with technology, adding stress or unease at times that, in the past, would have been fun or relaxing.

“We’ve underestimated the stress that is put on us when we must constantly face the fact that we are being watched,” Owens said. “If I use a screen to escape or to recreate and that screen suddenly starts looking back at me and having expectations of me, that’s going to mess up how I use the screen to recreate in normal times.”

Owens said that while he’s excited to be returning to inperson teaching, he’s still apprehensive about the possibility of spreading COVID in class.

“I am equal parts feeling quite excited and feeling a significant amount of apprehension,” Owens said. “I’m not the reason that a disease is transmitted to someone who gets it and has a really negative health outcome or heaven forbid passes away. That’s another thing I’ve never had to think about before.”

Staff reporter Jason Flynn can be reached at jflynn@ dailyegyptian.com, by phone at 872-222-7821 or on Twitter at @dejasonflynn.

Staff reporter Joel Kottman can be reached at jkottman@dailyegyptian.com.

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

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Back to campus is just another day for online students Jason Flynn | @dejasonflynn

In 2020, I decided to give college “the old college try” a second time.

That fall, and following spring, I took all of my classes online, which, despite the global pandemic, felt pretty normal because everyone else at school was doing the same thing.

This fall is a bit different.

I’ll still be online, in Chicago, as the majority of my peers are returning to campus.

Colleges, in an effort to attract students, have gone to great lengths to weave a quilt of student life with squares for as many potential academic, professional and social interests as possible.

Online degree programs became part of that quilt before the pandemic to carve out a space for people who couldn’t attend classes in person because of financial or scheduling issues.

In the 2018-2019 school year, about 14 percent of U.S. students took exclusively online classes according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Universities, Southern Illinois University included, tout all of the flexibility that online learning offers, while still providing a toptier college education.

But, online learners at SIU and around the country aren’t really part of any sort of “college experience.”

As most students choose to return to in-person college life, so returns a certain other-ness of online learning.

While on-campus students are caught up in the hustle and bustle of move-in week, the only move I tend to make for school is with my mouse to open up a new window.

When I “go to work” for the Daily Egyptian, I’m often just looking at my phone.

As an online Saluki, my “dorm”, “library”, “dining hall,” classroom, office and student center experiences

are all confined to my apartment.

I check into meetings over Zoom, where people might break into a side conversation about their favorite bars, or an amazing event nearby, but almost all of the places named may as well be on another planet.

If I see a band, catch a game, or book interviews for the newspaper I don’t feel like I’m having a “college experience.”

With no separation between spaces, it’s tough to develop a sense of place that feels tied to “college life” instead of just “life.”

Plus, for many online learners, their proximity to home and family during their school time invites constant intrusion and distraction on top of everything else.

With the proportion of online learners increasing year over year, so, too, should consideration for developing spaces and networks for online learners.

There’s a rhythm to college life

that moves at a different tempo than the rest of the world.

In my first, failed, attempt at a college degree, I went to Auburn University and the University of Georgia. The campuses and surrounding towns or cities were a hive of sub-communities that all coalesced in a grand sense of place and belonging.

Whether I was playing club ultimate frisbee, producing shows at the college radio station, going to football games, browsing friends’ gallery openings, hosting open-mics or washing dishes at a pizza shop, I had a sense, along with everyone around me, that I was an “Auburn Tiger” or a “Georgia Bulldog.”

The traditions, like teepeeing a stand of oak trees, not walking under the arch, not stepping on the university seal or ringing the big bell are engrained and reinforce the communal feeling as people move through space in similar ways.

Those aspects of the traditional college experience encourage “Elements of Well-Being” as defined by researchers for Gallup, like “strong relationships” and “sense of engagement with the area where you live,” which reduce stress and encourage vitality.

There should also be ways for online students to be part of that sort of community engagement.

Things of this sort pop up on a small scale organically in the form of bars that cater to non-local fan bases for sporting events.

Chapters of local alumni provide networks for post-college socials and support.

Local chapters of online Salukis could be formed with the support of the university.

Universities pay a significant amount of money to create a social collegiate atmosphere that includes concerts, sports, facilities and all kinds of other things.

It seems just that, as online learners make up an increasing portion of university revenue, a portion of their money could be used to set up passports for local public recreation and learning spaces in lieu of access to facilities in Carbondale.

Imagine an interlibrary relationship for a university gym or student center.

That kind of access and support could keep online learners from becoming siloed in the privacy of their homes, and provide a stress relief outlet.

It could provide a space where they’d feel justified in telling people “I’m a Saluki,” instead of “I take classes online.”

News Editor Jason Flynn can be reached at jflynn@dailyegyptian.com, by phone at 872-222-7821 or on Twitter at @dejasonflynn.

Dustin Clark | @dustinclark.oof

Fallen Police Officer Brian Pierce Honored continued from

1

After graduating from the Illinois Correctional Academy, Pierce worked briefly at the Menard Correctional Facility. Pierce also worked as a patrolman for Spillertown, IL and aided in drone search and rescue operations throughout southern Illinois and working as the Head of Security at University mall.

Brooklyn Police Chief Thomas Jeffrey said Pierce was well liked in his department as well as in the surrounding communities he served.

“Everyone liked him,” Jeffery said. “I’ve trained hundreds of officers and not one compares. Pierce was the golden egg we needed with such a short staff. He stepped up when he was needed and gave everything in the line of duty.”

Pierce’s funeral was attended by officers from across the state of Illinois. Fire, police and EMS workers from as far north as Peoria, IL were in attendance.

“It’s very nice to see,” Jeffrey said. “I was the first in the pack of cars to head this way, and I called one of my officers. I told him I was at mile marker 62, and he said he was at marker 63 with no end to the caravan in sight, so it was very nice to see miles of brothers and sisters had come out to show their support.”

Harry Masse, director of the Metropolis Department of Public

Safety, said every first responder’s funeral brings sorrow and a “feeling of helplessness.”

“Fraternity and brotherhood brought me here,” Masse said. “I’ve been doing this for 40 years and been to countless funerals. Every time it has the same impact.

“We all feel sad and regretful,” Masse said. “I feel sorry for the officers that will second guess themselves out of fear something similar will happen to them. The calls aren’t going to go away and the stress just adds up after a while. It’s hard to explain to a civilian with no concept of the dangers we see from day to day, but you just have to hope you have a good family core willing to look out for you.”

Pierce’s family chose not to speak with press directly but chose to give statements through Chad Bock, a spokesperson from the group Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), a national organization with the goal of helping families and co-workers cope with the loss of family and friends lost in the line of duty.

“Our local communities need more people like him,” Bock said.

“They need more people with a servant’s heart.”

“They’re overwhelmed by the support of the police, firefighters, EMS and community at large,” Bock said. “The family is being

strong, but they are hurting at the loss of a son and brother at only 24.”

The family appreciates the love and support shown to them from those who appreciate Pierce’s work and sacrifice. They ask that, to honor Pierce’s memory, people continue to support their public servants. Their support allows them to move forward in the knowledge that Pierce’s sacrifice was not in vain.

“We just want people to get that we’re human,” Masse said. “We bleed, we cry and we laugh just like everyone else. Pierce did his job honorably, and we’re all deeply grateful” The family’s message to the public was one of gratitude and appreciation for the love and support of the community and brothers and sisters in arms. They ask that people continue to support their public servants and for those servants to keep up the fight, continuing to serve regardless of public opinion. People wishing to honor Pierce’s legacy can donate to a GoFundMe started by the family.

Staff reporter William Box can be reached at wbox@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @William17455137

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

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New Daily Egyptian Editors Take a Bold Step Into the Future With Multimedia and Community Advocacy

Oreoluwa Ojewuyi, the Editor in Chief for The Daily Egyptian Aug. 16, 2021 at The Daily Egyptian newsroom. Kylen Lunn | kylen.lunn@siu.edu William Box | @William17455137 The Daily Egyptian (the DE) has a new Editorial Board, including the first Black woman to hold the position of editor-in-chief, Oreoluwa Ojewuyi. Other editors include Chris Bishop, multimedia editor; Jason Flynn, news editor; Chloe Schobert, design chief; Ryan Scott, sports editor; and Sophie Whitten, photo editor.

Ojewuyi, began her career at the Daily Egyptian in the Fall of 2020 as a reporter, though not without caution.

“I always was interested in working at the DE,” Ojewuyi said. “I would ask people who worked there to give me the honest truth about how difficult it is to work here and they would tell me it’s a really rewarding job, but it’s a huge responsibility.”

After ensuring that she was in a position where she could devote the necessary time to properly contribute to the work of the Daily Egyptian, she formally applied, writing feature and opinion articles for the entirety of the 2020-2021 school year.

After receiving the job, Ojewuyi was asked to mentor and talk with multiple families encouraging more young black women to get into journalism.

“That’s really what matters the most to me, that I’m creating an example for other people but also for myself,” Ojewuyi said. “I just hope that my position here can inspire more people, especially Black people and Black women, to enter the world of journalism, to not mince their words and create spaces for themselves where there aren’t a lot of us.”

Ojewuyi was encouraged to apply for the position by former Editor-in- Chief Kallie Cox and former Managing Editor Julia Rendleman.

After an interview with the Daily Egyptian executive board, she was granted the position at the end of the 2021 spring semester.

The whirlwind of activity needed to prepare the Daily Egyptian for its newest generation of student employees was, “a bit overwhelming trying to get everything smoothed over on my own,” Ojewuyi said. “As editor-in-chief, I wear a lot of different hats.”

Organizing the different arms of the production, from the reporters and photographers to the designers and IT department, requires a wide range of understanding over the entire process as well as the ability to communicate and coordinate effectively with a large team.

Ojewuyi also considers herself an activist.

“I always say that journalism is meant to create action,” Ojewuyi said. “It creates some kind of discourse or action in actual life, and I hope people will realize just how powerful words and journalism are in shaping the world and the way people think.”

Ojewuyi said she relished the opportunity to advocate for her beliefs and open herself up to different viewpoints.

(Pictured from left to right) Chloe Schobert, the Design Chief, and Dustin Clark , a designer, working in the Daily Egyptian Newsroom . The newsroom is located within the Communications building on the SIU campus. Kylen Lunn | kylen.lunn@siu.edu

Crypto Media, where he largely professionally practices real estate and wedding photography.

He devotes time to the DE because he enjoys the camaraderie of the DE and enjoys the opportunity to engage with the variety of work.

“I enjoy doing it, but it’s not like I’m not doing this to try to get a job in the future. I’m just doing it because I love it.” Bishop said. “So now, being a multimedia editor and being on the Ed board, I really want to take the Daily Egyptian in a new direction… we’re really excited to just see where everything’s going in the future and where we can take it to.”

Flynn, the new news editor at the DE, organizes the reporters, edits articles and helps to decide the articles that are to be approved for

is this place where foodways, the way we grow, eat and make food, intersect with people’s work and people’s backgrounds.” Flynn said.

“Where all those different areas come together in one little pocket… that’s the stuff that really gets me going.”

Schobert, the design chief, leads the design team, which creates graphics, assists with ad production, and organizes the layout of the print and digital editions of the DE. Schobert started as a photographer at the Belleville West High School newspaper before progressing to the position of editorial and sports editor.

Schobert then applied to attend SIU to pursue a degree in graphic design, joining the DE in the fall of 2019.

“Journalism is meant to create action. It creates some kind of discourse or action in actual life.”

- Oreoluwa Ojewuyi The Daily Egyptian Editor-in-Chief “Working at the DE forced me to listen and consider viewpoints other than my own, and that’s a strength that I really have appreciated,” Ojewuyi said.

Ojewuyi highly encourages any one of any major to apply to work at the Daily Egyptian.

Bishop is the Multimedia Editor, a new position created in the fall of 2021.

The position largely entails video production and represents a new front for the DE. “My old boss, Leah Sutton, the old photo editor, wanted a lot of video work that we had never really done before.” Bishop said. “So toward the end of the semester we’re like, ‘well, maybe we want to split up the photo desk so that way we can focus a little bit more on video work.”

The multimedia department works with the photo department to create various forms of media to augment articles written by the news desk and, occasionally, creating their own projects.

Bishop owns a media company called

the print and digital versions of the DE. Flynn, who previously worked at the Red and Black student newspaper in Athens, Ga. started at the DE in the fall semester of 2020.

While living in Chicago, Flynn worked at various restaurants and co-founded an online magazine with other food industry workers, known as The Dish.

“My sort of goal is to take all of the facets and the tips and tricks of the things you learn in journalism school and through more traditional reporting and apply those styles and things to more trades reporting and trade magazine reporting,” Flynn said.

Due to this, last year he was asked by the former editor-in-chief and former news editor to apply for the position.

Flynn said he enjoys traditional journalism but is more interested in labor organization as well as trades reporting.

Flynn also enjoys using journalism to advocate for workers within the food industry.

“I think the area that interests me the most

“Journalism is very important,” Schobert said. “Especially in this age where anyone and everyone has social media and can just post anything anywhere. I think it’s really important that we have journalists who can find fact from fiction and make sure that the truth is getting out there.”

Schobert said she sees the DE as a great opportunity to gain skills that can be used in future careers in a real life setting.

“You get to create all kinds of graphs for anything. I’ve created graphics about daily Covid- 19 cases to more abstract things like editorial cartoons,” Schobert said.

Schobert recommends that all students in Journalism work for the DE in order to build a portfolio and gain experience that can’t be gathered in a classroom setting.

Scott, the sports editor at the DE, edits the sports stories and game recaps on top of attending games and writing stories.

Scott began his work in journalism at Lincolnland College and was a sports reporter

before taking over the position of editor.

When Scott transferred to SIU and began work at the DE he took over the same position.

“I’m a big sports fan,” Scott said. “I’m a Bears fan and a Cardinals fan.”

Scott follows a lot of sports in his spare time and wants to become a sports reporter, taking his cues from more established reporters.

“I follow a bunch of sports reporters on social media and I just follow what they’re doing… I want to be a sports writer so I wanted to do something with that while I was in college,” Scott said Whitten, the photo editor, primarily tasked with the job of training photographers and editing their cutlines and briefs within the paper.

Whitten started at the DE as a photographer, signing up for the Photo Editor position in the spring semester of 2021 and being chosen through the interview process to head the photographers.

“A lot of our photographers either haven’t worked in journalism or photography altogether. Sometimes we have new people with a camera and we have to teach them how to take and frame a photo,” Whitten said.

Whitten owns a photography business outside of working at the DE but devotes time to the DE in order to meet people and listen to their stories.

“As a photographer, I’m still meeting people and I’m still speaking with people,” Whitten said. “You really come away understanding that person you spoke with and you can feel inspired sometimes by what their stories are.

We meet some really inspiring people and it’s really cool to hear their stories.”

Whitten also emphasized the need for new recruits within the DE. “It is such a fun time working at the Daily Egyptian and I would love to have more photographers working with us.”

Staff reporter William Box can be reached at wbox@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @William17455137

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

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Student workers perform balancing act between work and school Janiyah Gaston | @janiyah_reports Students who work and go to school do not just have the pressure of focusing on academics, they also have to balance their work life on top of that.

Ryaan Ligon and Alex Messerly, both students who work on campus at the SIU Foundation, are currently facing that challenge.

“Campus jobs will work around your class hours, but if you get a job that’s outside, like at Taco Bell or something, they won’t as much,” Messerly said.

She said her experience with working and going to school is not as difficult as other people who might have a different experience with it and might have to schedule out their day more.

Ligon said paying attention to the clock and calendar are vital.

“I think the most important part is setting a schedule for yourself... making sure I have time to get my sleep covered and then communication with the professors I work with,” she said.

Ligon and Messerly both agree 20 hours a week of pay is not enough to live on.

“We’re limited to only 20 hours which is not really enough if you’re living in an apartment and have to pay rent,” Messerly said.

While she has only one campus job, Ligon has another job in addition to working at the Foundation.

But even the extra hours are only so much help.

“They are only enough to live on because I stay in the dorms,” she said.” “With the jobs I have now, maybe I can get a cheap apartment and pay my bills but it would be really tight.”

Both students said Handshake helped them find their jobs at the SIU Foundation.

David Brooks, a customer service representative at the student employment office, said, the first step is to go to the student employment website and click on job search.

“Every student already has a Handshake account set up with their Salukinet login. It will have you complete a few profile setup questions and then after that go to the jobs tab and filter the results to on campus and it will pull up a list for all the available jobs on campus,” Brooks said.

Handshake is the official job search site for SIUC. “I did Handshake and I went through that and then Pat just kinda gave me a call. It took me about two to three weeks to find one. Honestly it was easier finding an on-campus job,” Messerly said.

Ligon said “The first one I went to Handshake and they had an offer on Handshake so I applied through there.”

According to Brooks, international students have to be enrolled in more credit hours than regular students.

Requirements may range from being enrolled in a certain number of credit hours or what year you are in school.

Having an on-campus job can provide extra money, qualify students for work study, and may work around your class schedule. But, as Messerly and Ligon note, it also can be a challenge to keep up with.

Staff Reporter Janiyah Gaston can be reached at jgaston@ dailyegyptian.com and on Instagram at janiyah_reports.

Jacqueline Boyd | @jacqueline.ciera

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Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Journalism RSO’s are putting student creativity into production Janiyah Gaston | jgaston@dailyegyptian.com Jamilah Lewis | jlewis@dailyegyptian.com

(Pictured from left to right) Alt News 26:46 staff members: Kylen Lunn, Sara Davis, Hannah Friedman, Ara J. Rice, Brock Mills, and Devin Welchman Aug. 10, 2021 at SIU. The editing space Alt News 26:46 staff work from is called The Loft, located in the Communications building at SIU. Kylen Lunn | kylen.lunn@siu.edu

involved in student-produced shows.

Since 1998, Alt News has been a platform for students who have a passion for journalism and film and putting it on screen.

Alt News is one of the multimedia RSOs on campus that specialize in information and

ERSID V I

E

R

With school beginning RSO’s are starting to open up for students RSO’s such as River Region and Alt News are looking for creative students to join their team this year.

River Region is a student run broadcast news station.

Jennifer Fuller, the associate director of River Region, said its goal is to provide students with real world experience in broadcast news and show them what it will be like to work in a news station.

“The overall goal is daily news, but it is also great hands-on experience for students,” Fuller said.

By providing students with hands-on experience River Region is helping students that are interested in the broadcasting field, from reporters to the lighting and sound crew, Get the experience they need to prepare for the real world and a future career in broadcasting. Fuller said.

According to Fuller it takes a lot of work doing a broadcast news show especially when it gets down to the deadline time and it gets really stressful.

“A four day a week daily newscast takes a lot of work and a lot of people and even a magazine show that we do once a month or once every couple of weeks takes a lot of thought and a lot of interaction,” Fuller said.

While many RSO’s are working on how they plan to start back up this school year, River Region is ready to get back to producing news and showing students how broadcast news works.

Alt News is also ready to get more students

ART, WINE BLUES FEST

entertainment to showcase the creativity of students.

Alt News has won more than 30 regional Emmys and the members plan to do a lot more for this fall.

Alt News member Hannah Friedman has been with the organization for close to 3 years and said she was happy to find an outlet to channel her

creativity with students who have the same interest.

“When you come in, you see Alt News as this more professional, put-together show,” Friedman said. “At the end of the day, it’s all just run by students who are all broke and doing a million other things at the same time and trying to party and hang out and have fun.”

Over the summer Alt News has had bi-weekly meetings, with students pitching ideas to see what they come up. Similar meetings are held during the school year. w Friedman said.

“Once they [members] start writing some stuff out, that’s when we’ll come with them and meet with them and we’ll start producing something specifically for them”, Friedman said. “ Everyone gets to produce their own content how they want to make [it]; Alt News just sort of helps them and gives them a crew and guides them and makes it more professional, but anyone can come in and produce what they want to make.”

The main thing to know about Alt News is that it’s inclusive and for the students, Friedman said.

“We really just want to get in people’s heads that Alt News is just a platform that any artist doesn’t have to be a filmmaker, any artist can use to their advantage. That’s all we are,” Friedman said. “If you like animation, costume, make-up, want to get into cinematography, editing, whatever it is; you have an idea we will put it on television.”

Staff Reporters Janiyah Gaston and Jamilah Lewis can be reached at jgaston@dailyegptian.com and jlewis@ dailyegyptain.com

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Entertainment

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A customer decides her order as she waits at the bar July 21, 2021, at the Hangar 9 in Carbondale, Ill. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography

Eric Caldwell, a manager and bartender at the Hangar 9 brings a drink to a customer before trivia night July 21, 2021, in Carbondale, Ill. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography

Sophie Adams, a first time attender of trivia night, waits for her drink July 21, 2021, at the Hangar 9 in Carbondale, Ill. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography

Michael Stark plays pool before trivia night at the Hangar 9 July 21, 2021, Hannah Peterson, a bartender at the Hangar 9, pours a drink during trivia night July 21, 2021, in Carbondale, Ill. in Carbondale, Ill. The bar offers trivia every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. and Peterson said she has worked at the bar since October of 2019 and enjoys the schedule because she is “a night karaoke every Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography owl” and doesn’t like to be up early. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography

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Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Local business owner hosts Record Swaps and Needle Drops event Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography

Josh Combs, a Carbondale local and manager at Buckwater Brew Works and Whiskey House, decided to turn his passion for vinyl records and music into an opportunity for other music lovers to meet and share their collections.

Combs started a Facebook group called Southern Illinois Vinyl Enthusiasts where he began to grow a following of vinyl collectors. The group was created for collectors to share their own records as well as buy, sell, and trade vinyl. It also gave people a platform to begin to dive into the world of records without having to know a lot about the niche.

Combs got the idea from the Facebook group to host an event where vinyl enthusiasts could come and show off their collections. He coined it Record Swaps and Needle Drops.

Combs said the event served a dual purpose to both share his passion for vinyl records and also to try something new at Buckwater.

“I book other kinds of things and we were just trying to think outside of the box about other things that we can do,” Combs said.

“I started listening to vinyl and collecting about eight to ten years ago and the best way you can start is just to start modestly,” Combs said. “It’s relatively affordable to get a turntable and start a collection. I would actually recommend to start a collection the same way I did [...] just buy records without having a turntable, that way when you have one, you have a lot of records to listen to.”

He said he enjoys the technical aspect of listening to a vinyl record and how the sound is made as it plays through the speakers. He said, though there is a level of inconvenience to listening to vinyl, the sound quality is preferable.

“It is about the most organic reproduction of music that you can really have. It’s a physical vibration that is being transmitted through your speakers,” Combs said. “It’s physical vibration that the stylus is

Turmoil and Tinfoil” by Billy Strings plays on a turntable over the house speakers Aug. 11, 2021 at Buckwater Brew Works and Whiskey House in Carbondale, Ill. Dominique Martinez-Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography

writing through the grove of the record and creating a vibration and then travels through the rest of the signal path [...] It’s about as pure as you can get.”

According to Combs, though vinyl records were an object of the past for many years, they have become popular in recent years.

Combs said he has been able to meet other vinyl users through the

Dena Haun browses through the “Fair Trade Wax” crate at the Southern Illinois Vinyl Venturist’s Record Swaps and Needle Drops event Aug. 11, 2021 at Buckwater Brew Works and Whiskey House in Carbondale, Ill. “ If Vinyl is coming back and it is a way to connect new people to old music, then yes I’m all about it.” Dominique Martinez-Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography

new found popularity of the records and he hopes that the event can become a monthly occurrence where people can continue to meet one another and grow their collections.

Photo editor Sophie Whitten can be reached by email at swhitten@ dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @swhittenphotography

A customer looks through vinyl records at Buckwater Brew Works and Whiskey House Aug. 11, 2021, at the Reco after creating a Facebook group, Southern ILlinois Vinyl Venturists, where the community can show, sell, and tra

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Page 9

Josh Combs replaces a vinyl record after it finished playing Aug. 11, 2021, at the Southern Illinois Vinyl Venturist’s Record Swaps and Needle Drops event at Buckwater Brew Works and Whiskey House in Carbondale, Ill. Combs said “I love to see the fact that [vinyl is] coming back the way that it is. It says something for the medium.” Dominique Martinez-Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography

ord Swaps and Needle Drops event in Carbondale, Ill. Josh Combs, a manager at Buckwater, decided to hold the event ade their collections. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography

Page 10

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Bringing life back to campus: Plans from newest USG member

Jamilah Lewis | jlewis@dailyegyptain.com

With the new school year starting, the new members of the Undergraduate Student Government are ready to bring more to the campus and its students.

The president of USG, senior Isaiah Overton, said he wanted to give back to the campus after remembering how alive it was his freshman year.

Overton said, during the election, he met with the students on social media platforms and at events on campus, and partnered with Greek organizations to get his name out there.

His main focus as president will be freshmen and sophomores, he said.

“Their first year of college and last year as a high school student was spent in the house. We really have to find a way to give these students the experiences and the opportunities that they missed and that are very much needed for their growth,” Overton said. “We really need to give them these experiences and opportunities that they need to grow as a person with their professional and personal goals.”

Overton wants students to be aware of the help USG can provide to them.

“USG is an organization for all of us, we are all a part of USG, we are the USG,” he said. “It’s important that we stick together and tell the administration what we need and what we want from the campus.”

Over the summer, Overton worked with campus administration and Chancellor Austin Lane, in search of someone to become the vice president of student affairs. The position was given to junior Grace Gunn.

Her main role is to make sure the councils are doing their jobs, she said.

“I want to give them specific goals and take an in-depth look at how they operate as a council to see what they can do better to be more efficient,” Gunn said. “Be a better resource to their constituents that are under them.”

She said one of her main goals is for the umbrella organizations to become more familiar with each other so they can help one another in the future.

“I would like all the umbrella organizations to coordinate with one another to plan one big event possibly for the spring semester so that we can have one sort of massive diverse event,” Gunn said. “ I would [also] like a leader, whichever representative from the umbrella organizations, to meet with the Vice-Chancellor of One Diversity, because after talking with him, he wants to get more In touch and in tune with the diverse organizations on campus.”

Having served on the e-board for the Black Affairs Council since her freshman year, Gunn has seen a few meetings with the VP of student affairs each year and wants to make it a more casual thing to happen, she said.

“I wouldn’t see as much,” Gunn said. “When we would share reports of things that were being done, the only two active councils were really the Engineering Student Council and Black Affairs Council.”

Executive Vice President Zachary Boehl wants to make sure students know that USG is a voice for them and speaking up will make a difference on campus, he said.

Boehl said one of the main things he wants to focus on is increasing enrollment, which would help improve things on campus more.

“I very much believe that, until we increase enrollment, any improvements that we make will be almost muted,” Boehl said. “It will impact less students, our budget is going to be lower, and we’re still not going to really have that outreach we want.”

Isaiah Overton, President of the SIU Undergraduate Student Government, sits on a bench near the Delyte Morris statue April 17, 2021 at SIU. Chris Bishop | @quippedmediallc

“If we improve the college experience for the students, we will have more students going home to their people with good stories, which could possibly bring in potential students.”

- Zachary Boehl SIU Undergraduate Student Government Executive Vice President

Boehl said a goal the campus should move towards is taking better care of the students.

“I believe that alumni are the best recruiters, alumni and current students are far better than any recruiter that you can hire,” Boehl said. “I think we’ve done a poor enough job at taking care of people that they’re no longer doing that.”

Boehl said he would tell people he was planning to attend SIU and they would have a negative reaction.

“If we improve the college experience for the students, we will have more students going home to their people with good stories, which could possibly bring in potential students,” he said.

USG’s first meeting will be held on August 31 at 6:00 p.m. and an interest meeting at 5:00 p.m.

Overton said, for students who are interested in joining USG in the future, it’s a great experience and could possibly open doors.

“Not only do you get to advocate for your fellow students, you also get to learn a lot. I’ve been able to sit at a lot of different tables across the campus just because I’m the USG president or just because I’m involved with USG,” he said. “You really get to build your network up and build a great rapport with the campus administrators.”

Staff Reporter Jamilah Lewis can be reached at jlewis@dailyegyptain.com

Pursuant to University policy on the release of student directory informa6on and the Family Educa6onal Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the University may make student directory informa6on accessible to any Pursuant to University policy on the release of student dire person external to the University, unless that student no6fies the Registrar’s Office, in wri6ng that her/ she objects to the release of such informa6on. Directory informa6on is considered to be public in nature Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the University may make stu and will be released at any 6me upon request without prior approval from the student. No6ce is person external to the University, unless that student no6fi therefore given that directory informa6on listed below in respect to each student enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will be available to any person unless the student has filed with the she objects to the release of such informa6on. Directory in Registrar’s Office a wriPen request to restrict release of student directory informa6on to external and will be released at any 6me upon request without prio sources.

therefore given that directory informa6on listed below in re Illinois University Carbondale will be available to any perso Student Name Registrar’s Office a wriPen request to restrict release of stu Student Local and Permanent Address and Telephone Number Student E-mail (SIU issued only) sources.

The University has designated as directory informa6on the following student informa6on • • • • • • • • • • •

Current & Past Term Status (Full-6me, Part-6me) Classifica6on (Freshman, Sophomore, etc.)

The University has designated as directory informa6on the Expected Gradua6on Date Academic Unit (College, Dept.)

• Student Name Major Dates of APendance (Enrollment summary) • Student Local and Permanent Address and Telepho Degrees, Honors Earned and Dates • Student E-mail (SIU issued only) The most previous educa6onal agency or ins6tu6on aPended prior to enrollment at Southern Illinois University Carbondale • Current & Past Term Status (Full-6me, Part-6me) • Par6cipa6on in officially recognized ac6vity or sport and the weight, height, pictures, and date of • Classifica6on (Freshman, Sophomore, etc.) birth of athle6c team members • Picture • Expected Gradua6on Date • For students appointed as fellows, assistants, graduate, or undergraduate hourly employees, the • Academic Unit (College, Dept.)

6tle, appoin6ng department, appointment dates, du6es, and percent 6me of the appointment

• Major • Dates of APendance (Enrollment summary) Any student enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale who does not wish to have released any • Degrees, Honors Earned and Dates directory informa6on should contact, in person, the Registrar’s Office, Student Services Building, Room 251. Students who elect to restrict the release of student informa6on must sign a statement to that • The most previous educa6onal agency or ins6tu6o effect. The restric6on on the release of student directory informa6on will be valid un6l the student Illinois University Carbondale submits, in wri6ng, a request that the restric6on be removed.

• Par6cipa6on in officially recognized ac6vity or spor Students who wish to verify exis6ng directory informa6on should access their record via birth of athle6c team members SalukiNet.siu.edu. If you have ques6ons please contact the Registrar’s Office, Student Services Building, • Picture Room 251.

• For students appointed as fellows, assistants, gradu THIS PUBLIC NOTICE WAS PAID FOR BY THE REGISTRAR’S OFFICE 6tle, appoin6ng department, appointment dates, d

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Page 11

Warming center provides services to homeless, needy population

William Box | @wbox@dailyegyptian.com

The Carbondale Warming Center, first opened in December of 2019, was originally intended to be a 12 hour facility, according to director Carmalita Cahill. Since then, the Center has expanded into a 24 hour facility that has served 50,000 meals since opening their doors.

“We offer a place to stay, as well as providing three meals a day,” Cahill said. “We also do case management referrals to other programs, we have a jobs program should people need it.”

The Carbondale Warming Center routinely assists dozens of community locals. However, with the Covid-19 pandemic still ongoing, they must make use of disposable flatware and silverware, keeping them on the lookout for additional donations.

“We use paper cups, styrofoam cups, styrofoam plates, paper plates, plastic silverware, paper towels… those things are always welcome,” Cahill said.

The Carbondale Warming Center works with more than a dozen community organizations and churches throughout the Southern Illinois area, from religious organizations including, ,the Bethel Feed My Sheep program, the Sisters of the Mosque to local businesses like Crispy Crunchy and Casey’s. They also work alongside other charity organizations like the Southern Illinois Coalition for the Homeless and Housing Action Illinois.

“It’s an enormous list… and what it shows, I think, is the heart and the spirit of the people of Carbondale. Refer to us as proof of humanity, dignity and empathy in action,” Cahill said. “The Warming Center relies heavily on its community support for its daily needs and views the community of Carbondale as “a compassionate city,” Cahill said.

You can see the community efforts in action when you visit the center, she said.

“You can come here at any given time, because we’re only here, and have accomplished what we’ve accomplished based on what the people in our community want to do for others in their community,” Cahill said.

The center has played a crucial part in distributing COVID-19 as well.

“I think we’ve gotten some folks vaccinated that wouldn’t be vaccinated otherwise,” Cahill said.

“We started hand washing before it was trending, and you just have more of a concern for their general well being than you would otherwise.”

Upon arriving at the center, workers encourage those needing aid to come up with long term goals to work towards, according to

(Pictured from left to right) Elder Perkes, Elder Bartholomew, Kara Dunkel, Sister Jessie Ellsworth, and Leah Spurlock are volunteers from the The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, helping the Carbondale Warming Center move furniture and sort through clothes that have been donated.

Kylen Lunn | kylen.lunn@siu.edu

(Pictured from left to right) Sister Jessie Ellsworth and Leah Spurlock, volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints helping sort through and fold clothes donated to the Carbondale Warming Center. Kylen Lunn | kylen.lunn@siu.edu

regular volunteer Ladeejah Boulden.

“Every day I’m really checking in with everyone, seeing how they’re doing on their goals, whether it’s asking them if they have an upcoming interview or anything like that,” Boulden said.

Mental health is also a priority at The Carbondale Warming Center.

“A lot of people have depression or anxiety, so just trying to manage

that and checking in with their health is a priority,” Boulden said.

Individuals that seek help from the Warming Center can also take advantage of resources that aid the transition from homelessness to housing.Those with disabilities can also use them to find supportive or assisted living housing.

The Carbondale Warming Center is constantly adapting to

changing circumstances.

Cooling services have been provided throughout the current heat wave and preparations have been made to accommodate those who have been evicted and will continue to be evicted during the moratorium period set by President Joe Biden.

“We’re nothing without our community,” Cahill said. “We’re

nothing but a building with some folks in it without the community that we have. So it’s all of these places and these people that have opened their hearts and then said ‘this is where I can put my effort in’ in their own way and we are eternally grateful.”

Staff reporter William Box can be reached at wbox@dailyegyptian.com.

Page 12

‘Dementia Live’ program spreads awareness Seeks to generate empathy toward Alzheimer’s patients

Elena Schauwecker | @eschauwecker@dailyegyptian.com

Hospice workers in Marion who work in close contact with Alzheimer’s and dementia patients have created a project called “Dementia Live,” helping people better understand the disease through conversations, interactions and a simulation.

Melise Oakley, who works for Hospice of Southern Illinois, said dementia is a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, which typically leads to a severe loss of memory, language, problem solving and other mental abilities.

There are over 400 different dementias, including a post-COVID dementia.

Oakley said Dementia Live is all about empathy, and it includes a simulation that allows people to feel what it is like to have Alzheimer’s.

“It immerses you into what it feels like to be cognitively impaired with your senses changed.

The gear simulates specific changes that alters your eyesight, hearing and also your touch,” Oakley said. “It’s a very safe experience, but it’s powerful and it’s very effective to strengthen the understanding and empathy towards people that have this.”

Oakley said she has a special connection with her Alzheimer’s patients, as she has a learning disability and understands how it feels to think a little differently from other people.

She said people with Alzheimer’s often face frustration, anxiety and confusion even when doing simple tasks such as eating or brushing teeth.

“When you’re going to Walmart, and you’re hurrying up, we look up and we’re like, ‘Why is this person going so slow?’ and you see them fumbling around, I learned to take a step back and be like ‘okay, this person can’t see as well as we do; their peripheral vision is deteriorating,” Oakley said. “It just makes you just more sympathetic and empathetic toward people that go through this.”

In addition to giving the general population empathy for Alzheimer’s patients, the program also helps caregivers to connect with their patients or family members who are suffering from the disease.

Deborah Hogg, the current director of Dementia Live, is passionate about the project because she lost her mother to Alzheimer’s.

She said many people do not fully understand how to care for people who struggle to communicate what they need and often end up causing more pain to the people they love because of this.

“The best thing that you can do,” Hogg said, referring to her mother, “is go to her world, not try to pull her into yours. Don’t

“I get excited, and I love to do what I do. I can’t believe I’m in an organization that lets me do something like this, and I’m so passionate about it.”

- Melise Oakley Hospice of Southern Illinois

correct her. If she’s doing something that you don’t think is normal, don’t say ‘don’t do that.’

If she wants to bake a cake with salt, let her bake it with salt instead of sugar, and when it’s finished, let her know how beautiful it is and how it’s great.”

By traveling to schools, hospitals, prisons and other businesses, Dementia Live is opening the conversation about Alzheimer’s and dementia and reducing the stigma that prevents people from asking for help.

“What seems to be common with most is that as the disease is onset, the frustration and confusion that a patient feels, and the embarrassment of forgetting things. They try to hide it,” Hogg said.

Lessening this embarrassment is essential, as it encourages people to seek treatment as soon as symptoms appear.

Oakley said there are currently 6 million people in the US who have Alzheimer’s; by 2050, it is projected 16 million people will have it.

While there is currently no cure and no known cause for Alzheimer’s, Oakley and Hogg stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including balanced diets and both physical and mental exercise.

Hogg said COVID-19 has presented a great challenge to many Alzheimer’s patients, as the isolation and uncertainty that nearly everyone has had to overcome is amplified in their situation.

For this reason, it is more important than ever that people take the opportunity to learn, she said.

Dementia Live is always looking for more volunteers to help make a difference and change lives.

“I want to tell people,” Oakley said. “I get excited, and I love to do what I do. I can’t believe I’m in an organization that lets me do something like this, and I’m so passionate about it.”

Staff reporter Elena Schauwecker can be reached at eschauwecker@dailyegyptian.com.

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

The Carbondale Chamber of Commerce would like to encourage you to utilize any of our following members for your student housing needs this upcoming semester: Ambassador Housing (618)-457-2212 Alpha Rentals (618)-457-8194 Aspen Court Apartments (618)-549-1700 Crab Orchard Manufacetured Homes (618)-549-7513 Evolve at SIU (618)-216-7222 Edgarton Construction and Rental (618)-529-2535 Exit Realty New Beginningz (618)-529-4663 Five Star Realty (618)457-2244 Janet McCready Realty Central (618)-559-1587 Jennifer Gutierrez - Southern Illinois Living (618)-925-0491 Realty Central (618)-457-4663 The Pointe at SIU (618)-529-6444 Schilling Property Management (618)-549-0895 The Reserve at Saluki Pointe (618)-529-3500 Walnut Street & University Mall Apartments (618)-490-1018 View our Chamber website for a full listing of restaurants & other services our members can provide to you! carbondalechamber.com

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Page 13

Carbondale movie theaters battle streaming services after pandemic

Elena Schauwecker | @eschauwecker@dailyegyptian.com

Carbondale movie theaters are back with a wave of new and popular films, but after growing accustomed to streaming movies instantly online, many college students are choosing a cozy night at home over a trip to the theater.

Peyton Cook, a freshman at SIU-C, said she prefers streaming services because of the convenience of being in control of her surroundings.

“You don’t have to rush, you can pause it if you want to, you can go get snacks,” Cook said.

Jessica Clark, a senior at SIU-C, said she believes streaming services are more accommodating for people with disorders that make it difficult to sit still and pay attention for long periods of time in public.

“I like not having to sit down and watch it because I have ADHD,” Clark said. “I’d rather do something while watching the movie.”

In addition to offering more freedom for people with attention deficit disorders, streaming services also allow for easier access to closed captioning, language options and other modifications for people who do not benefit from traditional theater settings.

Cook and Clark also noted cost as a significant factor, particularly for college students.

Jacqueline Boyd | @jacqueline_ciera

While buying a movie ticket and popcorn at AMC may cost over $20, movies are often available on Hulu or HBO for only a few dollars.

Safety in the midst of COVID-19 also remains an issue.

Though Carbondale’s theaters are enforcing masks and social distancing as well as sanitizing regularly, staying home provides a much more secure guarantee that no one will be exposed.

VIP Cinema’s Director of Operations Josh Ward, who oversees the Carbondale 8 theater in the mall, said he feels confident streaming services will never be able to overtake traditional cinemas.

Ward said he believes the unique atmosphere of going out with friends,

eating buttery popcorn and seeing premieres of the latest box office hits can never be replaced by a streaming service.

“We believe that movie theaters will be back stronger than ever after the pandemic. People like to have things to do outside of their home, and a night out at the movies is a tradition for most families,” Ward said. “Right now, streaming services do impact us greatly, but as people become more comfortable being out in public, we should be able to move past the impact.”

Clark said the experience of being in a room full of people and being able to hear the laughter, tears, gasps and comments of the audience adds another layer to the entertainment

of a movie.

“I will always remember when I went to see the last movie of the Twilight series and everybody’s reaction when Carlisle got his head cut off,” Clark said. “You cannot replace that.”

For many college students, there is also a certain nostalgia associated with movie theaters that makes them appealing.

Clark said she remembers attending birthday parties with her childhood friends at her hometown theater in Nashville, Illinois.

“The biggest thing when you were a kid was going to see the newest movie,” Clark said. “My favorites were all the Christmas movies when they came out during Christmas. We loved it.”

Ward said while movie theaters certainly do have an aspect of nostalgia, there are also plenty of new and exciting additions to modern theaters that keep the experience exciting and entertaining.

Private theater rentals, for instance, allow a group of people to rent out a whole theater for themselves, minimizing the risk of COVID-19 and allowing more freedom to talk and move around.

“Private theater rentals have been crucial for making it through the last year,” Ward said. “We offer them for as low as $150. They have been quite popular for people who want the night out experience without dealing with other people.”

Despite the battle with streaming services, Ward expects cinemas to remain a staple of the college students’ night out. He invites all Carbondale residents to visit Carbondale 8 for a fun and safe start to the new semester.

“We are confident movie theaters are here to stay,” Ward said. “Our business model has proven successful for years and we as a company are growing, even during COVID. We offer the cheapest prices around, a clean environment and great customer service to all customers.”

Staff reporter Elena Schauwecker can be reached at eschauwecker@dailyegyptian. com.

Sports

Page 14

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Dembele, Keller receive Academic Excellence, Honors Court awards Joseph Bernard | @Jojobernard2001

The SIU Men’s Basketball team was honored with the Team Academic Excellence award, given by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) The award requires a team cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 throughout the 2020-2021 season. The SIU Men’s Basketball team’s was 3.603.

SIU Men’s basketball forwards Sekou Dembele and Will Keller both earned titles on the NABC honors court. The title is given to juniors and seniors who maintain a 3.2 Average GPA throughout the year and stay with their current program at least one year.

“I don’t even have the words to describe it, ‘’ Dembele said. “Now that I got this honor, it really shows all the hard work.”

“I think it shows that I work hard on both ends of things,” said Keller. “It shows how hard not just myself but how hard we all work outside of the practice facility.”

Dembele, originally from Bamako, Mali, said he believes he has come a long way from where he was when he entered his collegiate career at SIU. “I didn’t even speak English, so I had to grind.” he said. “My mom didn’t want me to play basketball. I had to do good at school to play basketball. I had to prove to her that I can do both things, [...] Even now, when I talk to my parents the first thing they ask me is about school.”

Keller said balancing homework along with time on the court is “tricky.”

“Academics are just as important, if not more important than play,” he said. “We spend a lot of time playing basketball, but one doesn’t take precedence over the other.”

Dembele credits strong role models for the team’s continued success.

Since Coach Bryan came, the whole team has done an excellent job getting the guys

SIU forward Sekou Dembele heavily guards Cameron Krutwig of Loyola during the Salukis' 4973 loss against Loyola in the Arch Madness tournament on Friday, March 5, 2021 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO. Jared Treece | @ bisalo

focused on school,” he said. “If you see where Coach Bryan came from with a 4.0 GPA, that tells you a lot about him.”

Dembele said the basketball team tries to look up to coach Bryan as a role model.

“He did it and they made it to the tournament. So we have no excuses,” Dembele said.

The coaching staff enforces a mentality that puts academics ahead of the athlete’s time on the court.

“Everyday after practice, coach mentions the same thing — to not get behind in school work” Dembele said. “Coach Jevon gets on us all the time to get our stuff done. He’ll call us 10 times the day before to get our homework done.”

Dembele also credits the staff members in the academic department. “[They] are doing a great job getting us whatever we need with tutoring,” he said.

“They really put everything in position so that we can have a rich result.”

Keller said the coaches put an emphasis on the importance of balancing academics and athletics.

“Our entire team was very disciplined when it comes to academics, but coaches were very adamant about making sure we get our schoolwork done,” Keller said.

“There will be plenty of times after practice or film that coach will take time to make sure to tell us to get our schoolwork done and to stay ahead of our classes.”

SIU has study tables where players are given time to review their course work throughout the semester.

Student athletes must have a particular mindset to succeed in both aspects of their college life.

“It’s definitely a mindset.,” Dembele said.“I know what I need to get done. Whatever you put your mind to you can get done”.

“Basketball got me to where I am now, but you can’t put school behind, [...] even if you don’t feel like doing it you gotta do it,” said Dembele.

Sports reporter Joseph Bernard can be reached at jbernard@dailyegyptian.com or on twitter @ Jojobernard2001.

Saluki Athletics returning to action

Cole Daily | cdaily@dailyegyptian.com Joseph Bernard | jbernard@dailyegyptian.com

After a short off season, the Salukis Football and Volleyball teams prepare to return to action after a confusing, COVID-riddled season last year.

The football team has a lot of pressure on its shoulders after going 6-4 and making it to the second round of the playoffs last season.

Players also have to battle a quick turnaround from last season to this year. May 3 was the last game of the previous season, they lost to SDSU in the FCS playoffs. The first game of the upcoming season is September 2 vs. SEMO. The Saluki football team has been rushed back after COVID pushed the season to the spring the previous year.

Quarterback Stone Labanowitz spoke on the Saluki football team’s preparation for the fall season.

“With how we handled last year and what we got done in the midst of chaos proves that we’re built for this,” he said.Why would it be hard for us now, if we already went through the hardest parts in the spring? We’re even older and better and stronger.”

During the shortened off-season, the team also has to adjust to new recruits and transfers coming into the program.

“We’re already a veteran oriented group.

I would say almost 50% of our team are seniors. With that being said, bringing in new kids is only gonna help us... All these young kids have come in and made an impact, “ Labanowitz said, “It’s cool that we’re a senior oriented group but yet we brought in over 30 new kids. It’s a wake up call for the old kids when they come in because you go back to square one and remind you where you came from,” Defensive back Qua Brown said the fans and team have put very high expectations heading into the season. The team was in the Top 10 preseason ranking from the NCAA. “Just being in the meeting rooms there is a high expectation that’s there now...We know that comes with success so we’re making sure we put the necessary work to defend everything we set forth in the spring and carry it forward to the next season, “ said Brown.

The team wants to match those expectations, and Brown said there’s only one thing on their mind.

“Championship. That’s the biggest thing right now. We’re doing everything possible to obtain a championship,” Brown continued, “If you shoot for the stars, you’ll land on the moon, so if we keep our mind on the championship and fall short, we’ll obviously still be pretty successful. But we’re set on a championship

and putting in the work now.”

Volleyball players like Bailey Neuberger said the volleyball team had a rough season last year. They went 2-18 and 0-9 in conference matchups. The team wasn’t able to get any momentum through the season and COVID played a big role in that. The players can certainly attest to this.

There were definitely covid elements to it, but now we know how to face adversity together. We can only go up from here and we’re ready to be better,” said Neuberger.

The players feel the pressure from their doubters because of how their season went last year, and Tatum Tornatta said the ladies are ready to prove them all wrong.

“We’re just so eager to show everyone that we can bounce back and how we can perform, so getting back and getting with the new girls and getting with the returners is great. We’re all just ready to go and get some wins,” said Tornatta.

The volleyball team has also brought in some new recruits to help kick in the new year.

Neuberger said they have been making a big impact on the court.

“We had four new recruits this year. One is a transfer from Navarro in Texas. Nataly Garcia, the Outside hitter. She’s a stud and is so good...Averi Vanderzille. She’s a middle from Carterville. She’s going to help us a lot.

We don’t have many middles so her coming in to help us there will be very nice, “ Neuberger said, “We also have a stud setter freshman that just came in...She’s going to make a big impact.

Maggie Wallenberger is another freshman utility player, so she can play outside, middle, and right side...We have a really good recruiting class and they’ll help us to just be better.”

The volleyball team has goals of their own heading into the new year. The main thing the team has been focusing on is consistency and reaching their potential. Both players agreed that they could’ve won more games last year, and part of that comes with being consistent on the court. Too many times last year they felt that they weren’t playing their best, and that was the reason games would slip away from them.

Both of these teams have very high dreams and aspirations for their upcoming seasons, and the Salukis will see if they can live up to their expectations for the season. Whether it be on the field or the court, the players from both teams will be ready to impress come this fall.

Sports Reporter Cole Daily can be reached at cdaily@dailyegyptian.com Sports reporter Joseph Bernard can be reached at jbernard@dailyegyptian.com or on twitter at @ jojobernard2001

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Study Break

Page 15

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Page 16

Shop Your Local Co -op Local, organic and fair trade • Where everyone can shop Wellness • Bulk • Grocery • Deli • Fresh Produce • Beer & Wine

LUNCH & DINNER AT THE CO-OP SERVED 11-7 DAILY

$3.69 lb

Local Sweet Grapes

$5.99 ea

Local Organic Seedless Watermelon

$3.29 lb

Co-op Deli Red Potato Salad Reg. 3.99 lb

2 for $6

5 for $5

$3.99 ea

Select varieties • Reg. 3.79 • 12 oz

Select varieties • Reg. 1.25 • 1.69 oz

Reg. 4.49 • 7.5 oz

Rebbl Organic Elixir

Luna Nutrition Bar

Hot bar items are made with fresh natural ingredients.

See this weeks menu below.

Wednesday, Aug. 18 Sri Lankan Curry Chicken Nuggets Pizza: 4 Cheese, Vegan Special, Artichoke Walnut Feta, and Chef’s Choice Thursday, Aug. 19 Moroccan Lamb Tagine Pizza: 4 Cheese, Vegan Special, Chicken Pesto, and Chef’s Choice Friday, Aug. 20 Roasted Squash w/ Pumpkin Seed Mole Pizza: 4 Cheese, Vegan Special, Bacon with Spinach & Onion, and Chef’s Choice

G H Cretors Popcorn

Saturday, Aug. 21 Pizza: 4 Cheese, Vegan Special, Spinach Mushroom Alfredo, and Chef’s Choice”

$4.79 ea

Andrew and Everett Shredded Cheese

Sunday, Aug. 22 Pizza: 4 Cheese, Vegan Special, Pineapple Jalapeno, and Chef’s Choice

$3.99 ea

2 for $5

Select varieties • Reg. 5.99 • 12 pk

Select varieties • Reg. 3.19 • 4.25oz

Lacroix Sparkling Water

Blue Diamond Nut Thins

Select varieties • Reg. 5.49 • 8 oz

Monday, Aug. 23 Chicken Vindaloo Pizza: 4 Cheese, Vegan Special, and Chef’s Choice Tuesday, Aug. 24 Balsamic Glazed Roasted Cauliflower Pizza: 4 Cheese, Vegan Special, Pepperoni, and Chef’s Choice

$3.79 lb

Bulk Commodity Granola • Wild Blueberry Flax • Strawberry Vanilla Hemp • Maple Pecan • Maple Almond Select varieties • Reg. 4.79 lb

$7.49 ea

Somerdale Red Dragon Cheddar Reg. 8.99 • 5.3 oz Sales good through Aug. 24, 2021

Everyday Menu Chicken Fiesta Burrito, Bean Burrito, Roasted Chicken, Local Rice, Beans, Seasonal Vegetables, Roasted Potatoes.

Visit www.neighborhood.coop/menu to see are monthly menu!

Co-op Blood Drive - Thurs. Sept. 16, 2021 The Neighborhood Co-op will be hosting a blood drive for the American Red Cross. Red Cross will have their Bloodmobile out in our parking lot from 1-6pm. You can sign up in advance online at redcrossblood.org, enter NeighborhoodCoop to schedule an appointment.

Neighborhood Co-op Grocery Murdale Shopping Center 1815 W. Main St. Carbondale IL (618) 529-3533

www.neighborhood.coop Phone: 618-529-3533

We accept cash, check, and...

& DEBT DAWG!

Open daily 8 am - 9 pm