Is SIU Aviation expanding to Springfield? Plan in early stages, leaders say
LyLee Gibbs LGibbs@daiLyeGyptian com
Carbondale leaders said a plan to expand SIU’s popular aviation program to Springfield is in its early stages, despite reporting in the Illinois Times that said SIU had “committed” to expanding SIU Aviation to the capital.
Following the Aug. 22 article, Carbondale leaders said the expansion plans are in their early stages. Though the Illinois Times story quoted SIU
President Daniel Mahony and SIUC College of Health and Human Sciences Dean Robert Morgan discussing details for the expansion, the same leaders told the Daily Egyptian that it’s not a done deal. According to Illinois Times, Morgan said that SIU plans to partner with Lincoln Land Community College and that the program would start with two airplanes, three employees and 10 to 15 students.
“The article put us ahead of our skis and we really just tried to slow things down and help anybody that had concerns understand that we’re still a long ways away,” Morgan — whose college houses SIU Aviation — told the Daily Egyptian in an interview following the article. “We don’t know
Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
if this is a done deal. We’re doing a feasibility study here to assess rather this is practical. Can we manage it? Can we do it safely? Can we do it with
the quality that we want to ensure, the same quality that we expect here on our Carbondale campus?”
The conversation began in
Swayed by fame?
2016 when the Springfield Airport Authority reached out to the university about a potential
AVIATION | 3
How celebs influence elections
Coyotes thrash Salukis to open Missouri Valley Conference play
nick pfannkuche
npfannkuche@daiLyeGyptian com
Already down three scores early in the second quarter, the Salukis needed a stop to swing the momentum their way and begin mounting a comeback. They could not get the stop they needed, as the South Dakota running back was able to run the ball 24 yards, untouched, to the endzone to sink the deficit to 28.
“Nothing was good enough,” SIU Coach Nick Hill said.
Saluki football played their first Missouri Valley Conference football game of the season on Saturday, Sept. 28, as they traveled to Vermillion, South Dakota to take on the Coyotes of the University of South Dakota. The Salukis finished their first conference play 0-1 with a final score of 42-13.
The Salukis took the ball first, but a pair of sacks caused them to go threeand-out and give South Dakota a short field to work with.
USD relied on their running game on their first possession, handing the ball off eight times for 22 yards. The drive was capped off with a one-yard touchdown run from Travis Theis, getting the Coyotes on the board first. SIU picked up a first down, but a pair of incompletions and a run for no gain forced another punt.
South Dakota stuck with the run on their next series, gaining 67 yards on the ground before Charles Pierre Jr. punched one in from eight yards out, doubling the Coyote lead.
On Aug. 20, Taylor Swift drew over 90,000 people to Wembley Stadium for the final show of the Eras Tour European leg. Three weeks later, she drew over 400,000 people to a voter registration website. Following the presidential debate on Sept. 10, Swift took to Instagram to announce to her 284 million followers that she would be voting for Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming election. She also encouraged people to register to vote, and her corresponding story shared a link to vote.gov, which directs users to their state-specific
election websites. The website is managed by the General Services Administration, whose spokesperson announced 405,999 users had visited through Swift’s link in the 24 hours after she posted it, according to CBS News.
As the presidential candidates prepare for their biggest performance on Nov. 5, many celebrities have rallied in the wings. From singer Billie Eilish announcing her support for Harris on Instagram to WWE wrestler Hulk Hogan calling former President Donald Trump a hero at the Republican National Convention, Hollywood’s biggest
carLy Gist cGist@daiLyeGyptian com CELEBS INFLUENCE | 4
The Salukis worked their way into Coyote territory off a 25-yard completion from Hunter Simmons to Keontez Lewis, but a pair of incompletions forced yet another SIU punt.
The success of the running game opened up the USD passing game. On a play action pass, Aidan Bouman hit JJ Galbreath in stride for an 80yard touchdown to make it a 21-point Coyote advantage.
Needing an answer, badly, SIU still couldn’t put anything together and punted.
South Dakota would work quickly again, getting into the Saluki end zone
COYOTES 10
Linda Flowers poses for a portrait while at a voting registration booth in the Morris Library Sept. 26, 2024 at SIU in Carbondale, Illinois. Flowers is president of the Carbondale branch of NAACP which organized the voting registration booth. Enan Chediak | @enanchediak
Sophomore aviation student Joshua Vargas checks the wing of a Cessna 172 plane as he runs through his preflight checklist for an upcoming night flight Sept. 30, 2024 at the SIU School of Aviation in Murphysboro, Illinois.
Women of Action Ceremony recognizes local impact
AnnAlise schmidt Aschmidt@dAilyegyptiAn com
The Women of Action Awards ceremony, held at Morris Library on Sept. 23, brought together community members and leaders to honor exceptional women making a difference in both the SIU community and the broader Carbondale area. The event highlighted the important roles women play in driving progress and fostering inclusivity.
Renada Greer, a co-host of the event and executive director of the Student Multicultural Resource Center and TRiO Student Support Services, emphasized the oftenoverlooked contributions of women in various movements for diversity, equity and inclusion.
“We often ask people to support and to fight for a cause, but often overlook the people who are doing
AVIATION
expansion for one of the university’s most popular programs, Morgan said. Preliminary discussions between the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, the interim school director and chief flight instructor occurred for over two years, until COVID halted the proposal. The dean and the Springfield airport revisited the plan in spring 2023, and it has been in a feasibility assessment since, according to Morgan.
“It’s premature to say there’s an expansion to Springfield. We’re not there yet,” Morgan said.
On Aug. 20, the Springfield Airport Authority Board of Commissioners voted to spend $480,000 to renovate a space to accommodate the proposed program, which is an independent decision from SIU’s decision process on the matter, according to SIU System Executive Director of Marketing & Communications Catie Sheehan.
Documents provided to The Daily Egyptian in response to a FOIA request included build-out plans for an SIU Aviation facility at the Springfield airport that showed classroom space and offices as well as a timeline for the build-out.
Morgan told The Daily Egyptian that the plans were hypothetical and were designed with input from SIU faculty so that if the program expands, facilities would be laid out the way they want.
The Illinois Times article raised concerns for members of the southern Illinois area, including 58th District Illinois Sen. Terri Bryant. A meeting occurred that included Mahony, SIU Board of Trustees Chairman Phil Gilbert, Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane and multiple local legislators.
“I guess we were a little bit taken aback whenever we heard that all of a sudden that it was going to be expanding to Springfield with no, you know, we didn’t get a heads up or any kind of explanation, not that the school has to do that, but no, we’re
the work, which are sometimes, most often, women,” she said.
“Throughout history, women have led the charge in many movements that involve diversity, equity and inclusion. We have the pleasure of honoring those women right here, right now, in our communities.”
The event has grown since its inception, now celebrating its fourth year, and has reached more women in the community than in past years.
Greer said, “I’m always amazed by how surprised women are that they’ve been nominated and that somebody recognizes their work… They don’t make a lot of noise around it. They’re in the schools. They’re trying to close the achievement gaps and the equity gaps, and they see the needs of students, of people in the community.”
responsible for oversight and also for making sure that the funding is available,” Bryant said.
Local legislators learned about the potential expansion through the Springfield-based Illinois Times a week before the meeting was called, Bryant said.
“I sent it out to the other legislators down here, and said, ‘Does anybody know anything about this? Because this is the first I’m hearing of it,’” Bryant said. “So not one southern Illinois legislator knew anything about it.”
Mahony was the lead source in the article that many interpreted to be a confirmation on the expansion.
“There’s a process we have to go through and we haven’t finished that process yet, and I can’t completely control how things are perceived by people who read articles.” Mahony said.
Though this article was news to many in southern Illinois on the possibility of an expansion, it was not the first the Illinois Times had reported on it. A similar article announcing the possibility came out a year prior in May of 2023 and mentioned that while the proposal was in the “earliest phase” the Springfield Chamber of Commerce was expecting a formal announcement from SIU within two months.
Springfield became a potential partner for the university’s flight program for a number of reasons including the nationwide need for pilots, according to Morgan. The potential Springfield expansion plans to target a group of students who wouldn’t or are unable to relocate to Carbondale. The state’s capital was not the first location to take interest in the campus.
“So, we get a lot of people every year that want us to expand into their areas. I can’t tell you how many we’ve turned out because we just thought, no, we don’t want to do that,” Lane said.
Mahony told the Illinois Times that Springfield was a candidate for expansion because there is a
The Women of Action Awards not only honor the achievements of the recipients but also highlight the collective impact of women working together to create positive change.
“I like the idea that one woman will touch another woman, who will touch another woman, who will recognize another woman, and will empower another woman,” Greer said.
Bethany Peppers, co-host of the event and assistant director of Student Involvement and Leadership for the Office of Student Engagement, said that many of the women who work at SIU also live in Carbondale, so they wanted to have a moment to come together and to celebrate all the work that is being done across the area.
“We really get the nominees from the community and from SIU,”
lack of space in southern Illinois to accommodate the growing rate of students looking to earn a degree in one of the most popular programs at the university. However, a growing program that stays rooted in southern Illinois is still open for discussion.
“We just had a meeting this week,” Morgan said. “The aviation team met with [Southern Illinois Airport Director] Gary Schaefer and his colleague, Alyssa Connell, out there about possible expansion for the program here. They’re looking at doing some joint fundraising efforts, submitting grants to develop some funding for additional hangar space. So we’re engaged in expansion at both the local and at least for now, potentially, the Springfield area.”
Aviation has been on a steady enrollment increase since 2015, having nearly doubled its enrollment numbers to 680 for the 2024-2025 academic year. Since the spring of 2023, the program has engaged in a feasibility assessment on the possibility of expansion.
“When an institution or a group reaches down, we’re always willing to look at it and see what can we do to serve students,” Morgan said. “You know, we’re an accessible university, and sometimes that means taking our education to students, as opposed to being accessible to them here.”
Mahony wrote to Springfield Airport Authority Board of Commissioners Chair Frank Vala on Dec. 18, 2023 that the intention is to have a program ready for “soft launch” by fall of 2025. This included having anywhere from five to 12 students in the program come next year.
“I’m not involved with that process on a regular basis, but I know it needs to go through faculty approval processes, state approval processes,” Mahony told the Daily Egyptian. “Whenever you’re expanding a program to a new location, there’s extra approvals that you have to have to do that.”
Bryant, who serves on the Illinois Senate’s higher education
Peppers said. “We know that there’s no way that we know every woman who is doing such great work, so we do a wide call out to get as many as we can. And that’s one of the best parts, reading all the nominations and seeing the great, tremendous strides being made in the community and on campus.”
Five categories of achievement were recognized at this year’s ceremony. All nominees were also recognized.
Ascend Award: This award honors women who have served at SIU for under five years and recognizes their achievements as potential future leaders within their profession.
Peppers said, “This rising star has a positive impact on women on campus and the broader community. She furthers their ability to lead and inspire the next generation of women leaders, a woman who uses her voice
to raise the bar for women to be seen, heard and valued.”
The award was presented to Sherrica Hunt, who serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the SIU Foundation, having joined the organization in 2022. Her nominator highlights her as an organizational leader who is proactive and influential in driving significant changes and initiatives. She said that Hunt’s efforts with the foundation, particularly in securing funds for transformative projects, are crucial, especially her work with Women’s Weekend.
Hunt said, “I always try to encourage not only myself, but other young women. I have been motivated. I have a nine-year-old daughter. Just to
appropriations committee, believes that financing is an issue for aviation on their expansion. Every university took major line item cuts, according to Bryant, and she said she thinks SIU took a 12% cut in state funding.
“They were first saying that this was going to happen like in the school year, ‘25-‘26 so next school year, I don’t even know how that would be possible to make that happen,” Bryant said. “Somebody’s gonna have to show me as they start to actually move this idea forward where that money’s gonna come from, because they’re not going to get more funding from the state. There isn’t any.”
In a March 25, 2024 email to Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport Director Mark Hanna, Morgan wrote “We are continuing to move forward on our end. I know Stellar (Aviation) was still trying to locate a couple of planes for us given the state isn’t coming through on those requested planes.”
Morgan told The Daily Egyptian that the city of Springfield through the Chamber of Commerce requested from the state unused airplanes on SIU’s behalf. He said that if the program expands, two airplanes would
need to go to Springfield, however Morgan said he has not spoken to the chief flight instructor regarding how the planes would get there or where they would come from.
To stay on track to soft launch the program next fall, the aviation program has to ensure that faculty is on board and they have the correct combination of revenue, according to Lane.
For the expansion to happen, the plan needs to first go through the faculty, the Faculty Senate, SIU System office, the SIU Board of Trustees and then the Illinois Board of Higher Education, Morgan said.
Mahony said he thinks there is some concern that the expansion is a bigger move away from Carbondale than it really is. Carbondale will remain the main location for SIU aviation, Lane said.
“Carbondale will always be the home,” Lane said. “It will always be the marquee program. It will always be the program that we support financially. And it’s a traditional age aviation program.”
Editor-in-Chief Lylee Gibbs can be reached at lgibbs@dailyegyptian.com
Aviation student Orlando Alas looks out the window from the pilot’s seat of a Boeing 737-200 plane that was donated to SIU in 1999 by United Airlines Sept. 30, 2024 at SIU School of Aviation in Murphysboro, Illinois. Alas is a member of the Aircraft Restoration Association RSO who meet once a week to do maintenance on the aircraft. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
stars have been speaking up for what they believe in.
But can celebrity endorsements really influence the outcome of this election?
According to John Shaw, director of SIU’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, it’s a double-edged sword.
“Celebrities, they can, as I say, generate interest, raise money, do events, hold fundraising events,” Shaw said. “So I think, as a candidate, if you can get a celebrity endorsement, it’s good, [but] you got to be a little careful, because some of them are not always hewing to the script.”
He said celebrities can often say things that do not follow the message a politician is promoting, and many are labeled controversial.
“I think the bottom line is, if you can get celebrity endorsements, I think it’s good…They can be helpful,” he said. “But I don’t think you should base your campaign on or, you know, devote an extraordinary amount of time and energy trying to corral celebrity endorsements.”
Sakshi Bhati, a professor of public relations and leadership in communication studies at SIU, said endorsements from celebrities can “go south quickly.”
“There’s this one big con that if this celebrity has a bad rep in the media today, something that they did in recent past that has changed their image and how people see them, and they have done endorsement in the recent past, that can also negatively impact the endorsement,” she said.
Bhati pointed to the recent arrests of rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Since Combs was arrested on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges, his past political connections have resurfaced. An article from USA Today highlighted interactions from both presidential candidates, including a 2012 video from a reality game show, in which Trump called Combs a “good friend” and “good guy”, and a 2020 tweet from Harris, in which she thanked Combs for hosting a town hall on racial inequities and health disparities.
Bhati said the candidates have “really good PR teams,” however.
“They know how to get through such hard times when the celebrity endorsements can go south,” she said. “They know how to handle it, and they’re well prepared for handling such situations. They’re always ready to do some crisis management on it if their endorsements go south.”
The Daily Egyptian surveyed 41 people who self-identified as students, staff, alumni or community members and between the ages of 18 and 64 to see what impact they believe celebrity endorsements have on themselves and their communities. Participants were asked how likely they are to change their vote due to a celebrity they like endorsing a candidate they do not like, as well as how likely they are to change their vote due to a celebrity they dislike endorsing a candidate they like.
In both instances, approximately 88% of participants said they were very unlikely to change their opinion. Yet Ava Steffens, secretary of SIU’s chapter of the
Public Relations Student Society of America, said she believes celebrity endorsements can have an impact on those who are not leaning toward a specific candidate.
“I think if there’s someone who doesn’t really have, like, established views, they’re kind of just more in the middle, has like a combination of both right wing and left wing views, I think they would be a little bit more easily influenced by a PR strategy,” she said.
Additionally, the survey asked respondents if they trust celebrity endorsements more than, less than or the same as endorsements from activists and other political figures.
73.2% of participants said they trusted celebrities less, while 24.4% said they trusted them the same, and only 2.4% said they trusted them more.
Shaw said celebrity endorsements can sometimes send out “a message of elitism and exclusion.”
“For maybe people in middle America, they might be seen as part of this kind of elite culture, you know, wealthy and kind of selfindulgent, which is very distant from our needs,” he said. “It can almost be a little alienating.”
Hannah Connolly, who serves as Student Trustee for the SIU Board of Trustees, offered a different perspective.
“People don’t like to trust politicians or activists, because there’s always an agenda,” she said. “Whereas with a celebrity, everything is put out on social media, and you feel like you know them. Even though it’s very superficial...you’re more likely to trust them because [they] don’t feel like a politician who’s gonna make a decision that might hurt you in the end.”
Survey participants were also asked how strongly they agree or disagree with the following statement: Celebrities should remain neutral when it comes to elections and politics.
Only 29% of survey respondents agreed, while nearly half disagreed.
“I think it is a good thing for artists to, in my personal view, talk about political and social issues, because they do have such a wide audience, and they do have such a wide influence,” Steffens said, adding that doing so can make artists “seem a little bit more in touch.”
Linda Flowers, president of the Carbondale Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), said she thinks it is important that “we all speak up.”
“I think it’s important for all of us, because ‘I’m a celebrity,’ for instance, does that mean I lose my right as an American citizen who feels the election is important, that I lose my right to speak out?” she said.
She said the organization believes it is our duty as citizens to “be involved.”
“We’re not concerned with registering if you’re Democrat, Republican, who you’re going to vote for, but we think it’s important that we all get involved, because it’s our civic responsibility,” she said.
Flowers said there was not a specific celebrity she was pleased to see endorsing candidates, although “the more the merrier.”
“They all have different audiences, different outreach to different populations,” she said.
Many media outlets have recognized the impact certain celebrities can have on certain demographics. Julia Reinstein of ABC News said Swift could sway white
Harris, but is “not settling for what has been offered.”
From a PR standpoint, Bhati recognized this as a “mini crisis.”
“People who actively are a fan, now that she has said that, will continue to dig up dirt from the past about their identity,” she said. “And PR teams always are trying to protect the celebrities or people that they’re working [for] from that to happen, so they have to come with cleaner statements.”
She added, “She’s showing support, and she’s taken a stance on who she’s voting for at this point, but it happens all the time. It’s just, in this political mess, people are trying to also protect themselves. They’re trying to be candid as much as possible and be more neutral but they also know, and their PR teams know, that their voice has a lot of impact.”
In terms of impact, Shaw said he believes it is unlikely that celebrity endorsements will sway the outcome of the election.
“I don’t think it’s going to have a huge impact. It’s not going to shift the polls dramatically…It could energize some young voters. Could give some people, you know, a little bit more interest in politics,” he said.
women. Jesús Rodríguez and Sabrina Rodriguez noted the influence Bad Bunny could have on Puerto Rican and Latino voters in an article for the Washington Post.
Steffens said it depends on the artist and their audience. She brought up Chappell Roan, a singer-songwriter with a large audience of LGBTQ+ fans.
“She is outspoken about her views and her beliefs and what she wants and what she wants in a president,” Steffens said. “She has such a large audience of LGBTQ people that I think it would make sense for her to promote a candidate, or a political figure, or an issue that is in support of LGBTQ rights, because that’s her whole thing. That’s her audience’s whole thing.”
Roan recently spoke about politics in an interview with The Guardian, mentioning that she encourages people to “vote small” and for what’s happening in their city. However, she also said she did not “feel pressured to endorse someone” as “there’s problems on both sides.”
Roan’s statement received backlash online, and she later took to TikTok to clarify her words. On Sept. 25, she revealed she would be voting for
He emphasized that endorsements “might be more important during primaries, in which you have candidates who are not that different,” calling back to 2008, when television personality Oprah Winfrey endorsed Barack Obama over Hilary Clinton.
“When she waded in and endorsed Obama, that was seen as a big moment…There have been several very rigorous studies of this, and they tend to believe that…Oprah’s endorsement might have given him, like, a million votes in the Democratic primaries,” he said.
Connolly said that at the end of the day, when people find themselves in the voting booth, she doesn’t think celebrities will be on their minds.
“I think it’s more of a decision coming from you and what your interests are and what your priorities are,” she said.
Connolly, Flowers, Shaw, Bhati and Steffens all offered a similar sentiment to those who are voting in this upcoming election: do your research and stay informed.
“There is very, very good information out there, but you need to find it,” Shaw said. “...So go to a trusted source…and as you evaluate candidates, make sure what you know is actually truthful.”
News Editor Carly Gist can be reached at cgist@dailyegyptian.com.
Ava Steffens, secretary of SIU’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, poses for a portrait in the Communication Building at SIU in Carbondale, Illinois. Enan Chediak | @enanchediak
SIU student research team using algae
Jamilah lewis Jlewis@dailyegyptian com
Student research team AlgaeUnlocked have been given the opportunity to do research and present on algae and its possible impact on growing crops on the Moon and Mars in a nation-wide competition.
The team was accepted into the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2023-25 Algae Prize competition to present their work on how algae can take in and make use of carbon dioxide and also to see if it has positive agricultural advantages.
The team consists of leading professor Scott Hamliton-Brehm and SIU Students Hannah Phillips, Alex Bechtel, Chatan Singh, Alyssa Zhan and Daniel Snyder. The team sits in the top 15 out of 50 teams nationwide.
“The point was to find a way to efficiently process algae, because current methods are expensive, time intensive, maybe use a lot of water,” Zhang said. “OHD (Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution) circumvents a lot of that, and we’re also looking at possible uses of this processed algae as biofuels and biostimulants.”
In their official abstract for the competition states,“ The resulting dissolved microalgal biomass will be biochemically and chemically available for applications that would unequivocally demonstrate the viability of pairing this new technique with the microalgae industry.”
The team is currently raising money to attend the Algae Biomass Summit in Houston from Oct. 20-22 and the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory from April 11-13 in Golden, Colorado for the chance of being in the final five of the competition.
“For us, we have our biostimulant, and we’re able to apply it to crops. So we have our field study with corn, and we just finished that up on Saturday,” Bechtel said. “We’re coming close to the end of our soybean study that is testing growing soybeans in Martian and lunar regolith. So for farming on the moon and Mars.”
Regolith is rock, dust and other materials that cover the plane of the moon or a planet.
The soybeans are grown in a regolith that is a perfect chemical makeup of the moon and Mars with some having the biostimulant and some having none and growing normally. It’s the same regolith NASA uses to test their rovers.
Corn for their research is grown on the SIU farms while the soybeans are grown in a greenhouse in the Life Science III building.
OHD is the process of taking heat and oxygen and breaking down the carbon chains found in the biomass, said Bechtel. It’s able to break down algae into natural substances and resources.
Bechtel said the biomass is turned into a slurry, pressure is raised to 2000 psi (pounds per square inch) and heated to 280 degrees Celsius. Once heated, the oxidant is added, all converging at once. With this system in place it’s fast and continuous.
Zhang said they’re damaging the cells’ outermost membranes in the algae to get
SIU research team AlgaeUnlocked stand in the Life Science III Greenhouse where their trials on soybeans growing in lunar and Mars regolith are kept Sept. 24, 2024 at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. Emily Brinkman | ebrinkman@dailyegyptian.com
access to them faster with OHD than you would if you were to let it break down naturally over time, making the component more bioavailable in the realm of biostimulants.
The point is to see if the biostimulant can increase yield.
“So the two studies of soybean and the corn are a little bit different. The soybean is pretty much totally devoid of any additional fertilizer, minus what was already in the substrate and whatever is in the OHD product,” Zhang said. “ The cornfield for the controls and the experimental groups, everything was fertilized as per usual with liquid ammonia… prior to planting.”
On the website of the Algae Prize competition, the overview says it’s to challenge students in expanding their knowledge on solutions to production and development algae into a mainstream useful resource.
The ABO Summit is one of the biggest events for algae and seaweed professionals to get and present new found research on the use of algae with carbon dioxide and other environmental issues.
“Just being in the top 15 we get $10,000 to do that and that went to pay for having Thermaquatica, our supporting company processed the algae for us,” HamiltonBrehm said. “Now, if we make it into the top five, we get another $10,000. If we make it to the Grand Champion, get another $15,000, but in order to get to that point, we have to raise some money now.”
Hamilton-Brehm will be doing a
presentation showing off the processed algae to everyone at the summit and Adobe companies, he said.
“The whole world and Adobe companies and maybe a little academia and all that. But algae has been like an old promise since… like the 1950s, 1960s. It was heralded like this. Would be great if we could just take algae and do all these great things,” Hamilton-Brehm said. “Here we are, 2024 haven’t been able to get it to work.”
Algae is considered a liquid plant making it easy for it to suck in CO2 and release oxygen, Hamilton-Brehm said. With the amount of nutrients in algae it could also be food.
“If you were just to put algae in there, they probably wouldn’t release their nutrients on it. It wouldn’t be available to the plant,” Hamilton-Brehm said. “So OHD it will break them open. Now it’s like liquid fuel for the plant.”
If this can help plants grow, then it could be a non-harmful self fulfilling cycle.
“We’re gonna conduct more greenhouse studies, but we’re going to winter now, so I have to worry about the seasons,” said Hamilton-Brehm. “If this does provide a benefit, like, if it causes a farmer to say, yield five more bushels of corn or soybean or something like that, that’s valuable.”
Updates on the competition can be found on the Algae Prize website page.
Staff reporter Jamilah Lewis can be reached at jlewis@dailyegyptian.com.
Hunting and Fishing Days in the rain
Photos taken by Enan Chediak | @enanchediak
Brandon Fortner’s dog Buck jumps into the Super V pool at the Dock Dog Tank at John A. Logan Sept. 28, 2024 at Hunting and Fishing Days in Carterville, Illinois.
David Holt (left) and Terry Crain (right) of Holt and Crain Music perform.
Kolby Tilley from Du Quoin poses for a portrait with a channel catfish that he caught in the pond.
Cindy Donaldson watches the two fawns on display at John A. Logan Sept. 28, 2024 at Hunting and Fishing Days in Carterville, Illinois. The deers were owned by J&S Scents.
Jeff Williamson, the company owner, said that they use the deer to collect deer urine for deer hunters to attract other deers.
Chuck Newman (left) and Lovie Skinner (right) observe fish in a tank on display at John A. Logan College’s Hunting and Fishing Days Sept. 28, 2024 in Carterville, Illinois. Newman traveled from Evansville, Indiana and visited the event with Skinner, who is from Herrin, Illinois.
Rick Wright shows his grandson King Mason how to hold the channel catfish that he caught in the pond.
Halloween Hidden Gem films to give you a fright
Peyton Cook PCook@dailyegyPtain Com
Spooky season is officially here and one question that may be on the mind is “what movie should I watch?” Streaming services remove and add different shows and movies all the time. It can be a challenge to find something, especially a new one.
Based on each category of common horror, monsters are some recommendations in which most are popular but much less mainstream. Each category has three recommendations that follow a pattern of one classic, one modern and one underrated.
Vampire:
The first movie to point out is “Fright Night.” The original “Fright Night” came out in 1985 and is full of classic ‘80s practical effects.
The special effects are unique and go far beyond just fangs and some blood. Their eyes are red and their mouths open much wider. These vampires look much more like monsters than the typical vampire. Yet despite how creepy they look, the movie does not take itself too seriously.
It is a classic ‘80s movie that is campy and fun. It is available to watch on Max. The remake which came out in 2011 takes a more serious tone but is still decent.
A different genre of vampire movies is the film that started the FX show with the same name as the film “What We Do in the Shadows.” Directed by and starring Taika Waititi, the film has laugh out loud dialogue and sets the tone of old vampires in the modern world. It features werewolves as well, who are the target of harassment from the vampires.
So many vampire movies make the tone too serious and make it easy for the film to be boring. This film however pokes fun at common vampire tropes and is a lot like the tv show that it heavily influences.
The comedy does not outshine the effects in the movie. The practical effects are not forgettable. The chase scenes or the scenes in which people get bit are done impressively. This is a perfect horror comedy that can be added to your list and is available to rent for $2.69 on Prime Video.
The first ever feature from the director Guillermo Del Toro, “Cronos” is another film that is not a typical vampire movie. The movie is in Spanish and has a dubbed version as well as a subtitled version.
The thriller centers around a device known as a scarab that is the cause of a vampirelike abilities and needs. The main character, an antique store owner named Jesus Gris, is played by the late Frederico Luppi. He finds the scarab in one of the antiques he bought for his store which sets up the plot of the movie.
The set is beautiful and takes inspiration from Dario Argento, a famous Italian director who directed the classic horror movie “Suspiria” to feature a story full of color despite how sad the tone is. The special effects are much more unique and sets the film apart from the rest of the genre.
The movie contains much symbolism in regard to addiction. Jesus keeps going back to using the scarab which furthers the plot. The comparison is straightforward and is interesting in showing how it affects the character, but may not be suited for all audiences.
Werewolf:
“The Howling” is a movie from 1981. This
is one of the more well-known movies but is not as famous as “An American Werewolf in London.” The special effects are top notch, especially for the detailed transformation. The franchise has an insane total of eight movies. It starts off slow but by the end is definitely worth the wait. The film follows a reporter played by Dee Wallace, who visits a retreat to help her PTSD. This retreat however seems to be more than she bargained for.
The film is available on Prime Video for $6.99.
Imagine a mail carrier, a wealthy couple, a blue collar worker, a businessman and a couple others are stuck in a lodge from a snowstorm. Some end up dead and one is a werewolf. It is up to the Forest Ranger Finn Wheeler played by Sam Richardson in the movie “Werewolves Within.” This is the closest film so far to the game Werewolf and is a fun ride all around.
The characters are well-developed and the dialogue is fun. The set is cool and well-used. It gives the sense that the audience is trapped in the lodge with the characters. The film has its funny moments but uses the set to amplify the emotions that the characters feel.
Lots of werewolf films tend to pay a lot for one transformation that leaves very little for the rest of the movie. This movie doesn’t and while the transformation is not as impressive, it paid off given how the rest of the movie turned out.
Can you guess who the werewolf is?
“Werewolves Within” is available to watch with an AMC+ or Philo subscription.
“Ginger Snaps” is a completely underrated film. The movie had a very low budget but created an impressive piece regardless. The werewolves are much different than a typical werewolf in this film. Instead of turning on every full moon, they turn once and stay as a werewolf forever – a curse that takes their humanity away from them forever.
It follows two sisters, Ginger and Bridgette, in which one gets bit and the other does everything she can to help her. This movie is dark and the sequel is even darker.
The transformation is portrayed as much slower. As it continues Ginger changes not only physically but mentally as well. Traditional werewolf movies do not explore the emotional side as much or they just show how much stronger they are the next day or the regret after the full moon. The transformation process changes her personality and her thoughts. She is mentally and literally becoming a werewolf more and more by the day. The movie and its sequel is available on Prime Video, Peacock and Tubi as well as a few others.
Zombie:
As a movie that defined the zombie genre, “Return of the Living Dead” is as campy as it comes for horror; from the music, to the set, to the zombies themselves. It is the first movie to introduce the idea that zombies want brains.
It is the unofficial sequel to “The Night of the Living Dead” and was created out of an argument, according to “The Complete History of ‘The Return of the Living Dead’” by Christian Sellers and Gary Smart. John Russo and George A. Romero disagreed on how to follow their film and their solution was to separate. Russo decided to make this film while Romero went on to make “Dawn of the Dead.”
While the movie is exaggerated fun and has a lot of funny moments it is very gory and is not suited for all audiences.
The zombies in this film are almost unstoppable. They can take so much damage while still getting up in the end.
Illiustration by: Dena Rendleman | drendleman@dailyegyptian.com
It follows several different groups of characters that eventually come together in the end while also having fun sets and a look at ‘80s counter culture. The movie is available to watch on Prime Video.
The next film is one that is completely off the wall. “Little Monsters” is a film released in 2019 that follows a teacher named Miss Caroline played by Lupita Nyong’o and a musician named Dave played by Alexander England. Dave goes on a field trip with the class and this is where the start of the apocalypse is.
They have to protect the kids from the zombies while also trying not to let the kids think this is really happening. To pretend that it is a game.
Josh Gad, who has played Olaf and many other Disney characters plays a character who is horrific. It is a jaw dropper to say the least. The casting is great and everyone played their roles very well.
When filming a movie that has this much gore and has this young of kids many precautions are set in place. Rules and regulations in regards to this makes it very difficult to film scenes and they worked with those to get it done.
“Quarantine” is a movie from 2008 that is pretty popular. The movie that one is based on is a Spanish film titled “Rec.” It is almost
shot by shot the same but it is important to give recognition to the original.
The movie along with gore has a lot of flashing lights.
The budget for this movie is a pretty low $2 million in regards to the film industry. The shots are very cleverly done and gives the same effect of “Werewolves Within” in how the audience feels trapped with the characters. This movie goes one step further with it being filmed completely through a reporter’s camera man. To have the camera shake and the reporter address it makes it feel a little too real.
The stunts are impressive and work well for the jump scare department. The movie does not rely on jump scares however. The cast was specially cast on their ability to improvise and their reactions to the jump scares are real. It really sets the tone for the movie and makes it that much scarier.
The movie follows a reporter named Ángela Vidal played by Manuela Velasco who was a real reporter and was cast to get the sense of a real reporter.
The film is available to watch for free on Tubi.
Letter to the Editor: make your voting plan
There are 41 million Gen Z voters that can vote in the 2024 General Election on Nov. 5, 2024, with 8.3 million having turned 18 since 2022. The League of Women Voters, a non-partisan national, state, and local organization registering voters for over 100 years encourages new voters and ALL voters to learn about the issues most important to them. Do your research and learn about the candidates’ positions on gun violence, reproductive rights, climate change, making a living wage, housing costs, and student debt relief. Let your voices be heard in this election and every election from now on! It is never too early to consider your rights as a US citizen and make a registration plan and then, your voting plan for this election.
MAKE YOUR REGISTRATION PLAN
Illinois is a state that has excellent registration and voting options. It is important to think NOW about how and when you will register if you aren’t already and how you will cast your vote.
Oct. 8 is the last day to register to vote on paper at a local voter registration drive. After that you must register at the County Clerk’s office or online. Online voter registration through the State Board of Elections website closes Oct. 20, and you may register after that deadline at the County Clerk’s office up through Election Day, Nov. 5.
Yes, it can be somewhat confusing! Questions? The staff at the County Clerks’ offices are ready to help you register. Jackson County Clerk Frank Byrd: 618-6877366; Williamson County Clerk Amanda Barnes: 618998-2110 Don’t wait until the last minute.
COLLEGE STUDENT REGISTRATION AND VOTING
Where to Register: Hometown or College address? College students have a Choice!
Hometown: If you wish to vote as a resident of your hometown, use hometown address when registering and either return home on Election Day, vote early in hometown, or vote by mail. To vote by mail, use hometown address as permanent address and college address as the mailing address to receive your Ballot. Campus: If you wish to register with your campus address, use your college mailing address. Vote early, on Election Day, or vote by mail.
If you are already registered in your hometown but want to vote at college address, update registration using your college address. You may not be registered
in two locations.
Where to Vote: You must vote where you are registered.
MAKE YOUR VOTING PLAN
As a registered voter, there are three options for casting your ballot in the General Election on Nov. 5: Vote in Person on Election Day
Your precinct name and polling place are printed on your voter registration card. If you are unsure of your polling place you can check VOTE411.org or the Illinois Online Voter Registration website (https://ova.elections. il.gov) which will use the info you enter to determine your polling place. You may also vote in person on election day at the county courthouse in Murphysboro (Jackson County) or Marion (Williamson County).
Early Voting
Jackson and Williamson Counties have established early voting locations and times. In Williamson County you may vote early at the courthouse in Marion. Jackson County has early voting locations at the courthouse, Civic Center in Carbondale, and the Student Center at SIU.
Vote by Mail
Previously referred to as “Absentee Voting”, when one needed to provide a reason for not being able to vote on Election Day, now any registered voter may request a ballot to vote by mail with no reason needed! To vote by mail, request an application to Vote by Mail from the County Clerk. You may also request the application from www.elections.il.gov. Complete and mail to your County Clerk. You will receive a ballot and instructions. Your completed ballot may be put in an election drop box or mailed and postmarked on or before Nov. 5, 2024.
If you receive a ballot by mail and then decide you want to vote in person on Election Day, that’s OK, but you must bring in your mail-in ballot. The election judges will have records from the county showing you requested a mail-in ballot. One person, one vote.
When you make your registration and voting plan, please include friends and family and encourage them to make their plans as well. Take a friend to vote. Why go alone when you can take a friend or loved one to vote too?
Every Vote Counts!
Sandy Litecky, President Mary Finley, Voter Services
Jackson County League of Women Voters
editor@dailyegyptian.com
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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!
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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.
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COYOTES
in three plays.
The SIU offense struggled to move the ball and punted.
Hill said, “Offensively, we couldn’t move the ball and score points.”
The Saluki defense did its job on the next USD possession and forced their first punt of the afternoon.
Simmons strung completions together for 42 yards to get the Salukis deep into South Dakota territory. Looking for a touchdown to swing some momentum their way, SIU went for it on fourth and six from the 12, but the pass fell incomplete, giving the ball back to the Coyotes.
USD went three-and-out and an ensuing punt was returned into Coyote territory.
Simmons found Lewis on the first and only play of the drive for a 44yard touchdown to get the Salukis on the board.
With just over a minute left in the first half, Bouman uncorked a deep ball to Quaron Adams for a 61-yard touchdown, getting the Coyote lead back to 28.
On their final drive of the half, SIU got into position for Paul Geelen to try a 52-yard field goal, but the try missed wide right and the teams went to the locker rooms with USD up 35-7.
“We’re not getting a spark from our kicking game,” Hill said.
Out of the break, the teams would go back and forth with a trio of punts.
The Salukis did most of the damage on their next drive with Simmons’ right arm. Simmons completed four passes for 69 yards including a 41-yard completion to Jay Jones and a seven-yard touchdown pass to Colton Hoag. SIU went for the two-point conversion, but wouldn’t be able to convert.
The Coyotes answered back by doing what they had done all afternoon, running the ball effectively. USD ran the ball seven times on the drive for 55 yards, finishing the drive with a 20-yard touchdown run from Theis.
SIU got back into the Coyote redzone, primarily through the air, before turning the ball over on downs inside the USD 10.
South Dakota continued to run the ball, taking more than six minutes off the clock in the process, before punting the ball away.
SIU went three-and-out before South Dakota ran out the rest of the clock, completing their 42-13 victory.
“It’s not a good feeling,” Hill said. SIU will be back at home next Saturday, Oct. 5 to take on the Illinois State Redbirds in their annual Blackout Cancer game.
Sports reporter Nick Pfannkuche can be reached at npfankuche@dailyegyptian.com
Keontez Lewis runs with the ball towards the end zone Sept. 28, 2024 in DakotaDome in Vermillion, South Dakota.
Photo provided by Saluki Athletics.
always do your best to achieve greatness in whatever that means to someone’s personal aspirations and goals, but the path is to always to ascend to whatever you’re doing and be great at that.”
She said she hopes to just continue to put her head down to do the work, to do what she is inspired to do, to help other women to achieve their goals.
“I want to be responsive to women, even if I can’t help them directly, being able to be that center of influence where I can direct them to the resources and opportunities that they’re seeking,” Hunt said.
She also emphasized the importance of having advocates for women to help build a network of support. Hunt said that while one individual may be in the spotlight, there is often a substantial group of 100 supporters standing behind them, ready to assist and empower their efforts.
“We fail to realize sometimes that we stand on the shoulders of others, and so to recognize that we have that power, to own that power, and extending our resources and extending our influence to help other women is important,” Hunt said.
“It’s important just to always have that self confidence within yourself and be fearless. And also…do it with kindness. I think a lot of individuals feel that in order to achieve certain things, that you have to be nasty, you have to be mean. Always work with authority, but remember to be kind to people. You never know what someone is going through,” she said.
Above and Beyond Award: It is awarded to a current SIU student who goes above and beyond in their efforts to create an inclusive environment. It recognizes a current student of SIU with a
go-getter mindset and a drive that initiates her spirit to achieve beyond expectations, their dedication to their cause inspires for fellow students to dream big. The recipient is a young role model who is making an impact in their community, inspiring youth to think outside the box, follow their dreams and take action.
The award was presented to Jessica Hardges.
According to her nominator, Hardges, a non-traditional student majoring in fashion design and merchandising, has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to the SIU community. A mom and active campus member, she was recommended for the Non-Traditional Student Advisory Committee, where she quickly became an advocate for student parents. Over the summer and into the semester, she assisted with events welcoming transfer and non-traditional students to campus. Hardges is also working on launching a Facebook group and RSO to further support student parents, bringing enthusiasm and energy to every project she takes on.
In her acceptance speech Hardges said, “This moment represents more than an individual achievement. It’s a testament to the power of community, faith and the dreams that drive us all forward, and I’ve got some big ones. This award belongs to us all who refuse to settle for what we know…And together we can create the ripples that reach far beyond this room.”
Empowering the Youth Award: The purpose of this award is to recognize K-12 staff and teachers who pour into the youth of the community. This award is given to someone who not only embraces their personal ability to create influence for meaningful change, but influences local youth to embrace theirs. They are
dedicated to the advancement of others and pave the way for the leaders of tomorrow.
The award was presented to Marilynn Ross.
Ross’ nominator said with over three decades of service in the Carbondale School District, Ross has been a key figure in the Carbondale community since the late 1980s. Her nomination outlines her deep-rooted connection and commitment to youth development. Ross is recognized for her transformative impact and unwavering dedication, consistently ensuring students receive the support and opportunities they need to succeed.
In her acceptance speech, Ross said, “My journey is to empower those kids, to love those kids, to give them what they need, no matter when…I appreciate knowing that what I’ve done, my journey, has not been in vain. I appreciate getting my flowers while I’m here, because when I’m gone, I’m gone. The giving now means everything.”
After the ceremony, Ross said that this recognition shows her that the long days, nights, phone calls and efforts spent building relationships with parents are all worthwhile.
“Personally, it means everything that I’ve been working towards is really manifesting,” Ross said. “Empowering the youth to know that they have support, they have voices, they have the future. I’m here to help them make that happen.”
To stay motivated and energized, Ross said she has daily conversations with her staff and mentors, as well as with others facing similar challenges, and values exchanging tools and strategies to overcome struggles and focuses on preventing those issues from reoccurring,
continuously learning and growing from each experience.
“Get involved in an organization where your skill sets can come out. Make sure that you’re around the right people, the positive people. Make sure that you know what you’re doing involves more than just yourself. It’s a community. It’s a village,” Ross said. Ross said she is honored that women in the community thought enough to nominate her.
She said, “You never know who’s watching. You never know who’s trying to see what you’re doing. So everything I’m doing, I must be on the right track.”
Champion of Change Award: This award recognizes community members who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to women and diversity through demonstrated leadership, vision or actions within a profession in an area of expertise or service to the community. Successful candidates will have a commitment and passion for serving others while making an impact and leading with purpose through their work as compassionate and caring humanitarians.
The award was presented to Neophansya Robinson.
Robinson, First Lady of Zion Temple Church, has overcome childhood disabilities and remained dedicated to serving her communities in both Carbondale and Murphysboro. Her nominator said that as a wife, mother, and devout Christian, she continues to stand firm in her beliefs while working diligently to uplift those around her.
Woman of Inspiration: The Women of Inspiration Award recognizes a woman who has dedicated seven years of service to the university, committed to empowering and championing the inclusion of
women. This award celebrates a role model who stays true to herself, uplifts others and makes a lasting difference. She empowers and supports women across the university, fostering honest relationships and advocating for their success and vision.
This award was presented to Tena Bennett.
Bennett has spent 18 years in various roles at SIU, including advising the Undergraduate Student Government, Graduate Professional Student Council, and serving with the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce. Her nominator said she is a regular presence at campus events like freshmen move-in and commencement, and has mentored countless staff, graduate assistants, and students. Known for her support of women’s inclusion at the university and in the community, Bennett serves as a role model and mentor.
In her acceptance speech, Bennett said, “For me, it’s kind of a head down, eyes up, kind of moment on this campus. I just keep working forward. If it’s for students, if it’s for women, if it’s for men, it’s just to make SIU the best place that we can make it. Because this is where I live. This is where I work. This is my family.”
Greer said the shared experiences and recognition of these women reinforced a common goal: to continue empowering future generations of women.
She said, “It’s an amazing ceremony, an amazing way to recognize women. And we hope that it continues to grow, and we hope that we can continue to partner with women in the community at SIU and in the surrounding area.”
Staff reporter Annalise Schmidt can be reached at aschmidt@dailyegyptian.com
Sherrica Hunt and her family hold her Ascend award Sept. 23, 2024 at John C. Guyon Auditorium in Carbondale, Illinois. Sherrica Hunt is the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Southern Illinois University. Daylin Williams | dwilliams@dailyegyptian.com
Tena Bennett and her associates Gabrielle Johnson, Bethany Peppers, Amber Young, David Iacono and Amari Cannon hold the Woman of Inspiration award Sept. 23, 2024 at John C. Guyon Auditorium in Carbondale, Illinois. Tena Bennett is the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Auxiliary Enterprises and Student Affairs.
Planned Parenthood of Illinois
