THE
Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.
DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022
VOL. 105, ISSUE 3
‘If not now, then when?’
The Great Resignation affects the local and national community
William Box | @William17455137
The wave of resignations which has swept the country since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the local, state and national economy in the U.S. as young and old employees seek better working conditions or retire from the workforce altogether. The event has been dubbed “The Great Resignation” by economists, according to a segment done on the topic by 60 Minutes on CBS on Jan. 9. The event began in early 2020, when COVID-19 regulations were introduced to businesses and the general public. Seth Martin | @seth.mart
The labor shortage has not impacted the availability of educators at Southern Illinois University (SIU) since the start of the pandemic, Meera Komarraju, the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, said. “When we set our budgets for the academic year, we set a certain amount aside to provide us with some flexibility,” Komarraju said. “That way if we need to hire someone to fill a role throughout the year we always have some wiggle room.” Komarraju said the process of deciding how many teachers will need to be budgeted on the payroll begins with registration for fall classes during the spring semester. “We keep an eye on what classes and programs are being applied to by students and we decide whether to adjust the number of instructors on staff for the coming year based on what classes students are applying to,” Komarraju said. Komarraju said SIU is not facing any staff shortage issues
for instructor positions. She said this year’s increase in freshman enrollment provided the resources necessary to maintain adequate teaching staff numbers. She did not have any knowledge of staffing shortages in auxiliary staff. The U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down U.S. President Joe Biden’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) vaccine-or-test mandate for private businesses. It forced employees to either receive a COVID-19 vaccination regimen or receive a weekly test for the virus as a condition of employment. Public workers and healthcare workers are still required to receive COVID-19 vaccinations and a booster vaccine. Governor J.B. Pritzker extended a similar mandate in September 2021, bringing SIU to institute the policy on students upon returning to campus for the spring semester. To aid in the testing and vaccination needs of the school, clinics have been coordinated with
“People are thinking ‘What do I want to do? What makes my heart sing?’ and people are asking, ‘If not now, then when?’” - Karin Kimbrough LinkedIn chief economist
the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Test Directly, a laboratory company which provides access to sample testing, to provide the services to students and faculty. David Boedeker, the liaison officer for the IDPH, said sometimes inaccurate expectations and staffing shortages can make healthcare difficult to manage efficiently. “In early October last year, we had a clinic where we had to take the time to get all the testing equipment and personal protection equipment (PPE) set
out and organized,” Boedeker said. “We struggled for two and a half hours to get everything together and brought in two extra people because we expected a high demand, but when the time came for the clinic we only had about ten people the entire time we were there.” These clinics are allocated staff based on the expected need of the population they will be serving, Boedeker said. Sometimes this results in overestimations, like the October clinic, but sometimes underestimations will hinder efforts, as demonstrated by staffing issues
which took place on January 19. “We had one medical assistant (MA) working the administrative stuff, but then we had a full house by 11:30 a.m. with only one MA doing the work,” Boedeker said. “We called in a second nurse and that helped a little, but we made no progress since people kept coming in.” For these situations, a reaction force is typically held in reserve for emergency staffing needs, Boedeker said. The reaction force was called in this case and, while it took them a short time to get acquainted with the hectic situation, the force managed to shorten wait times from two hours to 30 minutes by the end of the clinic. “Several people walked out due to the wait times,” Boedeker said. “They were able to come back later or the next day if they left. It was chaotic, but it ended on a good note.” Please see RESIGNATION | 3
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An SIU student receives a COVID-19 test Jan. 12, 2022 in Carbondale, Ill. Julian Castillo | @julcastillophotography
On campus COVID-19 testing increases as semester beings
Janiyah Gaston | jgaston@dailyegyptian.com Jamilah Lewis | jlewis@dailyegyptian.com
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With students coming back from winter break, Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU) has decided to increase COVID-19 testing and offer more vaccine clinics. Chancellor Lane emailed a statement to faculty, staff, and students instituting a policy for them to have negative test results before classes began. “With the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, we have adjusted our plans for the spring semester. Upon return to campus, all on-campus employees and students, including those who are fully vaccinated, must be tested for COVID-19 to ensure we maintain the public health of our campus community as we launch the spring semester,” Lane said. Students and faculty were required to be tested before the semester started on Jan. 10, Lane said. Another statement made by the university on Jan. 21 said 77% of students and 84% of faculty have been vaccinated. Benjamin Newman, the Chief of Police at SIU and the head of the Emergency Operations Center, said they are keeping everyone updated the best they can about the current status of COVID-19 at the university. “The number of individuals who have tested positive on our campus is smaller than the test positivity rate within the county and within the state,” Newman said. “We have been keeping track and producing numbers daily for the last week and a half. Part of that was weekly submission to the dashboard.” The university is constantly updating the COVID-19 dashboard as a way to keep students and faculty aware of the current state of the pandemic, Newman said. According to Newman the school has no plans to change the COVID-19 policy as of right now, but will continue to follow the guidelines set by health agencies. “In response to [our] COVID-19 plan, our planning has to be fluid and amenable. What we’re looking at is not only trends on campus, but the state and nationally,” Newman said. “So we take everything, every bit of information into account but also consider that [the] Center for Disease Control(CDC), Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the governor’s office has regulations that we also comply with.” If any changes to COVID-19 safety guidelines are changed by the CDC, or any other organization, they will adjust the school’s policy accordingly, Newman said. SIU hosted a booster shot clinic in the Student Center Renaissance Room on the 19th and 20th. 164 people were scheduled and administered 82 Pfizer, 39 Moderna and 18 Johnson & Johnson boosters with fewer regular vaccines being distributed.
David Boedeker, the clinic’s liaison officer, sent a situation report to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA). According to the report the clinic opened early with huge demand resulting in them calling for more resources. There weren’t enough Medical Assistants for a steady pace, which led some people to leave out of frustration. Boedeker said After calling in nurses from Favorite Healthcare Staffing and getting them situated, wait time was able to go from one to two hours to 30 minutes, Boedeker said. SIU went through the IDPH, which offers an application to request vaccination clinics. Boedeker said. The application asks for the basic information of the organization requesting the clinic, suggested location of the clinic, if there are any vaccine access barriers near the location and similar questions. The application allows them to properly prepare the clinic. The application goes to the IDPH and they contact the host who submitted the application. They pair them with side assessors who make sure the host has everything it needs for the clinic. After assessors send their assessment report to the IDPH, the host receives information about the time and place for the clinic. Boedeker said progress was being made with getting people coming in to get vaccinated since he also worked clinics at SIU during September and October distributing regular vaccines. Returning people getting second doses show the clinics were helpful, resulting in more people showing up to the booster clinic. Boedeker said During the vaccine clinics in September and October, only a few people would come over the span of eight hours. Now the clinics sometimes have a full house the entire time. Around 300 people would be getting a booster/ vaccination over the span of the two day clinic and are not expecting another anytime soon after speaking with the host. Boedeker said. Newman said he believes, with the progress made from the school to get students tested, there should be little worry about case spikes. “What we’re doing is tracking cases not only on campus, but statewide and nationwide, and the trend right now is COVID cases are actually not increasing. They’re either plateauing in areas or actually declining. But we remain fluid and our plan is amenable to changes in the COVID cases,” Newman said. Staff reporters Janiyah Gaston and Jamilah Lewis can be reached at jgaston@dailyegyptian.com and jlewis@ dailyegyptian.com.
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
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Trans student voices concerns over Health Center hormone distribution
Jamilah Lewis | @jamilahlewis
Third year SIU student Chase Turner made his distress with the Student Health Center known, saying it is not able to provide testosterone. Turner was ready to start his transition last year, going through his primary care physician and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). CAPS directed him to Dr. Kathryn Waldyke, but he found out the school wouldn’t be able to provide the necessary testosterone right away. Turner was referred to another health care facility but was told by Waldyke he’d be able to bring the prescriptions back for updates, the Center just isn’t allowed to start his prescription. “I was planning on starting at the beginning of the year last year, but I ended up not being able to start until almost the end of the second semester,” Turner said. “[That was caused by] the situation with them not being allowed to prescribe it and having to take a day trip to Champaign to get that Planned Parenthood prescription.” Turner said he was able to get testosterone from Planned Parenthood with ease but is still running into issues transferring to SIU’s pharmacy. He said the pharmacy was not taking his outside insurance for a period of time. Because Turner is on his family’s insurance but was not telling his family about the transition, he said going to an off-campus pharmacy caused a big problem for him in the beginning. “The reason I started off at SIU pharmacy was because… at the time, my parents had gotten notifications from Walgreens when I got a new medication,” Turner said. “It wasn’t until I had come out to my parents that I was able to transition to Walgreens.” SIU not being able to offer initiation hormones for Turner’s transition rubbed him the wrong way because of the various other prescriptions they are allowed to prescribe, he said. “It just seems like it’s a very transphobic policy since they’re allowed to prescribe things like
Seth Martin | @seth.mart
antidepressants and things like that through their psychological services but not testosterone,” Turner said. “Especially because I got a birth control prescription from them, which isn’t exactly the same, but it’s still like a form of estrogen or progestin.” New Medical Chief of Staff Andrew Riffey said recommendations and referrals to other health facilities are needed when the proper care or medication can’t be offered at the Center. “We have situations with patients that we don’t have the specialized care or the specialized knowledge in helping them get the best care that they need,” Riffey said. “We recommend that they be referred out to see somebody to start
their care to figure it out and get the necessary prescriptions that we need to start that process.” Riffey said since most students aren’t from the Carbondale area, they’d see a doctor back in their hometown but, he said, SIU would guarantee students follow-ups and refills. “While they’re here on campus, it’s difficult for them to get back to see the follow-up or just to get refills,” Riffey said. “We can refill their medications… here to help with that, but we’re not comfortable with starting that therapy process.” Waldyke, who usually works with the trans students, said the idea of initiation hormone therapy is in discussion but not yet adopted by her or other medical staff.
Referrals to other facilities can come with transportation challenges, Waldyke said. “I have had patients who have ridden Amtrak up to Chicago or driven up to Chicago to see Howard Brown,” Waldyke said. “Conveniently enough, Amtrak goes to within a mile of the Planned Parenthood in Champaign.” Waldyke said it used to be more difficult to recommend people to facilities because some did not offer hormone therapy. “[It] used to be a pretty big deal when Planned Parenthood wasn’t yet doing hormone initiation,” Waldyke said. “When it was pretty much just Endocrinology in St. Louis, or [Vanderbilt University in Nashville]... then it was a real stumbling block.”
Waldyke is pleased that Planned Parenthood started hormone initiation, cutting down travel time for students from around six hours to about half that. Turner hopes doctors at the student center in the future will be able to prescribe testosterone for hormone therapy and have an understanding of what the students are going through. “Most trans people know what they’re getting into before starting,” Turner said. “I’ve not met a single trans person who hasn’t done their research before and hasn’t looked into it extensively.”
determine the health of the labor market. This metric accounts for job openings each month, hirings, layoffs, staff quitting and other labor separations like deaths or injuries. Hesitancy over the job market induced a sharp drop in the number of resignations at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020, according to the JOLTS statistics. This trend reversed and met pre-pandemic resignations by July 2020. The trend stabilized for approximately six months before rising to
nearly 150% of the number of resignations experienced before the pandemic. Karin Kimbrough, chief economist at LinkedIn, a popular job matching website, said in her 60 Minutes interview, “People have been living to work for a long time, and I think the pandemic has brought that moment of reflection for everyone.” Not all sectors of the economy are as affected by current labor shortages, but the retail and hospitality sectors have been particularly affected, Kimbrough
said. She said the demographics mostly contributing to the glut of resignations comes from baby boomers retiring early and young adults, particularly women, in their teens and early 20s. “Americans are burnt out,” Kimbrough said. “I like to think of it as a ‘take this job and shove it,’ measure. It’s a sign of people saying, ‘you know, I don’t need this.’” Approximately 6% of all retail positions in the U.S. are open as well as more than 8% of the healthcare field and nearly 9%
of restaurant and hotel jobs, according to LinkedIn data. The same data cites 4.4% of jobs in the education sector are available. “We can see what sectors people are quitting, it’s retail sectors and hospitality sectors,” Kimbrough said. “People are thinking ‘What do I want to do? What makes my heart sing?’ and people are asking, ‘If not now, then when?’”
Staff reporter Jamilah Lewis can be reached at jlewis@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter @jamilahlewis.
Resignation 1 continued from
Boedeker said temporary workers are often used for these clinics and the goal is to provide more comfortable wait times and circumstances for clinics in the future. While the medical field is in need of additional workers, Boedeker and the IDPH are working to coordinate their current resources to combat the ongoing pandemic and provide vaccines and testing to as many people as possible. The Economic Policy Institute uses a metric called the Jobs and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) to
Staff reporter William Box can be reached at wbox@dailyegyptian. com or on Twitter at @ William17455137.
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
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Touch of Nature and Green Earth honor MLK through volunteer work Janiyah Gaston | @DEJaniyah
Touch of Nature and Green Earth hosted a volunteer day on Saturday Jan. 22 as a way to embrace the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through volunteer work. Stephanie Eichholz, the executive director of Green Earth, said the organization will be removing invasive species around their nature preserves to keep the native plant life healthy. Eichholz said with racial injustices being seen more often and people working together to bring attention to these situations, the event would be a good way to bring the community together to help out as a whole. “You know, obviously, we’re bringing light to situations that have existed all along and people’s eyes are being opened mostly with the help of technology,” Eichholz said. “More eyes can be opened and we can work together to better ourselves in our community by coming together and supporting each other.” Eichholz said nature preserves, like the ones Green Earth has, are vital to people’s health and are important to keep clean. “Having access to natural areas has been shown in several different types of disciplines to improve people’s moods, overall health and our sense of place,” she said. “By giving people access to these natural areas, we really try to improve the Carbondale community for the whole person. We can provide places for exercise, for outdoor exploration and for improved mental health.” Thomas Brummer, the interim director of Touch of Nature, said that the group is also glad to bring the community together by cleaning out invasive species from its camp site. Brummer said Touch of Nature prides itself on being inclusive and thinks it is important for everyone to work together. “Dr. King’s big vision was really being everybody’s equal and [being] inclusive. That’s what we do out here. How can we all work together to build a better community ties into our mission out here as well,” Brummer said. Brummer said a part of their mission at Touch of Nature is to work together to build a better community. Having people from all different backgrounds and places working together to give back to the community shows how people are willing to be there for one another, Brummer said. Brummer said having volunteers come out was great because people got a chance to help out and learn a little bit more about nature. “A lot of people that come out for the volunteers in the school have never experienced the outdoors in this way. This is another opportunity for us to actually achieve our mission with that outdoor experience and that gives them an exposure they haven’t had before,” Brummer said. Kylie Lancaster, a member of the Society of American Forestry (SAF) and volunteer said the event will do a lot for people who decide to come down for Touch of Nature. “It’s just to make the place look a little nicer and people come out here a lot and stay in the cabins and things like that,” Lancaster said. “So [we do] whatever we can to make them like the place more and want to come here more often.” Charles Ruffner, a forestry professor at
Thomas Brummer speaks to the SIU students before the event about how appreciative he is about them volunteering on Jan. 22 ,2022, at Touch of Nature Environmental Center in Makanda, Ill. Tiffany Young | @photographybytiffa
Southern Illinois University (SIU), attended the Touch of Nature volunteer event. He said it allowed students to gain some useful skills they can use in life. “So we’re working here to kind of better our community, better our landscape forest and get them some training and then it also gives them a little bit of leadership opportunity to work with,” Ruffner said. “Students from on-campus that really don’t have the skills but want to go spend the day in the woods can learn a thing or two.” According to Ruffner, King was a person who encouraged people to do their part to help. “I think he would praise all the students for their kind of dedication to their alma mater and their dedication to doing something bigger than themselves. I think he was definitely a man who preached that and lived that,” Ruffner said. He said people should try to make an effort to help out and take pride in the fact that the work they do will make a big difference down the line. Green Earth and Touch of Nature organizers said they were glad to be a part of celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through volunteer work because it brought the community together. “I want to celebrate coming together as a community so that we can support each other. Carbondale has a wonderful legacy of nonprofits partnering and working together,” Eichholz said. “I just hope that we can reach out to all parts of Carbondale to all communities to work to make our community a better place for everyone.” Staff reporter Janiyah Gaston can be reached at jgaston@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter @ DEJaniyah.
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
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Anika Svancarek | @sw.an.ika
Women’s Conference deadline fast approaching
Kamaria Harmon | @QuoteKamariaa
The Women’s Conference committee motivates its attendees to think creatively and broadly. The deadline for the Women’s Conference, themed “Advocates and Allies” this year is Jan. 31. The committee will notify all accepted applicants by Feb. 4. Proposals may include material presented in past academic courses related to the theme as well as interactive workshops, narrative writings, poetry, discussion panels and much more. The conference will be on March 18 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on March 19 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Student Center at Southern Illinois University (SIU). The organization is prepared to make it virtual if circumstances warrant. Rita Medina, co-chair of the planning committee and academic advisor, has been working with and attending the conference for several years now. She says submissions should be fresh but don’t have to be fully developed as the committee will help applicants formulate their ideas. “They don’t necessarily have to have a concrete outline right now, today, to be able to say, ‘I really want to discuss this,’” Medina said.
The annual conference brings a lot of attention to those who identify as women in the local community, in SIU classrooms and those who are interested in racism, ableism, heterosexism and more. Jackie Spinner, an alumna of SIU, was a keynote speaker at the last Women’s Conference in March 2021, addressing the obstacles she overcame while pursuing a career in investigative journalism. Shelby Swafford, Ph.D. candidate in communication studies, serves on the programming committee and has been involved with the conference since 2018. She served on the executive board for the Women, Gender, and Sexual Studies (WGSS) program at SIU. Swafford said she enjoyed Spinner’s remarks, as it changed her perspective on a lot of things considering she wouldn’t have seen the journalist since she’s outside her direct field of study. “Sometimes in academia, as a grad student, we feel really pressured to be super tuned in to our fields of study,” Swafford said. “I wouldn’t have heard that talk from Jackie Spinner… but I learned a lot from listening to her speak about her experience as a woman in the field.” According to SIU News, this year’s theme “Advocates and
Allies” focuses on “how women and gender minorities may ally with, advocate for and support one another.” Sandy Pensoneau Conway serves as interim Director for the WGSS program and is co-chair to the programming committee for the Women’s Conference. In the past, she volunteered at SIUC Women’s Leadership Retreat and assisted with different groups on campus to advocate for women. Conway said how one interprets “Advocates and Allies” can be focused or broad when it comes to submitting proposals, but what is important is how, whatever you choose to do, there’s a team behind you that’s in it together with you. “Really it’s about coalition building, community building, kind of the idea that ‘let’s lift all of our boats up at the same time,’” Conway said. “It’s how we can be advocates for ourselves and one another, as well as how we can be allies to each other.” The committee works to make sure no one should feel excluded in this experience. Ultimately, Swafford emphasizes participants of the conference are all fighting for the same thing. “There is no single issue struggle… All of our fights for social justice,
for human rights are intimately and intricately connected. We can’t parse them apart as separate things,” she said. Swafford said every proposal is appreciated. The Women’s Conference is to educate, develop new understandings and connect. “I’m hoping what this conference can help achieve is a space for folks to have the conversations to build those coalitions in their communities,” Swafford said. “Even if it’s not my specific struggle… none of us are free from oppression until everyone is.” Medina said the Women’s Conference is known for bringing together people from disparate parts of the local community as well as the campus. She said a big part of recruitment is these leaders walking into town face-to-face proposing potential recruits to join the team. They are a mix of faculty members, students and community members who want to work together to solve problems within their neighborhoods. “We tend to try to notice other women in the community and ask ‘hey, do you want to get involved, we see that you’re really taking charge,’” Medina said. “We hope to continue doing that with others.” Medina said the fight in the
community and on campus gets stronger when members join together. There are many things that come with being a woman and that’s why it’s important to be allies and advocates for those around us, she said. “We’re sensitive to the way people identify, which is why we chose to add the ally component into this conference,” Medina said. “They can advocate for the rest of us, who have a lot of issues that a lot of us encounter.” This year the Career Services Department is collaborating with the Women’s Conference. It is offering private consultations with attendees of the conference. “Resume feedback, interview assistance, negotiation skills, job searching, anything somebody might need our Career Services is going to participate,” Conway said. The link to register will be posted soon for those who are looking to attend. For more information about the conference visit its website at conferenceservices.siu.edu/ conferences/womens-conference. php. Staff reporter Kamaria Harmon can be reached at kharmon@ dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @ QuoteKamariaa.
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Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Upcoming play ‘Deathtrap’ promises suspense, intrigue Joel Kottman | @JoelKottman
The Stage Company’s 40th season is in full swing as its third show Deathtrap goes through rehearsals. The play holds the record for longest running comedy-thriller on Broadway. “The premise of the play is that Sidney Bruhl, a successful playwright of Broadway thrillers, has hit a dry spell with a string of flops and shortage of funds,” Director Sarah Alley said. Bruhl then receives a script in the mail from a student that attended a seminar he conducted and devises a plan with his wife to offer collaboration. Matthew Hutchins, who plays Bruhl’s attorney Porter Milgram, said Deathtrap is thematically about greed and selfishness. “It explores the depths to which people will stoop to get what they want, whether that be fame and recognition or simply money,” Hutchins said. “Greed and selfishness drive the choices of a lot of the characters.” The play is about a murder but that’s all actress Abigail Wheetley was able to reveal about the plot in order to avoid spoiling anything for the audience.
“It explores the depths to which people will stoop to get what they want, whether that be fame and recognition or simply money.” - Matthew Hutchins Actor
Hutchins said he prepares for rehearsal by reviewing lines in the script, making mental notes of his character’s intentions and purpose to the story. “What purpose does his presence serve? How should he feel about certain situations, and how does that affect the story,” he said. Alley prepared for the rehearsal process by reading the play, consulting and holding discussions with the creative team and watching the movie for reference, she said. “Before performances begin we will have had about 25 rehearsals,” Alley said. Antonio Salazar, an Instructor of Record and doctoral student in the SIU Department of History, said being selected to play the role of the titular character Sidney Bruhl was both an honor and a challenge. “There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot, so the characters
in the play must also have layers that may be understood in hindsight,” Salazar said. He continuously looks for clues into exactly who Sidney ‘is’ both at the foundation of his character and in the dynamic construction of his motivations in this play, Salazar said. He prepared for the role by reading the play to understand the plot and then re-reading it numerous times to dissect Sidney’s psyche and make all of the connections to the emotional and comedic opportunities, Salazar said. Wheetley, who plays a psychic named Helga, said she prepares by studying because this is a play with lots of dialogue, quick footwork, stage combat and lots of revealing moments. She works on getting things committed to memory and getting it right the first time. Making sure the cast is guiding the audience on a
journey of discovery is a priority for everyone involved, Wheetley said. Salazar said the show has “sound construction, good dialogue, laughs in the right places and is highly commercial.” “Which is why it was so successful on Broadway and ultimately why it was made into a movie starring Michael Caine and Christopher Reeves,” Salazar said. Alley said the theater group and the Varsity Center are keeping COVID-19 in mind. “With the number of variant cases, some patrons may not feel comfortable attending. All patrons are required to be masked for entry to the performance,” Alley said. Every audience member will need to gauge their own comfort level, Salazar said. “As an actor, I just want to help The Stage Company fulfill its mission to bring opportunities to experience live art, to the community,” Salazar
said. “I am dedicated to performing to the best of my ability every single performance, regardless of whether we seat 15 or 150.” Live theater is something cast and crew members all missed bitterly in 2020 and the cast is proud to be making the effort to bring it back, Wheetley said. “Safety for our performers, our staff and our audience is of the utmost importance and we’re comfortable with a smaller crowd or less ticket sales if people need to stay home out of caution or exposure,” Wheetley said. “Be safe, everyone!” Performances are January 2830 and February 3-6 at the Varsity Center in Carbondale. Performance times on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays start at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday performances are at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on the Stage Company website www. stagecompany.org or at the Varsity Center starting one hour before the show. They can also be purchased via the Showtix4U website at https:// w w w. s h o w t i x 4 u . c o m / e v e n t details/56350 Staff reporter Joel Kottman can be reached at jkottman@dailyegyptian. com and on Twitter: @JoelKottman.
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Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Organized donations of food sit in the stock room of the food pantry on Jan. 19, 2022 in Murphysboro, Ill. Sophia Rogers | sophia.rogers@siu.edu
Local food pantries adjust to COVID-19 restrictions
Carolyn Dickte | carolynd@dailyegyptian.com
In Carbondale, Illinois the Good Samaritan House, Wesley Foundation, and Saluki Food Pantry have had to change a few things due to the COVID-19 pandemic but are still helping as many people as they can. The Good Samaritan House has a food pantry located at University Baptist Church in Carbondale. Their food pantry had to convert to a drive-through pantry when the first cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Illinois in January of 2020, said Kathleen Gallivan, head coordinator of the Good Samaritan House food pantry. This change meant people with vehicles were still able to come to the church and have volunteers put bags of food in the trunk for them, Gallivan said. The food pantry operated as a drive through for about a year, and, since early 2021, it’s been moved back inside. For people without vehicles, there wasn’t much anyone at the pantry could do besides offer information about buses to get them to the church, Gallivan said. The Jackson County Transportation picks up food pantry clients right at the food pantry, which is convenient for the clients, Gallivan said. “It often takes about 45 minutes for the bus to come,” Gallivan said.
“The Saluki Food Pantry is free for students and typically other pantries are free as well. If you are food-insecure then do not hesitate to reach out for help.” - Mallory McMahan Saluki Food Pantry worker
“In [winter] weather like this, it’s hard for people.” Everybody working in the pantry is masked, social distancing is enforced, and disinfections often happen, Gallivan said. “The way that we have things set up now, there’s quite a bit of client choice,” Gallivan said. “We have things set up on the table, and they take what they want or what they need from there as opposed to us just packing a box or a bag and giving it to them, which is what we were doing with the drive thru. They opened their trunk, and we put the food in, and off they went.” The food pantry was serving approximately 50 families a week, before COVID, said Gallivan, who has worked as head coordinator at the pantry since 2012, but now only serves around 20 to 30 families each Friday. “You know, sometimes people
come to the pantry, and they get enough food to last them a few days, hopefully until they get their next paycheck or their Social Security,” Gallivan said. “Then they are able to, let’s say, pay their electric bill, and that’s what it’s for. It’s an emergency food pantry.” Gallivan also encourages those who are in need of food to visit the soup kitchen located at the Good Samaritan House. Gallivan said the best way to support and help the food pantry is to provide a monetary donation. “For a period of time the Saluki Food Pantry wasn’t open due to COVID,” Mallory McMahan, a worker at the food pantry, said. “During that time, we distributed prepackaged food bags to students, instead of having them come into the pantry.” The Saluki Food Pantry has served 199 students and dependents since August of 2021 and continues
to get new visitors every week, McMahan said. “The Saluki Food Pantry is free for students and typically other pantries are free as well. If you are food-insecure then do not hesitate to reach out for help,” McMahan said. To get involved, students can volunteer and/or provide nonperishable foods like canned fruit, veggies, meat, pasta, beans, peanut butter, toothpaste, soap and toilet paper, or provide monetary donations, McMahan said. “There has also been an increase in community support because of COVID,” McMahan said. “People have been donating more, including Prairie Farms and Kroger.” For those in need of food who are not available the days the Saluki Food Pantry is open, the Wesley Foundation offers a food pantry for SIU or John A. Logan students. The Wesley Foundation, also located in Carbondale, is approximately an 11 minute walk from the SIU campus. To use the Wesley Foundation food pantry, you must be a student at SIU or John A. Logan College, and have your John A. Logan student class schedule or student id card. Clients receive two bags of pantry items with food and cleaning supplies, depending on what’s available at the time.
Those needing the services provided by the pantry can come around every 27 days. This ensures all who come will receive the same amount based on the donations Wesley receives, according to their website. Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to contact Sherry at umwesley@siu.edu. Donations are always welcome. The Good Samaritan House also offers an emergency shelter, a transitional housing program, a soup kitchen, and an emergency assistance program along with the food pantry, according to their website. The food pantry is open Mondays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. each week, Gallivan said. The Wesley Foundation food pantry is open Tuesdays 1-4 p.m. and Wednesdays 2-4 p.m., additional information may be found on their website. The Saluki Food Pantry is open on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Fridays 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is located in the basement of the Southern Illinois University student center. Their goal is to provide food for any student or community member in need, McMahan said. Staff reporter Carolyn Dickte can be reached at carolynd@dailyegyptian. com
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Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Saluki Softball hosts yearly fundraiser dinner
SIU Interim Athletic Director, Matt Kupec, speaks at the SIU softball fundraising dinner Jan. 22, 2022 at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Ill. “In athletics, our goal is not only to be the national leader, but is to win on the softball field, is to win in the classroom and is to win in the community,” Kupec said. Dominique Martinez-Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography Ryan Scott | @ryanscott134
Bryce Williams speaks at the SIU softball fundraising dinner Jan. 22, 2022 at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Ill. “I hope to see a good time and camaraderie and celebrate the girls and other accomplishments and Coach Blaylock,” Williams said. Dominique Martinez-Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography
The Southern Illinois Salukis softball team hosted their yearly fundraiser and dinner on Saturday Jan. 22 in the Banterra Center. The Salukis put on the fundraiser to raise money for the upcoming season, to pay for equipment as well as trips. Graduate student and outfielder Jenny Jansen said the event had a strong attendance from team supporters. “It means a lot. I mean, we’re not football or basketball, but it’s really awesome to see how many people really care about our program and want to see us succeed and continue to succeed throughout the next couple of years,” Jansen said. Jansen said she didn’t know the full amount that was raised for the team but was told they had a good year. Sophomore outfielder Bailey Caylor said this was just her second fundraiser since joining
the team, but she thought this year’s event went much smoother after COVID-19 forced last years outside with social distancing. “This was just my second year. Last year was a little bit smaller, because due to COVID, we had to hold it outside in the spring. So last year was okay, but this year was fantastic. It really means the world to us,” Caylor said. Caylor spoke on the support from the community and how it helps the team. “The support from the local community is basically what keeps our program running. It means the world to us, and all the money that they donate is why we’re able to have all the nicest stuff, eat at nice restaurants and get to go on trips. Like next year we will be able to go to Mexico and just stuff like that we would not be able to do at all without the support of the community,” Caylor said. Please see STORY | 9
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
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Fundraiser continued from
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Sophomore Utility/infielder Jenna Christeson said the fundraiser was a good experience for her and the team. “It’s a pretty awesome experience to go through because you got to see all the supporters, like all the supporters that Saluki Softball has, and you may not even know they are. Of course they know who you are though. They could name everybody on this team,” Christeson said. SIU softball also held a silent auction where Saluki gear, as well as Cardinals tickets and AirPods were bought. “They sold a bunch of Saluki gear, T-shirts, sweatpants, and jackets. I think there was cornhole or bags in one of those games. Also some air pods and just kind of a mixture of different items,” Jansen said. Saluki softball will start their season at Troy University in Alabama on Feb. 11. SIU softball is looking to make the NCAA tournament for the third straight season after making it in 2019 and 2021 with 2020 being canceled due to COVID-19. SIU will have their home opener when they host Ball State on March 4 at 2:30 p.m. Sports editor Ryan Scott can be reached at rscott@dailyegyptian. com or on twitter @ryanscott134
Samantha Williams (left) and Bryce Williams look through some of the items that were up for the silent auction at the SIU softball fundraising dinner Jan. 22, 2022 at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Ill. “It’s great gear and it helps support the student athletes and at the same time you have the opportunity to buy some stuff,” Bryce Williams said. Dominique Martinez-Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography
Tami Hansbrough (left) wins a gift basket from a raffle at the SIU softball fundraising dinner Jan. 22, 2022 at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Ill. Dominique Martinez-Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography
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Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Humans of SIU
Riley Alsip reads a book for class Jan. 24, 2022 at SIU in Carbondale, Ill. Alsip is a senior history major at SIU. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography
Morgan Kruse walks in the hallway between Wham and Pulliam Jan. 24, 2022 at SIU in Carbondale, Ill. Kruse graduated with a bachelors degree from SIU in May and has now returned as a graduate student studying outdoor recreation. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography
A student sits on a wall between classes Jan. 24, 2022 at SIU in Carbondale, Ill. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography
Aaron Wheeler, an SIU grounds keeper, rakes leaves into a garbage bag Jan. 24, 2022 at SIU in Carbondale, Ill. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Jared Harris reads a book for his geology class Jan. 24, 2022 at SIU in Carbondale, Ill. Harris is a sophomore at SIU studying cinema and photography. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography
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Joshua Mulholland holds a sign that says “Jesus: The Only Way” Jan. 24, 2022 at SIU in Carbondale, Ill. He was with other members of the Victory Baptist Church in Carterville, Ill. handing out bibles to students. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography
SIU metalsmithing and blacksmithing student, Alydia Downs, works on a project Jan. 24, 2022 at SIU in Carbondale, Ill. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography
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Wednesday, January 26, 2022
David vs Goliath; Southern Illinois looks to take down Loyola-Chicago Cole Daily | @cdaily_de
The Southern Illinois men’s basketball team (10-9; MVC 3-4) took on the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (14-3; MVC 5-1) on Tuesday, Jan. 25, and on Thursday, Jan 27. The first was played on the road in Chicago, where the second took place in the Banterra Center. The game on the 27th was originally supposed to take place on Jan. 2, but COVID regulations forced the MVC to delay the game. Southern Illinois is currently coming off a 70-62 loss to the Bradley Braves on Saturday. Head Coach Bryan Mullins said the Salukis struggled on both sides of the court, all night long. “In the first half we didn’t play good enough defense and in the second half we didn’t play good enough offense. The ball stuck too much and we couldn’t defend their top guys,” Mullins said. However, the Salukis are back at it and ready to get a chance at the number one team in the conference to regain its momentum. The Ramblers also recently gained the #22 ranking in the country. The Ramblers recently lost to Missouri State, 79-69 on Saturday. This was their first conference loss of the season. Junior guard Steven Verplancken said they understand who their opponent is, but they have faith
they can take the Ramblers down. “We have a lot of respect for who we go against, but we also know we can beat anybody. The amount that both the players and coaches puts in gives us a lot of confidence,” Verplancken said. Mullins said these next few conference games will be vital to test where the Salukis are in its development. “Our team is already ready for the next opportunity. You can’t keep looking in the past in this league, because you will always have another challenge right in front of you,” Mullins said. Loyola-Chicago has made the tournament twice in the past four years (2018 and 2021), along with an appearance in the NIT tournament in 2019. Freshman forward Foster Wonders said the Salukis know they are going up against a small-school powerhouse. “Loyola has been the standard in this conference in the last couple years. That’s what everyone in this conference is striving to be,” Wonders said. During its appearance to the tournament in 2018, the Ramblers had cemented themselves in college basketball history as one of the best Cinderella stories. Despite being an 11 seed, Loyola-Chicago made it all the way to the Final Four and was a second half away from making it to the National Championship. However, Michigan managed to
rally a comeback and defeat the Cinderella team. Verplancken said LoyolaChicago’s success in the tournament gives smaller schools hope to make it deep into March, just like the Ramblers did. “It really puts it into perspective. We’ve seen that, in this league, there are a lot of teams that are good enough to make it deep into March Madness,” Verplancken said. The Ramblers were the first Missouri Valley Conference team to make the Final Four since the 2014 Wichita State Shockers (now in the American Athletic Conference). The second-mostrecent team leads all the way back to 1979, to the Larry Bird-led Indiana State Sycamores. Although Loyola-Chicago currently sits at 14-3 and 5-1 in the Missouri Valley, the rest of the conference has been incredibly competitive. Mullins said it will be very important the players are focused and ready heading into the new week. “We need to get everyone going in the right direction because things aren’t going to get easier in Chicago,” Mullins said. Wonders said a win against a Goliath in the conference could put SIU ahead of the curve. “Because Loyola is at the top of the Missouri Valley, a win against them would be huge for us and definitely raise our confidence,”
Wonders said. Verplancken said these two games against Loyola might be the most important of the season, as it’s against the top team in the conference and is right in the middle of the conference schedule. A victory would give a maximum amount of momentum for the team going forward. “This league is great because anybody can beat anybody. To go on the road, then play at home and get two big wins would be huge,” Verplancken said. Head coach Porter Moser built the Ramblers’ program from the ground up. However, last offseason, Moser left to take the job at Oklahoma University, leaving Assistant Coach Drew Valentine with the new job. Despite Valentine being a firstyear head coach, Wonders said this gives SIU no clear advantage because he has been around basketball at many different schools for so many years. “He definitely knows the game of basketball well, plus he’s got a good team around him,” Wonders said. Because the game was originally canceled due to COVID complications, SIU has had extra practices and games to prepare themselves. Verplancken said it could be another advantage for the Dawgs. “We kind of have a lot of games here because so many got
rescheduled. But at the same time there was some rust that we had to shake off when we started conference. There are definitely pluses and minuses,” Verplancken said. Mullins said his team has all the intangibles that help Southern Illinois compete with anyone on any day when his staff has them right. “We want to make sure our guys are mentally and physically present. As a coaching staff we need to find that right balance of rest and giving them the information they need,” Mullins said. The Ramblers are introducing a new era to the program. Not only do they have a new coach to fill the mold, but they will be leaving the Missouri Valley Conference after this season. Loyola-Chicago has decided they will play its next few seasons in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Verplancken said that ‘leaving Loyola with something to remember them by’ is on every Saluki basketball players’ mind. “That would feel great for our team to get two huge wins against them in what could be our last matchups with them. We want to leave them with something they won’t forget,” Verplancken said. Sports Reporter Cole Daily can be reached at cdaily@dailyegyptian. com or on Twitter at cdaily_de
Dawgs improve to 4-1 against MVC opponents; SIU defeats Illinois State on home court
Cole Daily | @cdaily_de
The SIU women’s basketball team played the Illinois State Redbirds on Thursday, Jan. 20, where the Salukis came out on top, 56-47. This game came off the back of a loss to Northern Iowa last Saturday. The first bucket of the game came just 13 seconds into the game with a layup from senior forward Abby Brockmeyer. The Salukis kept the pressure on early, going up 6-0 until the Redbirds got a basket with 6:18 left in the first quarter. By the first media timeout of the game, with 4:34 left in the first, SIU led 8-2. The Saluki offensive scheme had been heavily utilizing Brockmeyer and senior center Gabby Walker. After the break, Illinois State went on a 6-0 run of themselves, tying the game before Head Coach Cindy Stein called a timeout with 1:17 left on the clock to stop the run. Senior forward Makenzie
Silvey came out of the break with a layup for her first two points of the game. Brockmeyer, Silvey and Walker are all averaging over 10 points a game for their senior season. It was a tie ball game, 10-10, as the first quarter came to a close. To start the second quarter, the Dawgs gained a 16-10 lead after buckets from Brockmeyer and sophomore center Adrianna Katcher. They held this lead for about a minute until 5:01 with a bucket from Illinois State. 16-12 was the score by the second media timeout, which took place with 4:37 left in the second quarter. The Salukis gained a ninepoint lead with 1:42 left in the half after a clutch three-pointer from freshman forward Tyranny Brown. This put SIU ahead 2314. After a timeout from Illinois State to stop the momentum. Each team scored a bucket or two to make the score 25-18 at the
break, SIU in the lead. Brockmeyer not only had the first points to start the game but also to start the second half, as she knocked down two free throws with 9:35 on the clock to give SIU a 27-16 lead. Silvey knocked down a threepointer to put the Salukis up 32-18 with 8:36 left in the third quarter. At this point in the game SIU was dominating ISU on both sides of the ball. The Redbirds finally managed to score their first points of the second half with 5:44 on the clock. With 4:32 left in the game, and third media timeout of the contest, SIU held a strong 36-22 lead. Brockmeyer bid a farewell to the third quarter with a bang as she threw up a heavily contested shot that went in right as the buzzer sounded. Southern Illinois held an impressive lead, 45-31. It was at this point that Walker got into foul trouble as the game began to come to a close.
However, Katcher filled her shoes on the court. “Adrianna was all over the boards for us. She was putting in put-backs and her contribution was huge. She played an outstanding game,” Brockmeyer said. Both teams traded buckets until the final media timeout of the game with 5:01 left to play. The score at this time was 50-39, as the Redbirds started to mount a comeback. Illinois State finally cut the lead to under ten with a threepointer. SIU still held a 50-42 lead with 4:53 left on the game clock. However, SIU pushed the lead back over the 10-point-mark after a layup from Katcher with 2:29 left in the game. SIU held on to win 56-47 over their inner-state rivals. The Redbirds averaged 68 points-per-game before playing the Salukis. Brockmeyer said SIU’s defense was huge in coming
up with the win. “That was definitely a point of emphasis. We had different ways of guarding different people, and I think we executed that well,” Brockmeyer said. Stein said she was proud of how her team handled themselves through adversity. “I’m very proud of our team. It wasn’t our prettiest game, certainly not our best game we’ve played, but we gritted it out,” Stein said. Brockmeyer led all scorers with 21 points and added nine rebounds to her statline. As per usual, she received a lot of help from Silvey who totaled 15 points, six rebounds and six assists. SIU played their next game on Saturday, Jan. 22 against Bradley University. The contest took place at 2 p.m. in the Banterra Center. Sports Reporter Cole Daily can be reached at cdaily@ dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at cdaily_de
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
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Women’s Basketball hang on against Bradley for 10th win Joseph Bernard @Jojobernard2001
Backed by the leadership of graduate student Makenzie Silvey, the Saluki Women’s Basketball team broke the game open late to get the win against the Bradley Braves Saturday afternoon for a 53-41 win. Silvey led the team on the day with 17 total points, making for the all-time record for points scored in Saluki Women’s history with 1,314 points. Silvey entered Saturday’s contest only 17 points away from the all-time scoring record and she got enough to put her name in the record books. Also helping the Salukis earn the win were graduate student forwards Abby Brockmeyer and Gabby Walker, each earning double digit points in the win. Brockmeyer matched Silvey’s mark of 17 points scored as well as earning 10 rebounds for the team, making for a double-double. On top of the double-double, she also led the team in assists and blocks with three of each. Walker put up another 14 points on top of that, with the trio earning 48 of the Salukis 53 points throughout the game. The game had an encouraging start for Silvey, looking for that all-time scoring record. She earned the first four points of the afternoon off two layups to help the Salukis earn an early lead at 8-4. It didn’t take long for the Braves to take their own lead. After a three pointer, the Braves took a 13-12 lead with three minutes left of the first. Some free throw opportunities for the Salukis gave them a chance to earn the lead back once more before the first quarter ended and they took the lead
winter.
back once again at 18-13 heading into the second quarter. A mostly back and forth start to the second quarter kept it at a six point game at 24-18, but back-to-back threes and layups for the Braves contributed to a 10-0 run to give them the lead once again at 28-24. Silvey would earn a layup to stop the scoreless run for the Salukis and they would head into the locker room for halftime down by two at 28-26. An 8-2 run to start the second half earned the Salukis the lead once again at 34-30 but the Salukis just could not pull away quite yet as the Braves kept it within the four point lead for the rest of the third quarter. The Salukis went into the final frame with a two point lead at 39-37. The Salukis controlled most of the fourth quarter, with the Braves only earning four points off of a layup and two free throws. Silvey, only needing one more basket to break the record, nailed a layup given to her by Brockmeyer early in the fourth for point 17 in the game and officially put her name in the record book passing Cartaesha Macklin for the teams alltime leading scorer. The layup put the Salukis up 43-39. From this point, the Saluki defense clamped down on the Braves and went on a 10-2 run the rest of the game, earning them the 5341 final score and their 10th win of the season. The Salukis will continue their season with a road game this Thursday against the Indiana State Sycamores and a 5 p.m first tip. Sports reporter Joseph Bernard can be reached at joseph.l.bernard@siu.edu or on twitter @Jojobernard2001.
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Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Salukis drop fourth of their last five games; Bradley wins 70-62 Brandyn Wilcoxen @Brandyn_2020
Southern Illinois (10-9, 3-4 in MVC) never held a lead in Saturday night’s 70-62 loss in Peoria against the Bradley Braves (10-10, 4-4 in MVC). SIU was led in scoring by Lance Jones with 19 points, followed by Marcus Domask with 14, and Kyler Filewich with nine. Troy D’Amico added six points, Dalton Banks and Steven Verplancken Jr. each had five, and J.D. Muila and Ben Coupet Jr. each had two. The Salukis shot poorly from the field,
especially in the second half, where they shot 29% from the field and 15% from three-point range. Coupet in particular struggled, shooting 0-8 including 0-4 from three-point range. Bradley exploded out of the gate, turning two early Saluki turnovers into a 9-0 run to take a quick 11-2 lead. SIU battled back, gradually cutting into the Braves’ lead throughout the first half. While Bradley’s lead was never lost, Southern Illinois came within a point on three occasions in the first half. For an 11 minute stretch that lasted through
dclark@dailyegyptian.com
halftime, the Salukis shot 1-12 from the field including 0-4 from three-point range. This allowed Bradley to take a commanding lead that hovered around 10 for the rest of the game. While Southern’s scoring was evenly distributed, Bradley found success playing through certain players. Guard Terry Roberts scored 13 points in the first half, and 6’9” Rienk Mast and 7’1” Ari Boya combined for 15 in the second half to give the Salukis trouble on the inside. Saturday’s loss marks the fourth in five
outings for the Salukis, as they fall below .500 in conference play. Southern Illinois will play two games in the next week against the current leader and No. 22 ranked team in the country, LoyolaChicago (14-3, 5-1 in MVC). Tuesday’s game against the Ramblers will be in Chicago, and Thursday’s game will be at the Banterra Center, tipping off at 7 p.m. Staff reporter Brandyn Wilcoxen can be reached at bwilcoxen@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @Brandyn_2020
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
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SIU Salukis win during a home game against the Indiana State Sycamores Jan. 19, 2022 with a score of 63-55. Mallory Aukland | maukland@dailyegyptian.com
Banks shines off bench as Salukis rebound against Indiana State
Brandyn Wilcoxen | @Brandyn_2020
The Salukis (10-8, 3-3 in MVC) rebounded from back-to-back one point losses to beat the visiting Indiana State Sycamores (8-9, 1-4 in MVC) by a score of 63-55 in the final game of a three-game homestand. SIU was led in scoring by Lance Jones with 14 points, followed by Steven Verplancken Jr. with 12 and Dalton Banks with 11. Ben Coupet Jr. and Marcus Domask each had eight points, Troy D’Amico added five, Trent Brown scored three and Kyle Filewich had two. The game was a tight contest throughout, with neither team holding a lead larger than seven until Southern Illinois pulled away in the final minutes. SIU struggled shooting from distance, especially from three-point range. They finished the first half at 27% from that far out. The shooting woes especially showed among the three top scorers this season, as Domask, Jones, and Coupet combined for 10-for-33 shooting overall. However, of those 10 made shots, three came from Jones three-pointers in the final nine minutes of play. He and Verplancken combined for 12 straight points midway through the second half that gave SIU the deciding lead. “I feel like once we made our first three, it was like a domino effect and
everybody starts hitting it,” Jones said. Sandwiched between Jones’ shooting success was a great defensive effort, holding the Sycamores to 0-for-4 from the floor and forcing three turnovers during what would eventually be a 17-2 run. Most notably, the Saluki defense held Indiana State’s leading scorer Cooper Neese to just six points. In his place, Xavier Bledson scored 17 of the Sycamores’ 31 first half points, but was bottled up as well in the second half with just four points. “The defense was great in the second half,” Banks said. “Our goal is to just continue to play at that high level for a full 40-minute game. When we can do that, we’re gonna be special.” Banks in particular stepped up off the bench while his teammates struggled. His 11 points, four assists and three rebounds in 29 proved crucial in aiding his team through an off stretch. “The whole game, you just gotta stay the course because we know that if we stick to our principles, the shots are gonna fall,” Banks said. “And when they do fall, you can see, we can break open games like that.” Wednesday’s game saw the Salukis get 21 bench points, after the nonstarters scored 30 on Monday. For SIU, their bench play has become part of their identity. “We’ve got 15 guys in that locker room that care about SIU basketball and that want to win a championship.
We’ve got 10 guys in the rotation right now, and we’re gonna need everyone,“ coach Bryan Mullins said. As a player who has started only seven career games midway through his sophomore season, Banks knows firsthand the impact the bench has on games. “Our bench is everything to us,” Banks said. “We’re a deep team.” Because their game against Drake, originally scheduled for early January, was rescheduled for last Monday, Wednesday’s game against Indiana State was their third game in five days. Playing on short rest and with little time to prepare, the Salukis have responded well. “I give the staff and the guys a ton of credit just for these last five days… Not much practices, just some film sessions and then an hour walkthrough trying to get these guys ready,” Mullins said. “They absorbed all the information and executed the game plan pretty well. When they’re out there, they just want to win.” Especially taxing on the players has been how close each game has been. Saturday’s and Monday’s games were decided by one point, and Wednesday’s game was close for nearly the entire 40 minutes. “These three games have all been grind it out games,” Banks said. “They’ve been tough. But for us, we’ve just gotta continue to learn how to be tough.” The Salukis will hit the road on
SIU guard, Dalton Banks, goes for a layup during the game against Indiana State Jan. 19, 2022 at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Ill. Mallory Aukland | maukland@dailyegyptian.com
Saturday against Bradley (9-10, 3-4 in MVC). The game will be their fourth in eight days.
Staff reporter Brandyn Wilcoxen can be reached at bwilcoxen@dailyegyptian. com or on Twitter at @Brandyn_2020
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
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