The Daily Egyptian - September 6, 2023

THE Daily Egyptian

Mouths are watering over the coming reopening of Booby’s sandwich shop

Fans of a beloved old restaurant on Carbondale’s strip are anxiously awaiting the reopening of Booby’s Submarine Sandwiches. Owner and SIU alumni Abe Traverso had originally planned to be in business by the end of summer, but now it’s looking like late September or October instead.

“Construction has taken longer than expected,” Traverso said. “The beer garden will open first and I will then open the sandwich shop after so I can continue to build it while the beer garden is being used.”

Booby’s had been a staple on the strip for more than three decades. It was known for traditional deli food and was a favorite hangout after classes.

Trish Morelli wrote in a post on the WTF?! Carbondale Facebook page, “Can’t wait to get some Booby’s.”

Al Martin posted, “Looking forward to it.”

Donna Williams posted, “Can’t wait to have all of my old time favorites again.”

Traverso said much of the old menu will be back along with some new additions. He has even hired one of the restaurant’s previous owners, Joe Frick to make sure the sandwiches are authentic.

“All the regular favorites have not been touched,” he said.

Traverso is keeping the same general design and decor also.

“It’s an iconic establishment that was very well loved, and still is, “ he said. “I’m doing my best to pay homage to the ones who came before me. It’s time a local

Carbondale and SIU alum puts their money where their mouth is and helps bring back what Carbondale was.”

Even the location is the same: 406 S Illinois Ave. Right now, the restaurant has covered its windows to hide the construction happening inside.

During the renovations, Traverso has been keeping the community updated with posts and historical pictures from the original store. These can be found on the restaurant’s Instagram or Facebook page.

Traverso has posted polls about various design elements, including what type of floor to use, to give past and future customers a say. T-shirts were created and sold to help support the construction cost.

Through these social media elements, the shop was able to reclaim one of the original signs. It was returned to be placed inside the store for the reopening.

One part of the shop which has changed is the band stage. It was put in a new location and the electric connections were updated to meet current codes.

The original Booby’s was opened in 1972 by Sanford and Robert Field, a father and son duo from Chicago. They specialized in submarine sandwiches using french and rye bread from local bakeries and various meats. Potato salad and cole slaw were menu standards.

Traverso said it’s important to note the restaurant was not named for a body part. It was instead a play on Robert Field’s nickname, Bobby, with one letter changed.

In addition to redoing the shop,

Traverso is the general manager of SI Motorsports in Carbondale and Oasis Powersports in Marion. He said his plate is “overflowing,” but it will be worth all the hard work. The re-opening has been made smoother by the support of the city government, and the fans who still live here.

“The community of Carbondale has inspired me with their support and enthusiasm, and keep me going when I get tired,” Traverso said.

Staff reporter Alli Goering can be reached at agoering@dailyegyptian. com. Managing editor Annie Hammock can be reached at ahammock@dailyegyptian.com

Booby’s Bar and Sandwich Restaurant sits along 405 S Illinois Ave Sep 3, 2023 in Carbondale Ill. Janiyah Gaston | @janiyah_reports

The owner of an original Booby’s sign, Karli Richter, returns it to Abe Traverso for the shop’s reopening. Photo courtesy Abe Traverso.

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SIU cannabis symposium to focus on growing operations

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CARBONDALE, Ill. – With the cannabis industry growing in Illinois and across the country, Southern Illinois University Carbondale next month will bring together experts on creating largeto small-scale growing operations using emerging technologies.

“Controlled Environment Agriculture: From Home-Grown to Facilities” is set for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at the SIU Student Center Auditorium. It is open to all interested in growing and processing cannabis.

The symposium is the fourth such gathering hosted by SIU’s Cannabis Science Center, which includes personnel from various agricultural specializations aimed at utilizing the plant since its legalization in Illinois and other states. Previous conferences have included presentations by researchers, producers, exhibitors, vendors, students and community members.

The 2023 event will include experts providing information on Illinois cannabis cultivation law, plant propagation, genetics and optimizing growing conditions. Sessions on alternative production techniques, quality testing and end uses also are on the agenda, as well as exhibits and research presentations by SIU students.

Jose Leme, assistant professor of cannabis biology and cultivation systems, will give one of the first presentations at the event focused on controlled environmental agriculture technology. The approach uses cutting-edge technologies and innovations to boost efficiency and sustainability in grow operations.

Leme said while controlled environment agriculture is gaining more attention for increasing the food supply, it also is an important management system for cannabis production, on both small and large scales.

“So, we intend to increase our interaction on this topic at the academic, private sector and domestic levels,” Leme said.

Leme said the event will help participants gain a comprehensive understanding of cutting-edge cultivation

techniques and technologies tailored for cannabis production.

“They will learn best practices for optimizing growth conditions, ensuring product quality and consistency, and navigating regulatory challenges,” he said. “Experts, networking opportunities and innovations will enhance their cannabis cultivation skills, help them implement sustainable resource-efficient practices and keep them at the forefront of this rapidly evolving industry.”

The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. with opening remarks from former center director Dale B. “Buck” Hales, who recently retired from SIU, as well as incoming director Gary Kinsel, professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences.

Other SIU-connected speakers for the day include graduate Benjamin Grant,

a cannabis agronomist and consultant now working in California; Aldwin Anterola, associate professor of plant biology; and Joshua Bucheitt, a double SIU graduate in agribusiness economics and home-grower currently working for a local grow operation.

Details on the rest of the day’s program and speakers, including other professionals and policy makers, and registration can be found on the symposium webpage. Registration is required, with a $85 fee in advance for the general public and $20 fee for students. Same-day tickets can be purchased for $95.

Contact Rebecca Dycus at rdycus@siu. edu for more information. Participants can also register by phone by calling Dycus at 618-536-7751.

Tim Crosby, siU CommUniCaTions

Photo provided by SIU Communications

Phytogram fun on a Sunday afternoon

Alt News staffers gathered to create phytotypes for an upcoming logo project September 3 at the SIU Communication Building

Plants, flowers and other materials are soaked in a solution of water, Vitamin C and baking soda and aesthetically arranged on film and pressed with glass in the phytogram process. Staff photos

Alyssa Krueger, sophomore cinema major (left) and Trinidy Barus, sophomore, horticulture major (right), create phytograms of the Alt News logo while Milo Wallace, freshman computer engineering major (center) observes the process on Sunday Sept. 3 behind the SIU Communications Building in Carbondale, Ill. Staff photos

Plants, flowers and other materials are soaked in a solution of water, vitamin C and baking soda and placed on film and pressed with glass in the phytogram process. The film is then submerged into a chemical fixer to make it permanent. These final images will be used in a future Alt News logo project. Staff photos

From left, Kaylin Williams, freshman cinema major, Hailey Kilburn, freshman studio art major and Parker Jordan, senior audio engineering major arrange plants on film to create phytograms for an Alt News logo project. Staff photos

A handwritten sign explains the steps to creating a phytogram Staff photos

Virtual Reality could be the future of overdose training

An assistant professor at Southern Illinois University is trying to make it easier to be a good samaritan when someone is overdosing on opioids. To help first responder medical personnel and even just your average citizen, he is creating a virtual reality training ground.

“We can bring that environment to the person. So that they feel familiar with it,” Wasantha Jayawardene said. “Have that immersive experience and when they are there in real life they can draw upon their

memory.”

He said he first began trials with this concept while working as a principal investigator of a study funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA).

“What we realized from that training is that, although they gain knowledge and skills, there is some anxiety and panic associated with handling a reallife situation,” Jayawardene said.

“This is how I started thinking about virtual reality because that can take them to a real-life situation during the training.”

According to the NIDA, opioid

overdoses doubled from 2010 to 2017 and increased steadily until 2019. There was a notable increase in overdose deaths reported, with 68,630 deaths in 2020 and 80,411 deaths in 2021.

“There are new operators coming to the market,” Jayawardene said. “Illegal opioids like fentanyl, and there may be more, and people are mixing these drugs and using them and they cannot break the reaction when they mix drugs.”

The medicine naloxone is administered during opioid overdoses to break down the overdose reaction. According to the NIDA, the medicine attaches to the opioid receptors in the body, blocking the effects of the opioids.

With the projects he’s currently working on, they’re using mixed reality, meaning virtual parts from the training will mix in with the physical environment around them.

“This way people will be able to see and interact with the virtual objects simultaneously [and] they will also be able to see their real-world surroundings,” Jayawardene said. “We plan to

avoid feelings of isolation that can occur when they’re completely in a virtual environment and also avoid feelings of anxiety and panic that can occur when they are in a physical environment.”

Jayawardene said virtual reality training could be useful in places that are hot spots for opioid overdoses with not much naloxone available.

He’s working on this project with a colleague from the School of Human Science, Dr. Justin McDaniel, as well as professors from Illinois State University, Indiana University, and OSF Healthcare.

Jayawardene said the technology they’re currently using is not finalized. The initial proposal was to get the Meta Quest VR Headset which ranged from $300 to $400 until Apple announced the Apple Vision Pro averaging $3,500.

“We need just one device for our program because we can use it on many people,” Jayawardene said. “Now we know what we are doing and what technology we are using. Illinois State University will be developing the VR part, mixed reality with little help from us.”

Going into the next year,

Jayawardene said the researchers will be field-testing the prototype in urban and rural communities in various demographics and education levels.

“Fifteen laypeople, laypersons and fire experts, doctors, nurses, officers,” Jayawardene said. “We get their feedback and update the photo time. It will be conducted back and forth several times until we get a reasonable training module.”

The team is seeking additional funding in the future for a more randomized control trial, recruiting people in the community and randomly signing them up for traditional training while putting some in the VR training to compare, Jayawardene said.

“If there is a statistically significant difference, then we can say this is more effective,” Jayawardene said. “[Then] it’s worth doing it and adding it to programs like health departments, nongovernmental organizations, and non-profit organizations that are doing it.”

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

Jamilah lewis Jlewis@dailyegyptian com

Southern Illinois University professor Wasantha Jayawardene is working on a system to use virtual reality to train people to handle opioid overdoses. Photo provided by SIU Commuications.

El Niño and Climate Change: A Deadly Tango

Coming out of a summer that has seen temperature records smashed, forecasters are predicting a record-setting winter as well, largely because of a weather phenomenon known as El Nino and its interaction with wide scale climate change.

For Illinois, that means a warmer, drier winter than usual.

The El Niño weather pattern is rising much earlier in the year than usual, bringing warm, dry air from the north and relatively cool, wet air from the south, according to an article by Peoria-based CBS affiliate WMDB. The Climate Prediction Center expects it to last into early 2024, bringing heat waves and dry, wildfire-prone conditions to the northern half of North America.

“If you think of the area primarily off the west coast of South America, during an El Niño, that part of the ocean surface gets very warm relative to the average,” said Justin Schoof, professor of geography and environmental resources at Southern Illinois University (SIU).

According to Schoof, the warming of the water off the coast of South America has a global effect, warming the entirety of the planet’s lower atmosphere. During the reciprocal event, known as La Niña, the water is cooler than what would normally be expected.

“So having all of that warm water there, for example, means that the ocean is expelling more heat to the atmosphere, which means the world is generally warmer during an El Niño,” Schoof said.

El Niño is typically characterized as a winter phenomenon, taking its name from the Christmastime around which it usually happens, relating it to the “boy child.”

“So what that means is, knowing that 2023 already has an El Niño emerging, I might venture to guess that this would be a record setting year,” Schoof said.

He attributes some of the record setting heat we’ve been experiencing to the phenomenon, though the correlation is not always as indicative of causation as we might believe at first glance.

“So we know that during El Niño’s, the atmosphere is generally warmer, which means it’s likely to play some role in many of the events that happen, but things get a bit sticky here,” he said. “So if our trend is

going upward over time, but there’s a lot of natural variability primarily from El Niño and La Niña, it gives me pause.”

Schoof said the setting of individual temperature or weather records may come as a resultant combination of these oscillating weather patterns but, more importantly, due to the climbing of temperatures over time.

“That’s a very important nuance. We can always point to any extreme event as having a number of causes, so if we would have had an El Niño this strong 20 years ago, it wouldn’t be a record like today. It’s only a record due to the underlying trend,” he said.

While these patterns definitely have an effect on weather, Schoof said not all the extreme phenomena we are currently seeing across the U.S. can be solely attributed to it.

“We normally expect fewer hurricanes in the Atlantic with El Niño, because it actually increases the wind shear, so

storms that form in the Atlantic might get ripped apart before they have the ability to mature,” Schoof said. “But during a La Niña, you have a lower than average level of shear, so the storms are able to have a bit more time to get organized before shear comes along and basically breaks them apart.”

The National Oceanic and Aerospace Administration (NOAA) has a scale for defining hurricanes, from tropical depressions to tropical storms and finally to fully-fledged hurricanes as the winds within the storms increase. But what these storms have in common is their association as low-pressure, organized thunderstorms with no front separating its parts.

“Hurricanes are powerhouse weather events that suck heat from tropical waters to fuel their fury,” NOAA said in an article from August. “As this weather system moves across the tropics, warm ocean air rises into the storm, forming an area of low pressure underneath, causing more air to rush in. The air rises and cools, forming thunderstorms while, up in the clouds, water condenses and forms droplets, releasing even more heat to power the storm.”

NOAA said these storms continue to build as they suck up moisture-laden air until they are able to make landfall, at which point they are no longer able to draw energy from the ocean and begin to dissipate over days or sometimes weeks.

“Hurricanes can affect us here, not as hurricanes but as tropical remnants,” Schoof said. “Back in 2008, Hurricane Ike actually knocked down trees in Illinois. It wasn’t a hurricane when it did hit us, but it was a very strong wind system.”

Schoof said one of the important things to remember regarding the current and persistent extreme weather we’ve been seeing is the unpredictability of the effects of climate change on the system as a whole.

“For example, the large heatwave we just had, and the large fires in Canada earlier in the summer, those are both caused by very large, persistent high pressure systems,” he said. “So we know the earth is warmer than it used to be, and that with this much climate change in the system, it’s likely that it has some role. But as for how it directly affects the formation and persistence of these systems, the answer is we don’t really know very well.”

Schoof said our environment can change in subtle ways from numerically small deviations from what we expect from “normal” climate conditions. These changes can affect varying parts of the global climate system in unpredictable ways and can, and often are, exacerbated by humans.

“The Maui fires are a good case to discuss because they had issues where there’s now a lawsuit against the utility for not turning off the power when they knew there were 80 mph winds and live electric lines, which are now thought to have been the trigger for that fire. So is that a climate change issue?”

Schoof said recent economic downturns have led to sugar plantations, one of the largest exports from Hawaii, closing down and being replaced by native grasses and shrubbery reclaiming the land, which easily caught fire when exposed to the large blazes that had begun to consume the island.

“It’s easy to want to look and say, ‘Oh, climate change.’ But it’s usually way more complicated than that because it involves people, and people make things way more complicated,” Schoof said. “So nature definitely plays a role there, but there’s clearly also a climate change role, and the difficulty comes to figuring out the size of each.”

William Box | WBox@dailyegyptian com

Day Starr-Fleming | @daveyyyy_04

SIU 49 vs. Austin Peay 23

Cornerback coach Terry Hawthorne talks to safety PJ Jules (4) just before the Salukis take the field to face Austin Peay in the season opener Sept. 2, 2023 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Ill. Lylee Gibbs @lyleegibbsphotography

D’Ante’ Cox (2) leaps into the air in an attempt to complete the pass from quarterback Nic Baker (8) as he approaches the endzone as the Salukis face Austin Peay at home for the season opener Sept. 2, 2023 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Ill. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphotography

D’Ante’ Cox (2) leaps into the air in an attempt to complete the pass from quarterback Nic Baker (8) as he approaches the endzone as the Salukis face Austin Peay at home for the season opener Sept. 2, 2023 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Ill. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphotography

Dune Smith (8) and Ro Elliott (1) celebrate as the Salukis take the lead against Austin Peay in the season home opener Sept. 2, 2023 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Ill. Lylee Gibbs @lyleegibbsphotography

The Marching Salukis perform at the halftime of the home opener against Austin Peay Sept. 2, 2023 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Ill. Lylee Gibbs @lyleegibbsphotography

The Dawg Pound remains lively throughout the game as the Salukis kick off the season against Austin Peay Sept. 2, 2023 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Ill. The Dawg Pound saw around 2,700 students in attendance for the home opener. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphotography

Salukis soar in season opener, dominate Austin Peay 49-23 at home

Howard woodard Hwoodard@dailyegyptian com

In their first true home game to begin a season since 2017, the Southern Illinois Salukis delivered to their fans at Saluki Stadium, defeating the Austin Peay Governors by a score of 49-23.

“I think we came out and played a great game,” cornerback DJ Johnson said.

It was a classic scenario where SIU took the lead early on and never looked back, playing a cohesive game at all three levels, sparked by their defense, who shut down an Austin Peay squad that averaged 31 points a game last season.

“The key to the game in the first half is our defense didn’t allow them to do anything,” coach Nick Hill said.

A big portion of that was done by stuffing the Governors’ rushing attack.

“We stopped the run early and forced them to pass the ball out to the perimeter,” Johnson said.

Johnson capitalized on the latter as he hauled in an interception in the third quarter. Austin Peay could only muster 39 yards on the ground on 23 attempts, and the team didn’t collect a first down until about 3:45 remaining in the first half. It made things easier for the Saluki offense who converted on advantageous field

position throughout the game.

“It makes my life a lot easier knowing they’re giving us good field position not letting them get any yards,” quarterback Nic Baker said. “…I don’t know if I’ve been a part of something like that; they were super dominant.”

Their trio of drives to begin the game resulted in three-and-outs, but when Southern got its turn on offense, it picked apart the Governors’ defense and the clock.

SIU totaled a time of possession of 12:45 in the opening frame, capitalizimg with a touchdown on the opening drive. Baker initially scrambled on the play, but later looked up and found Justin Strong in the front corner of the endzone, putting the Salukis out in front 7-0.

The first drive of the season for the Dawgs was also where Baker placed himself at the top of a school leaderboard, completing the most passes in SIU history. But the quarterback remains focused on the task at hand.

“You can’t be thinking about that stuff, it’s gonna come if I do the work during the week,” Baker said.

His work paid off as his play behind center was excellent, going 16-23 (70%) from behind center for 219 yards and

three touchdowns with a 192.6 passer rating. He spread the love to different receivers, with three different Salukis catching each of Baker’s touchdown passes and two of them, Izaiah Hartrup and Jaelin Benefield, eclipsing 70 yards receiving.

“Just looking out there and knowing whatever play is called that I got people that really want to go make a play and want the ball every time…it gives you confidence out there,” Baker said. “Much rather have it that way than the other way.”

Two huge turnovers in the first half kept the momentum of the game on SIU’s side. Defensive end Devin Cowan got a strip sack that the Dawgs recovered and took over near the red zone in Austin Peay territory. Strong then got his second score of the game, taking the ball into the end zone from a yard out.

Then linebacker Dune Smith completed the tip drill in the waning minutes of the second quarter, and took his first career collegiate interception 26 yards for another Saluki touchdown that pushed the score to 28-0.

“It was a special moment,” Smith said. “At the beginning of the game I was kind

of down because I wasn’t making a lot of plays…but I kept my head up…knew I had to take it to the house for my team.”

Defensive coordinator Antonio James continued to receive praise from those around him, as Smith said James has instilled in his players to not allow more than 100 yards rushing in a game this season.

“All the defense put that chip on their shoulder because last year we weren’t able to finish games…everyone dialed in together and went out and played hard,” Smith said.

James’ defense flew over the play and didn’t allow the Governors’ to get on the scoreboard until near the end of the third quarter. It came on a 29-yard field goal, but by that time it was 35-3 in the Salukis’ favor. Austin Peay would add three touchdowns in the final quarter on a SIU defense that mixed backups into the rotation.

“He (James) called a great game, outside of football, he’s a great guy…I really knew he was going to be a great fit for the defensive coordinator the first day he got the job,” Smith said.

Smith’s sentiments were echoed by his head coach, who said he gave James the

game ball.

“I think he’s going to be a great head coach one day,” Hill said.

The game was so out of reach that some younger players got an opportunity to gain some experience and get invaluable game reps that they can build off of for the future, including four freshmen on defense and backup quarterback Hunter Simmons.

“That’s huge for him…you can’t replicate that…that’s huge for him because he’s a special kid and he’s going to be super good,” Baker said on Simmons’ play in the fourth quarter.

After opening last season with a 64-29 loss at Incarnate Word, the Salukis flipped the script this year by kicking off with a huge win in front of their home crowd.

“For us to put together a game like that to start the season, I’m proud of them,” Hill said.

Now they’ll look to continue this level of play as they hit the road for two matchups, starting with the Northern Illinois Huskies (1-0) on Sept. 9 at 2:30 p.m.

Sports reporter Howard Woodard can be reached at hwoodard@dailyegyptian.com.

SIU’s ‘Journey to the Eclipse’ focuses on 2017 event

A series of public talks which began Friday is shedding light on the upcoming total eclipse this April, as well as other celestial studies. “Journey to the Eclipse” talk was held at Guyon Auditorium in Morris Library. The series is free and open to the campus and public.

Friday’s event focused on “2:38: A Glimpse into the Eclipse,” a studentmade video that showcases the leadup to the 2017 total solar eclipse at SIU and the amazing events that happened during the 2 minutes and 38 seconds of totality, said Cori Brevik, assistant professor of practice in the School of Physics and Applied Physics and one of the series organizers.

They called it a “great chance for students and faculty and staff who were not in the area in 2017 to get a feel for what they can expect with the

total solar eclipse in April.”

A discussion led by faculty members about what to expect during the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse followed the video presentation.

The “Journey to the Eclipse” series is aimed at bringing together experts in astronomy, solar eclipses and other sun-related talks for students, faculty, and staff of SIU, as well as members of the Southern Illinois community.

“The series is designed for a general audience,” Brevik said. “These talks are family-friendly and will be presented by speakers from a variety of disciplines.”

Future presentations are set for 3 p.m. on the first Friday of each month at the Guyon Auditorium. A bonus event is set for Oct. 13 and will focus on a partial solar eclipse set for that month.

For more information on the 2024 total solar eclipse, visit eclipse.siu.edu.

An illustration explains the path of the upcoming eclipse in 2024, displayed September 1, 2023 in Carbondale, Illinois. Enan Chediak | echediak@dailyegyptian.com

Malea Bailey introduces her documentary at the SIU Journey to the Eclipse Talk September 1, 2023 at the Morris Library in Carbondale, Illinois. Bailey, a 2019 SIU graduate, created the film for the talk, documenting the events on campus leading up to the eclipse. Enan Chediak | echediak@dailyegyptian.com

Sarah Vanvooren answers questions at the SIU Journey to the Eclipse Events September 1, 2023 in Carbondale, Illinois. Vanvooren is the director of events and outreach and gave details on what to expect in the upcoming 2024 eclipse Enan Chediak | echediak@dailyegyptian.com

(Left to Right) Cori Brevik, Bob Baer, and Sarah Vanvooren pose for a group photograph after their talk September 1, 2023 in Carbondale, Illinois. These three work on planning and promotion for the upcoming eclipse in 2024. Enan Chediak | echediak@dailyegyptian.com

SIU Carbondale’s logo showcases Saluki spirit

Kim Rendfield | siU commUnications

You may have noticed a different look on banners across campus and billboards — the logo for Southern Illinois University Carbondale now incorporates elements of the university’s academic logo with the doghead of Saluki athletics. Today the university continues to further unify its brand with an update of

its stationery system and soon new email signatures.

“Our logo showcases our proud history, first-class academics, premier research, and the excitement, energy and enthusiasm of student life and Saluki athletics,” said Jeff Harmon, SIU Carbondale’s chief marketing and communications officer. “It fits well with our Imagine 2030 strategic

plan, especially the pillar to refine SIU Carbondale’s brand and increase our visibility in the Southern Illinois region and beyond.”

Harmon said efforts to enhance the SIU Carbondale brand will continue, in consultation with stakeholders in the Saluki family.

“When people think about branding, the logo and colors come

to mind first, but a brand is so much more than that,” he said. “A brand is about our identity and reputation.

SIU Carbondale has so much going for it. We want our brand to capture that.”

University Communications and Marketing conducted a soft launch of the modified logo in the past few months as it updated

marketing and promotional materials. Colleges, schools and other university units can request the updated logo in their identifiers by filling out the Request for SIU Carbondale Identifier Form. They can also order stationery and business cards with the logo. In a few days, a new email signature generator will be launched.

Mayor Carolin Harvey shares her vision at SIU’s Paul Simon Institute

Jamilah lewis Jlewis@dailyegyptian com

Mayor Carolin Harvey wants the community to know her plans and goals for the city of Carbondale. She joined SIU’s Paul Simon Institute for a discussion with local residents on Aug. 28 at the Student Center.

Before speaking, Harvey went around the ballroom to every table and thanked everyone for attending.

John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Institute, introduced Harvey and spoke briefly on the “Meet the Mayor” event series which has taken place across the state.

Harvey started the discussion by recalling various speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King. She took a moment of silence to pay respects to the victims of the recent Jacksonville, Florida, shooting.

She spoke on her 10 years working at the city council and her decision to run for diversity and representation.

“The experience has been enlightening and sometimes frustrating,” Harvey said. “But I decided to run because, at the time, the other person of color on the council decided not to.”

Harvey said her religion and relationship with God are what ultimately pushed her to become mayor.

“When people would ask me to run my answer was emphatically no,” Harvey said. “But I’ve always said unless I hear from the Lord, and I did, so I have to follow.”

Shaw asked about Harvey’s work relationship with the city manager.

“The city manager and our staff, I don’t want to leave them out because I think they all do a great job,” Mayor Harvey said. “Basically what I tell them is ‘they do the work, I get to look good.’”

When asked about the issues she focused on the most, she said she’s currently zoned in on the two issues of crime and housing in the city.

“The incidents of gun violence have increased. We know it’s not just a Carbondale problem it’s a nationwide problem,” Harvey said.

“ And providing housing to low to middle-income families is a concern also.”

When the discussion transitioned to economic development in Carbondale, Shaw asked about the challenges businesses face with the population decline.

Harvey said the city has been and is currently aggressively seeking business to fill spaces in the community.

“At this point, we have a lot of empty space in the University Mall. There’s a lot of empty storefronts,” Harvey said. “If you know of businesses… in Carbondale, please contact our economic development director and let them know about those businesses so he can hopefully contact them or maybe they’ve already contacted us.”

Harvey encouraged people to contact her or her administrative assistant. She also encouraged people to download the SeeClickFix app.

“If you see potholes or a tree that’s down, or a neighbor’s loud music, whatever,” Harvey said. “It instantly sends the information to the city for that.”

As the forum opened up to the people in attendance, the questions ranged from how the city is tackling homelessness to violent crime, and mental health to after-school programs, the council members, and much more.

“The city supports the Carbondale Warming Center, at this point, we do need additional funding,’ Harvey said. “The city [supports] the building and takes care of the utilities and lights to support the Carbondale Warming Center.”

Harvey said the city has advertised and is interviewing for a director of violence prevention for the city of Carbondale. The first step is filling the position and coming up with a game plan to attack the issue.

A parent voiced concern about the Boys and Girls Centers closing, with the mayor saying the city is taking steps to make sure schools adjust to things like this.

“Public schools … have an afterschool program already,” Harvey said. “They are expanding their hours after school so that children can be serviced.”

In the future, Harvey said, she hopes to see more young people on the city council and in return engage

more youth in the community.

“If we are to move forward into the 21st century and do things that will attract younger people, we need those younger voices,” she said. “Start with something smaller. We have lots of boards and permissions that you can volunteer for.”

The contacts for the staff of Economic Development and the Boards and Commissions can be found on the Explore Carbondale website.

reporter Jamilah Lewis can be reached at jlewis@dailyegyptian.com.

Major Carolin Harvey spoke at the Paul Simon institute on August 28, 2023 in Carbondale Il.

Photo by Amy Wigfall

DuQuoin State Fair Harness Racing

Racers came to compete in 5 different races at the DuQuoin State Fair August 29 compete.

Competitors of The County Fair Challenge ICF for two year old colts and geldings trot down the track as the complete the fourth race of the day. zLylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Phillip Knox passes the grandstand during a warmup lap before the Harness Races. Nicole Fox | @fox.flicks

A horse and driver return to the starting point after warming up for the Harness Races. Nicole Fox | @fox.flicks

Jerome Daniels driving Dashing Durango (top), Harold Finn Jr. driving Dooleyville Lou (middle), and Cordarius Stewart driving Hope's Star (bottom) compete for the lead during Race Three. Nicole Fox | @fox.flicks

GJ’s Sunday Star, driven by Matthew Avenatti (right), falls just short of Danish Dreamboat, driven by Cornelius Cavett (left), as the competitors come around the first curve of the track as they compete in The County Fair Challenge ICF for two year old fillies. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Numbers for the harness racing horses lay on the paddock fence. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto