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“Every month is Domestic Violence Awareness Month”
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2023
Saturday’s annular eclipse gives preview of April’s solar blackout
Carly Gist | cgist@dailyegyptian.com
Jamilah Lewis jlewis@dailyegyptian.com
October is recognized nationwide as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It’s an issue of great concern in Carbondale and the surrounding community. “The amount of orders of protection filed in Jackson County has been very high, especially this year,” said domestic violence medical/ legal advocate Elizabeth Sears, who works for the Survivor Empowerment Center. “Our shelter has also been
People looking forward to the total solar eclipse next year will get a preview of sorts on Saturday, when an annular eclipse happens overhead. In an annular eclipse, the moon only partially obscures the sun, creating a “ring of fire” effect. You can gather with fellow eclipse enthusiasts at Saluki Stadium from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to watch. The eclipse will begin at 10:33 a.m. and end at 1:30 p.m.,
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VOL. 107, ISSUE 8
with peak viewing at 11:59 a.m. SIU will make eclipse viewing glasses available at no charge, and no registration or tickets are required to attend the event, according to the university. After the event, a watch party for the Saluki football game against Murray State will be held starting at 2 p.m. More information on Saturday’s event can be found on the SIU eclipse website. Of course, the big draw, with tens
of thousands of people expected to come to Carbondale, is the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. On SIU’s eclipse webpage, a countdown to the 2024 eclipse accompanies information on Carbondale being the intersection for both the 2017 and 2024 eclipses, and the events and research that they’re doing along the way. Events range from expos, media projects and workshops, all leading up to a watch party at the stadium. On April 5, a concert called
Into the Darkness: Celebrating the Eclipse with Music, will be held at the Shryock Auditorium. A Crossroad Eclipse Research Workshop will be held all day at the Student Center with the date yet to be determined. Salukicon will be hosting Eclipse Con on April 6 and 7, 2024 in the student center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Another concert will be held on April 7 on Washington Street in downtown Carbondale, with the ECLIPSE | 9
SIU’s homecoming blood drive helps national shortage
Joei Younker jyounker@dailyegyptian.com
The American Red Cross declared a national blood shortage in early September. This shortage was caused by a lack of donors this past summer. Since the beginning of August, the organization’s blood supply level dropped nearly 25%, putting it in a critical position and forcing it to reduce crucial distribution to hospitals. Southern Illinois University hosted its fourteenth annual homecoming blood drive on Oct. 4 with hopes to
Community building through the arts
assist in ending the shortage. Students, staff members and others from the community gathered in the student center to donate their blood and platelets for those in need. Student Hailey Durham used to donate at blood drives in her home town every year through her high school and church and has continued her tradition into college with the homecoming blood drive. “Donation impacts me a lot
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Yarauseth Zavala | yzavala@dailyegyptian.com
Artist Bekah Bass paints at Art in the Garden Oct. 7, 2023 at Mandala Gardens in Marion, Illinois Mo Collar | @m0.alexander See story and more photos on Page 2
The Taylor Swift effect makes its way to Carbondale in movie form
Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
Even if you weren’t one of the tens of thousands of people to have a ticket to the biggest show of the summer, you probably have seen or heard of Taylor Swift and how she took the world by storm this past year. Her influence on fans has given each city she goes to a grand boost to the economy, but Swift hasn’t stopped there. She is
now helping movie theaters across the globe, including right here in Carbondale. A film version of Swift’s “Eras Tour” will be released on Friday, available to see in movie theaters such as AMC University Place 8 and VIP Carbondale 8 in Carbondale, and AMC Classic Illinois Centre 8 in Marion. The
movie will provide an opportunity for Swifties who couldn’t catch the tour on its U.S. leg to view it for the first time. The Eras Tour, which kicked off in March and finished its U.S. run in August, limited its venues to NFL stadiums. This meant that in order to attend, southern Illinois
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Page 2 | News
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Chyloh Winn begins a weaving project at Art in the Garden at Mandala Gardens Oct. 7, 2023 in Marion, Illinois. Mo Collar | @m0.alexander
Samantha Morrisette dances with a hula hoop at Art in the Garden at Mandala Gardens Oct. 7, 2023 in Marion, Illinois. Mo Collar | @m0.alexander
Sydney McDonald pauses during the drum line at Art in the Garden at Mandala Gardens Oct. 7, 2023 in Marion, Illinois. Mo Collar | @m0.alexander
Owner of Lucky Rabbit Soap Company Madison Trelawatches the festival at Art in the Garden at Mandala Gardens Oct. 7, 2023 in Marion, Illinois. Mo Collar | @m0.alexander
Connect, create, participate: Art in the Garden Alli Goering agoering@dailyegyptian.com
Mandala Gardens located in Marion, Illinois, was the beautiful venue for the Art in the Garden event hosted on Oct. 7. Artists set up shop in the gardens for the day, many of them creating pieces while people looked on. The event had many booths selling a variety of products; such as candles, knit animals, wall art, soaps and glassware. “It’s building community through the arts. Our goal was to pull from the local area of southern Illinois,” said Michele Aitchison, co-founder of Monday Art Social. The project team that was behind the event was a combination of local artists, art studios and volunteer workers. Union Street Arts in Marion played a large part in putting the event together, along with Project Human X and the group Monday Art Social. These groups worked for many months preparing for the event. “I never thought it would actually happen, then all these people came together and I feel like they were just meant to be a part of this experience because it makes it a better thing,” Aitchison said. The event started at 9 a.m. and continued until 7 p.m. The morning consisted of Dane Johns, Heather Hammers and Jon Raby performing live music. “We wanted to bring unity through our community through the arts. There was a lot of amazing art,” said Luke O’Neill, owner of Union Street Arts. In the afternoon, more music was performed by SIWADE – the Southern Illinois West African Drum Ensemble. They played live music for the event while setting the tone for an open drum circle.
Anyone at the event was encouraged to participate in the drum circle on the lawn of Mandala Gardens. People of many ages sat in a circle and made music together from 2 to 3:30 p.m. “The vibrational frequency when you drum is very uplifting and very healing. It’s community based so we’re encouraging people to join us,” Aitchison said. Law of Love took the stage to perform music next. This was an extension of people from Project Human X and their friends. They played until Hope Fiend and Danny Brown took over to end the night. During the event, there was a live mural painting and the creation of an installation. The installation was inspired by the Burning Man Art Festival where installations are built and burned in the desert. “I’m personally inspired by the Burning Man Art Festival, so we did that here with the manual installation that we built and so we tried to tie in some of our festival aspects as well,” O’Neill said. The event had something for every age group that visited. During the drum circle, many people were dancing while others sat in the Sketchbook Cafe, which was set up in the gazebo where pastries and coffee was served while people had the opportunity to draw. “I feel like people don’t allow creativity in their lives because of busyness. When you make time for that, it’s like it’s kind of a reset for yourself because you’re not on your phone,” Aitchison said. Staff reporter Alli Goering can be reached at agoering@dailyegyptian.com
Performer drums along in the drum line at Art in the Garden at Mandala Gardens Oct. 7, 2023 in Marion, Illinois. Mo Collar | @m0.alexander
News | Page 3
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
SIU hosts “World Languages and Cultures Day” to highlight the importance of diversity Annalise Schmidt aschmidt@dailyegyptian.com
SIU hosted its 48th annual World Languages and Cultures Day on Oct. 3 in the Student Center to encourage local high school students to learn more about various languages and cultures from all over the world. Rachel Wolters, one of the main organizers of the event, said, “This event not only celebrates the languages and cultures that students can learn about and study at SIU, but it’s also a very fun and engaging event. You could feel the energy in the ballrooms during the welcome, and that level of excitement continued throughout the morning.” She said organizers wanted to offer some of the popular sessions from previous years, while also including new and interactive sessions. Students could once again write their names in multiple languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Hindi and the International Phonetic Alphabet. They could also attend popular dance sessions, getting exposure to music and dances of various cultures. New musical offerings this year included sessions led by the Japanese Music Club and Japanese Folk Dance. “It is very important for all of the programs within the School of Languages and Linguistics to be represented within the breakout sessions, too, so high school students and teachers had the opportunity to meet faculty and graduate students from all of the programs and specializations, including American Sign Language, Chinese, German, classics, Japanese, Spanish, linguistics and teaching English as a second language,” Wolters said. This year, 1,000 students from 14 different high schools in the surrounding area took part in the event. “The students who attend this event are already learning another language, so this event brings together all of these students in one place,” Wolters said. “Learning another language, and learning about other cultures, is beneficial for all individuals, whatever they plan to do or study after high school.” Language teachers from those high schools also attended and got both the opportunity to take part in the activities, as well as receive information about teaching methods and strategies that can be implemented in the classroom. “Visiting teachers could attend any of the sessions, and we also offered a specific teacher session this year about artificial intelligence, led by the Center for Virtual Expression,” Wolters said. Each of the rooms featured a lecture, performance or activity about a different country or language. Ulises Alaniz shared a presentation about Nicaraguan Sign Language, which is one of the youngest languages in the world. “Before the 80’s there was no sign language in Nicaragua. The Deaf were isolated and most likely used a limited number of mimics to communicate with others. In the 80’s the Nicaraguan
government opened a school in Managua to educate children with disabilities,” Alaniz said. It was the first time Deaf children were able to interact among themselves, Alaniz said. “They put together the mimics they used and created something like a pidgin language. The younger generation of Deaf took this language and made it more complex. That was the beginning of NSL,” Alaniz said. “When linguists from the States arrived at Nicaragua to figure out what was happening with Deaf children, they found out that a new language was being created before their eyes. This is unique in recent human history.” Alaniz wanted to share this topic and help explain the frustration that Deaf people experience when they don’t have access to information. “Almost everywhere they go, they find people speaking to them and not willing to make communication accommodations for them. I believe that more Hearing people should learn the local sign language to make that Deaf people feel included and appreciated,” Alaniz said. Michael Olsen, assistant professor of practice in the School of Languages and Linguistics, hosted a presentation titled, “Y’all, Y’inz, You’se Guys: Where You’re From, How You Talk, and Why it Matters.” It introduced students to the ways linguists define American dialects. During the presentation, vocabulary and pronunciation differences between regional varieties of American English were covered. “The most important part of my presentation is the recognition that all varieties of any language are valid linguistic systems that perform the important roles of communicating information as well as social meaning,” Olsen said. “We also discuss[ed] how people form impressions of so-called non-standard varieties, often making unfair judgments of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ language, that are in no way based in linguistic reality…Whether you’re from the North or South, a big city or a rural area, of European descent or a person of color, your language is an important part of who you are.” Students were also given the opportunity to learn about origami and got to participate in the making
SIU’s Latin American Student Association (LASA) performs traditional Latin dances during World Languages and Cultures Day Oct. 3, 2023 at SIU Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Photos provided by Gregory Wendt
Selena Moya and the LASA pose for a photo during the 48th annual SIU World Languages and Cultures Day Oct. 3, 2023 at the Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Photos provided by Gregory Wendt
a country where people of various races and cultural backgrounds gather, so I think understanding and respecting different cultures are essential to creating a society where everyone can live happily.” Kadota said she was able to experience cultural differences in this vcountry by teaching the culture of her own country, Japan. “When I entered the classroom to
“...they found out that a new language was being created before their eyes.” - Ulises Alaniz Presenter
of paper balloons with Ayana Kadota, a member of Japanese Table, a student organization at SIU. “This event was a good opportunity for the students to deepen their understanding of various cultures,” Kadota said. “In particular, the U.S. is
introduce this culture to students, all the seats were filled and even people were sitting on the floor…I was impressed that they were so interested in my culture,” she said. Detailed information about the Japanese Table and the opportunity
to learn about Japanese language and culture, can be found on Instagram @siucjapanesetable. Music of numerous cultures was a large highlight of the event as well, since sharing music gives people insight into another way of life. Traditional dances were also performed and incorporated cultural music with movements and costumes to truly share the unique nature of each community. SIU’s Latin American Student Association shared traditional Latin dances with performances from their dance team. They included traditional dances from countries such as Honduras, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. “During our dance performance of mostly traditional dances, SIU students and faculty could see how diverse and rich Latin American culture is,” Selena Moya, President of LASA, said. “Our goal in performing these dances was to showcase that Latin America is more than popular rhythms such as salsa or reggaeton.” Moya said the best part was seeing her peers perform and seeing their
excitement to share their traditions through dancing. “I enjoy meeting US-born Latinxs and Latinxs coming from different countries and backgrounds. Sharing with different types of Latinxs makes one realize we are all different and yet the same,” she said. “This is why I like the term Latinidades which addresses the fact that there is no one way to be Latino/a. We come in different linguistic forms, colors, and shapes.” More event opportunities with LASA can be found on both their Instagram – @lasasiuc – and Facebook. Students were highly encouraged to take more language classes in the future and to participate in, or simply appreciate the diverse cultures of places around the world. “I hope many of the students that came to this event eventually decide to learn other languages, come to SIU to study linguistics, and get to travel around the world so they are enriched through the exchange with other cultures,” Olsen said. Staff reporter Annalise Schmidt can be reached at aschmidt@dailyegyptian.com
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because I am a CNA [certified nursing assistant], so the blood shortage does affect us,” Durham said. Many donors donate for a reason, whether someone close to them has been affected by blood donations or simply just to help out those in their community. The person that Durham donates for is her grandfather who previously needed a blood transfusion for a medical issue. While it may feel like a small part, each of these donors is playing a large role in helping end the blood shortage with each of their donations. “Currently we have an emergency need for blood, typically that means we have less than two days supply of blood on the shelves, and we need about 18,000 units everyday to make sure we’re meeting our hospital commitments,” said Tara Lincoln, account manager for the Red Cross. Wildfires in Hawaii, hurricanes and other climate-driven disasters that have occurred in this past year have forced cancellations of blood drives, causing the Red Cross to not be able to host as many or collect enough blood to meet the demand. The summer travel season plays a role as well. “With busier than typical summer months that we’ve had as far as people traveling, more people are traveling, causing more accidents to happen, as well as more elective surgeries happening. That is most likely what’s causing our donor turn outs to be so slow,” Lincoln said. The homecoming blood drive is a large one for the Red Cross. With donors coming from Greek life and RSO’s, whose members also volunteer with the drive, this brings in even more donors. “We have definitely seen a little bit of a pick up since we went on our national appeal on Sept. 11. It’s still low and going into the holidays coming up in about a
Wednesday, October 11, 2023 month or so, that’s going to really be affecting us,” Lincoln said. Experts with the Red Cross are forecasting that an “intense fall disaster could further impact the ability of the Red Cross to collect enough blood products to meet hospital demand.” This is why blood drives are so important to the Red Cross. “During this time when we do have a shortage, especially going into the holidays and ensuring that our local hospitals have the blood that they need, it is so important that this blood drive collects what it needs to,” Lincoln said. Shortages like this one can be a scary situation to be in for hospitals and blood suppliers; if the hospitals don’t have the amount of blood they need, patients may not be able to get the treatment they need. With whole blood donations, donors can donate every 56 days, and there are blood drives all around the area. Some upcoming blood drives will take place at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and Giant City School on Oct. 18, St. Joseph Memorial Hospital on Oct. 25, Cobden High School on Oct. 31 and Murphysboro High School and Jackson County U of I Extension Office on Nov. 2. “They [future donors] can go to www.RedCrossBlood.com and type in the zip code of the area they want to donate and they can find any local blood drive,” Lincoln said. This shortage means that hospitals may be low on a few pints of different types of blood. With all of the blood drives coming up in the area, southern Illinois can play a part in helping to end the shortage. “Please find a blood drive near you and donate, because people think that someone else is doing it [donating], but someone else isn’t,” Lincoln said.
Brooke Johnson helps Jim Hunsaker donate blood at the Homecoming Blood Drive Oct. 4, 2023 in the Cambira Room at the SIU Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Enan Chediak | echediak@dailyegyptian.com
Staff Reporter Joei Younker can be reached at jyounker@dailyegyptian.com.
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Lesley Swisher (right) and LeShebea Morris (left) prepare for donors at the Homecoming Blood Drive Oct. 4, 2023 in the Cambria Room at the SIU Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Enan Chediak | echediak@dailyegyptian.com
News | Page 5
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
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almost fully occupied for most of the year.” Even with domestic violence on the rise, a large number of cases still go unreported each year. According to the book “Making Sense of a Global Pandemic” by Balbir Gurm and Jennifer Marchbank, approximately 70% of domestic violence cases are never reported to police. Jackson County State’s Attorney Joe Cervantez believes abuse is underreported for several factors, namely fear of consequences and shame. “I think people understand the severity of domestic battery,” Cervantez said. “I think of all the different types of offenses, the deterrence level of domestic battery is probably the highest… The general public knows that if they call the police, someone’s going to jail… I think that’s one of the types of cases that there is a true deterrence for because of the harsh penalties for domestic battery.” Cervantez noted that another major factor is embarrassment. “I think that’s a big issue in neighborhoods and on college campuses,” he said. “There’s a lot of stigma attached to having a domestic violence issue or being involved in a toxic relationship.” On average, a victim leaves and returns to their abusive relationship seven times. “There’s a lot of emotions involved in it,” Cervantez said. “Because it’s not necessarily just a crime… When you call the cops on domestic battery, it’s not just a conclusion of a bad day or a bad night, it could be the conclusion of a long-term relationship, marriage, engagement or anything else like that.” Sears said in order to support a loved one in an abusive relationship, we must first educate ourselves on why it may be hard for them to leave. “There is so much that goes into making the decision to leave,” she said. “There’s such a [manipulative] aspect of this, it’s very confusing, it’s heartbreaking…You don’t wanna let go of that idea of what you thought your future would be… You’re asking someone to completely throw away their entire life. And even if that life isn’t great right now, forcing them into [leaving] is not what they need in that moment.” Sears believes that the key to supporting victims is to be there, believe them and love them through it. “Having those lifelines are what make it possible for the victim to leave,” she said. When cases of domestic violence extend to criminal charges, the reports are sent to the state’s attorney’s office for review. Reports are first filed by victim advocates from the different law enforcement agencies in the county, including the Carbondale Police Department, Murphysboro Sheriff ’s office and the Survivor Empowerment Center.
The victim advocate for the Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office is Jessica Drake. According to Drake, if a victim wants their abuser to be prosecuted, one of their legal options is an emergency order of protection. “That usually happens right after the incident,” Drake said. “Then, the [victim and abuser] will get separate plenary hearings that would grant the order of protection for the two year extension. Here, once we get the report, we review it and we normally contact the victim to come in to meet with the attorney assigned to the case. At that time, the attorney will go over everything with the victim. And then usually charges would be filed.” Cervantez said that throughout the year, the office works closely with community groups and victims to ensure that they are well-educated on the court process and policies. “I feel like every month is Domestic Violence Awareness Month for us,” he said. “We’re always trying to communicate that there’s a domestic violence issue in the community, always trying to reach out to victims, always supporting the Survivor Empowerment Center.” Cervantez’s office has supported the center by attending and contributing to its fundraisers, creating a place in the office for victim advocates and referring victims to the center. “To us, every day, every week, every month is business as usual. We’re trying to raise awareness and trying to come up with [new] programs and trying to support the programs that the community has,” he said. While the office works to stay in contact with the victim from start to finish of their case, there is no follow-up with the victim after they leave the system. Cervantez believes that checking in with victims could prevent incidents from recurring and improve the victim’s outcome. “Somebody can come in, get an order of protection, then leave and we’ll never hear from them again,” he said. “So I think that if we could do anything better, let’s reassess the services not just when we’re working with them at the moment, but also services post-trauma… If there’s anything that can help, I think that’s one of them.” Cervantez is an alumni of the SIU School of Law. He became interested in domestic violence issues after participating in a program at the SIU Domestic Violence Clinic. “It was, to me at the time, an opportunity just to get credit hours. I didn’t think anything of it,” he said. “Gail Thomas used to run the program, and she was contracted with the courthouse to represent people that needed assistance with orders of protection…Because the law school was contracted, she could have her students
Day Starr-Fleming | dstarfleming@dailyegyptian.com
come into court and argue.” The first case Cervantez got to argue for was in front of Judge Kimberly L. Dahlen, who was one of the first female judges in Illinois. “After the first time that I argued against one of the local attorneys here, I was able to get an order of protection for someone, and I realized this is kind of a good thing to do,” Cervantez said. “And then Judge Dahlen said ‘You should keep doing this, you should be in court’…And so I did another case.” There are opportunities for all students, no matter their major, to get involved with domestic violence awareness in southern Illinois. Events at the Survivor Empowerment Center are always open to volunteers. “You can just call our center and we’ll get you directed to someone who can get you signed up,” Sears said. “We have a ton of volunteer opportunities.” Individuals wanting to work directly with clients will be required to complete a 40-hour training prior to volunteering. The center has several other volunteer opportunities that do not require this training, such as organizing the donation room. For more information, reach out to the general office at 618-549-4807 or the center’s hotline at 1-800-334-2094. The general office is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The objective of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, according to Sears, is to bring attention to the issue, educate the community and honor those who have lost their lives. “It’s a great opportunity to educate and start a conversation that can be uncomfortable but is so important,” she said. “I think the hope is to see change; to ultimately end the cycle of violence… Another part of the month that is very important is to recognize and mourn those
who have died at the hands of domestic violence.” The center’s crisis hotline can be reached at 1(800) 334-2094. It runs 24/7, 365 days a year. Sheltering, counseling, legal advocacy and services for children are also available. “All of our services are completely 100% free and confidential to all,” Sears said. “The individual can call our crisis hotline [at any time] and they’ll be directed based on their need.” To raise awareness this month, the Survivor Empowerment Center has several events and activities planned. Sears said the center needs all of the help it can get for Take Back the Night, an awareness march scheduled on Oct. 26. Those participating will meet at The Gaia House at 6 p.m. The march will begin at 6:30. “The whole point of the event is to break the silence and let survivors of both sexual assault and domestic violence take back their voice and feel empowered,” Sears said. Several clotheslines events will also be taking place. These are opportunities to uplift survivors’ voices and allow them to share their story through art. Shirts are made by survivors, highlighting their experiences, and put on public display. “It’s really powerful,” Sears said. “Some of the shirts are very graphic, some of them are kind of vague, but it was their [the survivor’s] choice…to get their story out however they wanted to portray it.” The remaining clothesline events will take place at John A. Logan College on Oct. 19, and at Southern Illinois University on Oct. 23. Additionally, the center will be participating in two trunk-or-treat events: Night of the Living in Anna, Illinois, on Oct. 25 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., and one at the Dentmon Center on Oct. 27 from 6-9 p.m. Staff reporter Carly Gist can be reached at cgist@dailyegyptian.com
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Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
| Page 7 Layout by Peyton Cook | @_peytoncook_
Touch of Nature hosts 2nd annual Little Grassy Get Down Joei Younker jyounker@dailyegyptian.com
With concert goers traveling from all over the country, Touch of Nature kicked off its second annual Little Grassy Get Down this past weekend. Vendors, good food and three stages with all sorts of music made up the weekend for attendees. As campers unpacked Friday afternoon, southern Illinois native Issac Biver performed the first show of the weekend. Following Biver’s opening act on Friday was a long list of performers with their music ranging from Americana and folk to a little bit of rock and bluegrass that continued until Sunday afternoon. The venue set up three different stages to capture the nature of Little Grassy. The main stage of the event was in a large field in the camping facility. The lake stage, a fan favorite, where many of the more intimate and acoustic artists performed, overlooked Little Grassy Lake. The back stage, right next to the dining hall, was where the late night performers played. One act that manager of operations Brian Croft said a lot of people looked forward to was the Woodbox Gang, which performed Saturday.
“They’re sort of this southern Illinois, sort of famous band, and they don’t get together often to play anymore and so Little Grassy has kind of become their once a year show where they are, because all of the members of the band kind of live in various places now; they don’t all live in southern Illinois,” Croft said. After the concerts came to a close, during the nights of the festival, many concert goers and vendors utilized the housing offered by Touch of Nature. From their 18-room hotel to traditional summer camp cabins and tent spaces, there was housing for everyone. The music didn’t stop when campers went back to their tents. Little Grassy Get Down attracts a lot of musicians from all over the country, so when they head in for the night there are impromptu “jam circles” that Croft said pop up everywhere around the event. “What’s fun is that although you have music going on, you’ll also have people just sitting in the dining hall with their guitars in kind of these jam circles come in. So you can see the official acts and you can see these impromptu jam circles that are happening
everywhere,” Croft said. Besides all sorts of music and vendors that sold a little bit of everything, the festival was a very family friendly event. “There are a lot of festivals that I would not bring my wife to let alone my kids, and so we were out to kind of create that perfect kind of festival where it’s like, hey, if you want to come hang out with your friends, this is the place to go,” Croft said. Saturday morning, the festival had a kids show where music was played specifically for children. There were also plenty of activities for kids, including the swings and playgrounds around the festival grounds, face painting, rock wall climbing and a “Kids Zone.” Children 15 and under got into the festival for free. “Not only are we saying that it is a family friendly event, but we’re actually promoting it and we’re trying to make that [family friendly environment] a thing, which is really exciting,” Croft said. This event is a fundraiser for Touch of Nature; the proceeds go to things like sending kids to summer camp or buying adaptive paddling equipment, so the center can accommodate everyone that
uses their facilities. “I think it’s this blend of showing off, and then also like the money we raise, what we’re able to do to the region, or for the region I think is so cool,” Croft said. Not only did the festival have great food and an abundance of great performers; it also had vendors selling everything from plants and tye-dye shirts to crystals and handmade jewelry. Vendor Layah Jones and her partner are a part of the Geo Natural Art Collective. “I always say that we’re a glorified rock shop,” Jones said. “We sell rocks, crystals, higher end minerals, rock carvings, rock slabs, and I also now do watercolor on the side so we have some watercolor mushrooms and my partners getting into wood carving, so we have some wands and wooden mushrooms.” While Jones and her partner have had their business since 2020, this was the shop’s first time at Little Grassy. “He [Jones’s partner] really likes the music, I really like the vendors, I get really excited to see the new art and new
products. We also get to camp here, and I’m really excited about that,” she said. The shop sources many of their crystals from sellers across the country and Jones mines for the shop’s fossils around southern Illinois and geodes from her hometown, Louisville, Kentucky. Another vendor, Molly Hug, the owner of Molly Flower Designs, was spending her second year at the event. “I make handmade, ethicallysourced, nature-inspired jewelry with real butterfly wings, flowers, ferns, gemstones and feathers,” Hug said. The festival ended the weekend with a performance by the Vince Herman Band as campers began to pack up their sites. “It [the culture of Little Grassy Get Down] is about fulfilling our mission of providing an opportunity for families to experience southern Illinois in what I think is arguably one of the most beautiful times of the year, right,” Croft said. Staff Reporter Joei Younker can be reached at jyounker@dailyegyptian.com.
Jeremy Todd sings on the Main Stage at the Little Grassy Get Down Oct. 7, 2023 at Touch of Nature in Makanda, Illinois.
John Donoghue, one of the owners of the Geo Natural Art Collective alongside Layah Jones, helps two children find crystals to buy Oct. 7, 2023 at Touch of Nature in Makanda, Illinois. This was Donoghue and Jones’ first time attending the Little Grassy Get Down. “We go to a lot of small events like this. [We] just set up on the weekends or during the weekdays if we can,” Donoghue said. The Geo Natural Art Collective sign sits among crystals for sale at the Little Grassy Get Down Oct. 7, 2023 at Touch of Nature in Makanda, Illinois. 17-year old Issac Biver plays for attendees at the Burke Lounge for the Little Grassy Get Down Oct. 7, 2023 at Touch of Nature in Makanda, Illinois.
Molly Hug helps two kids visiting her vendors stall that houses her business called Molly Flower Designs at the Little Grassy Get Down Oct. 7, 2023 at Touch of Nature in Makanda, Illinois. “I’ve been doing this part time for about 10 years and the full-time with my business in 2020,” Hug said.
Photos by Dominque Martinez @dmartinez_powell.photography
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residents would need to travel elsewhere. The closest venue was in Nashville, Tennessee, with other Midwest stops including Chicago and Cincinnati. On top of that, high demand made tickets difficult to obtain, leaving many fans left ticketless with no way to get the tour experience. Swift wanted to give all fans a chance to experience the show and announced on Aug. 31 that the show was coming to theaters. “The Eras Tour has been the most meaningful, electric experience of my life so far and I’m overjoyed to tell you that it’ll be coming to the big screen soon…” Swift wrote on her Instagram to announce the movie and ticket sales. Much like the actual tour, the film has a runtime of two hours and forty-eight minutes, and is furthering Swift’s boost to the economy. The film is currently expected to make at least $100 million on its opening weekend, having already surpassed that amount in ticket sales. Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra told Deadline.com that her movie is a “massive, unexpected rescue” to movie theaters following the writers’ strike that had spanned from May 2 to Sept. 27. AMC University Place 8 in Carbondale has little to no available seats for the Oct. 13 opening night, but local fans can buy tickets for any day after in order to see what The Eras Tour has to offer. Swift, a 12-time Grammy Award winner, is in the international portion of her overwhelmingly successful Eras Tour, and is set to visit 15 different countries over the next year. Being no stranger to world stadium tours, Swift has been on
Wednesday, October 11, 2023 five in the past; but none have come close to the impact that her current shows have made on fans and the economy. Having done hundreds of shows prior, what makes this tour so special? The three hour long set list, which features songs spanning her entire career, is filled with theatrics, dazzling choreography and surprises. Fans even took the liberty to make and trade Swift themed friendship bracelets at each show. Only being a fraction of the way through, the tour is expected to be one of the highest-grossing tours to date. Economist Aaron Szyf for the U.S. Travel Association wrote in a piece titled “The Taylor Swift Impact – 5 Months and $5+ Billion” about just how impactful it’s been. “Swift fans – ‘Swifties’ – averaged $1,300 of spending in local economies on travel, hotel stays, food, as well as merchandise and costumes,” Szyf wrote. “That amount of spending is on par with the Super Bowl…” The U.S. Travel Association
According to Szyf and the U.S Travel Association, Pittsburgh hosted Swift for two nights and saw $46 million in direct spending. 83% of Pittsburgh show attendees
“It was probably a $600 weekend.” - Teigen Detta SIU student
were not from the area and caused an 106% increase in hotels average daily room rates. The city had the second highest weekend occupancy in hotels with 95% capacity. Los Angeles saw Swift for six nights total and it had a $320 million impact on the economy. Her six shows created 3,300 jobs in the area as well as made $9 million in hotel sales tax and $20 million in sales and sales tax. The cities Swift stopped in saw a huge economic boost in part
“The Eras Tour has been the most meaningful, electric experience of my life so far...” - Taylor Swift Pop star
estimates that fans have already spent 5 billion and the total impact is expected to exceed 10 billion by the tour’s stopping date. Cities such as Pittsburgh and Los Angeles saw the biggest impact in their local economies in a while after Swift visited the cities.
of school during summer break. That’s exactly what SIU junior swim and dive athlete Teigen Detta did when she saw the show in Seattle on July 22 with her mom.
because of how few cities she visited, with just 17 stops in the United States. SIU has students from all over the country enrolled, meaning many had the opportunity to see the infamous show close to their own hometowns in their time off
“100% easily would do it again,” Detta said. “..We went on the Reputation Tour [that] was in Seattle as well. It was her and I and so that’s, like, kind of our thing now, is concerts.” The weekend with her mom cost a good amount of money between tickets, hotels and extra spending. “It was probably a $600 weekend,” Detta said. “I think my mom said [the tickets were] like 90 a head, so two of us, like 180, so it wasn’t too bad.” Fans dedicated a good portion of their weekend funds on unique outfits themed around different albums, inside jokes or even past outfits worn by Swift. “I wore a big and bright pink baby doll dress and I had sparkly cowgirl boots,” Detta said. “Probably $250 with all the accessories and stuff.” Between Swift’s concerts and the MLB All-Star Game earlier in the month, the Seattle area received a huge boost due to the influx of travel and accommodation needs. “I heard from a few people that it was, like, the biggest weekend Seattle’s had altogether in quite a while,” Detta said. “...but everything in Seattle was pretty much booked between baseball and Taylor and just all of the above.” Detta wasn’t the only SIU student who tried to get tickets, and some of her SIU swim and dive teammates encountered scammers in their
ticket buying process. “There’s two, there’s one swimmer and one diver that attempted to go I guess,” Detta said. “Like went to the show and then like got [their tickets] scanned and [they didn’t work]. I think they bought them after pre-sale. So, they would have had to have re-bought them. So, they just sat and watched from the outside.” The July 22 show in Seattle set the attendance record for Lumen Field, previously held by U2 which welcomed more than 70,000 fans to the stadium in 2011. Even those who weren’t able to get tickets still flocked to the stadium to enjoy the festivities. The streets around Lumen Field flooded with the ticketless crowd who gathered to listen from the outside. “So, that in of itself probably generated a ton of money.” Detta said. “So, where we were in Lumen, we were kind of up but we could see through the arches and, like, I - there was probably a few 1000 people out there, like, it was packed.” For those who still want to see the Eras Tour in-person, Swift will be returning to the United States for a few extra shows in late 2024. This includes a stop in Indianapolis, just a four-hour drive from Carbondale, scheduled for Nov. 1-3, 2024. Fan or not, it’s clear to see the Taylor Swift phenomenon is making a respectable impact 17 years into her career that some artists will never see in their lifetime. With a once in a blue moon type support system, Swift will continue to take stadium stages for hundreds of thousands of fans as well as millions more in theaters across the country. In turn, that will continue to have a ripple effect to help boost the local economies wherever Taylor Swift can be seen; on stage or on the screen. Photo editor Lylee Gibbs can be reached on instagram @ lyleegibbsphoto or through email at lgibbs@dailyegyptian.com
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Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Unbeaten No More: Salukis fall to Youngtown State Brandyn Wilcoxen bwilcoxen@dailyegyptian.com
On what had the potential to be a record-setting weekend, the Southern Illinois Salukis (41, 1-1 in MVC) suffered one of their worst performances in recent memory, nearly getting shut out by the Youngstown State Penguins (3-2, 1-1 in MVC) on the road on Saturday. The final score of 31-3 represents the worst loss by the Salukis since the 2022 opener against Incarnate Word. It was the first time since September 2012 that SIU scored just three points or fewer against an unranked team. “It’s a humbling game,” head coach Nick Hill said. “It’s a humbling sport. They whooped us in every fashion that you possibly could do.” Quarterback Nic Baker entered Saturday only needing 121 passing yards to tie Joel Sambursky’s all-time school record. However, Baker threw for just 94 yards, a career-worst for the senior, who will have to wait another week to claim that record. Baker completed just 12 of his 27 passing attempts, marking just the second time in his career that he had a completion percentage under 50%; the first came against Youngstown State in November 2021. He also took seven sacks on Saturday. The Salukis played without starting running back Ro Elliott and wide receiver D’Ante’ Cox,
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time to be determined. The Crossroads Astronomy, Science and Technology Expo will take place on April 7 and 8 in the Banterra Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Crossroads Art and Craft Fair will be on April 7 and 8 on the north lawn of the Banterra Center from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. A live podcast will be held live at the Shryock Auditorium called Eclipse Eve Live: Sky Observers Hangout with Michelle Nichols from the Adler Planetarium in Chicago from 7-10 p.m. It all ends with the finale of Eclipse Day at the stadium from 12-2:30 p.m. Professor Corrine Brevik, a member of the Eclipse Steering Committee, said the school should expect the same amount of people to come for the eclipse that came in 2017, somewhere around 30,000 people. “I’m in charge of the subcommittee that’s dealing with like educational outreach,” Brevik said. “There’s all the events related to the Eclipse for the public; and then on a separate chunk, we have grants where we’re actually doing research related to the Eclipse.” Brevik said the solar eclipse event at the stadium will be guided by professionals explaining things as it’s happening. “You can watch the eclipse from anywhere in southern Illinois,” Brevik said. “We’ll have guest speakers who will be talking about various things we’ll be running.”
which likely worsened the offense’s inability to get anything going on Saturday. The rushing game especially suffered, as the team could only muster six total yards on the ground. “Not being able to run the football, and then when you get behind, having to throw the football… isn’t ideal,” Hill said. Despite struggling to move the ball, SIU was still within a reasonable comeback range for most of the game. The Penguins’ 14-3 halftime lead was still a slimmer margin than the 15-0 deficit Southern rallied from against SEMO on Sept. 16. To open the second half, the Saluki defense held the Penguins to just three points across four drives, capping the span off with a fourthquarter fumble recovery that gave SIU the ball down two scores. “I think the bright spot was, I think our defense in the second half gave us opportunities,” Hill said. However, the offense was never able to capitalize on defensive stands, and Youngstown would eventually break through with touchdowns on its final two drives to cement a 28-point victory. Southern Illinois has historically struggled against Youngstown State. Saturday’s loss marks the third in a row against Youngstown State, and the Salukis are just 4-10
There are also film projects being done with Karla Berry, a professor in the College of Arts and Media, with her students. Some of the students’ projects consist of a film with eclipse chasers, a game show, an animated project and other various multimedia projects. “We’ve got some schools up in Chicago, for example, if you just go outside, you won’t see the total solar eclipse. How do we give them that same experience as if they could come here?” Brevik said. “A lot of the filming that Karla Berry’s students are doing will be delivered to the schools, because they can then watch and get background on the eclipse and learn about eclipses, but it will also be available to the public.” Students Alyssa Kreuger and Gavin Melton are working on the eclipse chasers film. “We’re going to meet up with a bunch of eclipse chasers and just have them tell us about their lifestyle,” Kruger said. “There’s a lot of money that goes into eclipse chasing and, I mean you have to understand the science of it.” Berry said she and her students will be working with NASA EDGE, a TV program NASA runs. A few people from NASA EDGE came to SIU a few weeks ago to check that technical equipment was in order. “They’ll be back here on for the October 14 partial eclipse again just to do tests and run-throughs,” Berry
against the Penguins since 2010. Just one week after being ranked No. 5 in the country by the FCS Coaches Poll and No. 6 by the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, the Salukis will have to regroup ahead of another road challenge against regional rival Murray State (2-3, 1-1 in MVC). “The character that we have in the room will be tested,” Hill said. “We have to swallow this pill, listen to the outside noise, just like they hear it whenever things are going well.” The Racers will be looking to wash a similar taste out of their mouths, suffering a 38-7 road loss to No. 15/21 South Dakota on Oct. 7. “If we want to accomplish what we want to accomplish, we can’t let one loss define us,” wide receiver Izaiah Hartrup said. “It’s time to get back to it.” Kickoff for Saturday’s contest against Murray State is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Roy Stewart Stadium in Murray, Kentucky. The SIU Dawg Pound will host a bus trip for students interested in traveling to the game. Tickets are $5 for members, $10 for non-members and can be purchased at the Office of Student Engagement until Friday at 4:30 p.m. Sports Editor Brandyn Wilcoxen can be reached at bwilcoxen@ dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @BrandynWilcoxen.
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said. “Make sure they have everything figured out for when they come back in April for the big show.” Brevik said SIU is basing its plans on what was learned from the previous total eclipse. “We’re definitely making changes, but it’s also a different path of totality,” Brevik said. “We have the advantage where we’re the one area that got a trial run and now we get to do it again.” Information on eclipse events hosted by Southern Illinois University can be found on the eclipse website: eclipse.siu.edu Jamilah Lewis can be reached at jlewis@dailyegyptian.com.
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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
Page 10 | News
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Chris Presto and Amir Dwight high five after completing a day of volunteer work at the 150th anniversary celebration of Rendleman Orchard June 28, 2023 at Rendleman Orchard in Alto Pass, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
SIU student athletes connect with community by giving back
Howard Woodard hwoodard@dailyegyptian.com
As hectic of a schedule that a student athlete has, they are continually advised to volunteer in the community they play for and represent. “We are really trying to make a push to have our student athletes give back to our community because it’s our community that really supports our student athletes,” said Molly Hudgins, deputy athletic director for Academics and Student Services. This community includes the entire southern Illinois region, not just the campus itself. Student athletes at SIU feel they have a responsibility to support the surrounding region and strive to do it better than any other athletic department in the country. “All our student athletes are pushing each other to be out and volunteer in the community. We log the hours and we’re tracking the hours and making sure that we’re out there and our Salukis are visible and helping out all of southern Illinois,” Hudgins said. This is not a new trend for student athletes at SIU. Men’s basketball head coach Bryan Mullins was instilled with the significance of such activities while he was a player for SIU. “It was a big part of our program with coach [Chris] Lowery, and you know, this university, our program, this athletic department, it represents the southern Illinois region…” Mullins said. “We play a big role, and we want to make sure we’re always representing this community the right way, so we’ve got to give back as much as possible as a player.” Mullins said the values he learned helped him to not take his role in the community for granted. “Not in terms of the giving part, not in terms of the selflessness part, not in terms of representing the community the right way,” Mullins said. “…How grateful we all are as coaches and as student athletes. For everything that we have here as a program, for the resources that we have here, for the opportunity that we have to play in front of this incredible community every single season. You know, it’s a special place to be here, it’s special to be a Saluki.” Mullins said it is imperative to be grateful and to give back to those in need, or to make something better than it is. One way student athletes have done this recently was by attending NubAbility, a series of nonprofit sports camps hosted for young limb-different children so they
can be around others like them and are treated equally as those who aren’t limbdifferent. Mullins said they’ve enjoyed being a part of this event every June. The children, he said, are unstoppable. “They’re expected to shoot a basketball…catch a football…run a sprint and it doesn’t matter what difference they have physically, mentally, it’s so impressive,” Mullins said. “I love that our team’s able to do it every single summer.” Freshman basketball player Sheridan Sharp is getting his first go-round of giving back to the southern Illinois community, and believes it’s beneficial for student athletes. “Because basketball is a competitive sport, we can use it for many other advantages, like community service… so when we use the competitiveness as something else for good, I feel like that’s a good thing,” Sharp said. Sharp enjoyed going around SIU’s campus and picking up trash with other athletes on campus and it allowed for some people in the community to come together. “The best part is really just coming as one, being as one, and being in unity, coming together and just cleaning up our community,” Sharp said. “Because it’s all of ours, the fans, the basketball players, the teachers, we’re all one.” The various activities that student athletes are involved in range from painting the white paws on the streets of Carbondale to volunteering at local animal shelters. But a common avenue of volunteering in the community is where the athletes are interacting with the next generation. With hosting youth camps, visiting elementary schools or even stopping by a daycare, athletes and kids not much younger than them get gratification from spending time with each other in these settings. SIU football player Nathan Torney said his favorite part is interacting with children. “Mine would be helping out youth kids, like reading to them…and playing with them. I’ve done it probably 5 or 6 times since I’ve been here, and I just love every minute and seeing the smile on their face,” Torney said. “You just feel like a superhero when you walk in there and the way they treat you, so I love it.” Being from Australia, Torney said he loves to learn about those that he meets through community service and when
they come to games. It helps to bridge the gap between the athletes and the community. “They’re a part of the team just as much as we are…I love seeing them come game day and getting to know them more individually, all different stories in life,” Torney said. Youth sports camps allow kids to come and learn more about sports from college athletes. Football defensive coordinator Antonio James completed his first year as a camp coordinator in June, and said the importance of the camps was for the children to enjoy themselves and learn from the athletes themselves. “We want them to have fun, and then we just tried to teach them basic fundamentals of the game,” James said. “We have our players out there on the field…give those young kids a real experience of being around college athletes.” James said although it is a collaborative process at the camps between players and coaches, he tries to stand back and let the student athletes step in when necessary. “Sometimes our players may see a kid and pull them off to the side and help him out with this stance, or with something that’s going on in the drill that can help him out with a finer point,” James said. “Because I think those are the people that the community wants to engage with more so than us as coaches.” James said the difference between the NFL and the college level is the
opportunity for student athletes to connect with the community around them. Even though they may see them on television or watch them from the stands, they have a chance to interact with them and build a relationship where the student athletes aren’t distant figures. “When you talk about a community like southern Illinois…you have a wide range of people who are familiar with the Saluki program…whether it’s football, basketball, baseball, track and all the other sports. So I think it’s huge that we are also giving back and being involved with them and giving them access to us,” James said. “…These guys come out and support us at the games, we should be able to do things to help support them as well.” SIU wide receiver Izaiah Hartrup said any way to help the surrounding community is valuable and enjoyable for student athletes. “Even just going around and picking up trash, or we get calls, some people need help, maybe moving houses or something, just anything anybody needs help with that we can help with, we enjoy,” he said. Hartrup was one of several players who went to Giant City Elementary School during the football team’s recent bye week to help out during some P.E. classes for fourth- and fifth-graders. It was a quick turnaround process of getting the student athletes in to spend some time with the kids. The video coordinator and director of multimedia for the football team,
Chris Gillespie, stopped at the school on the Monday of the team’s bye week, introduced himself, and the players were able to come in that Friday. The school’s superintendent and principal Khris Mason described the response it had on the students. “It was absolutely awesome, they really, really, really love their P.E. teacher but having the opportunity to work with athletes who are doing it on a day-in, day-out basis and kind of seeing them in a different light,” Mason said. The players were only there for 90 minutes, but got the opportunity to go through different stations with the kids where they had throwing competitions, footwork drills, and practiced their stances on the offensive and defensive live. Whether it’s picking up trash, coaching at youth camps or visiting schools, the athletic department’s program of giving back to the southern Illinois community goes a long way of making the region feel more like a family. “I think it just helps build that partnership, you know. So with the local schools, we’re maybe 5 minutes away from campus and it fosters that community that hey, the kids here are Giant City Giants, they’ll someday be CCHS [Carbondale Community High School] Terriers, but we’re all a part of Saluki Nation,” Mason said. Sports reporter Howard Woodard can be reached at hwoodard@dailyegyptian.com.
Saluki football visits Giant City Elementary School to spend an afternoon in their physical education class Sept. 22, 2023 in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
SIU
News | Page 11
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Women’s Soccer
The SIU soccer team played twice last week. The Salukis lost 0-1 on Oct. 5, the Pink Out game versus Belmont University, and drew against Indiana State 0-0 on Oct. 8, Senior Day, at home. SIU’s final home game is Oct. 12 versus Valparaiso.
SIU senior forward McKensey Bunch (28) moves the ball upfield past her Belmont opponent Oct. 5, 2023 game against Belmont at the Lew Hartzog Track & Field Complex in Carbondale, Illinois. Libby Phelps | @ libbyphelpsphotography
Saluki Junior Dana Cruz (10) sprints after the ball while her teammates and opponents watch for behind during the Belmont game Oct. 5, 2023, at Lew Hartzog Track & Field Complex in Carbondale, Illinois. Libby Phelps | @libbyphelpsphotography
Senior Mia Edwards (23) attempts to push the ball away from Maddie Helling (17) of Indiana State Oct. 8, 2023 at the Lewis Hartzog T&F Complex in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
Brooklyn Maier (25) drives the ball across the field as Maddie Helling (17) of Indiana State attempts to guard Oct. 8, 2023 at the Lewis Hartzog T&F Complex in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
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Wednesday, October 11, 2023