THE
Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.
DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2023
VOL. 107, ISSUE 13
Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo returns to SIU Alli Goering agoering@dailyegyptian.com
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and former SIU professor Richard Russo visited SIU to discuss his literary career and newest novel Nov. 7, 2023 at SIU Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Joei Younker | @younker_joei
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and former SIU professor Richard Russo visited to discuss his literary career and newest novel on Tuesday. The event was held in the Student Center Ballroom B and attended by community members, students and faculty. Russo worked in the English Department and taught creative writing at Southern Illinois. “Not only did I become a better teacher here, I became a better writer,” Russo said. During Russo’s time teaching at SIU, he spent a lot of time in a corner booth where he used to do a lot of his writing. “There was a Denny’s where he would go and have a little corner
Military Times ranks SIUC third in Midwest for veterans
SIU Communications
booth and sit down and he would do his writing,” said John Shaw, Public Policy Institute Director. “So I think that it was kind of a formative time in his life.” Russo’s first novel “Mohawk” was published in 1986 and was just the beginning of his career. The book is focused on upstate New York; most of Russo’s novels are based on Gloversville, New York, where he grew up. “Even my work that seems farthest away from Gloversville...is never very far,” Russo said. “The farthest geographically, in terms of, you know, a completely different kind of location, I set one of my novels in Martha’s Vineyard...But even that novel is set through the eyes of three scholarship kids who just happen to have gone to this college on the
RUSSO | 10
Thanksgiving
meals for those in need
Carly Gist | cgist@dailyegyptian.com
For many students, Thanksgiving break is a time to unwind before finals and return to their hometowns. But for others, it can be a time of loneliness. Not everyone has the opportunity to prepare a meal or spend the day with loved ones. This is why several community organizations are working to bring together those who may not have a place to go this holiday season. Newman Catholic Student Center will be hosting its 55th annual Thanksgiving Day meal from noon to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 23. The center is located between the Southern Illinois University Student Recreation Center and the train tracks. Those who would like a delivery should contact the Newman Center at 618-529-3311 by Nov. 21. “Dinner is available to everyone in the community,” event coordinator J.P. Dunn said. “We have some people that come in and sit down for a meal, others that pick up a to-go meal, and we also
Decades of Competition John Russell maneuvers to keep possession of the ball Oct. 27, 2023 at Student Recreation Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Russell is part of a group of pick-up basketball players who have been playing since the 1970’s. Nicole Fox | @fox.flicks SEE STORY AND MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 8
make deliveries. Last year, I think we delivered somewhere between 250 and 300 meals.” He said there is no cost for the dinner, although donations are accepted. “It’s just an outreach [event] to the community,” he said, “to provide a good
nutritious meal for people who may not have anyone to spend Thanksgiving with or may not be able to afford Thanksgiving. Or just want to be social and get out and mingle with others.” The number can also be called if people are interested in volunteering.
Dunn said the center has a great group of volunteers but could always use more help. Maxton-Rosado Funeral Home of Du Quoin will be hosting its third annual dinner at the Elks Lodge on 300 THANKSGIVING | 3
Southern Illinois University Carbondale continues to earn national recognition for its tradition of providing educational services for military service members and student veterans wherever they might be.
In Military Times magazine’s 2023 “Best for Vets: Colleges” rankings, SIU Carbondale ranked third among 59 colleges and universities in the Midwest and 51st among 325 schools in the nation.
Paul S. Copeland, SIU Carbondale Veterans Services coordinator, said the annual rankings can serve as a barometer on how SIU Carbondale’s programs compare with other schools. SIU has consistently appeared in the rankings for more than a decade due to its long history of serving the military and veteran population. “We are always looking for new and better ways to provide services,” he said. “This is a great place to pursue a degree for any student, which makes it easy to provide the same opportunities to military/veteran students.” Military Times reviews retention and graduation rates for all students, along with students with military ties. It also looks at offerings such as SIU’s Veterans Center, which provides access to study resources, socialization and quiet spaces, along with employees who share their military experience and provide peer support, Copeland said. SIU Carbondale has 545 total military and veteran students. SIU Extended Campus serves 276 of these students who are on active duty and veteran students taking courses online and/ or at off-campus locations while using Veterans Affairs educational benefits. Christina Lawrence, Extended Campus V.A. school certifying official, said SIU is dedicated to serving this population. “SIU has been able to reach across the U.S. throughout the years and even more now with our web-based programs,” she said. “We will continue improving each student’s experience every year, as we are here to innovate, elevate and serve.” More information on the programs offered by SIUC’s Veterans Services is available at veterans.siu. edu, by calling 618-453-1335 or email at vets@siu.edu.
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