The Daily Egyptian - October 26, 2022

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Civil service union employees vote to approve changes to new contract

William Box @William17455137

The Association of Civil Service Employees (AScE) voted unanimously on Oct. 21 to approve changes to the future contract for employees at Southern Illinois University’s Carbondale Campus (SIU).

These changes will include cumulative pay raises for long-term employees as well as provide protections for paid leave and workplace conditions. The raises will be applied retroactively, reaching back to the most recently instituted pay increase in August 2021, according to Terry Richardson, president of the SIU chapter of the AScE.

“One of our goals was to buoy up [the] lower end of the spectrum, trying to move them away from minimum wage,” Richardson said. “So effectively, by the end of the contract, the lowest any of our current employees will make will be $1 above minimum wage.”

Importantly, the amount paid to employees will be guaranteed to at least meet new, increased minimum rates.

“[This is] definitely a good jumping off point for the next contract, when we start to visit wage compression, which will be our number one issue,” Richardson said.

Richardson said.

He said the issue with the process is the vague wording afforded by the State University Civil Service System (SUCSS), which states the process must take a “reasonable” amount of time but leaves the interpretation of the timeframe up to administrators.

The new contract will also include a regular update of job descriptions and a rule instating a pay cap for temporary “extra help employees” to remain at the minimum pay rate to prevent newer temporary employees being paid more than contracted workers in similar positions.

A system is in the process of being established which would create a “sick leave bank” for employees, which would allow employees to donate unused sick leave to be used by others who would otherwise be forced to work while sick or be denied extended leave for chronic illness.

“We knew that other schools across the country, including Illinois State, have a program like that,” Richardson said. “It’s another non-monetary benefit that will help not just our employees and helps the university.”

not only deserves more, but needs in these hard economic times.”

Russell said, along with wage compression, the next issues which should be tackled in the next contract negotiations should be trying to get adequate staffing.

“This university has been falling behind because of numerous staffing issues, and it’s the rest of us that have to take up the work,” Russell said. (See SIU staff on page 5.)

Russell said he was indifferent to the AScE until recently, but feels the work of the union in this case has helped the lives of workers on campus.

“I think this is one of those cases where it’s heavily beneficial, especially when you’re dealing with people who like to play hardball,” Russell said.

Richardson said he hopes the union victories will help to encourage participation among other civil service workers at SIU.

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Pay increases will persist throughout the duration of the contract, increasing annually through the 2024-2025 school year with the average increase over the lifetime of the contract amounting to a minimum of 21% for all 204 civil service employees.

These changes come after an extended period of nearly three years without a ratified contract for many workers on the SIU campus and nearly a decade of wage stagnation. This has left them vulnerable to workplace exploitation including mandatory extended work time, lack of protections for employees taking extended leave and wage stagnation.

“I believe in 2011, 2012 and 2013, we got a pay increase of 2%, 1% and 1% total in raises,” Richardson said. “That’s not counting promotional increases, but in my time at the university, those are the only increases we’ve had in my 11 years.”

Due to a policy change by Chancellor Austin Lane, Juneteenth has been designated as a recognized work holiday and other changes have included allowance of time for voting days and additional bereavement leave in accordance with the Illinois Bereavement Act for employees who lose children.

Additional major changes have included workload and classification review changes by designating a 30 day timeframe for reasonable review and for action to be taken. Richardson said it’s not uncommon to hear about employees beginning the process and waiting up to six months for responses from administrators.

“The way it’s supposed to work is, if an employee is doing work beyond the scope of their classification, they can initiate the process to evaluate if their pay matches their duties,”

This first contract, which extends through June 2025, is set to improve the quality of life for civil service employees on the SIU campus with the next contract negotiation to take place in 2024 to fix additional issues employees have found.

Le’Mark Russell, an office assistant at the SIU Graduate School, said the benefits of the contract are a good step forward, but more will be required to adequately care for the wellbeing of workers at SIU.

“I believe that this was probably the best deal that you could get, and they were pretty much in line with my expectations,” Russell said. “I wanted more. I think everybody that the union represents deserves more, and

“One of the things I’ve mentioned many times since I became president is that I want to communicate. When I started on campus, I didn’t even know I was covered by a union. I had no idea and that’s the same with a lot of people we’ve hired in the last 10 years or so,” Richardson said.

He said, while they had to keep many details away from the broader body of union workers, he appreciates the patience and the support members have shown throughout the negotiating process.

“I do want to thank all of our members for their support. We know it’s been a long time and a long process,” Richardson said. “But I think we worked hard to get what pretty much everyone needed to some degree, but there’s always room for improvement.”

Staff reporter William Box can be reached at wbox@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter @William17455137.

Touch of Nature’s Haunted Hollow gets Carbondale in the Halloween Spirit

Touch of Nature hosted its 14th annual Haunted Hollow event on Oct. 23. Activities at the event ranged from climbing walls and holding insects and reptiles to painting pumpkins and faces.

Brian Croft, the director of Touch of Nature, said it hosts a variety of programs to get more people involved and interested in nature.

“So the inclusive recreation program supervises our Camp Little Giant, which is sort of our camp for people with disabilities, but their goal is to also reach out to certain populations of affinity

groups who maybe don’t come outdoors as much and create programs for them to come out and enjoy it,” he said

Touch of Nature strives to include as many groups as it can in the different programs it offers so they can get out and enjoy nature, he said.

“We started 14 years ago, and it has grown leaps and bounds. I was here when we had the first one. [...] I think we had like 40 or 50 people show up, and, so now, like, we’re expecting a couple of hundred which is, just, it’s fun to see the event grow. It’s just, it’s such a beautiful time in Southern Illinois

to be outside. The weather’s gonna be great but it’s just been really fun to watch it grow,” Croft said.

He said, while COVID-19 restrictions limited what they could do last year, organizers of this year’s Haunted Hollow were determined to have a lot of events for friends and families to enjoy together.

People were wearing costumes that ranged from superheroes to witches. A few of the cabins were opened for kids to participate in different activities. There was also a hayride that would take people around the Touch of Nature property.

Alexia Richards, a fourthyear student studying outdoor recreation, said people who come will have no shortage of things to do with their families.

“It’s a free event, except for activities and tickets are really cheap, though. I think for a dollar, but other than that the admission is free for them to come, listen to music and look around. There’s face painting activities, [...] so it’s something to get kids involved and just celebrate and be outside and hang out,” Richards said.

All the food was Halloween themed, there was vampire punch in a fake blood bag, spooky brownies, and more.

Sydney Pogue, the outdoor education program coordinator, said events such as Haunted

Hollow really bring the community together and get people out of their houses for a day of fun.

“I think it gives families and the entire Southern Illinois community an opportunity to get out here and be around each other without any of that Halloween pressure,” Pogue said. “So it’s not like they’re here to trick or treat. It’s not even necessarily that they’re here to participate in the activities. But they’re here to be around each other and be a part of the community.”

She said this event gives kids a

chance to wear their Halloween costumes more than once this week and allows them to interact with other people in the community.

“I think just the nature of the event, kind of just show up in the park and just kind of walk around and mingle again, because there’s food. It’s just a really great way to spend a Sunday afternoon,” Croft said.

Staff reporter Janiyah Gaston can be reached at jgaston@ dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter @DEJaniyah.

Janiyah Gaston | @DEJaniyah

Serena Davis paints a child’s face at The Haunted Hollow event Oct. 23, 2022 at Touch of Nature in Makanda, Ill. “I’ve been doing face painting for kids for a couple of years now and I really enjoy seeing their faces once it’s done,” Davis said. Mo Alexander | @m0.alexander

Friends enjoy painting pumpkins at The Haunted Hollow event Oct. 23, 2022 at Touch of Nature in Makanda, Ill. Mo Alexander | @m0.alexander

Reptile and amphibian handler Jeremy Schumacher displays a Florida kingsnake so a family can pet it at The Haunted Hollow event Oct. 23, 2022 at Touch of Nature in Makanda, Ill. “Taking care of animals like these is super easy since all it takes is feeding once a week and not a single one barks,” Schumacher said. Mo Alexander | @m0.alexander

Spreading kindness one act at a time

With the influx of more social media trends and societal expectations by the day, the idea of pure, unadulterated kindness is hard to come by. Despite this, there are still people who are willing to step up and bring that kindness back to the forefront.

SIU’s Public Relations Student Society of America is now launching their very own Kindness Project that is working towards making campus life more positive and welcoming.

Its first event, the “What is Kindness” table talk, took place on Oct. 17 as the official launch of their campaign which is set to last until May of next year. Many students gathered throughout

the day to discuss what their idea of kindness was and how they might have received it recently.

Responses varied from “my lover is what brings me joy and makes me appreciate the idea of kindness” to “I think kindness is just being genuinely positive.”

The idea for this project all came together for the president of the PRSSA, Ashley Ege by “seeing so many TikTok videos of people just spreading kindness in cities or on campus and [I] decided to bring up the idea in a PR class and that’s when it all started.”

Since then, she has set out to build up the PRSSA’s reputation through this new campaign in hopes of raising awareness for increased positivity on or off

campus. She said there has been nothing but positive feedback thus far with this idea and it has led to a significant boost to the group’s member count with a full committee dedicated to the cause.

The campus is working to continuously promote events and RSOs that can work to impact students in a positive way. Spreading kindness through simple actions such as giving out goody bags, allowing quality time spent with furry friends, or just words of encouragement and affirmation to get someone through the day is exactly what the PRSSA is hoping to achieve.

“Our Kindness Project campaign mission is to increase visibility of PRSSA and pursue the idea of kindness being contagious. Simple actions, such as a smile, can change someone’s day and positively impact campus,” Ege said.

Beginning Nov. 1, the PRSSA is launching a slogan competition where students will have the opportunity to submit their best kindness motto that will be used by the committee for the rest of the year’s campaign. The winners will be announced the following month.

Kindness is important, especially on a college campus where stress runs rampant from intense studying and consistently fast paced environments, a little positivity can go a long way. One student alone can face enough stress in a week to not only cause

significant emotional distress, but physical distress as well, so receiving even a small act of kindness can alleviate that, even if just by a little.

“This can be something as simple as giving a stranger $1 if they are short on money to buy a coffee, or just holding open the door for someone,” PRSSA Secretary Kendra Gregory said.

Simply being a part of this committee has even inspired its own members to be better, she said.

“It’s so meaningful to be a part of a group that is spreading positivity and making the world a brighter place. Even smaller acts of kindness, like our tabling event spreading

around happy and uplifting messages, has the opportunity of changing someone’s day for the better. It’s a great feeling to know that you’re being a part of that,” said PRSSA historian Liz Davis.

The work of spreading kindness by the PRSSA’s project can already be seen on campus through the increased use of smiley face pins that were given out by the committee members found on many students’ bags, clothes, and accessories.

Staff reporter and photographer Mo Alexander can be reached at m0.alexander on instagram or mcollar@dailyegyptian.com.

Garrett Dino hugs PRSSA mascot Brody on Oct. 17, 2022 outside Faner Breezeway in Carbondale, Ill. “Brody always puts a smile on other people’s faces so that’s why we brought him out here to spread a little more joy,” Dino said. Mo Collar | mcollar@dailyegyptian.com

Ashley Ege examines kindness board Oct. 17, 2022 outside Faner Breezeway in Carbondale, Ill. “Everyone has a silent battle we know nothing about, it’s the least we can do to be kind to others and recognize we are all human,” Ege said. Mo Collar | mcollar@dailyegyptian.com

PRSSA member converses with passerby at the table meeting on Oct. 17, 2022 outside Faner Breezeway in Carbondale, Ill. Mo Collar | mcollar@dailyegyptian.com

SIU staff weathers people and money shortages

daniel Bethers

Still bogged down in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, many institutions and governments in the United States have only just started establishing normality again after years of rent crisis, stimulus checks and expensive COVID countermeasures. At Southern Illinois University (SIU) in particular, after six years of declining student enrollment, many departments have complained of understaffing, low wages and strain on existing employees.

“We currently only have three full time engineers when in the past we’ve had seven,” said Seth, an anonymous student worker within SIU’s Information and Technology Department. “With only three, you’re running the entire campus Internet and Wi-Fi, Ethernet and making sure that we’re also secure as well, because if we don’t have security, or have the correct procedures in place then we could be compromised and get hacked.”

Seth and several others within this article asked to remain anonymous to avoid backlash from SIU and are referred to using pseudonyms.

According to Seth, the three fulltime employees his workplace does have are doing well at keeping the school secure and connected to the Internet, but they are often stressed and overworked. At any given time, two of the three full time employees in Seth’s workplace are required to be on call for repairs at the school, requiring them to stay within a certain radius of the school. This means that full-time employees can’t visit family, travel during weekends or even go to certain parts of Carbondale, and each worker gets only two out of every six weeks offcall.

“That includes holidays, Christmas, New Years Eve, every single holiday. [...] They’re having to take all this time and be on call, and they’re only making - I think the lowest is $37,000 dollars a year,” Seth said.

According to him, three employees isn’t enough for each employee to specialize in tasks and train student employees by rotating them between employees, as the department did before. Instead, full-time employees rotate between different aspects of the job, which ranges from maintaining network infrastructure physically, to managing firewall security from a computer. Seth and 15 other student employees are required to pick up the tickets that the constantly rotating full-time employees don’t have time for, leading to situations where there are no full-time employees present to explain more complicated work.

“Since we take care of all the Internet on campus, that includes dorms,” Seth said. “So if something happens and a whole dorm building can’t have Internet, then you have students that can’t do tests, can’t

do homework, and they’re just inconvenienced.”

The Information and Technology department has several large projects going on at any given time, such as upgrades to the east campus towers. During these large scale upgrades, many of which are decades overdue, workers still have to patch up other areas of the network before failures become critical and take down entire buildings.

According to Seth, this can all lead to students feeling somewhat overwhelmed. Though he remains well within the bounds of SIU’s mandated 20 hours per week maximum, Seth often has to worry about work when he’s not on the clock.

“I feel like there should be at least three student employees per full time employee and I do believe that the number of full time employees should be seven,” Seth said.

He said the department is perpetually forced to continue as it is, under the time-addled mantra, “It’s not in the budget.”

Elsewhere on the campus, other departments also feel the budget restrictions.

“We’re down a nutritionist, a respiratory specialist, and several nurses, but it’s the same way in Health Centers all across the country,” said Jamie Beckman, the president of the Illinois Nurse Association’s branch at the Health Center. “Covid drove market value [of skilled medical labor] up so high, you could be making $100 an hour as a travel nurse.”

Especially around the time of the pandemic, Beckman remembers times when the Health Center went for over eight months without a single

application for nursing jobs, despite having multiple positions open.

SIU’s online job postings show offerings of $15.14 per hour for a “Staff Nurse I” position and $17.35 an hour for a “Staff Nurse II” position requiring one year of experience, compared to Indeed’s average of $38.44 per hour for an Illinois nurse with less than a year of experience. However, the Illinois Nursing Association’s recent 20212026 contract with SIU states the new minimums for those positions are $19.30 and $21.47 respectively.

“It’s just hard to get people when they’re paying 18 dollars at Target,” Beckman said. “The nursing union negotiates for pay separately from the other civil [service] employees, and that’s why we’ve been able to get several raises before this 2% raise.”

As of Jan. 1, 2022, medical office associates’ minimum wage went up to $14 an hour, and medical office specialists’ went to $15.50 thanks to the negotiation power of the nursing union. However, the nursing union was only able to secure a .75% raise in their 2021-2026 contract, failing to keep up with 8.2% inflation in this year alone. Even after a 7.81% increase in the university’s unrestricted category funds (which include tuition) during the 2022 budget year, the school’s attention to staff’s needs hasn’t kept pace with inflation.

The reason for the penny pinching on the schools part is simple: SIU doesn’t have enough students.

Though Chancellor Austin Lane recently discussed the issue in September, telling the Daily Egyptian that SIU’s student enrollment rate was stabilizing, SIU has come a long way from the 17,000 students it had

in Fall 2015. Currently the student enrollment rate hovers around 11,000, inching toward the round number over the past few years.

In the past, Lane hasn’t hesitated to single out low student enrollment as the issue. At a board meeting back in July, he said staff salaries are directly correlated to the number of students enrolled and have been frozen since the 2015 Illinois Budget Impasse caused SIU to lose 6000 students.

Lane’s own salary was raised by 2% to $346,812 not including his $65,000 bonus and $35,000 housing allowance.

“It’s shameful,” says Cathy, a full time employee on SIU campus who preferred to remain anonymous. “Employees are struggling. They’re struggling financially and they’re struggling mentally and emotionally because there’s not enough staff.”

Cathy estimates six people are needed in her workplace, which currently only employs two people.

“People either choose not to take their breaks or are not able to take their breaks - their paid 15 minute breaks - because it’s just constant activity all the time. There’s not a moment where you can really do that.”

Unsatisfied with their pay and treatment from high ranking employees, Cathy and others at her workplace are restless for change but find the working environment to be intolerant of employee complaints. According to her, employees at her workplace were forbidden from speaking to the Daily Egyptian without permission from administration, causing fear and frustration to accumulate unvoiced outside the protection of a union.

“I just think that there would be backlash at the very least. I either wouldn’t be able to work there anymore, or they would find a reason to get rid of me,” Cathy said.

Overly suppressive workplaces aside, many employees remain satisfied with their jobs and the services they provide overall.

“I’ve worked in healthcare for 15 years, and I’ve never seen a workplace not have staffing problems,” Beckman said. “We can handle it. SIU may not pay as well as hospital work, but there are benefits to working here as far as Monday to Friday [weekends off], holidays off, and health insurance.”

Beckman has a chronic health condition that requires her to pay over 10,000 dollars a month for medication, but thanks to a good insurance plan through the school, her out of pocket cost is 35 dollars a month.

She’s also grateful for the half-off tuition for employees’ children and free tuition for employees.

“We have two nurses who are going back to get their BSN right now. All four of my children have gone or are going to SIU and I’ve got to utilize the half off tuition for three of my children,” Beckman said.

At the end of the day, no matter what changes at SIU, Beckman and Seth said students can still rely on their respective services.

“At the end of the day we’re busy, but we’re here for the students.” Beckman said. “Come to the Health Center.”

Daniel Bethers can be reached at dbethers@dailyegyptian.com and on instagram at commonitem6damage.

Devon Moon | @woah_devon

Bringing art to the city with new SIU Mural

Downtown Carbondale recently got a new art piece to brighten up the town with the SIU Saluki Mural near Mill Street on the old Cricket Wireless building.

Photography professor Antonio Martinez is leading the project and working on it with students in an independent study.

“We have some arts education volunteers working, as well as John A. Logan,” Martinez said. “This is the second class where I’ve offered, like, a street art mural class. It’s not, like, officially on the books.”

The final mural went through many revisions to make sure it represented the school correctly without it being seen as an advertisement, Martinez said

“It was just the Saluki head and said, like, ‘Go Dawgs,’ but they went through a lot of revisions,” Martinez said. “I needed to, like, be omitted and, like, find other solutions to kind of push it more to the art realm.”

Martinez said he wanted to be sure the mural represented all parts of SIU and not focused on what seems most popular at the school, like sports.

“Just wanted to make sure that the scholarly and creative pursuits that SIU is also represented, writing this mural, not purely athletics,” Martinez said. “I mean, there’s a lot of student-athletes on campus and they’re students before athletes.”

The artists did their best by putting symbols for various schools in the mural such as the arts, sciences, theater, athletics and more, Martinez said.

He said other art students are already wondering if he’ll continue with this class next semester.

“A lot of it depends on funding and also [on] business owners wanting to give up some wall space,” Martinez said. “Artspace 304, they asked if I was interested, they said there’s some funding that could help.”

Martinez has more ideas he wishes to pursue for murals. He’s currently working with a former student, Joey Burrows, on some concept art.

“I just threw the concept of a possum playing drums with a mohawk,” Martinez said. “Once that’s refined, we may try to shop it around and try to get some investors to and also building owners to want to put that one up somewhere.”

He might offer the class again in the spring semester if enough people show interest in it, Martinez said.

“That kind of gives me an idea if I should devote the energy and time into trying to make it happen,” Martinez said. “So I know there’s some local people who could potentially fund one but I don’t want to pursue it if it’s just gonna be me.”

Graduate student Kayleigh Doyle is the only actual student who is a part of his independent study and not volunteering.

“So last semester, me and a bunch of other grad

students took a mural class with Antonio and we completed a mural in Marion and I knew he was offering it again,” Doyle said. “So I decided to join him.”

Doyle said Martinez did most of the work over the summer and she came in around when the rough design of the Mural was made.

“It was a little bit different than the first one we did because we had full creative freedom with the first one and, this one, it was for the school,” Doyle said. “We narrowed it, we pulled it back down, and then it was just the big Saluki logo, but that was so much open space. So we wanted to include all of the like areas or as many as we could for the university.”

After getting the final design they prime the walls and stopped traffic to project the design and trace it, Doyle said.

“So they cut off one lane of traffic, and they put Antonio up pretty much up in a bucket truck with his computer and his projector,” Doyle said. “Then we just traced the designs with charcoal.”

Doyle said they put several coats of paint to get the SIU maroon color and once they did that they went back in with their white paint to make sure everything looked good.

“They’re going to be putting an anti-graffiti coat on it soon,” Doyle said. “So It’s kind of like a clear coat that you’d use on nail polish, but it means that you can wash off anything. So if someone were to try to tag it, it won’t stick and you can usually power wash it off just a little bit and it won’t ruin the things underneath.”

She decided to do the class to get the chance to diversify her resume. Doyle said she’s also doing another mural in the hallway of the Life Science building.

“A lot of mural things have spawned from this. The project I’m currently doing spawned from this too,” Doyle said. “That all came from Antonio starting all these mural projects.”

Cole Schnaudigel is a senior in art ed education and volunteered to help when Martinez came to one of his classes.

“I was really interested in it because I feel like that’s something I want to do in the future,” Schnaudigel said. “Being an art educator, a lot of times we’re asked to do murals and stuff like that in school. So I wanted to get the practice, the understanding of, like, how to do it, and, like, all that goes into it.”

Schnaudigel said he was helping out for two weekends and Martinez would usually be working on it from nine to five.

“The thing with the mural was, like, Martinez had to bounce around a lot, which he explained to us, and that sounded really challenging,” Schnaudigel said. “He had to come up with a design and get approval from the city and then get approval from the owner of the building and

then make sure, like, the school likes it too.”

With this not being the usual artwork he does, it was a new experience for Schnaudigel, he said.

“Constant distractions. A lot of people honking loud cars, a lot of people need new exhaust,” Schnaudigel said. “Then painting on bricks was new for me. I’ve never painted on bricks, you know, not painting on a smooth surface; so adapting to that.”

Schnaudigel said the mural was the biggest canvas he’s ever worked on.

“Learning about all the different things that went into it, and like how that was projected on there,” Schnaudigel said. “I think that’s just all a learning experience and will help me in the future.”

All of Anotonio Martinez’s mural artwork can be seen on his instagram @ antoniojacobmartinez.

Staff reporter Jamilah Lewis can be reached at jlewis@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter @jamilahlewis.

Hannah Combs | @hcombs@dailyegyptian.com

Brehm Preparatory Academy celebrates 40 years of educating Carbondale community

Brehm Preparatory school celebrated its 40 year anniversary on Oct. 22 at the Brehm Preparatory gym. The school hosted a gala and then followed it with a fireworks display.

Jeremy Robbins, the head of Brehm Preparatory, said before working for Brehm he worked in New York City at a similar program.

“Brehm is a unique program, and [an] opportunity to work with students with learning differences and disabilities is a real passion of mine,” Robbins said. “The idea of it being a family-style school, in the Midwest, a small college town like Carbondale, is exciting.”

He said what drew him to move from New York to Illinois was Brehm’s more community-based method, which was almost like family.

Robbins said the big difference between Brehm and public schools is, not only that Brehm specializes in helping students with learning disabilities, but it adjusts how teachers approach lessons based on what the student needs.

“We do have smaller class sizes, generally, we say a one to six ratio. So the small class sizes, teachers and staff are really oriented towards understanding how a student learns. You, oftentimes, have students with complex learning profiles and [...] staff are really in tune with customs and adapt the teaching and learning to modify [with what the] students [...] need,” he said.

Brehm Preparatory offers two programs for students. The regular class grade ranges from sixth to twelfth grade. The Options Program is for post-secondary students who are looking to go on to higher education whether it be a four-year college or trade school.

Anne Westberry, the foundation director, said Brehm Preparatory was founded to help students with learning disabilities get the help that might not be able to get at another school.

“Every single teacher here is certified to teach within a learning difference. So for a learning difference, you would say dyslexia, autism, ADD, and ADHD [...] The schools around us are absolutely wonderful.

[...] There’s a specialization of a learning difference, even though we call them gifts here. It’s extremely needed because it’s hard [for parents],” Westberry said.

It is a constant struggle for parents who are trying to find a school with a program or programs that are able to provide help for students who have learning disabilities, she said.

The anniversary gala started off with a silent auction. Alums, teachers, students and others mingled and caught up before the night’s festivities started.

Ellen Cotteleer-Feit, a parent of a student in the Options Program, said a majority of the time, when kids who have learning disabilities go to public school, they are not given the help they need.

“I think a lot of kids without these schools get cheated. There’s a lot of times, through public school systems, they just get shoved through the system and they may not get, necessarily, the services they need to really help them develop their full potential who they are,” Cotteleer-Feit said.

She said her daughter started going to Brehm about four years ago and the school has helped her a lot with social skills.

Jaiveer Singh, an alum of Brehm Preparatory and a third-year student at Southern Illinois University (SIU), said Brehm not only helped him get the education he could not receive in India, but also taught him how to become more independent and take care of himself.

After the auction, Robbins gave a short welcome speech, thanking people for coming out to the gala. He then introduced Laneal Nance, the marketing coordinator, who announced the start of the student fashion show.

During the fashion show, students came out wearing fall-inspired outfits which ranged from flannels to dresses.

Stacy Brehm-Tate, the daughter of Carol Brehm, who founded the school, dressed up as Glinda the Good Witch and Terry Wilson, the director of human resources, announced there was going to be another fashion show and a live auction to follow.

For the second fashion show the same students participated in it, but this time the attire was school-dance themed. The boys had on different suits and the girls wore various styles of dresses.

Wilson said Brehm makes an effort to not just reach out to kids in Carbondale, but to other countries as well. He said the admissions team goes to a variety of conferences to talk to parents and tell them why Brehm is the best option for their kids.

The live auction began after the show. Some of the items up for bid were paintings done by students and a chance to be in charge of the school for a day. The bids for the items ranged from $400 to $1,400. In between the auction, slide shows were shown of Brehm throughout the years.

Andrew Waugh, the alumni relations coordinator, said Brehm continues to help students even after they graduate from the school.

“It’s impressive to see how much the school has grown in just the different aspects of wanting to get kids to be successful. Because we don’t just push college down kids’ throats we kind of want to build on their strengths,” he said. “We take them to trade schools, we show them different aspects of the world so they know what they can do after high school.”

Kerri Campbell, the executive assistant, said there are a lot of people who have contributed to Brehm’s success over the past 40 years.

“The teachers are phenomenal. Every single one of them is just amazing. They’re our foundation for sure. [...] Our staff, our teachers, [are] our foundation,” Campbell said.

To end off the night a fireworks show was put on at the lake behind Brehm Preparatory.

“It’s to me, it’s an honor to be the steward of our programs here on campus at a time where we’re celebrating the 40 years of our history, and also looking ahead to where Brehm will be in the next 10 years and ultimately, what the next 40 will look,” Robbins said.

Staff reporter Janiyah Gaston can be reached at jgaston@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter @ DEJaniyah.

From left, Jeremy Robbins, Terry Wilson, and Stacy Brehm-Tate thank the guests for attending and contributing Oct. 22, 2022 at the 40th anniversary of Brehm Preparatory School in Carbondale, Ill. Naia McPherson | @naiamcpherson

Jim Wainwright, the parent of a Brehm Preparatory student, bids on a painting Oct. 22, 2022 at the 40th anniversary of Brehm Preparatory School in Carbondale, Ill. Naia McPherson | @naiamcpherson

Guests applaud a fashion show Oct. 22, 2022 at the 40th anniversary of Brehm Preparatory School in Carbondale, Ill. Naia McPherson | @naiamcpherson

Humans of SIU

An SIU Student sits on a ledge and strums his guitar Oct. 21, 2022 at Faner Plaza in Carbondale, Ill. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphotography

Rebecca Arvold enjoys the weather while she studies outside the Morris library Oct. 20, 2022 at SIU in Carbondale, Ill. Saba Saboor Rooh Mofrad | @ssaboor_

An SIU student walks past the SIU greenhouse Oct. 20, 2022 at SIU in Carbondale, Ill. Saba Saboor Rooh Mofrad | @ssaboor_

Freshman Karsyn Bailey, a dental hygiene major, enjoys lunch and studies for her chemistry test Oct. 21, 2022 at the Student Center in Carbondale, Ill. “I’m a freshman so it’s a lot of learning about time management and adjusting to college life. If I’m being honest, I study in my dorm. I like how it’s quiet and I’m by myself,” Bailey said. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphotography

Humans of SIU

SIU student enjoys her free time between classes Oct. 20, 2022 at Trueblood Dining Hall in Carbondale, Ill.

Kelsey McKee | @kelsey.mckee_photography

Colin Ramsour takes a rest between classes Oct. 20, 2022 at Trueblood Dining Hall in Carbondale, Ill. “The fried chicken is my favorite meal at Trueblood,” Ramsour said. Kelsey McKee | @kelsey.mckee_photography

SIU students walk to their classes Oct. 20, 2022 at SIU greenhouse in Carbondale, Ill. Saba Saboor Rooh Mofrad | @ssaboor_

Freshman Laney Beltz, an International Studies and Pre Law student, clocks in to work at the Administration Office helping with paperwork and answering questions Oct. 20, 2022 at the Student Center in Carbondale, Ill. “The semester is going really well. I’ve made a lot of friends and I’m involved in a lot of stuff. My classes are also going really well,” Beltz said.

Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphotography

Come along for the first ever Demon Con

Breanna GallaGher BGallaGher@dailyeGyptian com

This one is for all the horror fans. Just a few weekends ago at the Varsity theater was the very first Demon Con, a short horror film festival. It featured 12 films from all over with a variety of different cultures and languages:

• “Bucle,” directed by Alvaro Rodrigo Pruneda

• “When the Time Comes,” directed by Jondaniel Cornett, Jonathan Frey

• “Pandemia,” directed by Sam Sorenson

• “Now Is Not The Time,” directed by Matthew Garvin

• “665,” directed by Juan De Dios Garduño

• “Lady Scorpion,” directed by Matt Keith Merritte

• “Just Take One,” directed by Dylan Trail

• “Nun with a Chainsaw,” directed by Robert Getty

• “The Dead,” directed by Zack Hohenstein

• “Becoming Undead III,” directed by J Anthony Ramos

• “The Wolf,” directed by M.r. Fitzgerald

• “Werewolf Babysitter,” directed by Patrick Meimari

Demon Con is more than just a film festival; it’s a way for the community to come together for artists to share their work and for horror fans of any genre to find something to bond over: creature features, zombie flicks, gore, psychological thrills and even some comedy.

Kids were encouraged to come and participate in the zombie race held earlier in the day before the screenings, making this a family fun spooktacular event perfect to get everyone in a creepy mood just in time for

Halloween.

There were also a large variety of people, from vendors to fans, award winners and the creators. Everyone just seemed excited to be there and share a joint love of horror and movies.

“I hope it will eventually be really big, give a resurgence in Carbondale’s historic Halloween with a safer, more creative energy and make people excited about it again,” vendor Doug Oller said. “Events like these provide a sense of stress relief and help build the local community.”

Many attendees and creatives said the event is a positive experience for the community and specifically creatives, especially in the horror field like FX artists and prop creators.

Makeup specialist Megan Stanley said, “I think it was great seeing all of the different creatives showing their skills and having bigger opportunities to show what they can do, and it should happen more often.”

Demon Con coordinator and creator Dan Balchin said, “This is only the first year, but we hope to make it a reoccurring event, we’ve really enjoyed the turn out and are excited about what the future may hold.”

Among the award winners was director Zack Hohenstein and his cinematographer Toby Young.

“We honestly had no idea what to expect. We were really surprised at the turn out; in the outcome from entering. We’re glad to get recognized and have fun. We really just wanted to see if something would stick when thrown at the wall and to get out there.”

That seemed to be the overall message throughout the night, just get out there and have fun, connect to other people that have the same interests, you never know what might happen or what you might find.

Staff reporter Breanna Gallagher can be reached at bgallagher@daily.egyptian.com

The glowing sign for Demon Con welcomes guests Oct. 8, 2022 at the Varsity Center in Carbondale, Ill. DiAngelo Kwasny-Black | dwasny-black@dailyegyptian.com

Ugg boots are not ugly anymore

aaron elliott aelliott@dailyeGyptian

Do you ever see something that ignites a snapshot memory in you, and suddenly, for days, all you can think about is that specific picture that only exists in your head? The way my brain works is that I might not always remember names, but I can rattle off either the first outfit I saw a person in, or their most memorable ones.

With people I am closer with, and have seen their closets extensively, I can pretty much, if asked, “What should I wear tonight?” suggest an outfit down to matching jewelry and hair. It’s a natural instinct that I have put to good use with the field that I am in.

The other day, while making my frigid walk to class, not really thinking about other people’s fall fashion, I was dumbfounded with an outfit from my third oldest sister’s closet when we were younger. My sister Lindy has always been hilarious in every way, and extremely up to date with the new fashions. Being considered a younger millennial, her fashions in the 2000s into the early teens were incredible. The specific one I remembered was my sister wearing some sort of blue tracksuit paired with tall Ugg boots on and her comically large Coach bag. What a vision that is sure to brighten up any day.

I giggled at the remembrance of that very of-its-time outfit, but I also laughed even harder at the fact that Ugg boots are still holding on tight in fall fashions over ten years later, and are now less of a trendy item and more of a Fall/Winter must have.

Ugg boots went out for a while in mainstream fashion, only making appearances in sub groups like southern white women in the fall, and dancers on their way to practice to name a few. In the last couple of years, with the rise of remincent fashions from the past two decades, Uggs made a hardcore comeback, not only with their classic styles, but also with their new looks and aesthetics for everyone, not just Nichole Richie lookalikes.

Ugg boots are actually not only the name of the company producing them, they are really the style of boot. Known as the “Ugg” or “Ugh” boot, they were made from sheepskin and fleece; they originated in Australia in the 1930s. These boots only really got popular there around thirty years later in the 1960s amongst mens surfing fashions, and eventually made its way over to America in the 1970s targeting the same market. Although the name of the famous surfer dude boot was always the same, in 1985 it was trademarked and these boots were sold as “UGG” brand boots all over the world.

For a long time, these boots were widely perceived as lazy and ugly boots to most. Many speculated that the name was associated. As they became more acceptable in the 1990s in womens fashion, it was rumored that only models could wear such a boot, as they are so pretty that it doesn’t matter. Ugg boots remained pretty underground for a while.

In the early 2000s as Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch, beach babe prep fashion came sweeping through America, making its way into the malls of the Midwest, Ugg boots captured the attention of everyone.

I remember being just a little boy and thinking “Those are terribly ugly.” I was a chubby kid, therefore I did not get to participate in the whole beach kid aesthetic that swept my third grade class. While surrounded by private school kids whose mothers put them in outfits that consisted of shark tooth necklaces and cargo shorts, I was wearing khaki pants and newsboy caps, looking like an old man, and trying to remain “sensible.”

Because I did not fit in with the other kids and their cool The

Children’s Place brand clothes, I grew quite a disdain for that style, and developed a snobbish look on fashion, focusing a deep hatred for one hot item that year: Ugg boots.

I would directly laugh at my sister Lindy when she would get ready in the morning and slip on her Uggs and adjust her tight Under Armour headband. At school, I would ask girls as they passed me on the playground, “What’s with the boots?” I sat in a way that I considered to be elegant, probably holding a piece of mulch between my fingers as if I was holding a cigarette like the women in the movies. I was relentless, teasing people terribly for a boot that I considered to have the same curb appeal as the name did, ugly.

I remember hitting my peak hater moment when my mom brought my then 3-year-old sister home from Dillard’s wearing a pair of light pink Uggs. Oh, the scandal that arose in me at that moment. I was embarrassed in a way, as I had spent all this time demonizing the look, but here my sisters are out living their best Ugg boot fantasy.

After that, my hatred simmered

and I just deemed them as ugly, writing them off as something I would never wear because I thought I had too much self respect. I got older, and the boot only became a fall time footwear, so I really only had to see them on girls that just weren’t with the times, which I can ignore and not pay attention to, until about a year ago when I started seeing them everywhere again.

This new style is different though, being made of not only the classic brown sheep hide, but also in waterproof plastics produced in tons of neon colors and stamped repetitively with the new and improved ‘UGG” logo. This new era of crazy and out-of-the-norm Ugg designs and adaptations has made the boots not only appealing to the nostalgia crowd, but also a whole new area of consumers.

Still not too impressed by the chunky footwear, I abstained from buying a pair and watched them from a distance, but began to admire some of the styles. With the dying craze of the traditional Ugg and more hype on the new designs, I was beginning to have an eye for the more classic style.

Of course, I was never going to

speak on it, out of embarrassment for my prior self making such a strong stance on the shoes.

One day while helping a good friend clean out her closet, she held up a pair of classic black Uggs and said “want them?” I paused, thinking about what my next choice should be, really picking my brain on morals and mistakes, and without letting my brain make a decision, my heart did. Sticking out my arms to receive them, I felt the instant giggly feeling when you finally give in to something bad.

As I slipped my foot into the boot, I felt that childhood jealousy and hatred disappear. I felt immediately at peace with a choice of footwear that I never understood. I wiggled my foot around in the shoe, feeling the soft lining and warmth, and instantly recognized that I do now understand the want for such a simple pleasure. I have now almost worn those boots to death, and I am certain that I will buy another pair, as I accept that they really are a fall and winter necessity.

Staff reporter Aaron Elliott can be reached at aelliott@dailyegyptian.com

Brooke Nicholas | @bnicholas@dailyegyptian.com

Ends” slashes preconceptions, becomes one of series’ best

Kills” and “Halloween Ends.” This had fans curious as to what this trilogy had planned and if it truly would “End” or just continue to pump out sequels, like the franchise always had.

One pandemic and four years later, we have reached “Halloween Ends.” Released on Oct. 14, the film had built up huge expectations, being tasked with wrapping up a story that had taken place over 40 years. Jamie Lee Curtis stars in the film yet again as Laurie Strode, her most iconic role to date. The film serves as the end to her story, as well as Michael Myers.’

The film has been largely divisive in the days since it hit theaters. It boasts a notably subversive approach, as an ending and even as a “Halloween” film in general. The film chooses to follow a new character, Corey Cunningham, rather than the expected Laurie Strode and Michael Myers. Although, these characters are still present and receive their promised ending.

This surprising take has a lot of audiences upset with the choice, feeling tricked or cheated. But this couldn’t be farther than the truth of the film’s intention. The way this trilogy can be viewed is that “Halloween” in 2018 was Laurie’s film, “Halloween Kills” was Michael Myers’ and “Halloween Ends” is Haddonfield’s film. Haddonfield, Illinois is the location in which the films take place.

All three are key components to the original film and nearly every sequel following it. They all have deep importance to the film’s plot itself, as well as the themes of the trilogy. “Halloween Ends” forces the audience to truly contemplate what the series really is about, rather than catering to an easy fan service filled last hurrah.

and why it remains effective to this day. “Halloween” has always been about the things that the audience doesn’t know. The more we know about Michael, the less scary he becomes; the more you understand evil, the less evil it seems. Ambiguity and the unknown are at the heart of the series.

While Green’s trilogy does dive into many aspects of the series that hadn’t been previously explored, the team behind the films always made sure to ride that line very carefully. This, among countless other aspects, makes this trilogy the closest any sequel has gotten to matching up to the original and expanding on it, rather than milking it.

Beyond its subversive plot and complex themes, “Halloween Ends” still functions as an extremely satisfying and entertaining slasher/horror. The performances were excellent all around, most notably Curtis and Campbell. There’s yet another amazing moody synth score from Carpenter himself along with frightening and gruesome special effects, which will surprise even genre veterans, as well as that signature autumnal Illinois atmosphere that the series was built on.

“Halloween Ends” is not the movie I, or frankly anyone, expected. Personally, I was pleasantly surprised and ecstatic at the direction it took, trying something truly new and fresh for the series, working as a film on its own, rather than disposable fan service that many similar sequels have fallen into.

There are very few franchises that have maintained their grip on pop culture like “Halloween” has. Since the original film

huge hit, having the highest gross of any previous film, and was one of the first to ignite the “legacy sequel” craze, in which a long-term franchise is rebooted but maintains the lore of its original film, often containing lots of fan service and reverence for them.

After the success of “Halloween” in 2018, two more sequels directed by Green were greenlit, “Halloween

Corey Cunningham, played by breakout star Rohan Campbell, serves as a vessel for the evil that lurks in Haddonfield, providing insight and commentary into what collective trauma within a community can do. “Halloween Ends” is by far the most introspective film in the series, opting for broad ideas and questions, rather than the concrete answers some fans expected.

While this aspect has frustrated many, this is completely faithful to the thing that makes the original 1978 film work

David Gordon Green and his team have crafted a consistently excellent trilogy and something that “Halloween” fans have been starved of for years, true craft and care. “Halloween Ends” challenges its audience but has also, unsurprisingly, exposed the entitlement of its fans and fan culture in general, which in my opinion, needs to happen more often if we want anything to change about the state of filmmaking today.

Rating: 8/10

Staff reporter Zaden Dennis can be reached at zdennis@dailyegyptian.com and you can find his other reviews at letterboxd.com/Zadenator.

Zaden dennis letterboxd com/Zadenator

Peyton.Cook

“Hocus Pocus 2” is a fun, yet generic trip down memory lane

Zaden dennis letterboxd com/Zadenator

In 1993, the film “Hocus Pocus” was released in theaters to little fanfare. The film received mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office, being largely considered a flop. It wasn’t until the following years, after the film was released on home video and aired on TV, that it began to generate a cult following.

Since then, “Hocus Pocus” has only become more popular, being considered an essential watch-every-Halloween movie by many. Its eccentric lead characters and distinctly cozy fall atmosphere have solidified it as a titan of comfort films.

Although the film undoubtedly has a place in pop culture today, many never expected a sequel to ever happen, let alone nearly 30 years later. Despite that, Disney announced “Hocus Pocus 2” was entering production last year. This created a lot of excitement among fans, as the announcement was a surprise to many.

The film was released directly to Disney+ on September 30, just in time for Halloween. Although, the decision to put it straight to streaming was perplexing to some, since the film had finally become popular enough that one would think it would be a big enough property for a theatrical release.

This is part of a continued trend, with Disney often dumping some of its biggest projects onto Disney+. The motivation behind the decision is up for debate, as sometimes it indicates Disney is not confident in the film’s ability to perform at the box office or as a tactic to get more subscribers to the service.

The actresses who portrayed the Sanderson sisters from the original film return in the sequel although the film has a new director as well as new central characters. The film is set in modern day and sees the sisters being inadvertently resurrected once again by our protagonists. The film surprisingly resists the urge to make the witches the heroes, as they have since been transformed into cultural icons. They continue to be just as antagonistic as they were in the first film, which maintains their fun and hilarious dynamics.

Although the film clearly has a great respect for the original, it disappointingly loses one of the 1993 film’s most important aspects. “Hocus Pocus 2” is an ugly looking movie. It loses almost all the warm, cozy and autumnal charm of the first film and swaps it out for a cold, blue and gray digital look that hardly

evokes the Halloween season. While the set design may slightly make up for this, it leaves much to be desired.

The plot of the film also tends to feel a bit tired. The film is more or less an exact repeat of the plot of the first film. The Sanderson Sisters are chasing after the kids, who accidently resurrected them, to steal their souls to keep them alive and youthful. While I hardly wanted the film’s plot to be needlessly complicated, as it thrives in its simplicity, in the 29-year span between the films, one would think there could be some slight variation.

The new cast of highschoolers are undeniably charming,

and they arguably surpass the original’s counterparts. While the two leads, Becca and Lizzy, are still distinctly “Disney Channel,” they bring a lot of camaraderie and fun to their roles. Sam Richardson also steals the show as their new mentor figure who runs the Sanderson’s old shack. Doug Jones returns as Billy Butcherson and is given a more expanded role than the original, serving up a fun performance.

But easily the best aspect of the film is the sisters themselves. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy all return to their roles as if they had never left. Giving perfectly campy and hilariously

eccentric performances that the fans have come to expect after spending years with the first film. Although the events surrounding them tend to feel dry, it’s impossible not to delight in their antagonistic but loving sisterly chemistry.

Nearly every aspect that one would expect in a “Hocus Pocus” sequel is present, but throughout its bloated runtime, something never quite clicks, and it begins to lose its initial nostalgia-fueled momentum. The scenarios that move the film along all feel tired and generic, being emphasized by its drab visual design, causing it to lose its charm.

While the film operates at low stakes by design, in a decade’s

later sequel, audiences have grown to expect some sort of escalation. There’s plenty of nostalgic, Halloween-themed fun to be had, but by the time the credits hit, I never felt quite compelled to give the film much thought. That can feel disappointing, as the first film is maybe one of the most consistently rewatched films of all time, and I don’t see myself ever revisiting “Hocus Pocus 2.”

Rating: 5/10

Staff reporter Zaden Dennis can be reached at zdennis@ dailyegyptian.com and you can find his other reviews at letterboxd.com/Zadenator.

Anika Svancarek | asvancarek@dailyegyptian.com

SIU soccer set to play first tournament in franchise history

Joei Younker | JYounker@dailYegYptian com

Southern Illinois women’s soccer, with a 8-4-4 record so far, is set to play in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament for the first time in franchise history this Sunday October 30th.The tournament appearance is another milestone in the significant turnaround the club has made since last season.

Seniors who have been with the program from the start, like Maddy Alaluf and Emma Spotak, haven’t had the chance to make it to the tournament in their first few years at Southern.

“It’s just crazy to think about,” Alaluf said.

Spotak thinks it’s really cool for the women who have been with the program from the beginning.

“It’s really exciting, it’s surreal,” she said.

Leading up to the 2022 season, the Salukis had been focused on their team chemistry with bonding exercises, team dinners and trivia nights that the coaching staff set up. These have helped to create a bond the team hasn’t seen in previous seasons. This bond has continued throughout the season, and the team hopes to bring it into the postseason.

“The mentality, competitiveness, and drive that we have this year, we’ve never had as a team. The coaching staff that we have this year not only cares about us winning games, they care about us mentally and that helps a lot,” Alaluf said.

As a team, the Salukis are always training on and off the field, watching film, doing scouting

reports and altering their training sessions to put them in a better position to beat their opponents.

“Having a lot more structure and organization within practices and other things have helped a lot, not just preparing for the tournament, but throughout the whole season,” Spotak said.

In preparation for the first postseason game

making sure I get enough sleep, recovery, or going in for extra sessions and rewatching film,” Dodd said.

Dodd, who transferred to Southern Illinois her sophomore year in the midst of a large losing streak for the Salukis, said previously that, while her first season at Southern wasn’t what she

in a good position for postseason play.

“I told myself at the beginning of the year, I just want to end on a good note,” Alaluf said.

For seniors that have been with Saluki soccer since their freshman year, this tournament is a bittersweet moment.

“Just seeing where we’ve come from since my freshman year and how much has changed, even if it ended now I’d be so happy with how we all did and knowing that we’re the same people playing from our freshman year and now we know we can win,” Alaluf said.

However, the Salukis opponent for their first game has yet to be determined. They’ll play the winner of #5 Drake vs #8 Murray State. That game will happen on Thursday, giving SIU almost three days of notice before kickoff on Sunday. Dodd said, “we all want to win a ring!”

in franchise history, Saluki women’s soccer is not only taking actions to prepare as a team but individually in their off time.

“I’ve been taking care of myself physically and mentally. Working on balancing school and soccer and keeping my eyes on the prize,” Spotak said.

Alaluf and senior Sam Dodd said they are working on similar things.

“Individually, I am always doing what I can do to improve my game whether it be watching my diet and making sure I’m fueling my body,

expected, she always knew there was a reason that she transferred.

“Losing a lot last year sucked, but it makes the winning feel ten times better. Playing in the first tournament of franchise history is such an honor and it’s honestly hard to comprehend,” Dodd said.

After breaking the 2+ season long winless streak and creating a better name for the program, Saluki soccer and the coaching staff have been putting in the hard work and dedication from the start to get them where they are and to put them

The Salukis may be playing in the tournament without the guidance of head coach Craig Roberts. He was put on administrative leave last week for unspecified reasons. The Daily Egyptian reached out for comment from players and staff, but they declined to discuss the situation further.

Regardless of how the postseason ends up for the Dawgs, huge strides have been made in the program, with the Salukis as now a serious name to be reckoned with in Valley Soccer play.

Sports reporter Joei Younker can be reached at jyounker@dailyegyptian.com.

“The mentality, competitiveness, and drive that we have this year, we’ve never had as a team.”

- Maddy Alaluf SIU Women’s Soccer Senior

“A ring is all I really want:” Saluki men’s basketball looks to 2023

“I think that’ll take, probably the first month of the season even,” Mullins said. “We’ve got the most depth we’ve probably had in the last couple years, so we’ve got a lot of different guys that can contribute, and I think different guys will help us win different games. Everyone’s gotta be ready to go.”

The Salukis will play an exhibition game against Alabama this Saturday as they work up towards their regular season opener on Nov. 7.

“We’ve got some things we’ve got to work on,” Mullins said. “We’ve got a couple scrimmages and exhibition games coming up that I think will help us prepare for the first real game.”

Most teams are optimistic about the beginning of a new year. This Saluki has lofty goals, but if everything goes right, it may have what it takes to reach heights not seen since 2007.

BrandYn Wilcoxen | @BrandYnWilcoxen

Saluki men’s basketball finished right in the middle of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) last season. They went 16-15 overall, going undefeated against teams lower than them in the conference standings but only winning one game against the top five teams in the league.

Entering the 2022-23 season, Southern Illinois is projected to place 3rd in the MVC according to the conference’s preseason poll. They received a first-place vote, along with Bradley who the Salukis narrowly trail. Drake is currently viewed as the frontrunner, receiving 52 of 54 first-place votes in the poll.

Despite these higher expectations, the players believe they still have to earn that distinction on the court. One of those players is senior guard Lance Jones, a former all-conference and all-defensive team selection.

“Preseason polls don’t really mean anything,” Jones said. “I feel like we’ve still got a lot to prove. I feel like we definitely have the pieces to be successful this year.”

Of the team’s nine conference losses in 2022, five of them ended within a two-possession margin. Head coach Bryan Mullins believes winning those close games is going to determine how successful the Salukis are this season.

“The Valley is such a grind-it-out league where there’s gonna be so many one-to-two-possession games,” Mullins said. “You’ve got to be able to find a way to win those ones.”

The Salukis have not won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship since their stretch of five championships in six years ended in 2007. Mullins played for those mid2000’s teams, putting together a Hall of Fame career as the Saluki point guard.

“I want to be the best version of ourselves,” Mullins said. “There is no ceiling on what we can do. For us, it’s about getting better every single day.” It’s been 15 years since the program last

hung a banner at Banterra Center. For senior forward Marcus Domask, it’s the ultimate goal.

“At this point in my career, I feel like it’s really just a ring, is all I really want,” Domask said. “Obviously the accolades are cool, but I feel like all that comes with winning, so my focus is just on winning.”

Domask was named to the preseason All-Conference First Team, along with Jones who earned Second Team honors. They came up as freshmen along with Trent Brown in Mullins’ first year as head coach in 2019. That consistency and stability in the program has helped those three develop into the players they are now.

“We know what coach wants,” Domask said. “We know what he expects. We know the defensive tendencies, offensive tendencies and all that. I think we just kinda act like coaches on the court as well now.”

Jones says the senior trio has developed a connection on the court, having spent four years together.

“We know what we’re good at,” Jones said. “We know our strengths and weaknesses. We kinda just have that bond, being together four years, and sticking it out and trusting the process with this team and the coaching staff.”

While the players are entering their final seasons, Mullins plans to stay at his alma mater much longer. He views that stability as something that will help bolster the program he wants to have at Southern Illinois.

“To build a championship program and not just a championship team, you’ve got to have continuity within your program…” Mullins said. “Just making sure we have the right people in the locker room is so important.”

SIU will have to replace the production of guards Ben Coupet Jr. and Steven Verplancken Jr., both starters on last year’s team. Coupet graduated, while Verplancken transferred to Weber State. It is expected that incoming senior transfers Xavier Johnson and Jawaun Newton, from George Mason and Evansville respectively,

will carry at least part of that load. However, Mullins says the lineup and rotation are not quite set yet and will continue to be tweaked even as the season progresses.

“I expect to win conference and win games in the NCAA Tournament,” Domask said. “That’s our goal, that’s why we’re here. That’s what I expect from these guys, what I expect from myself, and that’s what we’re gonna try to do.”

Staff reporter Brandyn Wilcoxen can be reached at bwilcoxen@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @BrandynWilcoxen

SIU junior, Marcus Domask, looks to make a play during the game against Indiana State Jan. 19, 2022 at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Ill. Mallory Aukland | maukland@dailyegyptian.com

Sophie Whitten

Sophie Whitten swhitten@dailyegyptian.com

I wanted to be a dinosaur but someone beat me to it!