The Daily Egyptian - September 27, 2023

THE Daily Egyptian

SIU prepares for Family Weekend

AnnAlise schmidt Aschmidt@dAilyegyptiAn com

Family Weekend will once again be taking place on campus Sept. 28 through Oct. 1, allowing families to enjoy many events such as a craft fair, an outdoor showing of Super Mario Bros., Greek Sing and an SIU football game.

Sean Cooney, assistant director of Student Engagement and Programming, said Family Weekend is a tradition on campus to welcome the families back. It’s usually four to six weeks after the students have been dropped off.

“It’s an opportunity for students to see their families, but also an opportunity for families to get welcomed back to campus, because families are just as much a part of SalukiNation as the students are,” Cooney said. “It’s a way to kind of make sure that [families] feel welcomed as part of the campus community as a whole”

Having the opportunity for families to reunite and spend time together also allows students to share their newfound lives at SIU with those who are closest to them.

“There’ll be all sorts of activities during the weekend. Having extra people on campus, enjoying the campus, seeing the campus, that’s all a benefit to the university,” Cooney said.

Students can share their passion and pride for their club activities, classes and for their school.

Junior Kate Faulkner said, “My parents usually come down for family weekend, and I really look forward to getting to see them. And as I’m in the band, I’m excited for them to get to see the stuff we’ve been working on. It’s also super cool to see all of my friends and other students happy with their own parents or families.”

Faulkner said it’s cool to see where everyone is from.

“For a lot of students, family

Broken Promise

SIU’s schools, departments lose autonomy over millions in key funds

guest reporter: dAniel Bethers

SIU’s distance education funds, monies raised by individual schools and departments by putting their programs online, are once again at the center of a controversy, with some school leaders saying the administration is breaking a key promise after removing the muchneeded funds from their coffers.

Former Chancellor Rita Cheng had allocated the money to schools and departments to spend on items such as equipment and student or faculty travel. When current Chancellor Austin Lane revealed millions of dollars in rollover distance education funds would be used for another purpose, he suggested it was just a temporary

fix to help pay down a large debt caused by the 2015 state budget impasse.

Now, Lane has told the Faculty Senate’s Executive Council the university is completely changing how those funds are handled from now on.

In an email to the College of Liberal Arts listserv, Dean Joddy

Murray explained it to his faculty this way:

“To be clear, we are in a 10-month “chill” on all spending— everything requested will be intensely scrutinized at the Provost level. There is no such thing as “DE [distance education] money” anymore. Everything is going

Quatro’s: Community memorializes

Restaurant owner Blake Morrison remembered

Photos from decades gone by adorning a tri-fold poster board; sharpies of all colors lying next to signs with a rainbow of memories; art along the walls and on the counters paying tribute by choice or by fate; a notebook granting the chance to write a parting message; family, friends and community members scattered across the room, sharing stories of a lost loved one.

Blake Morrison, owner of the beloved restaurant Quatro’s Deep Pan Pizza in Carbondale, passed away, the restaurant announced on its Facebook page on Sept. 21. He was 31 years old.

An interactive memorial mural was hosted on Friday and Saturday afternoon at what was formerly Jerry’s Flower Shoppe, next door to the southern Illinois mainstay. Morrison had planned to open up a merchandise store at that location in the coming months.

His sister Jocelyn Morrison, who had spent the summer preparing the store for business, said the family wanted to have a space separate from the restaurant for people to show their support.

But as Quatro’s continues to remain open, she said they welcome visitors there as well.

“We would love to have people come and support the restaurant while we’re going through hard times, because life goes on, business goes

on,” she said.

Morrison’s family intends to continue the plans put forth by Blake Morrison before his passing. That includes getting the merchandise store open in the near future.

“We’re getting close to finishing this space, and we are going to be continuing to move forward with everything that he wanted for this space,” Jocelyn Morrison said.

The store may not have been open yet, but it was showing signs of progress. Most obvious visually

was the yellow-painted walls, which Jocelyn Morrison described as “like a vintage Quatro’s,” as was Blake Morrison’s vision.

To the right of the store’s entrance is a mural by local artist Keri. It features two angel wings made out of pizza slices, and a Q-shaped halo. It also features elements related to a solar eclipse, which Carbondale will in the path of in April 2024 for the second time in seven years.

With the eclipse theme in mind, Jocelyn Morrison said the goal is to

have the store ready to go by the time that event comes around next spring.

“We would love to have something that is open and ready for people who are coming through to see the eclipse,” she said. “That’s the date that I think we would like to have it done by.”

The timing of the mural’s completion almost exactly coincided with Blake Morrison’s passing, having been finished just this month. What had started out as a concept that

BrAndyn Wilcoxen | @BrAndynWilcoxen

A doodle of Quatro’s mascot Q-Man, doodled by Annalies Dowell, sits on the interactive memorial for Blake Morrison Sept. 23, 2023 at the former Jerry’s Flower Boutique in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Saluki Pride Committee seeks to beautify Carbondale

On the streets entering Carbondale, large paw prints inform travelers of SIU. These paw prints were created and are currently maintained by the Saluki Pride Committee. The committee is run by the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce to promote SIU and strengthen the relationship between the town and university.

“It was important for the Chamber to support the university anywhere they could, and the university that in turn saw that’d be a good place to also support. It was created to make sure the city of Carbondale visually understands how important the university is to the city,” said Sean Cooney, chair of the Saluki Pride Committee and assistant director of student engagement and programming in the Office

of Student Engagement.

Throughout town, the committee has created murals to beautify old buildings. The murals show SIU-inspired art in support of the university.

Cooney joined the committee two years ago when it began working on the murals. The paw prints, which have been being expanded and maintained for 17 years, were already an ongoing project. Both are the most visible of the projects the committee has done.

The murals take a few months at minimum to complete. The committee has to have the space approved, and then get the materials as well as the people to create the mural. Members work hand-in-hand with the city of Carbondale and the university to create these.

The university has assisted the committee in funding the projects, which can be seen all over town. One of the projects

they worked together on was the mural, featuring art of SIU majors, on South Illinois Avenue.

The committee is involved in many other projects. Every year, it selects a handful of students to receive their Saluki Stay scholarships. The scholarship is awarded to students who have shown a commitment to the community. This can be shown by volunteering or being an integral part of the community, whether on campus or in the city.

“It’s a way of celebrating students, that’s kind of a big cornerstone of the background work,” Cooney said.

This scholarship is on the portal and presented at a luncheon held at the Banterra Center every August. This year, Cooney had the opportunity to inform the attendees of the scholarship. The committee funds the scholarship through

fundraising and donations.

“Behind the scenes, we’re working on getting flags sold to community members to fund the scholarships,” Cooney said.

The committee did not disclose any ideas it is currently working on. However, members are always accepting new people who would like to get involved. People can attend the monthly meetings and pitch any ideas.

“There’s a really dedicated group of people who really care about the university in the area,” Cooney said.

The committee consists of community business owners, staff from the university and Chamber of Commerce members. Every month, the

committee meets on the first Thursday at noon to hear new ideas for new projects, gather updates on current projects and discuss fundraising.

“It’s about 10 or 15 people that are pretty active in it from all across campus as well as the city of Carbondale,” Cooney said.

During the monthly meetings, the committee has an informal vote to decide what project they are going to take on next. After that process, they discuss who they need to consult to get the projects started.

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

A Saluki Pride mural is painted on the wall of the Mountain Valley Water Sept. 23, 2023 in Carbondale, Illinois. Enan Chediak | echediak@dailyegyptian.com

FAMILY CONTINUED FROM 1 weekend is the only time in the semester that they’ll get to see their parents or families and I think it’s really important for the school to show the importance of that by hosting different events for people who are able to participate,” she said. The tailgate and football game are a popular activity for families to attend and helps to demonstrate the vast number

of people who visit the campus that weekend.

“We know in the past the tailgate that is run by the student program…has had a couple thousand registers,” Cooney said. “That doesn’t mean individual families per se, that means registrants. But last year, we had nearly 2,000 people registered come to the tailgate last year.”

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

On the front lines: What makes SIU vs. SEMO so special

Photo editor Lylee Gibbs and I went to the 91st War for the Wheel on Sept. 16. It was the second time we’d traveled to a Saluki game after going to Arch Madness back in March. This time, the destination was Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where we would witness one of the best football games either of us had ever seen.

One of the first things we noticed as we made our way to the sideline that afternoon was the titular wheel trophy displayed in the northwest end zone. Specifically, it occurred to us that one of the spokes on the bottom half of the wheel was broken.

I asked Saluki head coach Nick Hill about it after the game. According to Hill, he had been told by Southeast Missouri State head coach Tom “Tuke” Matukewicz that it was damaged sometime after the Redhawks first

won it in 2018. Indeed, the damage has appeared in every photo of the wheel since; we just hadn’t noticed until seeing the trophy in-person. Judging by how it has not been fixed in the half-decade since, it’s safe to say that the missing spoke will remain as a symbol of the rivalry for years to come.

Of the six times the wheel has been fought for since 2018, four of those games were decided in the final 25 seconds of play. SEMO won on touchdowns in 2018 and 2022, while SIU won with a field goal in 2020 and a touchdown in 2023.

The lengths that these teams will go to, and the tenacity it takes to be the best among them, can be symbolized by the wheel’s damaged spoke. Because just as that spoke was perhaps left in the locker room after a particularly rowdy celebration, so too has

everything been left on every field these two share; whether it be in Carbondale, Cape Girardeau or even Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

No matter the damage in the everlasting war between these two teams, they both know that in representing their schools, their hard work and dedication was worth it for the chance to hoist the wheel.

The Agony of Defeat

One year ago, I wrote an article detailing the history of the war for the wheel. At the time, SIU football was preparing to welcome SEMO for yet another chapter in their century-plus long rivalry. Little did I know that the next two entries in that feud would be some of the most thrilling games anyone on that field would ever play.

For that story in 2022, I relied very heavily on the official SIU football record book, picking out every mention of SEMO. In this year’s version, the term “SEMO” appears 109 times in several different contexts including descriptions, statistics and alltime records.

But no matter how much I would dig through old newspapers to get accounts of half-century old games and comb through box scores of more recent outings, I was never going to be able to capture the essence of the rivalry purely through research.

If I wanted to experience the war, I had to be on the front lines.

On Sept. 10, 2022, the Salukis hosted the Redhawks in what was the first matchup in four years during which Saluki Stadium housed a full capacity crowd. Southern had won the 2020 matchup in Carbondale amidst a pandemic-influenced attendance.

The game was a back-and-forth slugfest, with each team leading on five separate occasions. SIU twice took the lead in the fourth quarter, with a Justin Strong touchdown at the 2:50 mark seemingly setting the Salukis up for victory.

However, the Redhawks would land the final blow, scoring a touchdown with just 11 seconds

left to grab a win from the jaws of defeat. Some Saluki fans claimed controversy due to two pass interference calls on the final drive, both coming on what would have otherwise been game-sealing fourth-down stops. But regardless, the record shows a SEMO win. At that time, it was perhaps the best football game I had ever been to in-person. I was seated inside the press box at Saluki Stadium, and could feel every up and down of that game as the Saluki faithful reacted just beyond our windows. Despite the loss, the 2022 game felt like the best version of what the SIU-SEMO rivalry could offer.

Then, on Sept. 16, 2023, the Salukis did the exact same thing. The Thrill of Victory

Seeking revenge for their controversial loss a year prior, Southern Illinois went to Cape Girardeau looking to get the wheel right back. To begin, it seemed like the trophy would be extending its stay on the west side of the Mississippi River, as SEMO held a 15-0 halftime lead.

Reportedly, head coach Nick Hill tore into the offense in the locker room, specifically calling out quarterback Nic Baker. To that point, the sixth-year senior had an 8-for-13 stat line, throwing two interceptions in SEMO territory and gaining just 54 yards through the air.

Baker and the offense responded with an historic second-half performance. His 409 yards in the final two quarters turned what was originally a lackluster passing game into the second-best in school history by that metric. If not for some untimely turnovers in the red zone, Southern Illinois might have completely flipped the game around. Instead, it found itself down by just five points near the end of regulation.

The Salukis’ first attempt at a game-winning drive started off promising. However, once Southern reached the SEMO 30yard line – near where Baker had thrown both of his picks in the second quarter – the drive stalled out.

Armed with former AllAmerican running back Geno Hess in the backfield, the Redhawks’ sole goal was to milk as much of the 3:39 left on the clock as possible. Hess’s first three rushing attempts averaged five yards each, and it seemed inevitable that the Redhawks would retain the wheel.

Southern began using its three timeouts, a last ditch effort to stop the clock from ticking away and dashing its hopes at completing the comeback. The defense would step up one last time and forced a third down, which SEMO would not convert.

Baker described his thought process during this play, having begun warming up on the sidelines. He expected a stop would force SEMO to punt the ball, likely setting the Salukis up with a long field ahead of them, needing a touchdown to win.

Instead, redshirt freshman Desman Hearns went above just tackling Hess. He ripped the ball out of the running back’s hands, giving the Salukis possession just 38 yards away from the end zone.

Rather than needing several long completions to have a prayer, Southern Illinois could run the offense it was comfortable in. Short throws, checkdowns and medium gains were all on the table, since the Salukis had a short field in addition to saving a timeout that would have been used if not for the SEMO fumble.

Ultimately, it came down to one play: 4th-and-6 from the 9-yard line. The wheel stood displayed just behind the end zone that would decide which team would possess it for the next 12 months.

Baker found receiver Izaiah Hartrup in the back of that end zone, and the Salukis had taken the lead. Looking up at the scoreboard, everyone in the stadium realized the significance. Not just of the score, but also the time remaining on the clock.

11 seconds left.

The Legacy of College Sports Sports has a way of sometimes being more poetic than fiction. If

Brandyn Wilcoxen BWilcoxen@dailyegyptian com

The wheel sits in the endzone as the Salukis and Redhawks battle to claim the trophy Sept. 16, 2023 at Houck Stadium in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

SIU team uses low-tech sun funnel to capture unique eclipse image

Looking directly at the sun is almost never a good idea, but researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale recently used a safe, lowtech way that combines a common household item with a telescope to capture a unique image of a total solar eclipse.

The SIU team captured the image during a trip with students to Western Australia in April, where they witnessed a total solar eclipse. The group used a sun funnel, a simple projection device commonly employed by amateur astronomers to observe partial solar eclipses, to snap a highly detailed photo of the sun during totality.

The group traveled to Australia in preparation for the total solar eclipse that will hit SIU and Southern Illinois on April 8, 2024. As the crossroads of two total solar eclipse events in the last seven years, the university plans to play host to scores of sky enthusiasts that day, as well as media from all over the world.

Sun funnels typically are not used to image totality during an eclipse, which can be viewed with the unaided eye while the sun is completely covered. But special circumstances in Australia resulted in the exceptionally bright corona being visible on the funnel, said Bob Baer, specialist in the School of Physics and Applied Physics who helped lead the trip.

“Sun funnels are popular with solar observers conducting group outreach because they provide a safe method for viewing a partial eclipse, which cannot be viewed safely with the naked eye,” Baer said. “The image

captured by SIU is the first known image of totality to be taken on a sun funnel.”

Baer credited quick thinking by SIU students Paige Chamberlain and Kallie

Heavrin for capturing the image. A fortunate accident

Named after its main component, the contraption is made by attaching a common automotive oil funnel to the telescope’s eyepiece, allowing observers to see a detailed image of the sun and fine detail in sunspots. Instructions on how to build one were first published in 2012.

Along with the funnel, parts include a rear projection screen and hose clamps. When focused properly, an image of the sun appears on the projection material stretched over the top of the funnel.

Baer along with SIU faculty members Cori Brevik, assistant professor of practice in the School of Physics and Applied Physics, and Harvey Henson, director of SIU’s STEM Education Research Center, trained students on how to use the solar funnel and telescopes before leaving for Australia.

After driving to Exmouth, the group set up for its solar eclipse observation site. Once the telescopes were ready, they noticed the solar image on the sun funnel was too bright and realized the correct size eyepiece had not been packed for the trip.

“The students were using lower magnification 26mm eyepieces instead of the 13mm eyepieces we had intended to bring,” Baer explained. “This made the image smaller than intended and brighter. But with the eclipse rapidly approaching, we decided to leave the setup as it was.”

Plans originally called for students to remove the sun funnels during totality and observe the corona through the eyepiece. But there is some danger in doing this for inexperienced observers who might try to view it too early or too late, and this particular event was a short, hybrid eclipse with the moon just barely covering the solar disk.

“All total solar eclipses are unique, and this one was phenomenally so,” Baer said. “The moon being so closely matched in apparent size to the sun made for a spectacular sight with prominences and the chromosphere visible. The corona was large due to increased solar activity as we approached solar maximum, so it was substantially brighter than others. The sky was

also exceptionally clear and dry, adding to the apparent brightness of the corona.” Discovered after the trip

Given the potential for eye damage under all these circumstances, Brevik advised the students to leave the sun funnel in place. Both Chamberlin and Heavrin took cellphone photos of the projection during totality, not realizing that they had just witnessed and documented something unique.

Baer said it wasn’t until after the group returned home that he noticed the image was special.

“When I saw the image, I immediately contacted a colleague with a lifetime of eclipsechasing experience,” Baer said. “He confirmed that no one had ever taken an image of totality like this.”

Baer said the image demonstrates the potential for viewing all phases of a solar eclipse, including totality, with a sun funnel. The sun funnel allows everyone in a group to view the same image and have features pointed at and explained. Observers would not all need to have their own eclipse glasses, which may be in short supply during the event.

“This is really exciting for those of us doing solar outreach and group observations, especially outreach involving youth for the upcoming annular and total eclipses in the U.S.,” he said. “First- time viewers are often overwhelmed when seeing totality and can miss important features like the diamond ring. The sun funnel allows you to see sunspots, the diamond ring, prominences, the chromosphere and the inner corona – all enlarged to a format that is easy to see.”

Observers, however, should keep in mind that viewing totality by looking directly at the corona is still an experience they should not miss, Baer said. They can also observe the few minutes of totality – when the entire disk of the sun is covered by the moon – with binoculars or a small telescope. But knowing when to look and when not to look is often confusing for people who have not seen an eclipse before.

“Seeing totality is like nothing else you will ever see,” he said.

A member of a study abroad team from SIU demonstrates an eclipse image on a sun funnel. The group captured a unique image while viewing a total solar eclipse in Western Australia in April. Tim Crosby | SIU Communications

Professor James Franklin Sharp donates $1 million to SIU, honored with museum naming

With a $1 million gift, Professor James Franklin Sharp has chiseled his name into Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s legacy. Now, the university will honor his generosity by renaming the University Museum as Sharp Museum.

The SIU Board of Trustees voted Sept. 21 for the museum to bear Sharp’s name and to rename the Southern Illinois Gallery as the Mrs. Rosanna Sharp Myers Southern Illinois Gallery, after Sharp’s sister.

“This gift will help ensure a stateof-the-art museum, propel the promotion of the work being done on campus, throughout the state and across the country as well as elevate the prestige of exhibits, artifacts and the research being conducted by Southern Illinois University Carbondale,” said the board resolution.

At 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, the university will host a ceremony in front of the museum to unveil the name and honor Sharp, who will be in attendance along with friends and family. SIU Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane will give remarks at 4 p.m.

“Professor Sharp’s incredible giving spirit inspires us all,” said John Pollitz, dean of Library Affairs, which oversees the museum. “This gift will make a profound impact on both educational and cultural opportunities for our students, faculty and the region.”

Sharp attended SIU from 1954 to

1956, but the university didn’t offer a four-year degree in engineering at that time. Still, he said he always felt a strong connection to the university.

While an SIU student, he played seven intramural sports, including football, corkball, basketball, volleyball, softball, badminton and horseshoes. He was a member of the Theta Xi fraternity.

“I lived in Doyle Dorm with three roommates, whom I have stayed in touch with over all these years,” Sharp said. “Corkball was my favorite sport, and the Theta Xi Variety Show was a big deal in those days. At the time, I could have never imagined I’d even have $1 million, period.”

He transferred to the University of Illinois from SIU and completed his undergraduate degree in industrial engineering. He later earned a master’s and Ph.D. from Purdue University.

“I guess I would say I enjoyed my time at SIU more than the other colleges I attended,” Sharp said. “At SIU, the classes were small and taught by senior professors. I enjoyed watching SIU football and basketball games. They were always very crowded.”

Sharp taught at three universities: Rutgers University, New York University Stern Graduate School of Business and Pace University Lubin Graduate School of Business. He also held management positions at AT&T and founded Sharp Seminars in New York, which became a leading provider of training for Wall Street

investment analysts and investment portfolio managers. He has also written 36 books and had many articles published. He has achieved the following professional designations: CFA, CIPM, CMA, CFM and Mensa.

A Chester High School graduate, Sharp has made supporting education a lifelong endeavor. He has made multiple donations to Chester schools, adding up to more than $600,000.

“After making gifts to other

institutions, I realized the kind of impact I was able to make. During one of my trips back to SIU, I visited the museum and thought it could use some funding,” Sharp said. “So, I thought why not go big and make it $1 million.”

SIU CommUnICatIonS

Photo provided by SIU Communications

Photo provided by SIU Communications

Professor’s photography appears in prestigious publications globally

Annie HAmmock AHAmmock@dAilyegyptiAn com

Photojournalism professor Julia Rendleman has amassed a considerable portfolio of professional publications since she began teaching in the School of Journalism and Advertising last year.

Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, ProPublica, The Kentucky Lantern and numerous non-profit publications.

“Photojournalism has provided me with amazing opportunities and a front-seat to history,” Rendleman said. “It is an absolute privilege to be trusted to tell people’s stories. Sometimes the stories are hard, they’re sad - and that someone trusts me to get it right and share images from what might be the toughest day of their life - it’s just a really precious thing. I hope I can get SIU journalism students excited about that awesome responsibility and privilege.”

One of Rendleman’s photos appeared on the front page of the New York Times in July, as part of the article “Abortion Networks Adapt to a Post-Roe World.”

“This summer, I met a woman flying across the country - from Minnesota to the East Coastseeking an abortion. It was the first time she had ever flown. She allowed me into that day of her life,” Rendleman said.

When Rendleman moved back to Illinois last year, she said she knew the state would be “central to the shifting nature” of abortion care.

“As a storyteller, I was looking for unique ways to tell the story and came across Elevated Access, an Illinois-based non-profit organization connecting pilots with patients seeking abortions in states where the procedure is illegal. The pilots provide transportation for free,” she said.

Rendleman said it was an extremely hard assignment to photograph.

“Neither the patient, pilot nor location could be revealed in the images,” she said. “At the same time, my photographs should give readers a sense of what the cross-country journey (and first time the patient

was ever on an airplane) looks and feels like and hopefully, gives them a greater understanding of the realworld result of Supreme Court decisions.”

Rendleman’s work also appeared on the front page of the Washington Post in August 2022, in a story following up on a 1997 school shooting in Paducah, Kentucky, when the gunman became eligible for parole.

Photos by Rendleman were heavily featured in a ProPublica article about residents being displaced from HUD housing. The story, written by SoJA’s newly minted investigative journalism professor Molly Parker, told of the closure of four public housing projects in Cairo, Illinois.

Not all of her assignments are so hard-hitting. Rendleman covered numerous topics for a large European news organization: Finland’s Helsingin Sanomat. One story took her to dude ranches in the American West, where she shot still photos and video, including drone footage.

“I rode across Montana on horseback for a European outlet, documenting the best American cowboy experience money can buy,” Rendleman said. “In the spring, I went to south Florida for the same European outlet to find out what the American Spring Break experience was all about. I went several times to Mayfield, Kentucky, to document the recovery and use of recovery funds after a tornado devastated the area in December 2021. My camera brought me to all these places.”

Rendleman wants her students to be excited by the example of her work.

“I’m an SIU alum,” she said. “If I can do it, they can do it too.”

Rendleman also wants her students to know there’s no need to despair over the state of journalism and traditional news outlets.

“I think there are things to be excited about and stories to tell,” she said. “That’s what I want to help Salukis do. I want them to come back in five years and tell me about their summers, riding horseback across the American West, or wherever their stories take them.”

Faculty managing editor Annie Hammock can be reached at ahammock@dailyegyptian.com

Photojournalism Professor Julia Rendleman rides horseback to cover dude ranches in the American West as apart of her assignment for a European news outlet. Photo provided by Julia Rendleman

The Shawnee Hills Wine Trail is a fun getaway for fall

Joei Younker JYounker@dailYegYptian com

With the faintest hints of fall in the air and family weekend at hand, it’s time to rethink a visit to the Shawnee area wine trail - one of the highlights of southern Illinois. Here is a virtual sampling to get you started.

The trail starts with Alto Vineyards, southern Illinois’ oldest vineyard, located in Alto Pass. Over its many years of business, the vineyard has acquired more than 1,000 state, national and international awards.

The vineyard currently offers 22 premier wines, according to an employee. Black-N-Blush, a sweet fruit wine made from blackberries and Concord grapes, is one of its most popular wines.

Black-N-Blush was the winner of the silver medal in the Illinois State Wine Competition in 2017 and 2019.

Alto not only has award-winning wines; it also has a large event schedule. From live music, wine and yoga to its harvest festival and fireworks, which take place in early October, the vineyard has something for everyone.

Alto Vineyard is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday from 12-7 p.m.

Next on the trail is Blue Sky Vineyard, bringing the romance of Italy to the hills of southern Illinois. Located in Anna, this vineyard offers a full menu ranging from its famous bread and olive oil to chicken pot pies, sandwiches, pizzas and desserts.

Some of its most popular wines are the Cabernet Franc, which has been winning Governor’s Cups and Gold medals since 2016. The Chambourcin Reserve, Rosé and Vintner’s Select are also among the most popular.

Blue Sky also has a full schedule this fall, with a Colorfest Celebration taking place Oct. 14 to celebrate the end of their harvest, and its Sip & Paint on Oct. 22. There is live music every weekend. Blue Sky Vineyard is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to sunset, Saturday from 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and Sunday from 12-7 p.m.

Following the trail on is Honker Hill Winery, a place for family, friends, live music and, of course, more wine.

Honker Hill is located at 4861 Spillway Road. It offers all of its wines by the glass, bottle or case. Along with many wines, the winery also offers wine slushies, a combination of their Blue Winged Teal

and lemonade. The winery is open Friday and Saturday 12-7 p.m. and Sunday 12:30-7 p.m.

StarView Vineyards comes next, a family owned winery and vineyard in the hills of Cobden.

Silver Star is one of the vineyard’s signature wines. Known as sweet and smooth, it pairs with some of the vineyard’s lighter flavored foods and is made with ripe Niagara grapes.

The menu consists of their guest favorite spinach and artichoke dip, a range of sandwiches, cheese plates, nachos, salads and even soft pretzels.

StarView will be hosting its annual HalloWine on Oct. 27 from 6-10 p.m. There will be a $10 admission fee that includes a chili and nacho bar as well as a convenient wine glass along with music and prizes. The vineyard is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday 12-7 p.m.

Von Jakob Vineyard is our final stop on this list. Open Wednesday and Thursday 11-6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11-9 p.m. and Sunday 11-6 p.m., Von Jakob is southern Illinois’s only winery plus brewery on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.

Located in Alto Pass, Von Jakob has about 20 different wines available in its tasting room and for purchase. These wines range from dry reds to sweet, fruity dessert wines.

Not only does this vineyard specialize in all sorts of wines, but beers as well. Some of the highly rated are the Mango Habanero Hard Apple Cider, Imperial Stout and Streakin’ Johnny Black Cherry Hard Apple Cider.

Von Jakob also offers a bed and breakfast located on the vineyard’s ground, which allows guests to choose

from any of their five spacious suites to “escape from it all.”

While these are not all the vineyards on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, they are some of the highest-rated wineries in the area that offer the opportunity to escape from the reality of everyday life, spend some time outdoors or in their air conditioned/heated buildings and enjoy live music, tasteful wines and treats.

Staff Reporter Joei Younker can be reached at jyounker@dailyegyptian.com.

Owl Creek Vineyard, near Cobden, Ill., not only offers wine, but also allows visitors a chance to try different hard ciders, including its signature Apple Knocker flavor introduced in 2012. Customers can then purchase growlers of their favorite flavors to take home. Photo provided by Daily Egyptian Editors.

Shawnee Hills Activity Map

Apples, mazes and ziplines: Shawnee Hills offers much more than wine

Along with the infamous wine trail, there’s a long list of activities in southern Illinois Shawnee Hills to get you into the fall spirit. From pumpkin patches and corn mazes to orchards and festivals, and even hiking and ziplining!

Rendleman Orchards, located in Alto Pass, just celebrated its 150th anniversary. Well known for its U-pick fields, Rendleman currently has its mum field, pumpkin patch, zinnia field, teddy bear sunflowers and cosmos field open.

The orchard also offers seasonal freshpicked apples of all sorts, as well as apple cider slushies, floats, donuts and freshpressed apple cider by the pint, half-gallon and gallon. There are so many fall photo ops, and a gift shop where you can buy many of its home made products.

But Rendleman isn’t the only orchard in the area. Flamm Orchards, located in Cobden, is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Earlier this month, the orchard was officially in apple season. You can take home pre-picked Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Gala and Fiji by the half-peck, peck or bushel.

Flamm is also offering a variety of homemade treats including apple pie, apple dumplings, apple bread and donuts.

Bandy’s Pumpkin Patch is going into its 37th year of business. Located a little further north along Interstate 57 in Johnston City, Bandy’s is open 9 a.m to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m on weekdays until Oct. 30. The patch celebrated the first day of fall this past weekend with a little shout out to “Hocus Pocus.” The Sanderson sisters created some bewitching memories with families from all over the area.

This fall season, Bandy’s space-themed corn maze has a double-wide path that goes all the way around the maze. The path can be used not only as an escape route, but also as a walking track. Entry to the maze is $5 for those aged four years and up; children three and under are free.

Bandy’s has booked more than 4,000 school children for field trips over the next month. To avoid this crowd, the patch suggests paying a visit after 1 p.m. on weekdays. Other activities that the patch offers include hay rides that are wheelchair accessible, a corn cannon, play barn and sensory area for those of all ages; prices vary by activity.

Corn shocks, straw bales and mums are available for purchase, and pets are welcome as long as they are on a leash.

If hiking trails are more of your idea for fall, southern Illinois has so much to offer. Giant City Park and Little Grand Canyon are staples of outdoor life in the area. With cool temperatures and the changing of leaves, fall is the perfect time to check out the outdoor scene.

Little Grand Canyon is approximately 30 minutes from Carbondale, and is a three-mile hike that can be made shorter by hiking only segments. It is especially beautiful in the fall season when the wild flowers and fall colors are at their peak.

Giant City State Park is another beautiful location to hike in the area, with a number of different trails and pavilion

areas for gatherings. The park is well known for its spectacular woodlands and sandstone walls that create a challenge for rock climbing.

A short distance from Giant City is the historic Makanda Boardwalk, located at 520 Makanda Road. There is a strip of shops that continue to grow the history of Makanda, offering everything from crystals and metal work to ice cream and stories from the shop owners.

Visions Art gallery, Makanda Trading Company and Rain Makers Studio are just a few of the shops on the boardwalk. A walk through the back of Rain Makers Studio takes you to a secret garden with a fish pond, stone pathways and beautiful artwork.

Not only is Makanda known for its shops, it is also a great place to watch the solar eclipse this spring. It is also the host of the annual Vulture Fest, which will be Oct. 21 and 22 this year.

Looking for a bit of a thrill? The Shawnee Bluffs Canopy Tours is also located near Makanada and consists of eight zip lines, three suspension bridges and three hikes. These tours are a different and exciting way to experience the nature and wildlife of southern Illinois. Tours must be reserved and can be booked on Tripadvisor.

Staff Reporter Joei Younker can be reached at jyounker@dailyegyptian.com.

Star View Vineyards, near Cobden, Illinois, offers wine tasting flights displayed in a unique wine glass “tree.” Photos provided by Daily Egyptian Editors.

Allen Middleton (81), Chris Presto (33) and Amir Dwight (94) shop in the produce section of the orchard gift shop June 28, 2023 at Rendleman Orchard in Alto Pass, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Bandy’s gift shop sits at the entrance of Bandy’s Pumpkin Patch Oct. 13, 2021 in Johnston City, Ill. Dominique Martinez-Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography

EDUCATION

toward the final debt repayment.,” he wrote.

According to Journalism Professor of Ethics and Law Bill Freivogel, the whole affair is a violation of university promises.

“I’m afraid it shows that one chancellor’s promise is not binding or respected by this chancellor,” Freivogel said. “Universities run partly on trust, and this kind of action breaks down trust.”

Last semester, The Daily Egyptian reported outrage from many faculty and school leaders at the university administration’s choice to “scrape” distance education funds from their accounts. Administration didn’t inform them of the change at the start of SIU’s financial year on July 1, dispensing a variety of contradictory answers to questions about the funds and disrupting the budget that directors had already planned for.

One rumor at the time was that distance education funds would be canceled altogether. Despite Lane’s past reassurances, along with an increased state appropriation this financial year, for all purposes but hiring and salary, that is now true.

Murray’s email said faculty have been informed that distance education funds no longer will be paid directly to schools and departments, except for special requests to be rigorously scrutinized by SIU administration. Only funds needed for personnel issues will be left up to the deans.

“It is not going to stop us from being able to cover the instructional needs,” Lane said to the Executive Council. “But it will cause teams to work with the provost as it relates to those onetime purchases or commitments that people already have. Some of that could be travel that people will be able to do but there will just be a little closer eye in terms of what we’re spending those dollars on. We anticipate if we follow that [plan] for the next 10 months, that we’ll have the payback. Payback will be history.”

In the short term, this means that rather than just losing past rollover funds, schools will no longer get a cut of distance education revenue

generated by their efforts to adapt curriculums to an online format. In the past, these funds offered teachers and school directors great financial discretion and autonomy.

Contrary to this table from an SIU administrative memo responding to the original Daily Egyptian story, Lane has told the Executive Council of the Faculty Senate that, to end the Fiscal Sustainability plan this year, SIU will have to come up with $12 million rather than $5.9 million scheduled for fiscal ‘23. SIU has paid more than projected for nearly the entire duration of the sustainability plan.

In the Faculty Senate meeting, Lane referred to the funds as “something that we basically borrowed from ourselves,” and said that rumors of the school borrowing from SIUE are a myth. According to him, SIUC is trying to “rebuild our [rainy day] reserve.”

Lane said the administration has been going back to departments near the end of the fiscal year and asking for money back in order to make Fiscal Sustainability Plan payments.

“Overall, we feel like if we all team up together over the next few months, to get this payback out of our way, we won’t have to come back to departments like we usually do in March or April and say, ‘Hey, we need 250,000 of your budget,’ or ‘we need half a million of your budget back.’ We’re not going to be doing that this year,” Lane said.

Although inflation increased by 6.5% in 2022, state appropriations could increase by approximately $14.13 million if the state Senate accepts the fiscal year 2024 Illinois budget recommendations. On June 21, 2023, Vice-Chancellor of Administration and Finance

Susan Simmers told the Daily Egyptian that approximately $7.3 million in distance education funds would be carried forward into FY 2024, although the books were 9 days from closing. Additionally, Lane hinted that student enrollment numbers would be impressive this year. Provost Sheryl Tucker said that deans will have the opportunity to hire more faculty in fiscal year 2025 based on increasing enrollment.

However, this won’t translate to immediate financial success. The next 10 months of repayment

SIUC Inancial Sustainability Plan Dollars in millions

Total Income Fund Deficit 38.2

Payback

FY 18 -10.1

FY 19 -4.1

FY 20 -0.8

FY 21 -6.9

FY 22 -1.7

FY 23 -5.9

FY 24 (Payback estimated 8.7

will likely put a strain on the university on many levels, and the reinstatement of distance education funds after repayment is not guaranteed.

“We’re going to make that $12 million hole hopefully go away with personnel savings, that’s going to be our key area where we think we’re going

negotiations, which resulted in a long overdue 2% raise across the board, as another drain on free funds. However, for academic personnel hired or currently paid using distance education funds, Lane promised that cuts would not be as severe.

Bill

to net about $9 million in AP and civil categories,” Lane said. “So for the next 10 months, it’s going to be really important that we hold the line on hiring. Unless it’s a critical position, it would not be one that we would automatically hire.”

Lane also said that the administration will find opportunities to cut superfluous expenses.

“Obviously we’re going to focus on trying to clean up existing positions that are on the books that, quite frankly, were either over-budgeted orareas where we can find savings within personnel,” he said.

Lane referenced last semester’s union

“They’re going to be able to still hire or fulfill incoming adjunct or the faculty salaries that they have that have been paid out of distance funds,” Lane said. “What we’re looking at closely is the non-personnel portion of [distance education] funds. There were a lot of one-time buys in there from different areas. We’re going to be looking at that pretty closely just to make sure before those are approved… the timing on this will allow us to be thinking about the new collective bargaining agreements with our faculty in terms of their contract that’s going to be important in another year.”

All invited to SIU’s Haunted Hollow

What better way is there to celebrate the Halloween season than at the Haunted Hollow, Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s family friendly festival at Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center on Oct. 22.

It’s an all-day fun fest from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free. All ages are welcome, and participants are encouraged to wear costumes.

Activities galore

The Haunted Hollow, a longtime popular tradition in the region, will feature a haunted hayride and a haunted cabin with “frights” in abundance. But organizers say not to worry, as these activities aren’t too scary for even young children.

Various creepy crawlers will make guest appearances, and participants will get the opportunity to learn about them, and even hold snakes, lizards and other forest wildlife. Or enjoy playing family games or take an interpretive nature walk.

SIU’s Touch of Nature hosts a yearly hayride

for

purchase of tickets at a nominal cost. Open to all, accessible will take place rain or shine, so participants are encouraged to dress accordingly for the day’s weather. Touch of Nature, located about

The 8 miles south of Carbondale off Giant City Road, is wheelchair and stroller accessible. Children must be accompanied by a parent

activities are suitable for all or guardian. For more information, visit the website, call 618-453-1121 or email ton@siu.edu.

“Universities run partly on trust, and this kind of action breaks down trust.”

-

Freivogel Journalism Professor of Ethics and Law

Quatro’s

Jocelyn Morrison pushed for became a spot to memorialize the 31-year-old in one of its first public uses.

“It’s a beautiful piece of art,” Jocelyn Morrison said. “Keri did an amazing job… He [Blake] probably would think it’s a little ‘cheesy’… I think he would have loved it, and I think he would be happy with how it turned out.”

Jocelyn Morrison, along with other members of the Morrison family, could be found for most of the afternoon at one of two counters in the small but relatively open front area of the store. They shared memories and stories with visitors, who would leave their own in exchange.

“It’s really amazing to hear everybody’s stories, and to see how much he’s done for the community in continuing the Quatro’s legacy,” Jocelyn Morrison said. “And that’s really what he wanted to do.”

On Saturday, Saluki AdLab illustrator Blake Selsor presented Morrison’s family with a few illustrations: a large portrait featuring Blake Morrison and Q-Man posing in front of the restaurant, and a small framed photo of SIU mascot Grey Dawg comforting Quatro’s mascot Q-Man.

Selsor has been drawing the Q-Man character for the restaurant’s promotional material since last fall, when he was asked to make a Halloween-themed illustration of the character. He said he was inspired by the iconic Quatro’s plastic cups, which feature Q-Man’s head and hands holding a sign with the restaurant’s name.

“That ended up being popular enough that they had me keep doing more illustrations,” Selsor said.

Quatro’s Deep Pan Pizza has also worked with Saluki AdLab for its social media content, including its Facebook, Instagram and TikTok accounts.

Jada Plummer, the operations manager for AdLab, discussed the importance of Morrison working with his former school. Morrison graduated from SIU with a degree in business management in 2017.

“He told me that since he was an alumni, that’s why he kept the connection when he bought Quatro’s Deep Pan Pizza, because he liked the idea of giving back,” Plummer said. “The short amount of time that I’ve been on the Quatro’s account, Blake has always been available to answer any questions. He’s always been there to support us.”

Plummer, who had listed the Quatro’s account as her favorite project on the AdLab website, described what a memorial drawing from Selsor would mean to Morrison.

“Blake Morrison was very fond of Blake Selsor’s work, so we thought a great tribute to Blake Morrison would be to have Blake Selsor make an illustration of him with Q-Man,” Plummer said.

That illustration was created by tracing a real photo of Blake Morrison standing with a friend, and replacing them with the Q-Man character.

Selsor also gifted a second illustration to the Morrison family. It portrayed Saluki mascot Grey Dawg comforting Q-Man, a tribute to

Morrison’s SIU roots.

The smaller framed drawing was inspired by a famous piece drawn by Disney artists after Muppets creator Jim Henson’s passing in 1990, featuring Mickey Mouse comforting Kermit the Frog in a similar fashion.

“I used that as reference to do a similar photo, but instead of Mickey consoling Kermit, it’s the Saluki Grey Dawg consoling the Quatro-Man,” Selsor said.

For the rest of the afternoon, that photo stood on the same counter where visitors would come by and leave a note; whether it be a memory, a story or simply a farewell message.

Former Carbondale city councilman Lee Fronabarger was one of the first people to arrive when Saturday’s session of the event began at 3 p.m. His note: “Gone too soon my friend, gone too soon. Your spirit will live on in Quatro’s.”

Fronabarger served two separate stints on the city council from 20112017 and 2019-2023, and has been eating at Quatro’s for more than 35 years. Having interacted with Morrison as both a visitor of the restaurant and as a councilman, Fronabarger saw the impact Morrison’s presence had on the city of Carbondale.

“He had so much potential, and you could just see the light in his eye once he took over Quatro’s,” Fronabarger said. “He was so happy to be the owner of Quatro’s finally after working here.”

The former councilman also described Morrison as a big Saluki fan. In fact, both Fronabarger and Morrison were together in line for a Jeremy Chinn bobblehead giveaway at the Sept. 2 home opener for Saluki football.

“He was a good Carbondale citizen,” Fronabarger said. “We’re certainly going to miss him.

Along with leaving a note for the family, Fronabarger spent some time looking over a tri-fold display featuring photos of Morrison through all stages of life, from baby photos to graduation

day and everywhere in between.

“It feels great to see all the pictures,” Fronabarger said. “I didn’t know a whole lot about his family and younger years, so it’s nice to see the photos of his life there.”

Both the Morrison family and Quatro’s have received an outpouring of support in the days following Blake Morrison’s passing. During a difficult time, the positivity that has come from moments like these, events like these, is invaluable in what will certainly be an emotional journey onward.

“It’s been overwhelming, in a good and bad way,” Jocelyn Morrison said. “It’s been good seeing just how many people he’s touched and been connected to.”

News editor Brandyn Wilcoxen can be reached at bwilcoxen@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @BrandynWilcoxen.

Former Carbondale city councilman Lee Fronabarger observes the memorial for Blake Morrison which consists of flowers, drawings and several pictures of different moments from his life Sept. 23, 2023 at the former Jerry’s Flower Boutique in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

The memorial for Quatro’s owner Blake Morrison is hosted in the former flower shop next door to the Carbondale staple restaurant Sept. 23, 2023 at the former Jerry’s Flower Boutique in Carbondale, Illinois. The event was put together by students at SIU’s Ad Lab who assisted Morrison in the Quatro’s Marketing. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Quatro’s employees Aliyah Bendix (left) and Liz Forassiepi (right) sign a poster dedicated to Quatro’s family in remembrance of owner Blake Morrison at the interactive memorial Sept. 23, 2023 at the former Jerry’s Flower Boutique in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Community Calendar

Wednesday Sept. 27

OUT Free Forum, Morris Library

11:00 AM-1:00 PM

LIB First Floor Rotunda

LIB Hall and Presidents and Chancellors

Contact: Kelsey Tuthill, kelsey.tuthill@siu.edu

Campus Wide Copier Demo

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Student Center Ohio

Contact: Sue Zamora, Susan.Zamora@siu.edu

Farmers Market

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Student Center The Exchange

Public- Campus Life

Contact: Kent Epplin, kepplin@siu.edu

Homecoming Blood Drive Sign Up

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Student Center North Table #3

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

Ancestral Healing Lecture Series

1:00 PM - 3:30 PM

LIB Guyon Auditorium

Contact: Mildred Williams, mildred@siu.edu

$1 Night Bowling and $2 Night Billiards

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Student Center Bowling

Contact: Nick Bowen, nb766@siu.edu

Thursday, Sept. 28

Campus Wide Copier Demo

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Student Center Ohio

Contact: Sue Zamora, Susan.Zamora@siu.edu

Transfer Student Welcome Event

4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Student Center Illinois

Contact: Gena Albert, gena.albert@siu.edu

$7 Cosmic Bowling

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Student Center Bowling

Contact: Nick Bowen, nb766@siu.edu

Soccer Game SIU vs Evansville

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM (CT)

LEW Track and Field Complex

Contact: Saluki Athletics, SIUTicketOffice@siu.edu

Friday, Sept. 29

Campus Wide Copier Demo

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Student Center Ohio

Contact: Sue Zamora, Susan.Zamora@siu.edu

Heros Ribbon Cutting

7:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Student Center Heros

Contact: Kent Epplin, kepplin@siu.edu

Heros Ribbon Cutting

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Student Center SC - HEROES

Contact: Kent Epplin, kepplin@siu.edu

Japanese Table Weekly Meeting

3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Student Center Kaskaskia/Missouri

Contact: Mathew Smith, mathewsmith32@siu.edu

SPC Movie Night

4:00 PM - 10:15 PM

OUT Shryock Steps

Contact: Sean Cooney, seandvcooney@siu.edu

Parents vs Students Softball Game

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

West Field

Contact: Mildred Williams, mildred@siu.edu

Yoga and Meditation

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

OUT Free Forum (Morris Library)

Contact: Digvijay Verma, digvijay.verma@siu.edu

Volleyball Game SIU VS Evansville University

6:00PM - 8:30PM

Davies Hall 210 Large Gym

Contact: Saluki Athletics, SIUTicketOffice@siu.edu

Saturday, Sept. 30

Football Game SIU vs Missouri State

4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Stadium Field

Contact: Saluki Athletics, SIUTicketOffice@siu.edu

Volleyball Game SIU vs Indiana State University

5:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Davies Hall 210 Large Gym

Contact: Saluki Athletics, SIUTicketOffice@siu.edu

Guest Piano Recital Kevin Hampton and Yuko Kato

7:00 PM - 9:30 PM

OBF Recital Hall 104

Contact: Yuko Kato, yukokato@siu.edu

Sunday, Oct. 1

Contact Us

Email: editor@dailyegyptian.com

Faculty Managing Editor: Annie Hammock ahammock@dailyegyptian.com

Editor-in-Chief: Cole Daily cdaily@dailyegyptian.com

Design Chief: Peyton Cook pcook@dailyegyptian.com

Photo Editor: Lylee Gibbs lgibbs@dailyegyptian.com

News/Sports Editor: Brandyn Wilcoxen bwilcoxen@dailyegyptian

Digital Editor: Logan Brown lbrown@dailyegyptian.com

Business Manager: Jessica Guthrie jguthrie@dailyegyptian.com

Ad Chief: Makena Masterson mmasterson@dailyegyptian

Men’s Basketball

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Davies Hall 210 Large Gym

Temporary Contact: 618-536-2431

SUNDAY FUNDAY $6 Unlimited Bowling

3:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Student Center Bowling

Contact: Nick Bowen, nb766@siu.edu

Monday, Oct. 2

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.

Homecoming Banner

7:00 AM-10:00 PM

Student Center Banner - 2nd Floor Corker Balcony

Contact: Sean Cooney, seandvcooney@siu.edu

$6 Unlimited Bowling

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Student Center Bowling

Contact: Tracy Schreiner, 618-453-2803

Tuesday, Oct. 3

Copyright Information

@2023 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.

World Language Day

7:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Student Center Vermillion

Contact: Rachel Wolters, rachelw@siu.edu

SIU Concert Choir & Wind Ensemble Presents “PRISM: Order and Chaos”

7:00 PM - 9:30 PM

SHRY Auditorium

Contact: Christopher Morehouse, cmoreh@siu.edu

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

What’s in a name: Faner Hall

Christopher Allen-MuhAMMAd Guest reporter

There is a building on campus at SIU that is very well known as a maze, a labyrinth. The famous rumor states that you can’t go from one end of the building to the other without going outside, with many twists, turns and steps along the way.

Most easily described as odd, it’s made entirely out of concrete, now worn-down and dark gray in color. Old black streak marks and heavy mold stains can be seen prominently at the top of the building. The structure stands four stories tall and measures 914 feet in length, stretching further than the Titanic. It is the campus divide; in one direction is the newer side of campus, in the other is the historic SIU.

This is Faner Hall: site of conspiracy theories, ghost stories and questionable architecture.

Built in 1974, the structure was originally called the Humanities and Social Services Building, but later had its name changed in honor of respected SIU English teacher of 37 years, Robert Faner. The building is of the brutalist design style. Brutalism architecture, first coming on the scene during the 1950’s, is a style purposefully made to look blocky and rough on the eyes. Generally speaking, Brutalism architecture is made completely out of concrete. Famous architect Robert Geddes designed Faner Hall.

Faner’s offices can be described as “cells” of some sort, as they are compact and small. The initial reaction to the completion of Faner Hall in 1974 wasn’t all that great. Students didn’t care much for the building, and as such, splattered paint on walls. Some streaks remain visible.

Faner was no easy task to complete. During construction, some of the parts for Faner were put together off campus, and then later brought in, because SIU did not have enough room to store the materials.

A tragedy took place on March 6,

CONTINUED FROM 3

I had mentioned in my article in September 2022 that the next two games of the rivalry would not only be some of the best in its long history, but would end in the exact same fashion with the

1972, when a crane overload resulted in the death of one student while also injuring two others. Some people believe the building is haunted.

There is also the conspiracy theory that Faner Hall was built to be riot-proof. Betty Mitchell, a retired SIU teacher and member of the committee team that helped in the creation of Faner Hall, said the committee never considered the possibility of riots when the plans for Faner were in motion.

Faner Hall today is used in multiple ways, and has a couple notable designations. It is the building in which many students need to complete their core curriculum classes. It is also home to the College of Liberal Arts. Other departments there include criminology and criminal justice, communications studies and Africana studies.

The building has three sections that divide the building, supposedly to make navigation easier. The first section, A-wing, is located closest to the Student Center. A-wing classrooms are labeled in red. B-wing, or the middle section has the College of Liberal Arts located within. Classrooms in this wing are labeled in yellow. C-wing most notably has the university museum, now known as the Sharp Museum.

Some of the most interesting spots found within Faner are the balconies to nowhere, the stairway to heaven and Dorothy Garden.

The balconies to nowhere are chained and blocked off. The stairway to heaven is a hidden stairway located in the middle of the building, one of those places you have to know even exists before you see it.

Dorothy Garden is considered by many as the most beautiful part of Faner. It is a circular hidden garden with benches, located outside of C-wing. Many see it as a respite from all that ugliness.

SIU student Christopher AllenMuhammed can be reached at christopher.muhammed@siu.edu

the play on video, as well as the entire drive. I also filmed the team’s celebration as they stormed the field and ran straight for the wheel. It was an experience I could have only watched from afar if I had been anywhere else but field level.

The War for the Wheel – only

deliver with instant classic after instant classic.

I have been told that the wheel was once again banged up after this year’s locker room celebration. Over the years, it is likely inevitable that the trophy will suffer damage, either from intense jubilation or gradual wear and tear. Every mark, every scuff, every dent and certainly every broken piece will serve as a symbol of the rivalry.

Even though the trophy is in its relative infancy, the players hoisting it are adding to an immense legacy. Every mark on the wheel is a reminder of the war it took to earn it. The war that has been fought 91 times by generations of student athletes. Players born in the nineteenth century started the legacy that those born in the twenty-first century now continue.

again. After just two entries in a centurylong feud, my mark on this rivalry from a journalism perspective is over.

But that’s the nature of college sports. The same can be said for quarterback Nic Baker, who led the offense for three of the 91 matchups. His legacy in this game is tremendous, and it is finite. When the next starting quarterback takes the first snap of the 92nd war for the wheel, he will be carrying on that legacy that Baker and many others before him left behind.

When the 2024 Salukis go to defend the wheel at Saluki Stadium, they will see the broken spoke. They will remember the wars that Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri State have gone through, not just in the past six years,

but throughout the entire histories of both schools.

And then, they will create history of their own. They will play the Redhawks again, just as they have always done, and they will create magical moments. It might not be with 11 seconds left, and it might not set school records, but it will still be just as significant. Because they will have left every piece of them they can give on the field, in order to join that legacy.

Sports editor Brandyn Wilcoxen can be reached at bwilcoxen@dailyegyptian. com or on Twitter at @BrandynWilcoxen

roles reversed, my editor would have immediately sent it back for a rewrite.

And yet, it happened. I would know. I was on the sidelines for it, because Houck Stadium’s press box was inaccessible due to renovations.

Because of that, I was able to capture

being called that since the trophy’s establishment in 2018 – has been going on in an official capacity since 1913. Sometimes, when a sport – and specifically, one matchup – is played long enough, it feels like everything has happened. And yet, the war continues to

I will be graduating this December, and I’ve thought a lot about my relationship with college sports as a soon-to-be former student. Once I walk across that stage, I will graduate to becoming a forever fan of the Salukis. But, as a writer, my impact on Southern Illinois University will be limited to just the years I have attended here. Depending on my future path, I might never cover the War for the Wheel

Sydney Shaw walks briskley to her next class Oct. 19, 2022 at Faner Hall in Carbondale, Ill. “Walking through the woods during the fall has been so pretty,” Shaw said. @kelsey.mckee_photography

“Depending on my future path, I might never cover the War for the Wheel again. After just two entries in a centurylong feud, my mark on this rivalry from a journalism perspective is over.”

- Brandyn Wilcoxen

NIL taking shape for student athletes at SIU

For more than a century, the NCAA’s use of the term ‘amateurism’ was a catalyst in preventing student athletes from profiting off of their name, image and likeness (NIL). But a Supreme Court decision found this policy to be illegal on June 21, 2021, and ten days later on July 1, the NCAA approved athletes in college to monetize their NIL. When the legislation was passed, it gave new enthusiasm for those competing in collegiate sports.

“I was excited coming in…I think it’s a good thing for college athletes,” SIU basketball center Cade Hornecker said.

He was preparing to enter his senior year at Amarillo High School in Texas when the news was announced. He said he knows players at other colleges and held big roles on their respective teams and have nothing to show for it, but that does not have to be the case anymore.

“I feel like that’s always been the thing for college athletes, specifically, is like ‘you’re the face of the program or the face of the school’ and you’re seeing no money from it,” Hornecker said.

When the NIL deal went into effect, it hit the ground running immediately with hundreds of athletes across the nation beginning to sign endorsement deals.

The laws initially were only allowed in certain states including Florida, Illinois and Texas. In those areas, we saw the top stars in college sports begin to announce they were selling their own merchandise and

collaborating with brands for sponsorships.

For Sam Dodd, a player on the SIU women’s soccer team, it wasn’t clear what allowing NIL meant, but these deals she began to see definitely piqued her interest.

“I was initially very confused,” Dodd said. “…and then once I saw people taking advantage of it, I started to become interested and wanted to learn more about it and how I could become involved.”

But a strong argument against NIL showed its face here, as opportunities like the ones being publicized aren’t accessible for every collegiate athlete in the country.

“Unless you’re at like a big, high, major school or a Power Five school, then NIL wasn’t really that much of a thing,” Hornecker said.

This was specifically the case for SIU, as collectives created for providing NIL opportunities didn’t take shape until fall of 2022. It began with the Saluki Football Alliance, in which football players got involved in the community working with different businesses in the area and alumni. Fans also could donate to support the college football team.

But there were still barriers that prevented a full-fledged NIL outbreak on the Carbondale campus.

“The current environment, both legal and legislative, prevents us from providing a more permanent solution and the level of detail student athletes deserve,” NCAA president Mark Emmert said in a 2021 statement announcing the policy.

Although not as lucrative as deals seen at larger universities, it was a start for SIU to begin to support their student athletes. It led to another collective the following semester on March 27, when Saluki men’s basketball stepped into the NIL spotlight with the FloorburnU collective.

“The creation of NIL FloorburnU allows our student athletes to enjoy that rich experience, while also maximizing their market potential,” SIU basketball head coach Bryan Mullins said at the collective’s announcement.

It provided a renewed eagerness about the future of NIL in Carbondale.

“With the collective starting up, me and my teammates are really excited about how they’re going to help us out this year, and possible other opportunities in the community that are going to be presented because of that,” Hornecker said.

Collectives like the Saluki Football Alliance and FloorburnU were initiatives SIU helped form for their athletes. Even though they didn’t begin as quickly as bigger schools, the effort is appreciated.

“I think it has gotten better…as time has gone on, I think the SIU athletic staff has done better with helping athletes get deals,” Dodd said.

FloorburnU is partnered with Opendorse, an athlete marketplace and technology company. Chris Schoemann has worked in the NCAA for more than 30 years, and helped lead the formation of this collective. With his experience, he believes that Southern Illinois provides a great opportunity for the athletes and fans in the community.

“For a city and alumni base as relationshiporiented as Carbondale and SIU, it seems only fitting that the community has come together in this way,” Schoemann said at the collective’s reveal. “We could not be more excited to be working with this institution.”

Although the initial funds for this collective are going towards men’s basketball, it was described as being dedicated towards supporting all student athletes at SIU. Hornecker believes that if this plan is successful with the basketball team, there will be a trickle-down effect into the other sports around campus.

“I think when people see it working for us, other superfans of other sports will be like ‘if they can help out them [the men’s basketball team], then maybe we’re gonna help out the women’s basketball team, the women’s soccer team,’” Hornecker said.

This money won’t come to fruition

immediately, but the efforts put forth by the university are intended to spread to all 16 sports at SIU so every student athlete can profit off of their name, image and likeness.

“I think we’re off to a good start honestly. It’s a really hard thing to figure out with so many teams on campus and a lot of student athletes, but I think that they’re headed in the right direction with this collective,” Hornecker said.

With an athlete’s tedious schedule, they don’t have the opportunity to work part-time jobs while still needing to find a source for income.

“It helps us because we have no time to work…to be able to make ends meet, paying for rent, buying food and things like that,” Hornecker said.

In fact, they are essentially working jobs without compensation, and deals in which athletes in college sports can monetize their name, image and likeness allow them to market themselves as brands and make money while competing in their sport.

“Everyone always says how college athletics is like a full-time job, so I think athletes should start jumping onto the opportunity to make money from their platform and name,” Dodd said.

Dodd has found several NIL ventures through social media, which she believes is an avenue that more student athletes should look into.

“I have gotten a decent amount of NIL deals, some bigger than others,” Dodd said.

“But I would say a majority of the deals that I have gotten are through my own personal socials and my own networking, when I reach out to companies or they reach out to me personally, not necessarily through SIU.”

Student athletes can can grow as a brand or business while simultaneously growing in their sport in order to make the most of their time in college, Dodd said.

“I think social media nowadays is a lot more powerful than most may think, so the main thing I can think of is social media platforms allowing athletes to kind of promote themselves on issues media accounts,” she said.

“It helps the public get to know the athlete, as well as endorsement brands.”

While SIU said it is doing its due diligence to support all of the student athletes on campus, it will take time, and there are other ventures that athletes can partake in so they can bring in some of the money they help bring in.

Editor Howard Woodard can be reached at hwoodard@dailyegyptian.com

Howard woodard Hwoodard@dailyegyptian com

Yarauseth Zavala | yzavala@dailyegyptian.com

SIU Farmer’s Market

Assorted flowers, fruits, and vegetables located at the SIU Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois on September 13, 2023.

Photos by Janiyah Gaston| @janiyah_reports

Rachel Miller sets up produce display at SIU’s Farmers Market . “This is all funded by the Green Fund fee that is charged to students for tuition. So this is our kind of way of giving back to the students and fresh produce,” Miller said.

Produce and flowers on display at SIU’s Farmers Market. “They’re grown off campus as part of the 2000 acres that the SIU Farms has in production,” Miller said.

Bouquets of flowers on display at SIU’s Farmers Market.

Miriamm Martinez holds a bouquet of flowers at SIU’s Farmers Market.