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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2020

Travis Washington of Flossmoor, IL holds his hands up on the SIU campus on Saturday.

VOL. 103, ISSUE 19

Angel Chevrestt | @SoBroFoto

Alum and activist returns to SIU for TED Talk: Q&A with Travis Washington Keaton Yates | @keatsians

Travis Washington, an SIU alum, created the Hands Up Act in hopes of reducing police brutality. The Hands Up Act is a proposed bill that would make it illegal for police officers to shoot unarmed citizens. If an officer were to shoot an unarmed citizen, they would have to serve a 15 year sentence. Washington is coming to speak at SIUC’s TEDx event on Jan. 25. Washington took the time to answer a few questions to follow up his progress on the Hands Up Act, which he will be discussing at the TEDx event. Daily Egyptian: Where have you been? What have you been up to? Travis Washington:

TEDx comes to SIU Bethany Rentfro | @Bethany Rentfro

SIU will be hosting a TEDx Talk on Jan. 25 which will feature several speakers, including SIU students and alumni. The event will take place from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Student Center. These talks are designed to spark conversation about heavily debated topics in the nation. According to the TED Talk website, a TEDx Talk is a showcase of speakers who present well-informed and well-researched ideas, usually under 18 minutes. The speakers and topics of discussion that will be

“After the Hands Up article came out, I started doing more traveling. I got an internship with the US Senate office. I was invited to give a speech at College of Democrats of America, where there were congressmen and attorney generals there.” Washington was invited to St. Louis by the Michael Brown Foundation and gave a speech there, he said. He met Michael Brown’s and Tamir Rice’s mothers, who are both huge supporters of the Hands Up Act. On Aug. 9, 2014, unarmed Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer in Missouri. Then on Nov. 22, 2014, another unarmed person named Tamir Rice was fatally shot by a police officer in Clevland Ohio. These two deaths resulted in protests nationwide

and started the Black Lives Matter movement. “I don’t want to say it was a dividing moment, but that was a moment where I was like ‘I’m headed in the right direction. I’m hitting the right people.’ Since then, I have received more than 400,000 signatures and I made it into the New York Times. I’ve had six governors contact me.” DE: Where all have you been, state wise? Washington: “I went to Lorraine Motel, where Dr. King died; they were one of the first few supporters, and she told me just to drop off my newspaper of the Hands Up Act and they told me to keep going.” Washington has also traveled to New Orleans and Memphis to speak about the Hands Up Act, he said. Please see WASHINGTON | 7

presented at the event are as follows: Bianca Adams-Gaston Adam-Gaston will talk about how a person can achieve greatness despite having a disability. Adams-Gaston presented her research when she attended graduate school at Lindenwood University in Missouri. Adams-Gaston has Cerebral Palsy and hopes to use the SIU TEDx platform to debunk popular myths surrounding CP and people with disabilities. Mohammadreza Jalaeian Jalaeian is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Philosophy in Learning Systems & Design Technology at SIU. He will speak about how artificial intelligence

will bring change to on-the-job training. Kombe Kapatamoyo Kapatamoyo is pursuing a doctoral degree in Philosophy & Health Education at SIU. She believes her experience as a graduate assistant helped to instill in her the importance of sharing ideas through public speaking. Kapatamoyo’s presentation will be about unmasking one’s true self and being authentic about who you are. Felicia Kimbrough Kimbrough is a board certified Nurse Practitioner and Terrier Care Provider at Carbondale Community Please see TEDX | 10

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Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Email: editor@dailyegyptian.com Editor in Chief: Rana Schenke (618)536-3397 rschenke@dailyegyptian.com News Desk Editor: Kallie Cox (618)536-3329 kcox@dailyegyptian.com Sports Editor: Tamar Mosby (618)536-3307 tmosby@dailyegyptian.com Photo and Multimedia Coach: Angel Chevrestt (618)536-3327 achevresvtt@dailyegyptian.com Social Media Editor: Elizabeth Biernacki (618)536-3304 ebiernacki@dailyegyptian.com

Spring

at the

SIU

museum

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About Us

The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale 43 weeks per year, with an average weekly circulation of 12,000. Fall and spring semester editions run every Wednesday. Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale and Carterville communities. The Daily Egyptian can be found daily at www.dailyegyptian.com for the most up to date news.

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The Daily Egyptian, the student-run news organization of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is committed to being a trusted source of news, information, commentary and public discourse, while helping readers understand the issues affecting their lives.

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Angel Chevrestt | @TwitterHandle SIU’s on-campus museum has undergone recent interior renovations for guests to checkout on Jan. 13 at Faner Hall on the SIU campus.

Juniper Oxford | @JuniperOxford

The University Museum, located in section C of Faner Hall, boasts an impressive collection of artwork and artifacts and holds approximately 75,000 objects in its inventory. Susannah Munson, curator of anthropology, is responsible for curating the artwork and artifacts for the museum. A majority of those objects are history and anthropology related. However, the museum does have a large collection of artwork. The artwork and artifacts are also varied in the subject matter and locality. “We have collections from all around the world, all around the region,” Munson said. The museum has objects from Nepal, Tibet, Afghanistan, several African countries and Vietnam, which SIU had a presence in before the Vietnam war. The museum calls upon local artists to display their works within the showrooms as well, giving a chance to showcase their findings and their talents to students, staff, faculty and outside visitors. The museum has four new exhibitions for visitors to see. All four of the exhibits are from local inspiration or local artists. “There are four brand new exhibitions,” W.M. Weston Stoerger, curator of exhibits, said. “One is called Fields and Figures; it is watercolor paintings by a Murphysboro artist, Mary Pachikara.” Another one of the new exhibits is called Conversations 2, which is by Reginald and Edna Petty and is made up of artifacts from Africa and art from East St. Louis. “They were heavily involved in the Peace Corps in Africa and have collected artifacts from their time there

as well as African American art from East St. Louis and Ms. Petty is also an artist,” Stoerger said. Stoerger said it is called “Conversations 2” because it is a reflection between traditional African pieces and contemporary art. There is also an exhibition of floral photography by former faculty member Don Rice. “He was an ex-faculty member here at SIU and has since moved to Florida,” Stoerger said. “His work has been in a number of magazines and we very pleased to display his work.” The fourth is an exhibit on photography of the Shawnee National Forest photographed by L.O. Trigg. “Starting in 1931 and continuing annually until his death in 1949, Col. L.O. Trigg led expeditions into the forests of southern Illinois to demonstrate to the public at large the natural beauty of this corner of the state,” according to Illinois Ozarks, a website about Illinois’ extension of the Ozarks in the southeast. These four exhibits are part of the lineup that the museum has for the spring semester. The University Museum has more details about these exhibits and future exhibits and events at their front desk. In addition to the exhibits, the museum has plans in the works to bring back more events that it had previously done in years past. These events will allow more participation from visitors and will be interactive. As often as possible, the museum has events where the artist of the exhibits come and answer questions about the artwork from the patrons of the museum. This semester, the museum plans to host more events like that as well, Stoerger said. Staff reporter Juniper Oxford can be reached at joxford@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @ JuniperOxford.

Unleashing creative minds:

Communications studies department presents Faculty Performance Hour Bethany Rentfro | @bethanyrentfro

The communications studies department at SIU is starting off 2020 with the Faculty Performance Hour. This show is part of the Marion Kleinau Theatre season and it is an opportunity for faculty and staff within the department to show off their creative works to students. The faculty will present work in a variety of different genres, such as literature, music, autoethnography, performing arts, poetry and oral history. The genres were chosen based on the interests of the faculty. Rebecca Walker, an associate professor of communications studies, said this is a way for faculty members to communicate through performance.

“Often in the Faculty Performance Hour, you’ll see faculty speaking back to current events,” Walker said. “Sometimes, you’ll just see them performing something they enjoy.” Walker said a performance like this benefits both faculty members and students because it is a chance to see professors do the things they teach. “It’s a chance for students to see faculty members taking a risk,” Walker said. “[They] kind of get to create a performance about whatever they want, and speak to whatever they feel is important in their lives.” Please see CREATIVE MINDS | 3

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

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SIU,

home of the Salukis, and the naked mole rats Kallie Cox | @KallieECox

Move over, Salukis; naked mole rats may steal the show at SIU. SIU houses over 60 naked mole rats in Life Science III. These animals are used for research within SIU and the school of medicine, including research on tooth loss and the animal’s special neuromuscular adaptations. The animals are housed in a darkened lab with a tunnel system containing multiple chambers lining each wall. Diana Sarko, an assistant professor with SIU’s school of medicine, runs the lab with graduate student Natalee Hite. Sarko has been researching naked mole rats since she was a postdoc at Vanderbilt University and she became interested in comparative neurobiology and sensory specializations. Now, Sarko and Hite are researching naked mole rats in terms of health issues and are studying their bite force and various neuromuscular adaptations. “They’re used for studies of denticians looking at tooth representations and tooth loss and that’s where we got especially interested in them here in terms of that as a critical U.S. health issue,” Sarko said. “Especially for adults who have tooth loss and the sensory reorganization that happens following that.” Their current project is getting a system set up where they can consistently hear neural recordings and see the animal’s responses to stimuli and to be able to find the area of their brain that responds to tooth sensations. This would enable them to study how those sensations can be compared and analyzed, Hite said. “With tooth loss being our focus, if we understand how the teeth respond to those paired sensations then if we were to extract a tooth and study how the brain is able to [...] modify itself after that tooth extraction, we can further understand how tooth loss would affect humans,” Hite said. They really want to see how that neural activity correlates with their real world behaviors and also look at neural trajectories so they can see how different brain projections change following tooth loss and how that can be really adaptive in the future, Sarko said. Naked mole rats are becoming more popular in medical research because they have much longer life spans than the average lab rat. Hite said the typical lab rat will live around two to four years whereas a naked mole rat can live upwards of 30. “Because these animals live to be so old comparatively there’s this possibility for these longitudinal studies where we can really follow and see what happens in these much older animals which would be much more [like] what happens in people,” Sarko said. Since tooth loss tends to happen with age and depending on disease, Sarko said using naked mole rats to research tooth loss would be much more applicable to modeling human

Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune/MCT Thomas Park, professor of biology, holds a naked mole rat at his research laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago, December 9, 2009.

studies. Because of their long life spans naked mole rats are also a great model for emerging cancer studies, Sarko said. While SIUC is not currently using the animals for cancer research specifically, Sarko is hopeful they can participate in those studies in the future. “We have such a big colony we are hoping that at some point with some of the strong cancer research that’s going on at SIU up in Springfield and so on that eventually these animals can be useful in some sort of collaborative capacity,” Sarko said. One of Hite and Sarko’s most recent discoveries is how bite force correlates with social status in the naked mole rat colonies. Naked mole rat colonies are similar to bee colonies; both have a queen that is responsible for giving birth and this is classified as a dominant animal, Hite said. In their research on bite force, Hite and Sarko found subordinate animals’ bite is stronger and they had a shorter bite latency than the dominant ones within the colony. Naked mole rats can bite harder than a bear, Sarko said. Hite said this difference in bite latency and force may be because the subordinate rats have a more diverse range of roles, and are the defenders of the colony and would have to react faster to threats.

Sarko said this is surprising because usually the larger an animal is, the stronger its bite, and naked mole rats are an exception to the rule. “They were stronger than any other [animal] we compared them to and it was somewhat comparable to a Tasmanian devil,” Sarko said. “So we say they’re like little Tasmanian devils but much stronger than humans.” If they were human size, they’d bite approximately 40% harder than people are capable of biting, Hite said. In general, naked mole rats are docile and avoid fighting, but when they do fight, they do something called “incisor fencing,” Sarko said. This is essentially where they sword fight with their teeth. Sarko said there was a violent incident early on that led to fighting within the colonies and because of this, the queens of the two colonies are named Cersei and Daenerys after the warring queens in Game of Thrones. “Part of that is due to the fact that one queen was usurped by another animal and we found that queen dead with her head sort of gouged out and she had been left in the toilet chamber,” Sarko said. “It was very coldblooded and a new queen emerged and so there was fighting with that.” Usually you see sort of little spats but generally not anything where animals are injured, Sarko said.

“Once they establish their hierarchy, in general it’s very stable and I never in my career of working with these guys had I seen a queen overthrown,” Sarko said. “She might have been in a bit of a weakened state; she had just had pups and she may have had a bit of illness that we weren’t able to detect or something like that.” Hite said one of her favorite facts about naked mole rats is when a queen is pregnant, she releases hormones in her feces, and this is how she recruits babysitters for the new pups. “The other naked mole rats will eat her feces and due to the hormones in that, it will cause some changes in them so that it will make them babysitters when these babies are born,” Hite said. “The more hormonal poop they eat from the pregnant queen, the better babysitters they are.” Sarko said her favorite fact is that the rats are very resistant to pain. “There was a study that was recently done that showed they could be deprived of oxygen for upwards of 18 minutes and they went into sort of a plant like state where they were processing things differently and then they could come back from that as well,” Sarko said. News Editor Kallie Cox can be reached at kcox@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @KallieECox.

Creative minds 2 continued from

Most of the time, faculty members don’t get the opportunity to perform the way their students do because they are usually behind the scenes, Walker said. “We are often the directors or the people in the back of the room grading things,” Walker said. “For us to get a chance to do this type of thing that we teach other people to do all the time, is really exciting for us.” Christos Patelis, publicity director of the Kleinau Theatre, agreed that it is unusual for students to witness professors perform.

“Typically, you can only see that at conferences or when they publish papers,” Patelis said. “But this is such an open event because it is free and open to the public.” Patelis said these talented faculty members are a wonderful asset to the university, and very inspirational to students. “To see them do that on stage is really inspiring,” Patelis said. “They are here as excellent examples of what good performers look like, what good researchers look like, and what good artists look like.”

Walker said there is a huge level of importance in expressing oneself through the creative arts. “We teach this stuff because we think it’s important and it’s a way to express our thoughts and feelings about the world around us,” Walker said. The Faculty Performance Hour will take place Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. and admission is free. Staff reporter Bethany Rentfro can be reached at brentfro@dailyegyptian.com.

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Opinion

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Bat tle

passes can be greedy in the wrong hands

Alex Cooper | Observer-Dispatch Gamers play Madden ‘20 at the Yellow Brick Road Casino. The entry fee is $10 for the weekly tournament played on Playstation, where the grand prize is $100 and two premium seats at the casino’s Lounge with Caesars Sports.

Jacob Lorenz | @jtlorenz6

“Fortnite” changed the game with their free-to-play battle royale mode, but they also changed the way micro-transactions are carried out in video games. Instead of the predatory slot machine-style Loot Box, “Fortnite” used what they called the Battle Pass. A Battle Pass is akin to a streaming service subscription. You pay a fee for the battle pass (or don’t, some are free), then you have a limited amount of time to continually play the game to level up your battle pass and earn rewards. The rewards can range from ingame character skins, weapons, and currency depending on the game. The battle pass design was revered as an acceptable way to replace loot boxes, and many game companies have opted to design their own. However, this doesn’t mean a battle pass can’t be predatory like loot boxes. This is because you can pay extra money to complete a battle pass faster. For example, I have the “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” battle pass and I still have not completed the pass. I have already paid $60 for the video game, $10 for the battle pass and I only have 2 months to get my money’s worth of the battle pass. I am, at the time of publishing, at level 85 of 100 of the battle pass. I have played over 50 hours of “Call of Duty” since getting the battle pass — 50 hours! I consider myself lucky that

I was able to get through most of the battle pass during winter break, but some people don’t have that kind of time. The amount of time “Call of Duty” asks from their players only incentivizes those who don’t have the time to pay more. The game is always asking if you want to pay more to skip levels. I’m not trying to discredit players who have enough time or who are only playing one game, (in this example, “Call of Duty.”) Even if you didn’t finish your battle pass and are satisfied with the money you spent then that’s great, wonderful, actually. But-I believe it is greedy for gaming companies to ask to pay for a battle pass, then make it take over 50 hours to complete. If you don’t complete the battle pass, you don’t get all the rewards you could have. With that anecdote, here is a list of games in 2020 with battle passes. I’m not saying these other battle passes are greedy like “Call of Duty”. I’ll let you decide if they’re aggressive or not. “Red Dead Online” Red Dead has the Outlaw Pass. The paid Outlaw Pass comes with 70 tiers of rewards, including currency and outfits. The free version occasionally gives you cosmetic items. “Rainbow Six Siege” Rainbow Six has a battle pass for the first time since the game launched in 2016. It includes a paid version and free. The free

version has 11 rewards spread out across 35 tiers, while the paid version has 35 rewards in 35 tiers. It is $10 for the paid battle pass, which ends on Feb. 16. “Magic: The Gathering Arena” I don’t know who was asking for a card game to have a battle pass, but hey, it works. The game has a premium version for $20 that still gives you rewards if you finish it, and there’s a free version. Both give you card packs and currency. “Rocket League” The mega popular car-soccer game has a Rocket Pass. The game is currently on its fifth rocket pass. The pass has 70 tiers to it and costs 1000 credits, roughly $10. You can get the premium rocket pass for $20 and skip some tiers. “Apex Legends” The free to play battle royale by Respawn Entertainment is on its third battle pass. The Meltdown battle pass is $10 and includes 100 rewards. I always thought Apex Legends was the fairest when it came to leveling your battle pass, but that’s just me. “Clash of Clans” The “Clash of Clans” gold pass debuted in 2019 and only cost $5. I have the least familiarity with this one, but I’m glad to see a mobile game using the battle pass system over loot boxes. Staff reporter Jacob Lorenz can be reached at jlorenz@dailyegyptian. com or on Twitter at @jtlorenz6.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Top

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destinations in southern

Juniper Oxford | @JuniperOxford

Southern Illinois is a treasure trove of history, natural formations, unique businesses and fascinating find-its. These are some of the best destinations in southern Illinois for travelers and native Illinoisans alike. #5: Cave-In-Rock State Park Cave-In-Rock State Park is located in Hardin County, Illinois. It’s main attraction, as the name implies, is a cave in a rock formation that has an interesting and bloody history. It was once home to a gang of bandits led by Samuel Mason and a hideaway for Jesse James. Disney Productions used Cave-InRock for the movie “Davy Crockett and the River Pirates.” At Cave-In-Rock State Park, visitors can camp, hike, picnic in the pavillions, stay in a cabin or eat at Kaylor’s restaurant, which is located inside the state park. The camping site has lots available for twenty dollars a night with electricity and ten dollars a night for tent spaces. #4: Fort Massac State Park Fort Massac, located in Massac County, Illinois, was a fort built and used during the French and Indian war during the mid-1700s. Visitors can fish, boat, hike, swim and bike at the state park that spans around 1,450 acres. A Fort Massac Encampment Festival is held every October at the historic site. The fort stands as a reminder of the days that once were and is celebrated by history

enthusiasts by showing how life was in the 18th century through the reenactments that take place there. #3: Giant City State Park Giant City State Park is located in Jackson and Union County, Illinois. It is over 4,000 acres and has eight hiking trails, with the longest being 12 miles, named the Red Cedar Hiking Trail. The Giant City Lodge has a gift shop, cabins and dining available. The scenery is home to around 30 varieties of trees. #2: Cahokia Mounds Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is located near Madison County, Illinois. It is a pre-Columbian Native American site that contains around 80 mounds. The mounds served different significant purposes. For instance, Mound 72 seems to be a burial ground, with more than 250 skeletons being uncovered from that site. Monks Mound is the largest mound at Cahokia, spanning 14 acres at its base. At the height of civilization at Cahokia, it was estimated that up to around 40,000 people lived there. At that time, it was the 13th century, and no European American city would reach that amount until Philadelphia in the 1700s. #1: Garden of the Gods Garden of the Gods is located in Hardin, Pope, Saline, and Gallatin County, Illinois. It is over 3,300 acres and Camel Rock, its main attraction, is featured on Illinois’ quarter in the

Illinois

Jared Treece | @bisalo Garden of the Gods in Shawnee National Forest is a popular tourist destination in Southern Illinois on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019 in Heron, IL

America the Beautiful series. Garden of the Gods is first on the list because it’s many formations that characterize it, such as the Table Rock, Camel Rock, Devil’s Smokestack and Anvil Rock. It is one of the largest natural lands in Illinois. Its formation began more than 320 million years ago by various forces of nature. The breathtaking formations are a result of an ancient sea that used to cover the area. A rusty red color covers parts of the rock formations, from iron in the ground water, and lichen patch over the rocks to contrast

with the sandstone. Honorable Mention: The Super Museum Metropolis is known as the Hometown of Superman. Metropolis is home to the Super Museum, a museum dedicated to Superman, with a collection of over 70,000 objects. Metropolis also has a twelve foot, two ton bronze statue of Superman. Reporter Juniper Oxford can be reached at joxford@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @JuniperOxford.

The definitive ranking of cheap beer Reagan Gavin | @RGavin_DE

As a broke college student, most of my beer buying decisions are based on quantity over quality. Many of my college nights have been spent sipping Miller Lite convincing myself it is the epitome of a high-class beer and full of flavor. Curious of how any other brand could top my one true love, I set out to rank all of the popular domestic brands. In the name of science, I enlisted the help of a fellow (cheap) beer enthusiast and took off to Pinch Penny Liquors to buy one tallboy of each beer available. My co-taster, Nathan, and I are both partial to Miller Lite, so to remain unbiased we conducted a blind taste test ranking the flavor from 1-10. We then averaged out the scores between the two of us to come to a final score for each of the 12 beers sampled. Below is the ranking from best to worst. #1 Miller High Life: 8/10 7.25 cents per ounce Miller High Life coming in with the number one slot came as a surprise. Nathan and I refused to believe we both ranked Miller High Life as our top choice even before the score was averaged between us. At $1.74 for a 24-ounce tallboy, it falls in the middle of expense and number one on our list. #2 Coors Light: 7.25/10 7.66 cents per ounce An enjoyable yet often forgotten beer, Coors Light taking the number two slot is well deserved. However, $1.84 for a 24 ounce makes it one of the pricier beers. #3 Natural Light: 6.5/10 7.36 cents per ounce

Natty Light, a solid number three on our definitive list. $1.84 for a tallboy was slightly surprising, however it came in a 25 ounce rather than 24-ounce can — giving you more drink for your drunk. This was also the one beer I guessed correctly when tasting, so I take small joy in knowing that I can name a cheap beer. #4 Busch: 6.25/10 7.8 cents per ounce Busch was another bonus ounce can for $1.95. Decent beer but my only disappointment is that there wasn't a Busch Light option available to compare the two. #5 Miller Lite: 5/10 7.66 cents per ounce A beer that Nathan and I thought we knew so well yet only gave a mediocre score of five. I put partial blame on the fact that we were eight beers deep at the time of tasting so our taste buds probably weren't the most susceptive. At $1.84, Miller Lite may be a number five on our list but always a number one in my heart. I just may sometimes switch it up every once in a while for the "Champagne of Beer," Miller High Life. #6 Budweiser: 5/10 8 cents per ounce At $1.93 for a tallboy, Budweiser was one of the most expensive of the beers ranked. Personally, I am not a fan, however Nathan knew Bud heavy by heart, which helps to balance the ranking. With Miller Lite and Budweiser being tied at five, the price (and our bias towards Miller Lite) places Budweiser slightly lower. #7 Keystone Light: 4.25/10 6.62 cents per ounce

Keystone Light was honestly a forgettable beer. $1.59 makes it one of the cheaper options but with a less than average score. #8 Milwaukee’s Best Light: 4.25/10 5.96 cents per ounce Same as Keystone Light, Milwaukee’s Best Light was indiscernible compared to the other options available. The only perk to Milwaukee’s Best Light is the fact that it too came in a 25-ounce can and was also the cheapest option at $1.49. #9 Bud Light: 3/10 8 cents per ounce Probably a huge surprise to some, Bud Light ranked as one of the worst on the list of beers. Being a watered down version of Bud heavy and one of the most expensive at $1.93 makes Bud Light come in at number nine. #10 Pabst Blue Ribbon: 1.75/10 6.62 cents per ounce There's a reason bars have PBR on draft for so cheap and I highly recommend spending a couple extra cents for a better beer. For $1.59, I’ve had worse beers which are the next two on the list, but PBR is still only slightly tolerable. #11 Keystone Ice: 1/10 6.62 cents per ounce The only saving grace for Keystone Ice was the fact that it was the second to last beer to be tasted so my taste buds were slightly dull to mask the disgusting flavor. Being the same price as the Keystone light, spend your $1.59 on the better and slightly watered down version. #12 Icehouse Edge: 1/10 6.62 cents per ounce If I could do this whole test over

Reagan Gavin | @RGavin_DE

again I would choose to never buy let alone taste Icehouse Edge again. At $1.59 a can it wasn't even the cheapest beer option available and the only reason it even got a score of one is that we had to for the sake of the ranking system.

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Wednesday, January 22, 2020

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Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Washington 1 continued from

Angel Chevrestt | @SoBroFoto Travis Washington of Flossmoor, IL holds a Daily Egyptian news article, which ran on 02/06/19 and featured Washington, on the SIU campus on Saturday.

DE: Did SIUC invite you here, or did you ask? How did you get the TED Talk set up? Washington: “There was a tryout. My friend, Mary, told me to apply for it and I just put my name in it and I was blessed enough to be selected. It was a great opportunity.” DE: When did you first get the idea to create the Hands Up Act? Washington: Washington said he came up with the idea two years ago and was going to wait until he became a senator or congressman to pass the Hands Up Act but Joseph Brown, an SIU professor specializing in Africana Studies, asked him why he needed to wait. “I felt this spiritual connection that’s indescribable while I was on the train. It’s like Dr. King said, I heard the voice of Jesus saying that ‘You will never be alone.’ I felt the presence of Jesus, I did, I felt the presence of people who were murdered unarmed and never got their justice.” When Washington posted the petition, the people who supported him running for office threatened to pull their donations, but Washington said this law is more important to him than running for office. DE: What are your next steps, what do you plan on doing now? Washington: “My plan is to focus on getting to a million signatures, getting my hearing with the United Nations Human Rights Council. I want the world to know how police shootings of unarmed citizens is unacceptable.” Washington believes the shooting of unarmed citizens and police brutality not only cause trauma

but destroys community relations, he said. Washington said he wants to give his hearing with the House of Representatives and wants the world to know who he is. DE: Do you think there’s enough diversity at SIU? Washington: “I feel that all universities need to adjust their demographic change. There were more brown, black and mixed children born in the United States in 2016 than white children, so the United States college of education as a whole, we all need to start adjusting to new groups coming in.” DE: What is your favorite thing about SIU? Washington: Washington said SIU is where he received his masters degree in education, met his best friends and Asia Ester, his fiance. DE: How did you meet your fiance? Washington: “I met her behind a desk at U-Hall. When I was a senior she was a freshman, but it was my last year at grad school and I was working my internship with the US senate office. I saw her behind a desk and that’s when I started talking to her.” When Washington first met Ester, he said he showed her his movie collection and on their first date he took her to see Detective Pikachu. “I’ll never forget, I would stay up to 2 a.m. with her on her shift, I let her drive my car, I love that woman. She’s my best friend.” Washington said he wants to take Ester everywhere and if he goes to South Africa or speaks for the United Nations or House of Representatives, he wants her to

come along. DE: Who were your mentors and heroes? Washington: “Father Brown, my dad, Nelson Mandela, Dr. [Saran] Donahoo, professor in higher education at SIU, and Kofi Annan. Don’t forget my dad, my dad was like the main one who changed everything.” Washington said his favorite heroes are Robin, Nightwing and Yu-Gi-Oh! and he would not be here if it were not for them. “Those superheroes who stood up against the world, what they did was they stepped up to the challenge when nobody else could. I always wanted that moment where I step up and the world is depending on me. There are a lot of oppressed people who are scared, who are depending on me.” Since he was in first grade, Washington said he felt like he was going to do something very special and now he is doing it. “Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Naruto, Yu-Gi-Oh, Teen Titans, those were the four shows that prepared me to do the Hands Up Act. They taught me the most important thing is forgiveness. Forgiveness is the only way I can get all of this done.” This movement is about uplifting people who feel scared, who feel like they can’t go to the police, or feel trauma from these unarmed shootings, he said. Travis Washington can be reached @TravisHandsup on Twitter and @travvy007 on Instagram. Staff reporter Keaton Yates can be reached at kyates@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter @keatsians.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Page 8

Angel Chevrestt | @SoBroFoto Saluki guard Payton McCallister looks to pass the ball on Friday during the Salukisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dramatic 70-68 victory over the Missouri State Lady Bears inside the Banterra Center.

Saluki forward Abby Brockmeyer is caught between Lady Bears forward Abby Hipp, le State Lady Bears inside the Banterra Center.

salukis win again

70-

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Angel Chevrestt | @SoBroFoto eft, and guard Sydney Manning on Friday during the Salukis’ dramatic 70-68 victory over the Missouri

Page 9

Angel Chevrestt | @SoBroFoto Saluki forward Gabby Walker makes her move to get past Lady Bears center Emily Gartner on Friday during the Salukis’ dramatic 70-68 victory over the Missouri State Lady Bears at the Banterra Center.

nst missouri state

-68

Angel Chevrestt | @SoBroFoto Saluki forward Nicole Martin gets around the defense of Lady Bears center Emily Gartner on Friday during the Salukis’ dramatic 70-68 victory over the Missouri State Lady Bears inside the Banterra Center.

Page 10

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Photo of the day Gus says-Jokes on you, I’m photo of the day

Your cutline goes here.

TEDx

continued from

Name | @TwitterHandle

Kimbrough wants to help educate parents and young adults about the importance of consent, coercion and sexual violence. Walter Metz Metz is a professor of film studies in the College of Mass Communications and Media Arts at SIU. Metz’s TEDx Talk is focused around reinventing film criticism to find a middle ground. Metz has given over 100 academic conference presentations. Jeff Punske Punske is an assistant professor of linguistics at SIU and his talk will be centered around the future of science and space travel. Punske will present examples of how language has changed from the past and how humans might adapt to change. Punske believes a change would be necessary if humans ever came into contact with extraterrestrial life forms. Sienna Walaszek Walaszek is currently studying philosophy at SIU and is deeply passionate about self-cultivation and reconnecting with the inner child.

Walaszek has a huge interest in sustainability and the natural world, such as caring for the Earth and all of its beings. Walaszek also teaches preschool at Rainbow’s End and she is an environmental educator at Touch of Nature. Travis Washington Washington was a former graduate student at SIU and is heavily involved in advocacy work and action in the Carbondale community. Washington proposed the “Hands Up Act” bill which would sentence police officers to 15 years in prison for shooting unarmed civilians. Melinda Yeomans Yeomans has her PhD. in Communications Studies and is a certified high school language arts and speech teacher. Yeomans will use her years of teaching experience to discuss how teachers can reform the way they teach students. She believes this can be accomplished by sharing wisdom. Staff reporter Bethany Rentfro can be reached at brentfro@dailyegyptian.com.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Page 11

Page 12

Sports

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Saluki Insider: Three SIU

student-athletes share the best and worst parts of the job

Angel Chevrestt | @SoBroFoto Saluki forward Nicole Martin returns to the bench on Friday, January 17, 2020, during the Salukis’ dramatic 70-68 victory over the Missouri State Lady Bears at the Banterra Center.

Tamar Mosby | @mosbytamar

Many people think studentathletes have it easy because they have their education paid for by doing something they enjoy. But being a collegiate athlete is easier said than done. As a former collegiate athlete, I can say being a student-athlete does have its perks, but many of these are paid for with blood, sweat and the occasional tear. A taxing workload, mental and physical fatigue, and little free time are just a few things that can take the fun out of a sport for any athlete. I’ve heard several people complain that athletes receive too much special treatment, but, in my opinion, it is well earned as these athletes pay the price with stress on their minds and bodies. As an athlete, I competed as a high jumper for the track and field teams at Southern Illinois University and Drake. These schools were completely different, but my experience as a student-athlete at both universities was very similar. Time management was a large struggle for me as an athlete. Athletes aren’t left with much free time to engage in social activities because the day is spent practicing, competing or catching up on school work. After a full day of class and practice, my energy level was low and it became very hard to focus on my school work. Weight room workouts would often be held at

6 a.m. before my morning classes. This was tough on my sleep schedule that was attuned for staying up late to finish assignments. As many college students know, sleep deprivation takes a heavy toll on your body. Imagine having sleep deprivation while also partaking in challenging workouts, putting immense stress on the body. This was my reality until I found a proper way to balance my workload. Balancing your workload as a student-athlete takes organization and mental toughness. Without a positive mindset, it’s easy for any collegiate athlete to burn out. Because many athletes enrolled in college face these struggles, universities have created study hall programs that require the athletes to complete mandatory hours. Personally, it helped me to organize my time so I could complete my school work in a timely fashion. SIU’s Troutt-Whittman academic center is a great resource for athletes because it provides free printing, tutoring services and academic advising. I am no longer a student-athlete, so I’ve asked three current Saluki athletes about their experiences: What is the toughest part of being a student-athlete? Senior women’s basketball forward Nicole Martin described balancing her efforts in the classroom as the toughest part

of the job, while junior football offensive lineman Victor Abraham and junior sprinter Alonzo TaylorJones deemed time management to be their biggest challenge. “The hardest part about being a student-athlete is trying to put just as much effort into one as much as the other,” Martin said. “Also, just staying on top of school work alone which is always difficult, whether you’re an athlete or not.” Abraham said the hardest part is time management. “Honestly, the toughest part of being a student-athlete is time management,” Taylor-Jones said. “A lot of the time you get, especially when it comes to inseason, is definitely diminished. It feels like you go from one thing to the next and by the time you’re finished with your day, it’s time for you to go to bed and get a good night’s rest because you’re back up early in the morning.” Is it tougher to focus on schoolwork because of your sport? If so, what strategies do you use to succeed? Abraham said the services the university offers for student-athletes are very helpful. “Yes, it is harder to focus,” Abraham said. “A good strategy is taking advantage of available resources. Tutors and study programs make it easier to stay on top of classes so that you don’t fall behind.” For Taylor-Jones, a well-planned and organized schedule is what helps

him to succeed in the classroom. “It is definitely tougher to focus on your schoolwork because there are so many things you focus on during the week, that it’s hard to zone in,” Taylor-Jones said. “You really have to work on organization and discipline and rely on the resources that are provided to you to help make everything easier for you. Giving yourself an organized and well thought out schedule and having a plan for everything you do is crucial to success.” Martin sees her experience in athletics as a useful tool when she needs the discipline to complete her classwork. “I would say yes and no,” Martin said. “Yes, because you have to focus on deadlines and assignments while participating in a higher level sport. It is very demanding and it requires a lot of your time and effort. On the other hand, I believe my sport has made me a more responsible and disciplined person, which pushes me to stay on top of school.” As far as strategy, Martin said she forces herself to finish her work in study hall because she understands that she’ll be far too tired to do it at home. What is the best part about being a student-athlete? “The best part of being a studentathlete is playing the sport I love in front of the school,” Martin said. “We are also well taken care of academically and athletically, whenever we need it.” The Saluki gear is also a plus,

Martin said. Life-long friendships are what Abraham loves most about being an athlete for Southern. “The best part is the camaraderie,” Abraham said. “Being a studentathlete makes it possible for you to meet and be involved with others you typically would never meet. The opportunities allow for invaluable relationships and connections that last forever.” Taylor-Jones said that having teammates that go through similar situations allows for very strong bonds to be formed. “The best part about being an athlete is the experiences you get and the lifelong bonds that you build,” Taylor-Jones said. “You go through all the pain and suffering and issues alongside other people that are going through the same things you are and there’s no better bond. As well as learning how to micromanage multiple different things and still trying to be successful teaches you a lot.” We see the life of collegiate athletes to be glamorous on the outside, but there is a lot that they struggle with behind the scenes. The job requires large amounts of dedication, sacrifice, and organization, which many people do not understand. Sports editor Tāmar Mosby can be reached at tmosby@dailyegyptian. com or on Twitter at @mosbytamar.

Page 13

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Saluki

football adds 18 to roster at early signing day Brooke Buerck | @bbuerck25

Saluki football announced 18 athletes from their 2020 recruiting class during their early signing day in December, the largest number of athletes theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever had sign in the early period.Â So far, Southern Illinois will have 15 incoming freshmen students and three transfer students joining the Salukis on the field in the fall.Â SIU coaches still expect a few more to sign on the traditional signing day on the first Wednesday in February. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everybody has had a great vision on what this class needed to be and we feel like we have put together a special class,â&#x20AC;? said Saluki head coach Nick Hill during a Dec. 18 press conference. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be hearing some of these names right away. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be hearing some of these names a few years down the road. I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good thing. So, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re excited.â&#x20AC;? Gaizka Crowley, director of recruiting and player personnel for SIU football, said with Southern graduating several defensive linemen, his team focused on looking for prospective athletes to fill that role.Â Three signed athletes who will help fill the position include freshman Gianini Belizaire, freshman Peyton Reeves and freshman Adam Hundemer, Crowley said. Belizaire, originally from Haiti,

played for Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Ind., and received Class 6A All-State honors following his 2019 season.Â Reeves is from Basehor, Kan., and helped earn St. Thomas Aquinas High School a state title in 2018. Hundemer, from Liberty Township, Ohio, earned AllDistrict, Conference and City honors as a senior following his 2019 season at Lakota East High School.Â Another position Southern was looking to fill was at the cornerback spot, and freshman Jay Welsh, freshman Colin Williams and freshman Dre Newman will help fulfill those roles, Crowley said. Welsh, from Chicago, helped Nazareth Academy compete in two Class 7A ISHA state championships, earning first place in 2018 and second in 2019. Williams is from Hoschton, Ga., and assisted in earning Mill Creek High School a state quarterfinal finish in 2019 while totalling 83 tackles, 15 pass deflections and one pass interception in the same season. Newman, from Abbeville, Ala., played for Headland High School and earned All-Conference honors while recording 56 tackles and rushing for 980 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018. At least 15 signees were multisport athletes in high school, which

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is something both Hill and Crowley recognize as a sticking point in the recruiting process.Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;You just want a guy to compete in everything he does,â&#x20AC;? Crowley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want a guy that just plays football, and in the spring and the summer, just doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t compete. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball or wrestling or track or baseball, every sport theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to play thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nonfootball is going to have some type of advantage for us.â&#x20AC;? With the majority (15 out of 18) of these signed athletes coming in as freshmen, Crowley said this allows the team to develop these athletes into the players they will eventually become. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Obviously weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to build our recruiting classes through the high school ranks and develop young players, but then also we try to supplement with junior college [players] and transfers to try and get some older players in at certain positions as well,â&#x20AC;? Crowley said.Â Southernâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three transferring athletes that have signed so far include junior Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ante Cox, from Rochester, Ill., junior Aaron Maddox, from North Augusta, S.C. and Jacob Poetzl, from Porterfield, Wisc. Cox, twin brother of Saluki receiver Avante Cox, walked-on at University of Illinois in 2018 and played for Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis, Mo., in 2019.

Maddox competed for Pima Community College in Tucson, Az., in 2017 and University of Colorado in 2018 and 2019 before transferring to SIU.Â Poetzl played at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa, in 2019 and earned NJCAA All- American and Conference his freshman year. Crowley said signing 18 athletes has been the largest class SIU has signed at their early signing day, but will announce a handful more athletes on the traditional signing day in February.Â As the program adds 20-25 athletes total, Crowley said SIU typically extends around 75 to 100 offers total.Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ultimately, recruiting is just relationships,â&#x20AC;? Crowley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On-campus visits are incredibly important, and then in-person evaluations. Either them coming to our camps in the summer or seeing them live, in person, those are the two most important things.â&#x20AC;? On-campus visits allow for athletes to experience Southernâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top-notch athletic facilities and understand the importance of both athletics and academics at the university, Crowley said.Â In addition, Crowley said Coach Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history with the program and the region brings a unique perspective to the recruiting process.Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coach Hill and his relationship

with Southern Illinois [and] Saluki football is huge,â&#x20AC;? Crowley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can always tell people what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to do and you can tell people your vision, but then to say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hey, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve actually done it before, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been a student here, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve lived in those dorms, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve played on that field â&#x20AC;Ś it gives Coach Hill a unique recruiting advantage.â&#x20AC;? SIUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s location in Carbondale also helps the football recruiting staff cover a lot of ground in recruiting athletes across the Midwest. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of big hubs of high school football that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll recruit [from]. Sometimes the long distances make it tough to meet the prospect in person. For us, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to recruit Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, really a two and a half hour radius is where we start,â&#x20AC;? Crowley said. As SIU announces the remaining signed recruits in February, Crowley said any committed athlete brings a lot of excitement to the program.Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of hours required and a lot of time [spent] on the road, a lot of time away from the coachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s families [while] visiting the prospects, so really any time you get a yes is huge,â&#x20AC;? Crowley said. Sports reporter Brooke Buerck can be reached at bbuerck@dailyegyptian. com or on Twitter at @bbuerck25.

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JOIN US FOR â&#x20AC;&#x153; SUNSET FRIDAYS â&#x20AC;? - SUN NEVER SETS â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;TIL 7PM

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Page 14

Salukis

power past Bulldogs for eighth-straight home win

Brooke Buerck | @bbuerck25

Southern Illinois men’s basketball didn’t disappoint a crowd of 4,337 at Banterra Center during their eighth-straight win on their home floor. The Salukis (9-10, 3-3 MVC) used a big second half scoring run to take down the Drake University Bulldogs 66-49 on Jan. 19. “We’re proud of our group. I thought for 40 minutes, especially on the defensive side of the ball, they were really locked in and they really guarded as a team,” Saluki head coach Bryan Mullins said. “Everyone had each other’s back today, and that was the biggest thing, especially in our transition defense.” SIU’s defense limited Drake (13-6, 3-3 MVC) to finishing 18-for-50 from the field (36%) and only 4-for-25 from the 3-point line. “We did a good job guarding the dribble today,” Mullins said. “We really did a good job showing our hands and moving our feet and using our chest to guard the dribble, and the guys were really disciplined in that facet of the game.” Drake head coach Darren DeVries said Southern’s defense kept his team on the perimeter on offense. “I thought they did a good job at taking us out of some things that we like to do, and again, as I said, they were well prepared and executed it perfectly,” DeVries said. Graduate student Barret Benson had a double-double in his best game so far as a Saluki with a career-high 18 points as well as 10 rebounds. “He’s a huge piece of the team, and when he can score with his back to the basket, it just gives another dynamic to our offense,” Mullins said. “He was really aggressive from the start of the game, and defensively, he did a really good job taking up the paint.” Senior guard Eric McGill also added 18 points as well as six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. SIU had two other athletes in double-digits on the offensive end, including freshman guard Lance Jones, who finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, and Marcus Domask, who had 10 points and five rebounds. SIU shot 41% from the field out of 51 shots and also made 16-of-22 free throws. Drake’s 17 total fouls had Southern in the bonus in the first half and double-bonus in the second. “That was one of our game goals - to get to the free throw line,” Mullins said. “If we can get to the paint and get paint touches, it’s not always going to translate to baskets but it collapses the defense and it gives our offense some open shots [too].” SIU held a 31-23 lead at the half after shooting 41% (12-

Jared Treece | @JaredTreece Salukis senior guard Eric McGill goes against a Bulldog defender during SIU’s 66-49 win over Drake on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020 at the Banterra Center.

for-29) in the field and landing 3-for-14 from the 3-point line. Drake was 7-for-23 from the field in the half and 7-for-11 from the free throw line. After the half, Southern’s lead was reduced to just three points following a dunk from Bulldog sophomore forward Liam Robbins and a 3-pointer by senior guard Anthony Murphy. “I thought we came out of the locker room to start the second half with a little more purpose,” said DeVries. McGill helped Southern extend their lead with an eightpoint scoring run individually on three consecutive trips down the floor. “I feel like I’m streaky. I feel like if I make one, I’m going to make the next one,” McGill said. “That [run] was huge for us. After that, I felt like my team found some energy and we just took off from there.”

Jared Treece | @JaredTreece Salukis forward Marcus Domask drives hard into the paint during the Salukis 66-49 win over the Drake Bulldogs on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020 in the Banterra Center.

Benson followed with a nine-point run of his own, including a 3-point basket, two layups and two free throws. “We’re a lot better team when Barret gets going,” McGill said. “When he plays like that, I feel like we have a great chance to beat anybody.” For the Bulldogs, Robbins finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes of play. Murphy was Drake’s only other athlete in double-digits scoring-wise, finishing with 10 points and five rebounds as well. The Salukis take their home floor again on Jan. 22 against University of Northern Iowa. Tipoff at Banterra Center is set for 8:00 p.m. Sports reporter Brooke Buerck can be reached at bbuerck@ dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @bbuerck25.

Jared Treece | @JareedTreece SIU’s bench goes crazy after Salukis senior guard Eric McGill drains back-to-back three point shots on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020 at the Banterra Center.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Page 15

Eric McGill: A

leader on and off the court

Guard Eric McGill starts setting up the Saluki’s drive during SIU’s 76-59 win over Norfolk State on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019 at Banterra Center.

Zach Kramer | zkramer@dailyegyptian.com

Senior guard Eric McGill knows how to lead his team by pushing them to improve and work their hardest. “I just do whatever it takes to motivate them and try to find ways to win even when we are not making shots,” he said. McGill’s primary focus is on winning conference play this season, even when the team is struggling on the court, he said. “Individually, do whatever it takes to win,” McGill said. McGill, from Memphis, Tenn. transferred to SIU in 2017 after attending Panola College in TX. for a year. At Panola, he received an all-conference honorable mention after averaging 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. Since arriving at SIU, his numbers have improved every year and the senior guard is flourishing in his new leadership role. During his junior year, McGill averaged five points coming off of the bench before injuring ligaments in his left hand. The injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season as he received a medical redshirt. Currently, Mcgill has had an injury-free season playing in all, but one, of Southern’s matchups. “It’s a great feeling,” McGill said. “Being fully healthy and fully energized is the best feeling.” Last season, Mcgill was playing under the leadership of veterans like Armon Fletcher and Aaron Cook. After coming off of the bench for a small portion of the season, he earned a position in the starting lineup averaging 9.5 points and 5.7 rebounds. So far this season, McGill is averaging 9.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, which is just under his average from last

season. McGill has taken on the veteran role this year as one of only three returners. He’s shifted his focus onto being an example for SIU’s young team. Saluki head coach Bryan Mullins said that McGill’s presence greatly impacts the team and makes a difference on the floor. “Eric has a big impact,” Mullins said. “Age is experience, and his ability to create for others is great. He can pass. He can dribble. He’s also a dynamic and experienced guard, so when he is playing well our team is playing well.” Mcgill said he feels that he is able to offer more to the team as he has stepped into a new position on the floor. “I feel like I’m contributing more,” Mcgill said. “I feel like I’m getting everyone involved more and I feel like I’m playing a different role trying to transition to point guard.” The senior feels that working with Mullins, who was apart of SIU’s 2007 Sweet Sixteen team in his final year as a Saluki, has been very beneficial. “I like coach Mullins,” McGill said. “He’s a young guy and he’s won at this level. I feel that playing for him is great for my time here and my career.” Under Mullins, McGill said he has seen improvement in team shooting and defense this season. “I feel like we are shooting the ball well,” McGill said. “I feel like we play in transition a bit more and I feel that we are more connected on defense.” This is evident in the team’s statistics as Southern leads the MVC and is ranked 21st of 353 teams nationally in scoring defense, only allowing 60.8 points per game. With his change in role, McGill feels more work will

Jared Treece | @JaredTreece

be required of him to help this team do better and win in conference play. “I feel like I have to do a little more,” Mcgill said. “I feel like I have to score a little more, I‘ve got to pass a little better, I’ve got to rebound more, and I have to take everything up to another level.” McGill has shown his leadership skills in his consistent work to improve by holding himself to a higher standard. “Eric is being more consistent,” Mullins said “He is being more consistent with his approach every single day in terms of getting to the gym and improving his body, and going hard in practice and in the weight room as well.” His mental attributes such as his competitive nature have helped McGill become a great player according to Mullins. “I think Eric’s best quality is competitiveness,” Mullins said. “He hates to lose in practice and in games. He gets frustrated sometimes and takes it out on himself. He gets emotional but it also makes him a great player. In order to be a leader you need the support of those around you and for McGill, the support of Saluki Nation makes his job worthwhile. “I love the fans,” McGill said. “I love when the crowd chants SIU and I just love the community.” Sports reporter Zach Kramer can be reached at zkramer@ dailyegyptian.com.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Page 16

SIH Nursing Job Fair Wednesday, February 19 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

SIH Corporate Office B & D 1239 E. Main St. | Carbondale, IL » Meet with Hiring Managers, view job openings and apply onsite » Speak with nurses from 10+ departments and hear why they love working for SIH » See how you could be eligible for a scholarship or loan forgiveness worth up to $21,000 For more information contact: Cordy Love, HR Nursing Recruiter 618.457.5200 ext. 67813 cordy.love@sih.net ©2020