The Daily Egyptian - October 18, 2023

THE

Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.

DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2023

VOL. 107, ISSUE 9

Day Starr-Fleming | dstarrfleming@dailyegyptian.com

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Page 2 | News

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Astrological annoyance: clouds obscure annular eclipse

Ty Lunn views the annular eclipse with solar glasses Oct. 14, 2023 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.Enan Chediak | echediak@dailyegyptian.com

Sarah VanVooren (left), Vanessa Sneed (middle) and Saidat Rasaq-Balogun (right) stand at the volunteer check in table Oct. 14, 2023 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. VanVooren is the co-chair of the Eclipse Steering Committee at SIU. Enan Chediak | echediak@dailyegyptian.com

The clouds obscure the view of the sun during the annular eclipse viewing Oct. 14, 2023 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. Enan Chediak | echediak@dailyegyptian.com

Nahida Islam views the annular eclipse with solar glasses Oct. 14, 2023 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. Enan Chediak | echediak@ dailyegyptian.com

News | Page 3

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Homecoming: Looking forward through the rear-view

Joei Younker jyounker@dailyegyptian.com

Southern Illinois has been hosting Homecoming celebrations since the early 1920s, from football games to the annual parade and bonfire nights.

But as the years have passed, the excitement and importance of Homecoming week has begun to fade away for some.

The first time SIU hosted an official Homecoming was in 1921, when the school was still referred to as Southern Illinois Normal University and its mascot was the “Maroons.”

In 1925, the Dunbar Society was organized at Southern and it began holding other events during the week leading up to the Homecoming football game. This included a formal dance that took place in Davies Gymnasium where the king and queen elections were held until the 1940s.

Dorthy Benner, a sophmore in 1928, was voted the “football queen.” This was later turned into the Homecoming court and the elections that take place online today.

In those early years, prior to the Homecoming football game, performers of all sorts (including Bob Dylan in the ‘70s) would take the stage in Shryock Auditorium for events leading up to the game.

As the 1930’s rolled around, all of the Greek houses were located in the same area near Thompson Point. This was when fraternity and sorority life became more prominent among college students. During Homecoming week, Greek organizations would festoon their front yards with elaborate decorations to compete with other organizations to see who had the best spirit to match that year’s theme.

Along with their elaborate decorations, different Greek organizations would also hold a Homecoming bonfire and create floats for the parade.

In the early years of SIU, freshmen were required to wear green ribbons or beanies to signify their status as new students. Once the Homecoming bonfire rolled around, freshmen were allowed to toss their green items into the fire to show that they were now a part of the student body.

The traditions of Homecoming have changed over the years. While the football game tailgate that takes place on the Saturday of Homecoming week is a very popular event for many students, fans and alumni, many of the past traditions that many loved no longer take place.

Ed Buerger, the retired executive director of the SIU Alumni Association and class of 1970, recollected his days as a student and employee of Southern Illinois University.

“I graduated in 1970… then returned as an employee of SIU in 1983. I was the assistant director for the Alumni Association, basically traveling all over the United States, building chapters and meeting with alumni trying to get them reinvolved in the life of the institution,” Buerger said.

Coming from a long line of Salukis, Buerger understood the importance of the alumni of SIU. He saw Homecoming as an opportunity to get alumni reengaged with their alma mater and allow them to relive some parts of their college life.

During Buerger’s time as a prominent part of the Alumni Association, it would host a massive alumni event where food was provided from brats and chips to beer and salad.

“There would be hot food at all times during the event. Each school in the college would have their own specific table… so the alums would come through and pick up information about their college and talk to old professors and the dean,” Buerger said.

When Buerger was attending SIU and employed by the school, the town of Carbondale and the attendance rate of the school were booming.

“The Greek system was a lot stronger in the

Cohen Poe | cpoe@dailyegyptian.com

60s and the 70s than it currently is. As you may know, most all of the Greek organizations were on campus, out past Thompson Point, and so there was a fairly strong Greek organization there that really sponsored a lot of Homecoming activities that were very active and kind of gave impetus to Homecoming,” Buerger said.

In the more recent years, including this one, Southern Illinois Homecoming week is made up of the kick-off pep rally, the Homecoming concert, a food drive, the Saluki Block party, various alumni events, a step show and, of course, the Homecoming parade and tailgate, not to mention the football game.

One event Buerger talked about that is still

carried on today was the 50-year class reunion.

This year’s reunion will be the class of 1973. Some other events that will be hosted for alumni during Homecoming weekend are the veterans gathering, the young alumni social and the band reunion.

The theme for this year’s Homecoming is “Salukis in Paradise: a celebration of Southern Illinois as our home away from home!”

With up-and-coming, top-of-the-charts performer NLE Choppa having made his way to Carbondale for Tuesday’s Homecoming concert, the city is bound to be as lively as years past.

Many believe that more involvement and effort by students to create more events and competitions like those held years ago could bring back the

environment that Homecoming used to be.

The future of Homecoming at Southern Illinois engenders high hopes, with enrollment on the rise and alumni wanting to get more involved with their alma mater in many ways. One being bringing their children along for the ride and showing them what Southern is all about with hopes of them following in their parents’ footsteps and becoming a Saluki.

What is the future of Homecoming at SIU? That remains to be seen, but some think it will be best if the old ways factor in.

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

Page 4 | Sports

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Salukis rush past Racers with Strong start, tough defense

Brandyn Wilcoxen bwilcoxen@dailyegyptian.com

Saluki quarterback Nic Baker became the all-time leader in passing yards on Saturday, as his team bounced back with a 27-6 victory over the Murray State Racers (2-4, 1-2 in MVC), and improved to 5-1, 2-1 on the season.

Baker completed a 10-yard pass to Izaiah Hartrup on the second drive of the first quarter, officially passing Saluki Hall of Famer Joel Sambursky for the school record in career passing yards.

“It hasn’t really set in yet, but just thinking about it, it’s super neat being number one on anything,” Baker said.

“I came here out of high school, and these are the type of stuff I dreamt about.”

However, the story of the game on Saturday was the Saluki rushing attack, which came out swinging to begin the game. The first play from scrimmage saw running back Justin Strong break free for an 80-yard house call, and SIU didn’t stop there.

The Salukis would finish with 270 rushing yards, meeting one of their key goals for the week. Coming off a loss to Youngstown State where the team gained just 58 yards on the ground, it was a point of emphasis against the Racers.

“At the beginning of the week, on Monday, I told them our goal was to rush for 250 yards as a unit,” head coach Nick Hill said. “We’ve got to take pride in that, and we stayed committed to it.”

All three of the Saluki touchdowns came on rushing plays. The second saw Vinson Davis III take a snap in the Wildcat formation and dive in for the score, and the third was punched in by Shaun Lester from two yards out.

Strong led the team in yardage with 128, followed by Lester with 85 and Jaelin Benefield with 39. Strong and Lester each had 14 carries, and Benefield added dozen.

Southern’s defense continued to shine as it has all season. It came up with stops on three red zone trips; the first two ended in turnovers forced by DJ Johnson and Mark Davis Jr., and the third resulted in a Murray State field goal. It also held the Racers to a 3-for-13 conversion rate on third downs, and 0-for-2 on fourth downs.

“It’s something that we’ve come to expect from them,” Hill said. “And they expect it out of themselves. We’ve had that happen in several games, and they’ve been outstanding.”

Saturday marked the first time since Nov. 17, 2012 that the Salukis did not give up a touchdown against a Valley opponent.

“Defense, we always preach, man, no matter what goes on, just keep playing,” Johnson said. “So I was just proud of our guys, coming out and doing what we can no matter what the situation is.”

Murray State joined the Missouri Valley before the 2022 season, and this was the first meeting between the two teams as MVFC rivals. The

Justin Strong (6) rushes the ball past Chris Hill Jr. (7) and Kanyon Walker (34) as the Salukis face the Racers on the road Oct. 14, 2023 at Roy Stewart Stadium in Murray, Kentucky. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

win puts the Salukis at 3-0 against the Racers during Hill’s tenure, his first two wins coming in 2016 and 2017.

Coming off a tough loss to Youngstown State, Southern Illinois seemingly needed a get-right game to set it back on the path towards where it wants to be in terms of contention.

The Salukis’ 2022 season was defined by a series of hot and cold streaks, but this win against Murray State ensures that the upset loss last week will not

Great Glass Pumpkin Patch sale is Oct. 21

SIU Communications

The talents of students in Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s glass program will be on display with the annual Great Glass Pumpkin Patch on Saturday, Oct. 21.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on the lawn in front of the breezeway between Pulliam Hall and the Wham Education Building. The best parking lot for patrons will be at Morris Library.

Since 2006, both undergraduate and graduate students in the glass program at SIU have crafted the pumpkins that sell at this event. About 500 pumpkins will be available this year. The celebration attracts nearly 500 people from throughout the region.

Prices this year will range between $50 and $100 on average, according to Jiyong Lee, professor and head of the glass program. Credit card purchases are available this year, but organizers are encouraging patrons to pay by cash or check for faster checkout.

Proceeds support students The pumpkin sale is hosted by Southern Glass Works, the glass art student

become a habit.

“Saturday couldn’t have came soon enough,” Hill said. “That taste lingers for a little while.”

SIU now faces its toughest test of the season, as it prepares to host the No. 1 team in the FCS, South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits are the reigning FCS National Champions, and are one of just two undefeated teams left.

“It’s an unbelievable opportunity,” Hill said. “You get those every year in

organization in the School of Art and Design at SIU, directly supports the students and their work, and is a way to enhance students’ educational experiences.

Proceeds fund programs including the Visiting Scholar/Artist-in-Residence Program, Visiting Artist Series, field trips and conference trips that enhance the students’ educational experiences. Proceeds from the event have also been the main funding for building glass melting furnaces and other major glassblowing equipment.

Visiting artist Glass artist Sogon Kim, who recently completed her master’s degree in ceramics and glass at the Royal College of Art in Photo provided by SIU Communications London, is the glass program’s artist-inresidence for the fall semester. Lee said Kim has been creating new works in the SIU glass studio, and she will have a solo exhibition at Vergette Gallery in the Allyn Building on campus, 1100 S. Normal Ave., Nov. 13-18. Kim is the 12th resident artist invited since the glass program began the artist-in-residence series in 2010. The glass program has hosted visiting artists from the United States, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, China, Australia and Korea.

our league though… It’ll be a great test for us that we want to have.”

Kickoff for next Saturday’s game against the Jackrabbits is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Saluki Stadium. It will serve as the annual Homecoming game.

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

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Sports | Page 5

SIU Women's Soccer The SIU Women’s Soccer team played its final home match against Valparaiso falling 2-1 on Oct. 12, 2023 at Lew Hartzog Track & Field Complex in Carbondale, Ill.

Senior Sam Dodd runs down the field.

Mo Collar | @m0.alexander

Freshman Brooklyn Maier readies a pass.

Mo Collar | @m0.alexander

Kaitlin DuCharme prepares to kick. Mo Collar | @m0.alexander

Freshman Molly Tapak runs for the ball. Mo Collar | @m0.alexander

Page 6 | Sports

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Record-Baker: Saluki quarterback becomes all-time passing leader Ryan Grieser rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com

Senior quarterback Nic Baker continued his historic season on Saturday against the Murray State Racers by setting the Saluki record for career passing yards, with 8,004 and counting.

Baker surpassed the previous record of 7,894 yards held by Joel Sambursky after completing a pass to senior receiver Izaiah Hartrup on the second drive of Saturday’s game.

“Coach says a lot… consistency is a superpower. I tend to think the same way, and just showing up everyday and doing the same thing, there’s really no other recipe to it. That’s what I do, is just show up, try to get a little better every day,” Baker said.

Baker has already been etching his name into the record books during his final season as the Salukis’ starter; he set the record for career completions on his second pass completion of the season opener against Austin Peay, and earned the record for career pass attempts on Sept. 16 against SEMO. Baker currently has 1,032 attempts and counting as of the end of the Murray State game.

In addition to owning the career completions and passing yards records, Baker has a good chance to set the career touchdowns record; his seven touchdowns on the season leave him only eight away from tying the record.

Baker also holds an outside chance at setting the marks for pass efficiency percentage and pass completion percentage, ranking within the top three and top four respectively heading into the 2023 season.

Baker has done more than just shine on the field; off the field, he’s shown growth in many aspects, especially in leadership among teammates.

Blake Rolan, SIU quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, said, “Definitely [seen him grow] a lot since five years ago… Doesn’t say a lot, but when he speaks, it means something.

He’s very passionate about competition.”

According to Hartrup, a receiver who has played with Baker in 24 games across four different seasons, Baker’s leadership skills

Nic Baker (8) looks to throw down the field as he is approached by CJ Barnes (3) Oct. 14, 2023 at Roy Stewart Stadium in Murray, Kentucky. Baker claimed the school record for all-time passing yards in the second drive of the game.

Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

have also expanded.

“He’s become a lot more vocal over the years and really taking charge of the offense, and not just the offense, but the team in general,” Hartrup said.

Jacob Garrett, a former teammate and roommate of Baker’s, personally watched him develop, though he thinks Baker’s always had an “it” factor.

“When we were freshman in practice, all the other guys were like, ‘Holy crap, who’s this kid?’

He was always just a gamer on the field. You never felt like you were in a down situation. In a game with you Nic at quarterback, you never felt like you were in a down situation,” Garrett said.

Baker thinks that he’s been able to achieve what he has because of his experience.

“Just getting better every year, taking my experience and using it to get better, and never getting too down,” Baker said. “Everybody makes mistakes.”

As he’s grown, Baker has begun to exhibit attributes similar

to another noteworthy Saluki quarterback, many of whom’s records are in jeopardy: Joel Sambursky.

Sambursky, who was the quarterback predecessor to current Saluki head coach Nick Hill, starred at SIU from 2002-05 and is a member of the Saluki Hall of Fame.

Tom Weber, the senior associate athletic director of communications, has worked at SIU since 2001. Having seen both Sambursky and Baker on the field, Weber thinks there are several similarities between the two.

“Personality wise, they’re both excellent leaders. They’re guys that would rally the offense behind them at times, take them on their back,” Weber said.

Weber also noted the circumstances in which both entered the program.

“It was a rebuilding program for Jerry Kill when Joel Sambursky entered.

And likewise, our program was down a bit when Nic first came, and both have seen

that; they both saw the lows, and now the highs of success,” Weber said.

It didn’t always seem like Baker would be the recordsetting quarterback he is today.

He arrived at SIU in 2018 and redshirted his freshman year, played sparingly in 2019 and suffered a major foot injury in the 2020-21 season.

“He had a pretty freak accident,” Garrett said. “There was probably a week period where he didn’t know if he’d be able to really run again.”

Baker would return from his foot injury in time for the Fall 2021 season, and has started every game since. Even though Baker is in his sixth season, made possible by a redshirt and a Covid eligibility year, he is still well down the list in career games; assuming he starts every remaining game of the regular season, he will still have only played in 41 games.

Sambursky, whose records Baker is overwriting, played in 49.

To Garrett, there is no doubt

that the extra years, even if he wasn’t racking up stats, were of benefit to Baker.

Garrett said, “I think his time he put in before he got to really play, I think, played a big role in him being where he is today.”

Even if he has been in the program for six years, Baker still treats every week the same.

“There’s a lot of ups and downs… you gotta reset, you gotta stay in the middle. You just have to reset every week, and that’s what you have to do to play at your best. You can’t get to the lows,” Baker said.

Baker’s relationship with the team has also played a big role in his success, which coincides with a lot of team success.

“Getting close with the team.

That’s why I play, why everybody plays,” Baker said.

Baker has also had many electric players around him.

Former teammates such as Garrett, Javon Williams Jr., Landon Lenoir and Avante Cox headline the list of skill players Baker has played with, Hartrup, D’Ante’ Cox, Ro Elliot and several others currently contribute to the 2023 Salukis and Baker’s continued success.

“It all starts with him, and the whole line too. Just the whole team… it takes 11 guys to get yards, make plays, all that,” Hartrup said.

Garrett said, “He’s had some great pieces along with it… explosive athletes.”

Though Baker may have entered college as an underdog, many aren’t surprised that he’s achieved what he has.

“Having watched him from his freshman year, and he’s progressed all the way to now. It’s just been fun to see him get better every year, and really just dominate now,” Weber said.

Plenty of opportunities remain for Baker to set more records and continue to cement his legacy as a Saluki all-time great.

“Super, super stoked for him, and definitely not surprised,” Garrett said.

Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at rgrieser@dailyeygptian.com.

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Salukis on Parade; Homecoming Preparation

Alli Goering agoering@dailyegyptian.com

Every year, SIU students, faculty and the Carbondale community gather to witness the annual Homecoming parade.

This year’s event is taking place on the strip on Saturday.

“There’s open container during, starting at 9 a.m. that day, so local restaurants and stuff along the strip will be able to serve alcohol for the parade,” said Sean Cooney, assistant director of Student Engagement and Programming and Student Programming Council (SPC) advisor.

The parade tradition has been an important part of kicking off the Homecoming weekend and instilling spirit into Saluki fans before the big game. The tradition continues with the Homecoming candidates taking part in the parade before the royalty is announced at the football game.

There will be a combination of campus and community groups walking and riding in the parade. Various organizations submit floats every year, and there will be different things to see. Groups will be handing out candy, t-shirts and other giveaways. Live music will be performed by the Marching Salukis along with other local marching bands.

The people participating in the parade

have spent the fall prepping to give the crowd a show. Groups have hands-on experience working on building their floats and catering it to the theme of the parade.

The parade lineup will be announced after confirmation of what groups will be attending and showing their Saluki pride.

The Office of Student Engagement is working diligently to create a lineup with a good mix of music and floats.

During the parade, the floats will be voted on by a panel of judges on theme.

“This year’s theme is ‘Saluki’s in Paradise,’ so there’ll be extra points given to people who hit the theme, so palm trees and beachy stuff,” Cooney said.

The fraternity Omega Delta has been working hard on matching their float to the theme. Greek life has been a part of the Homecoming parade since the beginning. All sororities and fraternities on campus work hard every year to compete for the best float.

“The process looks like brainstorming ideas for the theme. Once we choose the theme then we start creating a list of supplies and materials needed for the build,” said Matthew Crockett, treasurer of Omega Delta.

Other sororities and fraternities have been working together to create an

News | Page 7

SIU marching band members practice their parade formation for the upcoming Homecoming parade Oct. 12, 2023 at SIU in Carbondale, Illinois. Dominique Martinez-Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography

original float design to show their spirit.

Sigma Alpha and Alpha Gamma Rho are working hand-in-hand to build their float. Members from both groups are meeting during the week to prepare for the parade.

Every group is spending the week leading up to parade meeting nightly to

work on the building of their floats. All hands are on deck to create something that will “wow” the judges and support SIU school spirit.

“The idea is that everyone contributes to building the float. We are expecting this year’s float to take around two to three days to build, working on it for about two

hours every night,” Crockett said.

All the handmade floats will be featured at the Homecoming parade on Saturday morning, which is the traditional lead-in to the football game that afternoon.

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

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Page 8 | News

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

News | Page 9

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Ten finalists contend for Saluki royalty Carly Gist cgist@dailyegyptian.com

Since 1921, Homecoming has been a beloved tradition at Southern Illinois University, welcoming all Salukis, current and former, to the biggest football game of the year. It wasn’t until six years later when sophomore Dorothy Benner was elected “football queen” that a new tradition began and would continue throughout the next century.

The SIU Homecoming Court is an annual competition open to all juniors and seniors. Students in good standing with the school are invited to fill out an application. From that point forward, they will complete an interview with a panel of judges in hopes of becoming one of the ten finalists.

Those chosen are expected to embody all characteristics needed to be a true leader at SIU. From Illinois to Indiana to Wisconsin, these Salukis are not only representing Carbondale, but also various cities across the Midwest.

To senior Dean Dearing, Homecoming is a means of honoring the past.

“Tradition is a very valued thing where I’m from,” he said. “Here at SIU, it’s the exact same way. People come back together, alumni come back into town and it’s just a special time of year where we [all] want to be around each other.”

Dearing is a finance major from Princeville, Illinois. At SIU, he serves as the vice president of finance for both Farmhouse Fraternity and the Undergraduate Student Government.

He is also on the men’s rugby team.

Emily Bakri is a senior from Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, majoring in political science. Her motivation for joining the Homecoming Court was to connect with the student body.

“I really wanted to meet more people…and see what they like or don’t like about SIU, and [also find out] what SIU means to them and how they live that out in their daily lives,” she said.

Bakri is a Saluki Ambassador and a member of Alpha Gamma Delta.

She currently serves as the executive vice president of USG as well. After graduating from SIU, she plans to attend law school.

To others, Homecoming is a way to connect with and give back to the community. The two students crowned SIU royalty will be given the opportunity to lead a service project.

If selected, candidate Raygen Parker plans to start an after-school program for youth in Carbondale, with hopes of getting them more involved in the community.

A first-generation student, senior studying criminal justice with three minors (American Sign Language, social justice and sociology), Parker is heavily involved on campus. She is a member of three honors societies, a student worker for Rainbows End Child Development Center and she holds leadership positions in her sorority Delta Zeta. She is also currently finishing out her final term as president

of the College Panhellenic Association.

Parker said she was nervous about joining the Homecoming Court but ultimately made the decision so she could represent those in need of a role model.

“I was nervous to put myself out there,” she said. “But at the same time, I love being a driven person and wanted to be involved…so I just went through the interview…I was scared to even find out the results, but I wanted to serve as basically a representative and a leader for students at SIU. I’m a first-generation student, I’m a first-gen Greek, neither of my parents attended college, so I wanna be a role model for students who don’t always have someone to look up to.”

Parker is currently in an accelerated master’s program for criminal justice, but is considering enrolling in the dual master’s program of social work and criminal justice in the near-future. Her plan is to become an advocate for those affected by child abuse and domestic violence.

Community is what senior candidate Quierra Love values most at SIU. Since day one, she said, she has been encouraged by staff, friends, coaches and professors to be confident in herself.

By running for Homecoming royalty, Love hopes to inspire her peers to step out of their shells, as well.

“I think before I got to SIU I was very fearful,” she said. “I’m running to show others like, hey, this might be out of your comfort zone. It might be something you’re not used to, but don’t be [afraid] to do it. Step out of your comfort zone, do something that is uncomfortable…

Because with uncomfortableness comes growth.”

Love is from Edwardsville, Illinois and is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry. She is captain of the women’s basketball team and a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. She is also involved with Saluki Unity and volunteers at elementary schools and churches in the area. After graduation, she plans to enroll in nursing school to become a nurse practitioner.

Pearl Williams is a senior in the fashion studies program with a minor in marketing. She is president of the fashion club, vice president of Sigma Kappa and works at the university daycare. She is also an active volunteer at Prairie Living nursing home, Saint Francis Animal Shelter, Gumdrops and Carbondale Fashion Show. Williams, who is also a first-generation student, came to college with a goal of being as active as possible.

“I’ve had so many opportunities to get involved…and that’s something I really missed out on in high school,” she said. “And just something I really wanted was to find kind of a home away from home.”

Williams said she decided to apply for the Homecoming Court to make the most of her college experience. After graduation, she plans to return to her hometown of Chicago and work as a buyer in the fashion industry.

Quierra Love

Jessica White

- Biology with a minor in chemistry - Edwardsville, Illinois - Senior

- Exercise science - Indianapolis, Indiana - Senior

Dean Dearing

Homecoming Court 2023 gathers together at the Student Center Oct. 15, 2023 in Carbondale, Ill. Janiyah Gaston | @janiyah_reports

Homecoming can also be a great learning experience, candidate Katelyn Schultz said.

Schultz is a senior from Sugar Grove, Illinois, studying hospitality, tourism and event management. She is a fundraising chair for the equestrian team, case competition member of American Marketing Association and active volunteer for the Women in Aviation Maintenance organization.

Schultz sees Homecoming as an opportunity to connect with and learn from alums.

“I think it’s extremely important that we are learning from the older generations and how they contributed to SIU, [so] we can also make a better contribution to the university,” she said. “So I think it’s just a good learning opportunity for everybody and also [a way to] have a good time and… connect with one another.”

Schultz is keeping her options open for after graduation, but hopes to either work for a non-for-profit charity, such as Seth Rogen’s Hilarity for Charity, or a corporate organization, such as Marriott International or a Disney property.

At SIU, there are countless opportunities to get involved and explore different interests, but having those opportunities get in the way of academic success is a common worry among students. Senior Jessica White decided to run for Homecoming to show others that it is possible to find balance.

“I decided to run for Homecoming to get myself a little bit outside of my comfort zone and just to be able to show other students that you can be involved on campus and still be successful academically,” she said. “I’m a senior and I’ve changed my major a couple of times but I am still graduating within four years and am still able to do things that I love, like [volunteering] and being active with my RSO [registered student orientation].”

White is an exercise science major from Indianapolis, Indiana. She is currently president of the Women

of Action Chapter of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs Inc., member of Diversify Stem and volunteer for the Strong Survivors Exercise and Nutrition program.

After graduation, White plans to go to graduate school, preferably at SIU, to pursue a career as an exercise physiologist.

Candidate Jonathan Montoya hopes to use this opportunity to promote diversity and inclusion.

“Homecoming, to me, is not just an event; it’s an opportunity for transformation,” he said. “It’s a chance to redefine who we see in leadership and celebrate the diversity that makes our university truly special. I believe that by running for homecoming, I can contribute to fostering a more inclusive and representative campus culture that we can all take pride in.”

Montoya is an active member of numerous multicultural clubs. He currently serves as president of the Delta Phi Chapter for Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. and is a member of the Student Nurses Association.

“In the future I hope homecoming can be a symbol of our schools commitment to embracing diversity and a tribute to unity,” he added.

“Together we can change homecoming into a memorable occasion where the values of togetherness and respect for diversity serve as the cornerstone of our university’s history.”

Montoya is a senior from Beardstown, Illinois majoring in nursing and healthcare management.

His future plans include becoming a first-generation college graduate and pursuing a career as a registered nurse with a specialization in dialysis.

Ava Haase, a junior from Kankakee, Illinois hopes to use her position on the court to promote positivity on campus.

“College is…a time for self discovery of who we want to be and what we want to do with our lives,” she said.

“It’s a stressful time and stress does not discriminate. I want to be an example of learning to grow and take in every step

of this process. There are highs and lows to everyday life, but I want to encourage individuals to always focus on the positives. No one is alone throughout this process and everyday should be cherished.”

Haase is a nursing major and former Saluki Ambassador. She is active in Greek Life and is a member of SIU’s SENSE (Students Embracing Nature, Sustainability, and Environmentalism) and Triathlon organizations. She also volunteers with Gum Drops, Adopta-Spot and St. Francis Animal Shelter.

The last member of the court is Olufemi Terebo, a senior from Harvey, Illinois studying exercise science. Terebo currently serves as Vice President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Secretary for Black Male Roundtable.

Additionally, he is a member of Campus and Community Chair for Black Affairs Council and a member of Melanin & Medicine. He was also an academic chair for the Black Affairs Council from 2021-2022.

Terebo has used his time at SIU to branch out and try new things, he said.

He ran for homecoming for that very reason.

“My entire time here at SIU was filled with doing things that was outside the realm of my comfortability,” he said.

“Running for homecoming royalty, campaigning, and things of that nature are definitely not on my regular list of things to do because usually people will see me to myself, AirPods in, and just in my own world.”

After graduation, Terebo plans to pursue a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and a Masters in Business Administration.

Voting is open to all students on D2L and will close at noon on Friday.

The top two contenders will then be crowned SIU royalty during halftime of the “Salukis in Paradise” SIU Homecoming game on Saturday.

Staff reporter Carly Gist can be reached at cgist@dailyegyptian.com

Olufemi Terebo

- Finance - Princeville, Illinois - Senior

- Exercise science - Harvey, Illinois - Senior

Ava Haase

- Nursing with a minor in healthcare management - Kankakee, Illinois - Junior

Jonathan Montoya

Katelyn Schultz

- Nursing and healthcare management - Beardstown, Illinois - Senior

- Hopitality tourism and event management - Sugar Grove, Illinois - Senior

Pearl Williams

Raygen Parker

- Fashion studies with a minor in marketing - Chicago, Illinois - Senior

- Criminal justice with a minor in American Sign Language, social justice and sociology - Salem, Illinois - Senior

Emily Bakri

- Political science - Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin - Senior

Page 10 | News

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Homecoming events unite SIU community past and present Annalise Schmidt aschmidt@dailyegyptian.com

Homecoming events will be taking place all across campus this week as a “celebration of Southern Illinois as our home away from home!”

Events will include a Saluki Block Party, an NLE Choppa concert, a multitude of alumni events and more.

With alumni, students and other members of the SIU community participating in events, the school can allow people to broaden connections and reconnect with one another.

Cathy Mieldezis, director of member relations for the SIU Alumni Association, said that by alumni coming back, especially when students are here, they can meet and mingle with students who are currently enrolled.

“I think it helps alumni understand the importance of our scholarships and helping students in not just coming here, but matriculating, and being able to graduate by those retention scholarships,” Mieldezis said.

Coming back to campus allows alumni to give students support, by just meeting them and through one-on-one mentoring.

“I think it’s important that they’re coming back during school, because they can see the activities of campus,” Meildezis said.

The ‘80s and ‘90s tailgate, with SIU’s Alumni Association, is an example of one such activity. This is the largest tailgate the association has had since 2019, when it first started out.

“I think we hit about right at 400 [people] last year and we’re nearly at 500 this year,” Mieldezis said.

She said those who attend are people that graduated within those two decades, and a lot of them didn’t even know each other when they were on campus. However, now they have come back, and have been able to make friendships through their shared connection from up to 40 years ago.

“I think it’s just a way of reconnecting them to campus, and then to each other and to people they may not have ever met

because…when you’re a student, a lot of times you’re so busy with work and with school that sometimes it’s just those few people that you’re in class with that you really get to know,” Mieldezis said.

Homecoming is a time for alumni to reminisce about their own time at SIU with people who genuinely care about the institution.

“When you’re connecting to people at these, you’re connecting to other people that are truly connected to SIU. They didn’t just graduate from here and then go, ‘I got my degree, but yeah, I don’t care anymore,’ they’re really connected.”

Emily Bakri is a member of Alpha Gamma Delta. This year, she and her sorority will be participating in float building for the Homecoming Parade, and will also be tailgating prior to Saturday’s football game.

Bakri said, “Homecoming events benefit the SIU community because they bring people together and give people a sense of family and excitement. It allows SIU Greek life to come together between multiple different organizations and work towards a common goal.”

Students and the organizations they are currently involved in have the opportunity to share their work with the community and their fellow peers.

“Homecoming is important because it is a great way to see the true SIU experience and feel connected to the community,

alumni and fellow students. It’s exciting to be around other students and cheer on the Salukis with the Dawg Pound,” Bakri said.

Here are some highlights for the week: Wednesday, Oct. 18 A Saluki Luau Lunch will be hosted in the Student Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Saluki Food Pantry and RSOs are working to sponsor a food drive to benefit SIU students. Donations can be dropped off at the Luau Lunch.

Thursday, Oct. 19 The Saluki Block Party will have games, a photo booth, rides and a DJ for students and the community. Food and drinks will be offered for purchase at the event. Head to Lincoln Drive by Pulliam at 5-8 p.m. to take part.

Friday, Oct. 20 The Beta Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will be hosting the 2023 Homecoming Step Show. Greeks on campus will be performing their step routines in Shryock Auditorium at 7 p.m. to showcase their organizations.

Saturday, Oct. 21 The Saluki Homecoming Tailgate will be held at Saluki Row from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Head to Saluki Stadium at 2 p.m. to watch the SIU Homecoming football game against South Dakota State.

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

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

News | Page 11

HOCO Banner Making

Student Programming Council Programming Director Autumn Montague paints the Saluki In Paradise-themed at the RSO Homecoming Banner Making Competition Oct. 4, 2023 at the Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Libby Phelps | @libbyphelpsphotography

FarmHouse member Will Newton and Delta Phi Epsilon member Anna Schmershal paint FarmHouse’s homecoming banner during the RSO Homecoming Banner Making Competition Oct. 4, 2023 at the Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Libby Phelps | @libbyphelpsphotography

Student Programming Council Special Events Director Amilia Estrada paints the Saluki In Paradise-themed banner during the RSO Homecoming Banner Making Competition Oct. 4, 2023 at the Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Libby Phelps | @libbyphelpsphotography

High school Student Araya Yunkins (left) paints the University Baptist Church Student Ministries Banner alongside Yahri Edmond (right) Oct. 4, 2023 at the Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois.

Libby Phelps | @libbyphelpsphotography

Page 12 | Sports

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Saluki 2023 Hall of Fame class features five legendary athletes and historic football team Howard Woodard hwoodard@dailyegyptian.com

This year’s Hall of Fame class for Saluki Athletics features five athletes with careers spanning from five decades ago to as recently as seven years ago. Dewey Robinson, John Marks, Brian Boemer, Dyana Pierre and Taylor Pippen each played various sports during their different tenures at SIU. But now they walk into Saluki immortality together during Homecoming weekend.

The 1983 football Salukis will be inducted as well, the second time an entire team has been honored.

This team won the I-AA National Championship.

The remarkable part was they did this without a true star player on their roster. Even though cornerback Terry Taylor went on to have an 11-year career in the NFL after being drafted in the first round of the 1984 draft, the Salukis were strongly characterized as a team built around guys who played and coached hard for each other.

“We felt nobody was going to outwork us as a staff,” Dempsey said. “And our players worked very hard. It all starts from the top. If you work hard, they will work hard.”

Working hard has always been the story for 68-year-old inductee Dewey Robinson, who is still involved in the game of baseball to this day. He was a part of two Saluki teams which had third-place College World Series finishes in 1974 and 1977. Now Robinson is working in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization as a special advisor for player development.

It has been a long journey for Robinson, who has five brothers, in order to get where he is now.

“I leaned more into baseball and wanted to go to college, and the only way I could afford it with all the brothers was to try to get a scholarship, so it worked out,” Robinson said.

He is the only player in program history to accumulate both 20 wins and 10 saves. He was primarily a starting pitcher until his senior year, when he began to work out of the bullpen and close out games.

“We had a couple freshman pitchers who were really good, and Itchy Jones, our head coach, told me I was going to the bullpen, and he would make sure I pitched,” Robinson said. “I don’t know if I had any saves as a junior or anything, I think they all might’ve been my senior year.”

Robinson made 30 appearances in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox across three seasons, striking out 35 batters with a 4.05 earned run average.

But when his playing days were over, Robinson transitioned fairly quickly into coaching, which was something he always had his sights set on.

“It was something that I was

Coach Rey Dempsey celebrates with the 1983 Saluki footballl team. The team won the Div. 1-AA National Championship and will be inducted into the Saluki Hall of Fame on Friday. Photo provided by SIU Athletics.

driven to my whole life, even when I was a player. I just wanted to stay in the game the best I could,” Robinson said. “Playing at the professional level opened up a lot of doors in coaching because I had a higher level of experience than most, being able to pitch at the major league level.”

Robinson considers the basics of the game: be a good teammate, and work hard. It was a microcosm of his work that he instilled in players of all backgrounds across decades where he put his all into making sure everyone he came across had the opportunity to meet their goals of playing on the big stage.

“I’ve always felt that I wanted to treat everybody equally, no matter if they were a free agent, a first rounder, from Latin America, from Asia, from Cuba…that they all matter, and they all have a chance, and I was going to do everything I can to help them reach their dreams and get to the big leagues,” Robinson said.

After watching teammates go into the Saluki Hall of Fame, the fact of being inducted himself never really struck Robinson. But when he got the news on a phone call, he became emotional because of the select few that share the honor.

“I just am so thankful for what Southern Illinois University and the baseball program, and the coaches and my teammates did for me, and my life, I enjoy the heck out of it. It put me on the path to be able to wear this uniform,” Robinson said. “…I brag about

Southern all the time and I’m really just grateful and humbled to be going in, and excited to come in that weekend…”

Star shot putter John Marks, also said it’s a privilege to be recognized as one of the greatest Saluki athletes of all time.

“I feel honored to know that somebody had seen what I accomplished at SIU and gave me this honor of becoming a member of the Hall of Fame,” Marks said.

Simply wanting to become a stronger football player in high school, Marks joined track and field to put on some muscle. As he progressed, Marks was taken aside by his coach and told he could win a state championship.

Sure enough, in 1975, Marks won the Illinois state championship for shot put, and several schools reached out to him.

Wanting to live out his dream of being a Chicago cop, Marks chose SIU because of its administration of justice program.

“I had three relatives that were Chicago firemen, and I was going to buck the trend and become a Chicago policeman,” Marks said.

SIU’s track program at the time also raised up George Woods, a U.S. Olympian, who Marks watched film on to pull technique from and all but confirmed his decision to attend Southern Illinois. Little did he know, he would go on to break Wood’s freshman record and become a two-time All-American in the indoor shot and two-time MVC champion for outdoor shot.

“At the time, you didn’t think

much of it, you’re doing the best you can…but me looking back, I think things have grown on me, that ‘boy I accomplished something there and I’m pretty proud of it,’” Marks said.

Marks was roommates with another Saluki Hall of Famer, Stan Podolski, for three years, and it always kept him on his toes.

Even with track and field being an individual sport in most cases, the camaraderie that Marks and his teammates shared drove them all to be better.

“I never took for granted what my teammates did…we had a very close-knit team, be it sprinters, the distance runners, the jumpers, pole vaulters, everybody, we were really close,” Marks said. “So I thought that was a great motivation, you wanted to do the best for your teammate and that’s what pushed us a lot.”

Marks went on to fulfill his dream of working in the police force, becoming an Illinois State trooper, then moving to investigations as a special agent for the majority of his career. But in 1999, he contracted an AVM, an arteriovenous malformation, which meant he had a blood flow disruption to his spinal cord that shattered its functionally.

Although he has been a paraplegic for a quarter-century, he is grateful to his alma mater for how he has been able to deal with this disease.

“I think my years at SIU helped me with my recovery from that… I was able to put my training at SIU to good use, I was able to set a goal

of being as healthy as possible and I knew how to achieve that goal, and I think I’ve done pretty well for the last 24 years in my wheelchair,” Marks said.

Overall, Marks said he is proud of what he has been able to do and that it couldn’t have been possible without being a Saluki.

“I’ve hoped I’ve contributed to the legacy of the SIU throwing program…if I wouldn’t have got the opportunity to go to SIU, I don’t know what,” Marks said. “…I can’t imagine my life without track and field and SIU being a part of that.”

Inductee Bryan Boemer was another All-American and was one of seven offensive lineman to be named to the All-Century team for SIU. Even with anchoring the O-line at the center position from 2008 to 2011, it still was a shock to Boemer when he received news about the Hall of Fame.

“It’s awesome man, wasn’t expecting it…kind of caught me off guard. It’s kind of a surreal feeling, it brought back tons of memories…and all I could think about was the 5 years I spent at school and how awesome it was,” Boemer said.

Boemer started his final 35 games at SIU while also being a part of units in 2008 where the team possessed a top-five rushing offense. In his senior season, Boemer held a 93% blocking percentage while not allowing a sack.

He was named the best center in the country via the Rimington FAME | 13

Sports | Page 13

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Fame

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Award as a senior, and was a FirstTeam All-Conference selection twice. These awards gave Boemer a chance to see that his effort behind the scenes was showing on gameday and being recognized.

“They were awesome, it gave me a scale to know how hard you’ve worked. Knowing that there’s hundreds of other people out there trying to do the same thing, it’s nice knowing that the hard work and effort and the long days in the gym, the long days in conditioning, and the long days in practice, that they all paid off,” Boemer said. “For me, they were like a finish line, and I reached it.”

But none of these accolades stood out to Boemer compared to when he was named a leader in the locker room.

“When they told me I was captain, that was the best feeling I think I’ve had. I think that supersedes any of the awards I won at Carbondale, was being able to lead a group of around a hundred guys, man,” Boemer said. “To have them look up to you, when something’s going wrong, they’re looking at you to figure something out, that’s a great feeling.”

At first, after graduation, Boemer went into sales at a desk job but he quickly realized that it didn’t suit him. Instead, he moved to working in the fire department where he found some similarities to being on a football team.

“I love being part of a team so much and that’s ultimately like a profession I wanted to do. On top of that, you get to help people and be part of a team to achieve goals and I feel like football, for sure, gave me a super leg-up in being prepared for a career like this and ultimately kind of drove me towards it naturally,” Boemer said. “Not a guy that can stay behind a desk, I can tell you that, tried it, didn’t work very well.”

“It’s nice knowing that the hard work and effort and the long days in the gym... that they all paid off.”

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- Bryan Boemer Former SIU football player (2008-11)

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Team All-MVC twice, was a MVC Scholar Athlete three times and named an All-American after her senior year. The accolades reflected the effort she put in and pushed her to keep going.

“I would say that they were encouraging, they kind of let me know that all the work I was putting in meant something, and it was just a testament to the work I put in over all the years,” Pippen said.

She holds the school record in block assists (426) and hitting percentage (.345), and her strong play was shown on the big stage after the 2015 team went 23-10, the best in program history, and went to the NCAA Tournament. Being with her teammates and hearing their team being announced on the selection show was an unforgettable experience for Pippen and her teammates.

“It’s definitely one of the highlights of my life to be honest.

That feeling was incredible to know we were the first team to ever make it to the NCAA Tournament in school history, so it was just an incredible feeling that I’ll never forget,” Pippen said.

It also didn’t take long for the best rebounder and shot blocker in SIU’s women’s basketball, inductee Dyana Pierre, to be recognized as one of the best athletes to play for SIU. But it wasn’t always clear she would be destined for the honor.

“It was something that I was hoping for, but you can never expect it, so I was super excited to get the news.”

- Taylor Pippen Former SIU volleyball player (2012-15)

A desk job, however, is the selected path for inductee Taylor Pippen, who is now involved in banking. After playing volleyball professionally in Spain, she enjoys her job back home in Chicago. But just eight years ago, she was a vital piece of the SIU volleyball program.

It was a quick turnaround into SIU immortality which was thrilling for Pippen.

“To get the news was a really big honor. It was something that I was hoping for, but you can never expect it, so I was super excited to get the news,” Pippen said.

Pippen was a force on the floor in her time at SIU. She was the first three-time All-Conference player in program history, awarded to First-

Email: editor@dailyegyptian.com

Her tenure at SIU got off to about as rocky of a start as possible when she tore her ACL in the summer before her freshman season. It showed her the importance of not only physical health, but the mental aspect as well so that she could be in the correct mindset to come back on the court stronger and better.

“Honestly, it’s really about being in shape, you have to be in tiptop shape at all times and be good mentally, on the court, off the court.

A lot of people don’t talk about the mental health of athletes. It plays a part in how you play in each game,” she said.

It forced her to step outside her comfort zone in order to get the help she needed.

“I’m really not the one to reach out to people but I really had to put my pride aside and ask people for help. That was a really dark time for me, I thought it was over with, I was young, I was like 17 going on 18, my parents weren’t around, [I was] far from home,” Pierre said.

She was fortunate to have a strong support system around her at SIU. “I really thought everything was over but my athletic trainer at the time, Kristin, and my teammates, they all made sure I was good, and I was being level-headed and not staying in my room too much and making sure they were pumping me up like ‘you’re gonna get back’,” Pierre said.

When she returned in 2012 for her true freshman season, she made her presence felt, instantly leading the MVC in rebounding (8.6).

Over the years, Pierre continued to get better on both sides of the ball.

She was named to first-team AllMVC for the next three years and was only the second Saluki to ever do that. Pierre was also named to the MVC All-Defensive team for her last two seasons.

Pierre is currently traveling the world, playing the sport she learned that she loved thanks to playing overseas.

“At that time I knew nothing, I was scared. But once I started getting past my rookie year, I realized that I do love basketball,” Pierre said. “Because playing overseas professionally, it really does something to you, it makes you really know what kind of player you are.”

Pierre has learned that hard work towards your dreams is important and not to be disheartened by the bumps on the way.

“I really want people to know that no matter what you go through… remember your goal at the end of the day…” Pierre said. “You really have to just keep working and it will all pay off and everybody will see it, and just don’t get discouraged.”

Whether they are still involved in their sports like Robinson and Pierre, or they found their passions in other avenues like Marks, Boemer and Pippen, all these athletes hold profound impacts at SIU and contributed to the story of Saluki Athletics. Along with the championship winning football team of 1983, this year’s hall of fame class is filled with prestige and prowess.

The full story can found online at dailyegyptian.com Sports reporter Howard Woodard can be reached at hwoodard@dailyegyptian.com

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Page 14 | News

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Israel, Hamas, and those caught in between William Box wbox@dailyegyptian.com

On Saturday, October 7 Hamas, the political organization currently dominating as the Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip, launched a series of coordinated attacks across southern Israel.

These attacks, which spread out across areas adjacent to Gaza and inflicted heavy casualties on civilian, police and military personnel, came as the latest in a series of clashes between the Hamas organization and the government and people of Israel.

Since the invasion reached international news headlines, a multitude of questions have been raised about what events and motivations led to this latest clash between regional forces.

Why would Hamas seemingly target innocent civilians? Why has Israel been a hotbed of violence as long as recent memory serves? What, if any, responsibility does Israel share in creating the circumstances that have led to the deaths of their own people? The answer begins with an examination of the history of the conflict.

Historically, Palestine has been a province within a number of empires.

The Romans, the various Caliphates that succeeded the rise of Islam and the Ottoman Empire which ruled it until the conclusion of the first World War, after which the United Kingdom (U.K.) would hold it as a dominion until after World War II. In the years preceding the nation’s independence, accompanying the wave of nationalism that was sparked by the French Revolution and has continued into the 20th and 21st centuries, various movements across Europe and the Americas would seek to establish a Jewish nation with a sentiment which came to be known as Zionism.

These Zionist movements would bring about waves of Jewish migration into Palestine, increasing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries especially as antisemitism would become entrenched and industrialized within authoritarian regimes in Europe. Seeking an escape from persecution and a place where they would not be excluded like they had been throughout Europe for centuries, these European Jews would settle the region and advocate for the full establishment of a Jewish nation on the international stage.

Original plans by the U.N. divided the territory into a primarily Arab and primarily Jewish state with a shared international zone around the city of Jerusalem, setting the basis for future conflicts regarding territory claimed by the two majority peoples who would go on to inhabit the region.

But even before the U.K. would surrender its mandate on the region, it faced resistance by the local Arab Palestinian population to curtail immigration into the region, though the Jewish counter-insurgency would win out after an event which would come to be known as the Sergeants Affair in which a violent Jewish nationalist group known as Irgun would kidnap two British sergeants and executed them after the execution of three of Irgun’s members, leading to riots across Britain and the final decision to give up the mandate.

When the UN adopted the initial proposal for the partition of Palestine, it began the 1948 Palestine war, which is commonly known in Israel as their War of Independence. Palestinians refer to it as the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” due to the displacement of Palestinian Arabs. The war consisted of two phases, the first being a mostly civil conflict between Jewish and Arab militias within the borders of the new nations and the second being a large scale conflict which erupted following the official dissolution of the U.K. mandate, prompting an invasion from the neighboring nations of Egypt, Syria, Transjordan (now known as Jordan) and forces from Iraq.

While Israel would win the war in 1949, going on to control not only the area partitioned to them by the U.N. but much of the Palestinian territory as well, some areas were claimed by the invading forces, namely Jordan occupying much of the western bank of the River Jordan extending into Eastern Jerusalem and Egypt occupying what is now known as the Gaza Strip.

A number of wars would take place between Israel and its neighbors following this initial war. The Suez Crisis, the Six Day War, the Yom Kippur War and the two Lebanese wars would see Israel winning supremacy over their region. The Yom Kippur war, so named after the nominal Jewish holiday, being reminiscent of the most recent conflict with Hamas with a surprise invasion taking place, catching the Israeli military and people off guard as they observed the holy day.

These wars, both provoked and unprovoked, incited sentiments of desperation and a desire for security within the Israeli borders, leading to the gradual displacement of the majority of Palestinians into smaller and smaller enclaves, turning the communities into hotbeds of radicalism. It is from this crucible that Hamas would rise.

Hamas, an acronym from their Arabic name translating to “Islamic Resistance Movement,” began as a charity in 1973 operated by a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood named Ahmed Yassin. In 1984, Israeli authorities discovered the group had been collecting weapons, leading to a brief arrest when, after protests and riots began in the late 1980’s from other Islamic groups, Hamas would break off from their parent organization and begin operating independently before being largely broken up by a massive wave of arrests of the group’s members in 1989-90.

The resulting regional cells that would make up Hamas from that point would ignite after the al-Aqsa Massacre, in which Muslim protesters would attempt to prevent an Orthodox Jewish group from placing a stone marking the creation of a new Temple at the site of the Temple Mount, a holy site in both Judaism and Islam. Viewing the act as a dismissal of Muslim sensitivities around the site, Muslim protesters gathered to block the group, escalating to throwing stones at the Jewish worshippers and prompting a deadly retaliation from the Israeli Border Police, a paramilitary group, who would kill 17 Palestinians and wound more than 150 others.

“Jihad against the Zionist enemy everywhere, in all fronts and every

means,” Hamas said in response to the massacre. The call signaled an escalation of kidnappings, killings and, as would become commonplace among Hamas tactics, suicide bombings targeting primarily members of the Israeli government and military.

However, after the racially motivated killing of 29 Palestinians by Baruch Goldstein at a mosque in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the deaths of 19 others by Israeli security forces in the ensuing riots, Hamas issued a statement to the Israeli government declaring a further escalation to the violence.

“If Israel will not discriminate between fighters and civilians… we will be forced to treat the Zionists in the same manner. Treating like with like is a universal principle,” Hamas said.

During this time the al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas, would take shape. An increase in civiliantargeted attacks began and would lead to the Israeli forces assassinating the Brigades’ leader, the 29-year-old Yahya Ayyash, itself spurring further violence known as the Second Intifada.

An attempted peace process known as the Oslo Accords attempted to create a truce between the two sides, but failed in the midst of the fighting, leading to popular discontent leading up to the 2006 elections in Palestine. Through an advocacy for armed resistance, Hamas convinced people to vote for its members tover their rival, the secular party Fatah, winning the majority of seats in the established parliament.

While Hamas would be technically elected to lead the entirety of the Palestinian Authority, in practice it mostly operates out of the Gaza strip, with the West Bank territory held and operated by Fatah. In the years since its election, Hamas has undertaken, endorsed and supported violent operations across Israel, prompting a cycle of reprisals from the Israeli government.

While two large political organizations have held violent hostilities against each other, the civilians caught between have suffered the most. More than 158,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed or wounded in the ensuing conflicts since 2008 while 6,600 Israeli casualties have been reported at the same time according to the United Nations.

The region has been home to violence from within and without since before Israel was even founded. The recent conflict is merely the resurgence of violence in the region, continuing an ongoing fight/terror campaign in which both sides seek to brutalize the other into submission.

The people of Israel and Palestine absolutely don’t need Western people who live lives removed from their struggles for survival and sovereignty to tell them whether their goals or aspirations are justified or worthwhile.

But one thing the conflict can teach us is an understanding of the desperation of two groups of people vying for the same homeland.

The Palestinians have had their land taken from them through colonization and warfare while the Israelis have defended their claims with military force and Western backing. The Hamas

government fights against a massively superior military force, fully aware of the impossibility of victory but fighting a suicidal fight that would be admirable if not for the wonton and indiscriminate civilian violence they have inflicted along the way.

Israel, meanwhile, has pushed back the invaders and now executes a vicious bombing campaign in Gaza that destroys not only the fleeing Palestinians, but the little infrastructure the Palestinians have left in what will likely soon be the ruins of the largest city in the strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on October 11, “We will wipe this thing called Hamas off the face of the Earth.”

Retaliatory airstrikes by the Israeli Air Force has taken the lives of more than 1500 Palestinians already, after the Israeli government ordered the more than one million inhabitants of northern Gaza to evacuate south, initially giving them only 24 hours to do so.

In my opinion, the casual disregard for civilian lives on both sides is the true enemy. The belief that bombs or guns can scare people into submission is both dangerous and unproductive, yet both sides are spurred on by the faith that their allies abroad will step in if the situation gets deteriorates further.

Forces in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Iran have agreed to step in to provide

resistance, weapons and drones should the U.S., Israel’s long time ally, join in the coming Israeli ground invasion.

Hezbollah, a militant Islamic group operating out of Lebanon has already performed aggressive actions against Israeli troops stationed at the border, setting the stage for the conflict to spill over international boundaries with relative ease.

And with all the potential violence on the horizon, the majority of the world stands in shocked disgust at the capacity for violence on both sides.

While the debate rages on who the “right” side to support is in this conflict, the sad fact is that everyone involved loses.

The cycle of violence has only escalated since the founding of Hamas, and this current turning of the wheel looks set to grind away the Palestinians and Israelis together and embroil the U.S. in another war whose end result will only be hundreds or thousands more dead and more problems caused than existed before.

To quote Martin Luther King jr., “The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy, instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.”

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

Sports | Page 15

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

SIU vs. SDSU: Can the Salukis repeat their once-in-a-lifetime upset?

Brandyn Wilcoxen bwilcoxen@dailyegyptian.com

The Southern Illinois football team will return to Saluki Stadium on Saturday for its first home game in three weeks.

Appropriately, the “Homecoming” game will give SIU fans a chance to see their No. 13 ranked Dawgs in action.

On the other side: the No. 1 team in the country; the reigning FCS National Champions; one of just two unbeaten teams left in the FCS: South Dakota State.

Longtime fans of the FCS, and specifically the Missouri Valley Football Conference, likely expected the Jackrabbits’ neighbor to the north to be the team to beat. After all, North Dakota State has won nine National Championships since 2011 with separate five-year and threeyear championship streaks, and holds the longest active playoff streak in the FCS. But the Jackrabbits have been no slouch either. They hold the second-longest playoff streak (11 for SDSU; 13 for NDSU), and beat the Bison in January to finally win their first National Championship after years of coming up just short in the playoffs.

Southern Illinois is just 4-9 all-time against South Dakota State. Between 2010-2020, SIU won just one out of its 10 matchups, including an FCS playoff game in May 2021.

The Salukis will not be favored against the Jackrabbits, no matter how strong the start of their season was. Very few opponents are comparable to South Dakota State in talent, in coaching, in pedigree.

However, the Salukis have been here before.

Southern Illinois is used to playing top-ranked teams in the powerhouse conference that is the Valley. Carbondale welcomed the NDSU Bison as the No. 1

team in 2013, 2019 and 2021, and visited them in 2014 and 2018.

Quarterback Nic Baker made the first start of his future hall of fame career on Feb. 27, 2021, during a COVID-induced spring season. Baker was thrown into the fire against the No. 1 Bison, which was on a 39-game winning streak at that point.

Against all odds, Baker would lead the Salukis to a commanding 38-14 victory, kickstarting the team’s ascension into national contention.

Fastforward 32 months later; Baker, now the all-time school leader in passing yards, stares down the same challenge.

Different team, same threat.

With that being said, the Jackrabbits are not the Bison. It may be easy to lump the four Dakota teams in the Valley together and even mix them up at times, considering their similar names and close proximity to each other relative to SIU. But with how tough all of the directional and “State” variants are, each one warrants careful attention and distinct gameplanning.

Fortunately, the Salukis have also proven that they can handle the Jackrabbits in particular, even if by the skin of their teeth.

Their most recent matchup in October 2021 ended with Southern prevailing over the No. 2 Jackrabbits after being down 20 points in what is tied for the second-largest comeback in program history.

That was before South Dakota State got over the hump and became the reigning National Champions. In doing so, they joined the Bison as the only two teams currently in the FCS to win its National Championship since 2011. The other two champions from that era, James Madison and Sam Houston State, have since moved up to the FBS level.

Now, the Jackrabbits stand alone atop the Missouri Valley until someone knocks

Yarauseth Zavala yzavala@dailyegyptian.com

them off. The Salukis have proven they can beat the No. 1 team in the country; the reigning National Champions; the best the Valley has to offer. The Salukis hold bragging rights on the most recent chapter of an otherwise lopsided series.

Whether they can actually pull off a once-in-a-lifetime upset twice remains to be seen. But the pieces are in place for a potential all-timer at Saluki Stadium.

Hosting a Homecoming crowd, the Dawgs will need to bring their best to outpace the Jackrabbits.

But, it is possible.

To beat South Dakota State, the Salukis will need to play nearly perfect football.

That starts with limiting penalties and turnovers; the former has been an issue for SIU, allowing 18 first downs on penalties in six games. The Jackrabbits have also struggled in that department, with opponents moving the chains 16 times as a result of a penalty.

On the other hand, Southern’s defense has been rock solid in terms of forcing turnovers. The unit has recovered a fumble in every game except for one: the Northern Illinois game when the Salukis nabbed three of their eight total interceptions on

the year.

South Dakota State rarely gives the opponent extra chances; the Jackrabbits have fumbled the ball four times and thrown just one interception.

The red zone is where the Saluki defense has thrived thus far. It has allowed just six touchdowns on 16 red zone drives by opponents, and has forced three turnovers inside the 20. That strength will be tested by a South Dakota State offense that has scored touchdowns on 22 of its 23 total red zone trips this season.

The Jackrabbits have scored at least 40 points on every opponent they’ve faced except for Montana State, the No. 2 team in the FCS. For the Salukis to have a shot, they will need to shut down the offense and avoid a shootout with a team that has scored at will all year long.

In terms of efficiency, Southern Illinois has the best passing defense in the Valley, but the worst passing offense. With that in mind, a cold October afternoon in Carbondale might turn Homecoming into a battle of the ground game.

Much of South Dakota State’s offensive production comes from its Valley-best rushing attack, which averaged 6.8 yards

per carry and 270 yards per game in its first three conference matchups. The Jackrabbits punched it in 10 times, ranking second in the MVFC. Defensively, both teams are equally successful at stopping the run, with nearly identical yardage numbers in conference games. And while SIU trails behind the Jackrabbits in overall production, the ground game showed out in its most recent contest against Murray State, racking up 270 yards and splitting carries between three different running backs.

The Salukis have been without running back Ro Elliott and wide receiver D’Ante’ Cox for a few weeks. While SIU has managed to continue its success on the ground without Elliott, the absence of Cox has correlated with a downturn in the passing game.

If the Salukis can play their game, and play it well, they will have a shot. In the Missouri Valley Football Conference, where nearly every game is a tough test, all they will need is a shot.

Sports Editor Brandyn Wilcoxen can be reached at bwilcoxen@dailyegyptian.com

Page 16 | Ad

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