THE Daily Egyptian
The road to Memphis: Southern Illinoisans tour Civil Rights history
lylee giBBs dominique martinez-powell @lyleegiBBsphoto @d martinezphoto
Connection weaved through the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll and into the lives of several southern Illinoisans as a local nonprofit sparked conversation and healing on the Civil Rights Movement through a journey to Memphis. That connection was felt at the dinner
table over bowed heads in prayer, in a hand of playing cards and in the exhibits of history that reached out to touch the minds viewing it.
In the early morning hours of Wednesday, March 12, the morning light spilled all around a bus in a nearly empty parking lot as suitcases were loaded into its lower storage compartment. Seats were filled and the bus full of nearly 30 southern Illinois residents departed from
Marion, Illinois. The bus traveled over 200 miles south to Memphis, Tennessee, giving these travelers a chance to immerse themselves in the nation’s Civil Rights history.
Connect 360, a nonprofit organization based in Marion, chartered a bus to Memphis and spent two days exploring culture and lessons from the American Civil Rights Movement and learning how that period shapes American
Murphysboro remembers: 100 years after the Tri-State tornado
annalise schmidt aschmidt@dailyegyptian com
A century after the deadliest tornado in U.S. history tore through southern Illinois, the community of Murphysboro gathered to honor the lives lost and reflect on the devastation that reshaped the region.
On March 18, 1925, the massive tornado carved a
219-mile path of destruction across southeast Missouri, southern Illinois and southwest Indiana, claiming 695 lives. Murphysboro was the hardesthit community, with 234 fatalities.
The National Weather Service Paducah office hosted a commemoration event on March 15, 2025, bringing
together residents, historians and weather experts to mark 100 years since the Tri-State Tornado.
Christine Wielgos, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at NWS Paducah, said the event was meant to both honor the past and highlight advancements in meteorology.
“We’re trying to showcase the
freedom and equality in the present day.
“I want them to understand history first and foremost,” Connect 360 President Carmen Allen Adeoye said. “That’s the main thing, because you can’t really evaluate, equate and move forward unless you know what happened prior.”
The executive board of Connect 360 applied for a Healing Illinois
Professor accused of masturbating on campus no longer works at SIU
Jackson Brandhorst JBrandhorst@dailyegyptian com
An updated statement on March 17 from Southern Illinois University has confirmed that SIU School of Medicine Professor Kyle Miller is no longer employed by the university after a social media account – one commonly critical of progressive politics – posted screenshots that appear to show the professor masturbating on video in various locations on the Carbondale campus.
According to the university, “Kyle Miller is no longer employed by SIU School of Medicine. SIU takes all matters related to professional conduct seriously and condemns inappropriate behavior.”
The Jackson County State’s Attorney has confirmed that their investigation is still ongoing and that they cannot provide any more details on the matter at this time.
Published in a thread on the social platform X, @libsoftiktok – an account run by Chaya Raichik, whose posts often aim to generate outrage from the political right – accused professor Kyle Miller of filming himself masturbating in SIU lecture halls, offices, staircases and hallways and then posting them to accounts under the social media handle @ midwest0tter.
Wielgos poses for a portrait on March 15, 2025 in Murphysboro, Illinois. Enan Chediak | @enanchediak TRI-STATE | 3 MEMPHIS | 6
Public response to the situation has been polarizing, inciting an onslaught of social media memes, discourse about the universities federal funding and even an independent website documenting the situation.
Neither SIU Chancellor Austin Lane nor System President Dan Mahony could be reached for comment about the public’s response.
On Thursday, March 13 The SIUC X account responded to the @libsoftiktok thread, replying “We are aware of the situation and take all matters related to professional conduct seriously. While we cannot discuss personnel issues, we want to emphasize that we are committed to fostering a respectful workplace and
Ron Ferguson, left, and Carmen Adeoye, right, look out the window of the bus on a driving tour of Memphis historical sites March 13, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. Photo by Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
Christine
will address inappropriate behaviors accordingly.”
In the thread, screenshots show the @midwest0tter claiming to take requests on Bluesky – another social media platform – to masturbate in public, specifically on campus, record the act and then post the videos to X and other social platforms.
The screenshots of the videos have timestamps that show them being posted on March 10 and 11, including one that says it was posted just five hours before the screenshot was taken, however it is unclear when exactly that was.
In one screenshot, the @ midwest0tter claims to have almost gotten caught while filming a video of himself masturbating in what appears to be a Lawson lecture hall.
It is unclear how exactly Libs of TikTok acquired the screenshots and the subsequent information that they have used to accuse Miller of these acts.
Libs of TikTok has not yet posted a story to their website, nor did they verify their sources, however the DE can confirm that accounts with the handle @midwest0tter did exist on
1925 tornado. It’s the 100th anniversary coming up Tuesday, and so we wanted to bring enthusiasts and historians and people interested in weather to learn about what this event really was about,” Wielgos said. “In addition to that, learning about how far we’ve come in the last 100 years, I think that’s really paramount—to understand how none of these people had any idea this was coming.”
She noted how technology has transformed forecasting and emergency communication.
“Even in the last 25 years that I’ve been in the Weather Service, things have changed—technology, social media, the internet. It’s all changed how we get information out to people,” Wielgos said.
She also spoke about how much meteorology has advanced since 1925.
“Back in the early 1900s, they tried forecasting the weather. They had equations of the laws of motion and of the atmosphere, but they had no way to calculate it. They said something like
TikTok, Twitter, Reddit and Bluesky, but those accounts have since been deleted.
Despite Miller being no longer employed, there has been no admission from any SIU institution or Miller himself confirming whether or not he is the person performing the acts seen in the screenshots, or whether or not the acts took place on the SIU campus. However from the background of the videos, the locations appear to be in a Lawson lecture hall, a staircase and hallway in Pulliam Hall and an office in an unidentifiable SIU location.
Miller’s personal social media accounts, as well as his profile on the SIU School of Medicine website, have been deleted as of Thursday, March 13.
Attempts to reach Miller and Raichik were unsuccessful.
Despite no further evidence being presented regarding the accusations she made of Miller, Raichik did take the opportunity to loop in the Department of Government Efficiency – or DOGE – by tagging the department in a follow-up post on X Thursday claiming that SIU should be stripped of its federal
it would take… say, 300,000 people to derive these equations to understand how air moves from point A to point B in six hours. They knew how to do it, but there was no physical mechanism to do that,” Wielgos said.
She explained that it wasn’t until computers came along in the 1940s and ’50s that forecasting became possible.
The event featured speakers covering different aspects of the tornado’s impact as well as advancements in weather forecasting that have happened over the last century.
In addition to the expert speakers, the event featured interactive exhibits and booths from organizations such as the National Weather Service and the Jackson County Historical Society.
Attendees could view historical photos and documents, learn about tornado preparedness and explore advancements in meteorological technology. A weather radio programming station was available for visitors to set up NOAA weather radios, and people could view a large tornado siren up close.
Emily Hartmann, a resident who has lived in Murphysboro for years,
funding for emphasizing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at its institution.
However a federal judge issued an injunction on Feb. 21 concerning the executive order (14151) that Raichik referred to in the X post, which means that the federal government cannot immediately cut funding or enforce penalties against schools continuing initiatives that involve things like diversity, equity and inclusion.
Raichik, who has historically made many hateful comments toward the LGBTQ community, also claimed in a follow-up X post that SIU uses tax dollars to “groom children” in reference to a Drag Show being held at the SIU Student Center on March 19.
Raichik’s @libsoftiktok account ranks 171st when it comes to having the most community notes applied to their posts on X, which is a feature Elon Musk spearheaded when he purchased the platform. Community Notes aim to combat misinformation by fact-checking or adding relevant context to misleading or false posts. There are an estimated 500 million active users on X, and the thread about Miller has 3 million views as
of Monday afternoon.
Miller had been working as a professor at SIU since 2023, and wrote his PhD dissertation about the disclosure of drug use to health care professionals using a “reasoned action approach.”
Miller has been credited as an
author on many other academic papers, all of which are focused on drug usage, health care and LGBTQ communities.
reached at jbrandhorst@dailyegyptian.com.
attended the commemoration.
“And I’ve always wondered about the 1925 tornado, because I’m not a native here. But we’ve lived here, raised kids. We’ve got a grandkid here. And I’ve always wondered about all the details about that, and I’ve seen pictures of the historical society,” Hartmann said.
She also attended a related historical film screening that included interviews with tornado survivors.
“I signed up to go to the movies Friday night, which were wonderful— telling the story, showing the video and seeing the destruction—to realize it was a mile wide,” she said. “And the stories they had from 1990, is when they started that movie. And it didn’t get finished ‘til recently, but SIU and PBS worked together to interview these people that are now dead, but they were survivors in 1990, telling where they were in the grade school and what happened.”
She also participated in the cemetery tours, where guides shared the stories of victims buried in Murphysboro and DeSoto.
“So many lives lost, but to remember them, and thank God we’ve got warning systems,” she said. “I actually had pillows last night in my bathroom because we were supposed to get, maybe a tornado, and it makes you more aware of that. And I had all my dog food and my clothes and my big boots in case the roof was gone to walk through debris… taking those preparations.”
Scott Riley, another attendee, described himself as a “weather junkie” and said the event reinforced the
importance of storm preparedness.
“How the warning system works, how they get the information out to the public—that’s what interests me. This event has really shaped how the community remembers and prepares,” he said.
Wielgos emphasized that the tornado’s legacy has shaped how local residents approach storm safety.
“It’s changed the way that people in this area think about this weather event and what they need to do to prepare,” she said. “This area is prone to tornadoes. And, if you have relatives and grandparents and aunts and uncles that have been through the 1925 tornado, they obviously have shared stories down the line. And so you’re aware of tornadoes, you’re more prone to have probably be more prepared.”
Wielgos continued, “We are not immune to this, this area is not immune to it, and we have to do things to protect ourselves.”
For those unable to attend in person, the City of Murphysboro live streamed the commemoration on its official YouTube page.
Staff reporter Jackson Brandhorst can be
Staff
Schmidt
Photo of Kyle Miller provided by SIU School of Medicine.
A speaker walks to the stage as people fill into the auditorium for the Tri-state Tornado 100th Anniversary Commemoration Event at the Murphysboro High School March 15, 2025 in Murphysboro, Illinois.
Enan Chediak | @enanchediak
Angela Mason (left) sells one of her books to Patricia Dunbar at the Tri-state Tornado 100th Anniversary Commemoration Event March 15, 2025 at the Murphysboro High School in Murphysboro, Illinois. Mason wrote here book, ‘Death Rides the Sky’ between 1999 and 2002, and she said that this was the first book that she had written, having worked as a journalist in Germany and Grayville, Illinois before this.
Uncontested elections: A threat to local democracy, expert says
JoslyN cole Jcole@dailyegyPtiaN com
Elections play an important role in community governance, influencing how local government officials address public needs. In recent years, there has been a rise in uncontested races particularly at the local and state levels.
Gerrymandering, the ability to draw district lines to favor one party over another, has skewed many elections, according to political experts.
“In districts that are overwhelmingly Democratic or Republican, it’s hard to find competition,” John Jackson, a visiting professor at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, said. “Gerrymandering means that candidates from the opposing party often don’t even bother to run because they know they have little chance of winning.”
John Shaw, the institute director for the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, said that Illinois is a great example of gerrymandering at the state level.
“The Illinois political map has become decisive... much of downstate Illinois is heavily Republican, so if you’re a Democrat, you face almost the certainty of losing,” Shaw said.
Andrew Erbes, Vice Chair of the Jackson County Board, reflects on his own experience of running unopposed.
“In my case, there wasn’t much competition. The opposition party had trouble finding someone to run against me because they didn’t think they could win. They focused their time and resources on other races they had a better chance of winning,” he says.
Erbes, who is a Republican, said running unopposed was less stressful. He was able to focus his energy on helping other candidates within his party and spend more
time with his family.
“I didn’t have to worry about constantly campaigning, which gave me more time for my kids and less financial strain,” he says, “The danger is that if you’re not challenged, you could get complacent. That can impact how you govern. It’s important to remain connected with your constituents and not take your position for granted.”
Erbes said he believes that the lack of competition can lead to complacency among elected officials.
“When politicians feel there’s no threat to their seat, they may not work as hard or engage with their constituents as deeply as they should,” he says. “It’s important to remember that public service is about serving the people, not just holding onto a position.”
Erbes says that competition is good for democracy.
“It helps keep elected officials on their toes and encourages them to do their best to serve the people,” Erbes said.
Shaw said that voter disengagement is a crucial part of what he called a crumbling local democracy.
“When there’s a race with no contest, it generates less excitement,” Shaw said. “Competitive races generate interest which turns into voter participation.”
According to Erbes, encouraging citizens to become more involved in local politics is a crucial step to improving local democracy.
Jackson points out that local government positions are often thankless.
“It’s not just about running for office; it’s about taking on responsibilities that most people wouldn’t want to take on. This is especially true at the local level, where the competition isn’t typically fierce,” he said.
The rise of polarized politics and the prevalence of social media, however, have added another layer of complexity, Jackson said.
“We live in a very polarized, social media-saturated environment,” Jackson said. He explained that individuals and groups frequently target those with opposing views, which according to him, can discourage even potential candidates from running. Individuals and groups often attack those they disagree with, which makes public service in these roles even harder. There’s a lot of vitriol, and that can deter potential candidates.”
Local officials often face pressure and get paid little to no money.
“These are really public service jobs in the best sense,” he said. “The positions are often filled by people
you may already know. They can be very demanding, requiring long hours of meetings and trying to serve their community despite barely getting recognition.”
Shaw said that “time burdens aren’t the only thing that has been discouraging potential candidates.”
He also said that social media’s tendency to spread negativity and send personal attacks makes running for office more challenging.
“Running for office... you subject yourself and your family to verbal abuse and sometimes physical threats,” Shaw said.
Local news outlets have a critical role to play in informing the public and making local elections more visible.
“These newspapers and other media sources need to focus more on local
elections, as they have a significant impact on local government,” Jackson said. “Some outlets are doing better than others, but the overall media environment has certainly changed, and it’s harder to get people’s attention.”
Erbes touches on the broader issue of voter engagement. That uncontested races can add to voter apathy.
“When people feel like their vote doesn’t matter because there’s no competition, they’re less likely to get involved in the political process,” he says. “This is especially true in local elections, where voter turnout is often embarrassingly low compared to other parts of the world.”
News reporter Joslyn Cole can be reached at jcole@dailyegyptian.com
Saluki baseball takes one of three against Morehead State
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that on February 10, 2025, a certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of Williamson County, Illinois, setting forth the names and post office addresses of all persons owning, conducting and transacting business known as: The Giving Tree
Located at: 8631 Sunnybrook Rd. Marion, IL. 62959
/s/ Amanda Barnes
Amanda Barnes, Williamson County Clerk
Nick PfaNNkuche NPfaNNkuche@dailyegyPtiaN
com
Following a 21-2 loss to Western Kentucky during the week, the Salukis returned home to host the Morehead State University Eagles for a three game series this past weekend.
The Dawgs ended up losing the series, only taking one game.
In game one of the series, SIU used five different pitchers in the 18-12 loss. Jordan Huskey got the start, but only pitched a five-run 1st and Dylan Petrey was saddled with the loss for surrendering five runs in his four innings of work. Matt Irvine, Tanner Gerdes and Blaine Harpenau combined for the last four innings but were unable to keep the Dawgs in it with Irvine and Gerdes combined to give up eight runs.
John Lemm, Mason Schwalbach and
Jaxon Holder led the Dawgs offensively, each driving in two runs. Jordan Bach also had a productive night, reaching base five times and coming around to score three times. Matt Schark, Gabe Petrucelli, Kaleb Hall and Tim Simay each scored multiple times as well.
Alec Nigut was on the bump for the second game and delivered five and a third innings of work with only one run surrendered. Gavan Wernsing got three outs, giving up three runs and Jackson Payne earned the win with his scoreless five outs.
At the dish, Michael Mylott, Hall and Simay each ended the night with two runs driven in. Hall and Petrucelli also each came around to score three times. Hall’s 8th inning home run put the Dawgs up 10 to truncate the game with a run-rule victory.
Meade Johnson got the nod for the
rubber match, tossing six and a third innings and being on the hook for five runs in a losing effort. Sam Frizzi picked up the last two and two-thirds of one run ball.
Cecil Lofton and Lemm each tallied two hits in the series finale, Lemm with a home run in the 5th, and Bach, Petrucelli and Simay each had multi-walk days at the plate. Lemm and Hall were credited with the only two RBIs in the 6-4 loss. With a 1-2 record on the weekend, the Salukis moved to 12-6 on the season. They will be back in action on Tuesday as they host Western Illinois before the first conference series of the season with the Flames of the University of Illinois Chicago coming to town next weekend.
Illustration by Yasmin Martinez-Powell | ymartinezpowell@dailyegyptian.com
Telephone town hall meeting spurs protest at Bost’s office
questioned what he does in office.
The sound of Congressman Mike Bost’s voice from a smartphone raised into the air was mixed with the sound of the chants of protestors and of passing cars.
The sun was setting, and warm light spilled over the Murphysboro skyline on the evening of March 11. But the protestors stood on the street by the Jackson County Courthouse, later marching back to Congressman Mike Bost’s office just before dusk.
The protest was organized during the congressman’s telephone town hall meeting by the Carbondale Positive Action Committee, CPAC, who said that they felt their voices were not being heard by their representative in Congress. This protest was one of two protests in Jackson County that the committee organized within a week.
“There are so many people who are distressed by what’s happening in the government that we realize we need to speak up otherwise… democracy is being destroyed and oligarchy is taken over,” Judy Ashby, a member of CPAC said.
Several of the protesters told the Daily Egyptian that they were concerned with national issues and said their voices were not being heard by Bost, as residents of the 12th District. So, they took to the streets of Murphysboro to make their voices heard.
“Normally he doesn’t show up in person. He just talks on the phone, and the calls are monitored,” Ashby said about Bost. “He doesn’t just listen to everybody, and so he doesn’t show up. So we said, ‘Okay, we’ll come to his office here in Murphysboro and let them know what the rest of the world thinks.’”
Ashby said that she felt like Bost does not respond to his entire constituency and
But not just people from Jackson County showed up. Abby Butler also attended the protest. She said that she arrived a little late because she drove an hour and a half from Massac County to attend.
“I feel like Mike Bost has not been representing the people that are his constituents – the people that elected him,” Butler said.
She said that she thinks the way Bost voted in favor of a budget resolution planning to cut back on Medicaid doesn’t reflect what the people that voted for him want. “That’s our grandmothers. That’s us. And that is going to make it really really hard for the people that are already living paycheck to paycheck in order to get by,” Butler said.
Because of the recent changes from departments like DOGE, many people in southern Illinois and abroad are concerned that the proposed budget cuts will lead to decreased benefits in entitlement programs like Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.
Bost voted “Yea” for the recently passed House budget bill which clerk.house.gov says will establish “the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2025” and set forth “the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026 through 2034.”
According to the Washington Post, the bill requires $880 billion in cuts, an expectation that experts say the GOP cannot meet without changing benefits to entitlement programs like Medicaid and Medicare.
Sabrina Hardenbergh also expressed concern about Medicaid and Medicare. She said that she has worked in health care in some of southern Illinois’ medically underserved areas. “If Bost’s wanting to cut Medicaid along with other GOP people, that denies service to low income
people, to disabled people and to all our rural clinics in the medically underserved areas that wouldn’t be there to serve us,” she said.
Hardenbergh also said she was concerned about this bill because she is someone who could be directly affected. “I’m retired,” she said. “So they better not mess with Social Security and Medicaid or Medicare.”
Butler also expressed concerns about other policy issues such as immigration policies,
in the media and tax cuts to the rich.
Hardnebergh said that she was concerned about the public school system and education in southern Illinois.
Photo Editor Enan Chediak can be reached at echediak@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @enanchediak.
misinformation
Enan ChEdiak @EnanChEdiak
Mariann Baratta (right) and Karen Frailey (left) stand by the steps of Congressman Mike Bost’s office as part of a protest held during one of the congressman’s telephone town hall meetings March 11, 2025 in Murphysboro, Illinois. Enan Chediak | @enanchediak
A man in a passing car claps and cheers for the protesters in front of the Jackson County Courthouse as part of a protest during one of Congressman Mike Bost’s telephone town hall meetings.
grant to fund the trip. According to the Illinois Department of Human Services, the Healing Illinois grant is a statewide effort that distributes $4.5 million in grants to nonprofit organizations to start or continue work of racial healing in their communities.
The organization’s primary goal is similar to that of the trip – to bring communities together in solidarity to learn about Black history and promote racial healing.
“One of the purposes in doing so, it might help you to be better equipped to interact and stop looking at color, but looking at content and character, because at the end of the day that’s what it’s really about,” Adeoye said. Thursday morning, the group gathered outside of the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel. A red and white wreath hangs from the balcony outside room 306, the place where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The museum led the group through several interactive exhibits that spanned across key moments in the Civil Rights era from a replica bus with a statue
of Rosa Parks all the way to the room where Martin Luther King Jr. was staying when he was killed.
Adeoye said she found herself identifying with the material in the museum. She went through the ‘60s and recalled memories of attending a segregated school up until its desegregation when she was in the sixth grade.
“I’m hoping that folks will get the correct and not the watered down or the movie version of it, it was traumatic. I was traumatized as a kid, and sometimes I still have flashbacks, because people don’t understand there’s so many dynamics,” Adeoye said. “Some of us were born under this pressure and managed to excel despite.”
To Connect 360 executive board member Nancy Maxwell, the most impactful moment for her happened once the museum trip was over. A woman named Jacquline Smith has been outside the Lorraine Motel since her forceful eviction from the motel on March 2, 1988. Smith’s stance is that the museum does the exact opposite of what King would have wanted and has instead become a tourist attraction rather than something that could give back to the community.
Maxwell said she felt that what Smith was arguing made sense to her.
“It made me think about all the events we do for Martin Luther King, but are we really working on the dream? Could we be doing something else with the money we spent?” Maxwell said. “It just made me think. I mean, there’s gentrification there clearly and slowly that whole area over the last 30 years has been taken over and turned into this moneymaker, again, off of Black people’s backs.”
Vivian Robinson, member of the Connect 360 executive board, said that to her being able to hear real stories and feel the emotions at the National Civil Rights Museum is what she’ll take away from the trip and back home with her. Not only was she impressed by the examples of strong activism shown throughout the exhibits, but she said also that of the interest in everyone attending the trip with Connect 360.
“I was so impressed, you know, I’ve been to Memphis before but this was a group that have all their hearts in this kind of change,” Robinson said. It wasn’t just the museums and historic landmarks of
history that left an impression on the group’s mind, but also the moments at the table were moments that united the group.
Robinson recalls piling into the back room of Central Barbecue for lunch, where plates of food crowded with barbecue, mac and cheese, salad and other choices sat on top of blue gingham tablecloths.
“We all were in the same room and you know, everybody was talking and we laughed so hard,”
Robinson said. “It seemed like the atmosphere was a little more relaxed and people could talk and really connect.”
Linette Moore, an attendee on the trip and member of Connect 360, said the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, which the group visited on Wednesday, was a highlight to the entire experience. The different displays of famous musicians and a wall full of old vinyl records guided her through the museum.
Moore also echoed the sentiment on how well received the National Civil Rights Museum was to the entire group and their experiences.
“Seeing how they left Martin Luther King’s room the same way it was, and just to see the
room what he was in, that was so awesome for me,” Moore said.
“I can go tell my grandchildren that I saw this, and I wanna bring them back so they can see these things.”
The buzz of Beale Street and the sounds of Earl “The Pearl” Banks playing an instrumental of an Otis Redding song carried its way through the Blues City Café on Thursday evening. The group closed out the trip with their last Memphis meal sitting at the old diner-themed chairs and table in the restaurant.
Once back at the hotel, a small table in the corner of the hotel’s lobby was used for multiple rounds of different card games that many members of the group rotated in and out of late into the night before returning home the next morning.
Editor-in-Chief Lylee Gibbs can be reached at lgibbs@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @lyleegibbsphoto.
Student Managing Editor Dominique Martinez-Powell can be reached at dmartinez-powell@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @d.martinezphoto
Denasha Oliver, Linette Moore and Vivian Robinson, left to right, sit on a bench at the entrance of The Four Way restaurant March 12, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
Ernest Hale looks at the detail in the Movement to Overcome art piece March 13, 2025 at the Stax Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Dominique Martinez-Powell | @d.martinezphoto
Ron Ferguson, left, and Yolanda Dean, right, load suitcases into the bottom of the bus as driver Ed Carr waits by the stairs March 12, 2025 at The Pavillion in Marion, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
Ron Ferguson and Sara Holst walk into the Stax Museum of American Soul Music to take a tour March 12, 2025 in Memphis Tennessee. Lylee Gibbs @lyleegibbsphoto
Garry Allen puts a serving of salad on his plate as he walks through the buffet line March 13, 2025 at Central BBQ in Memphis, Tennessee. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
Qwtasia Sawyer smokes a cigarette after taking photos of the memorial wreathe at the hotel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated March 13, 2025 at the National Civil rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Dominique MartinezPowell @d.martinezphoto
A couple walks down Beale street holding hands late in the evening March 13, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. Lylee Gibbs |@lyleegibbsphoto
The group of southern Illinois locals gets in order to take a group photo March 13, 2025 at the entrance of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Dominique Martinez-Powell @d.martinezphoto
Chopping trees and Dogs eating Dawgs: Salukis compete in Arch Madness
Ryan GRieseR RGRieseR@dailyeGyptian com
Game 1: Sykes saves the Salukis, SIU chops down the Trees 86-85 Saluki fans’ hearts surely sank with the clock running down and a seemingly out-of-control shot from Jarrett Hensley on the way.
They didn’t have to suffer for long; the opposite flood of emotions came only a second later, when Hensley dished the ball to Davion Sykes, who put it up for the game-winning shot.
“I knew they would make a play,” head coach Scott Nagy said. “Davion did what he does best, he cut.”
Sykes gently put the ball off the glass for a layup with 4.1 seconds to go to finish off an 86-85 win over the Indiana State Sycamores on March 6 for their opening game of the tournament.
“I honestly thought (Jarrett Hensley) was going to shoot it but he saw me down there and he trusted me, so he passed it, and so there’s only one thing left to do,” Sykes said. “I just kind of did a shot that I’ve done plenty of times,” Sykes said.
Sykes was seemingly on pace for his regular minutes before Damien Mayo Jr. picked up his third foul. Sykes, who averages 16.6 minutes per
to pass the
to
Aligbe (0) while being blocked by Indiana State’s Sycamores, Jaden Daughtery (23) and Bruno Alocen (14) during the Arch Madness Conference in St. Louis, Missouri on Mar. 6, 2025. Emily Brinkman | @erb_photo_
game, ended up playing over 22 and was huge defensively for the Dawgs without mentioning his winning shot.
SIU came out of the gates swinging; Hensley made the first three Saluki field goals, including an emphatic slam and a 3 pointer, and nearly every basket came after a big Saluki defensive play.
Indiana State was unfazed by the early Saluki run, quickly cutting the Saluki deficit and going up 16-12 before another Hensley 3 made it 1615.
Ali Dibba came alive after a trio of early missed free throws, hitting on three consecutive layups, giving the Dawgs a 32-30 lead. Davis Jr. hit the floor to grab a steal that led to the
second Dibba basket.
SIU closed the half on an 11-2 run to take a 47-43 lead into the break, led by a Steffe 3 and 6 more points by Ali Dibba, who had 18 in the period. The 47 points were the most SIU had scored in a half all season.
The Sycamores’ Aaron Gray had a monster half as well, matching Dibba’s 18 points. Their leading scorer in the first matchup with the Salukis, Samage Teel, had only 4 points in the first half.
Dibba picked up right where he left off and had 8 points in the first four minutes of the second half. Davion Sykes threw down a dunk to put SIU up 64-51 with 15 minutes to play, the largest lead of the game to that point.
The Saluki defense started to waver with such a lead; the Sycamores went on a four minute, 12-0 run to tie it at 67-67 before Steffe snapped the run with a floater at the 9:40 mark.
“I think all year has prepared us for this moment. We’ve had a lot of games where we’ve been up and down, and just by being in the position that we were, it was key to not lose focus and just stay together,” Sykes said.
Davis Jr. would not be denied over the next five minutes; he put up 7 points, while Dibba crossed the
30-point threshold with 4:02 to play to give the Dawgs a slim 80-79 lead and counter a flurry of Sycamore 3s. It was Dibba’s second time scoring 30 or more points this season.
SIU fell behind 83-82 with 1:52 left to play, but Davis Jr. hit a second chance bucket to regain the lead with 1:18 to go. Teel made a layup to go up 85-84, and Hensley traveled at the other end to give the Sycamores the ball back.
Sykes saved the day with 4.1 seconds to go, grabbing Davis Jr.’s rebound and putting it off the glass for a layup.
As Sykes’ layup swished through the net, the roof blew off of the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri as the hundreds of Saluki fans in attendance screamed in jubilance, and while Indiana State got the last shot, it bounced harmlessly off the backboard in the Salukis’ 8685 win.
The Dawgs shot 53.7% from the field for the game, and 42.9% from 3 point range, led by Davis Jr.’s 4-7 performance from beyond the arc. Dibba finished with 30 points in his offensive masterpiece, marking the second time this season that he has
Kennard David Jr. (30) looks
ball
Saluki Rolyns
Women’s basketball fall by 40 to finish season
Nick PfaNNkuche NPfaNNkuche@dailyegyPtiaN com
After a rough regular season where they finished with a record of 4-25, Saluki Women’s Basketball looked to give a strong showing in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
Coming in as the No. 12 seed, they faced off against the Redbirds of Illinois State in the first round on Thursday, March 13. The Salukis played the Redbirds on March 9 and lost by only 13, leading to a sense of optimism entering the conference tournament.
That optimism quickly evaporated; the Dawgs went on to lose the game 88-48, putting an end to the season. The 40-point loss was SIU’s largest of the season.
The Dawgs matched what the Birds were doing for the first five minutes, but Illinois State was able to pull away with a 12-0 run, in part due to turnovers by the Salukis, and the first quarter ended
with the Redbirds up 10.
Turnovers were a problem the entire afternoon; the Dawgs finished with 24 in the 40 minutes of play, including 17 in the first half alone. Illinois State took full advantage and converted them into 35 points off turnovers.
In the next 10 minutes of play, the Salukis didn’t fare much better. A five minute scoring drought for SIU let the Redbirds drive up their lead another 15 points and go into the locker room with a 28 point cushion.
In the second half of play, SIU was better able to keep up with Illinois State in part due to better shooting from the field. In the first half the Dawgs shot 7-25 from the floor, while in the second they went 9-24.
They were also able to flip the script on opportunities from the free throw line.
In the first half, the Birds took 16 trips to the line and sank 14 of them
whereas SIU only went 2-3. But in the second half, the Salukis went to the line 12 times and turned them into 7 points. Illinois State got four attempts, sinking them all.
But a better performance in the last 20 minutes of play still wasn’t enough to make it anywhere near close. Illinois State stretched their lead by another 12 points in the second half for a 40 point win.
Gift Uchenna led the Salukis on the score sheet with 16 points and 14 rebounds for her 21st double-double of the year. The figure is good for 3rd best in the country and most in a season at SIU.
With the season now officially over, the Salukis will look to rebuild and rebound for the fall.
Sports Reporter Nick Pfannkuche can be reached at npfankuche@dailyegyptian.com.
Saluki softball stays hot, sweeps Illinois State to open MVC play
RyaN gRieseR RgRieseR@dailyegyPtiaN com
A sweep was just what the doctor ordered for Saluki softball to open Missouri Valley Conference play.
The Dawgs hosted the Illinois State Redbirds and emerged victorious with scores of 1-0, 3-2 and 8-4 over the weekend, and continued to claw their way back towards the .500 mark.
Friday’s matchup was a pitchers battle, with Emma Gipson taking the circle to start the game. She went 3 innings and gave up no runs on 2 hits before Makenzie Newcomb took over for the final 4 innings. Newcomb also pitched scoreless ball and racked up 6 strikeouts.
The Dawgs were able to rack up 8 hits against Illinois State’s Paige McLeod, but they only scored one run, which came in the fourth inning. Erin Lee, who got on base with a single, was brought home by an Emily Williams single.
Catcher Anna Carder caught a runner stealing, and the Dawgs finished off their 1-0 victory.
Saturday’s matchup featured earlier
scoring, as Emma Austin crossed home plate in the first inning on a Lee flyout to center field. Austin reached after being walked, and made it to third base on a fielding error.
The Salukis tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third.
Carder reached from a Jackie Lis RBI, and Lis scored off when Addi Baker was punched out at first to put the Dawgs up 3-0, which proved to be the winning margin.
Kiana McDowell started for the Salukis and went 2.1 innings while giving up 2 hits and no strikeouts. Newcomb once again entered the game in relief and finished the game, earning 4 strikeouts and hits each.
The biggest offensive game of the weekend for both teams came on Sunday.
Lee once again opened up the scoring, crossing home plate in the bottom of the second inning off a fielder’s choice for Alexis Rudd. The Dawgs tacked on 2 more runs when Maleah Blomenkamp singled into left center and Charley Pursley and Amanda Knutson scored. Knutson initially reached base when she was
walked, and Pursley pinch ran for Rudd.
Two more Salukis, Blomenkamp and Austin, scored when Carder doubled to left field. Austin first reached on a fielder’s choice. Williams finished off the scoring for the inning when she brought home Carder on a left side single.
Illinois State scored two runs in the top of the third inning off Gipson. Kaytee Dahlstrom was tagged for a run in the top of the fourth and gave up another in the fifth.
Newcomb entered the game for the last two innings and was once again spotless, giving up only one hit and striking out 5 of the six batters she faced.
The Salukis, now riding a six game win streak, are 3-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play and are 11-14 overall. They will host Missouri State in a midweek series at Charlotte West Stadium on March 18-19, and will travel to Valparaiso for a 3-game series March 21-23.
Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com.
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Deep roster set to help deliver T&F championship to Carbondale
Ryan GRieseR RGRieseR@dailyeGyptian com
As the seasons go from a bitter cold winter and directly into a steamy southern Illinois spring, the SIU track and field team will make a similar change, jumping straight from a successful indoor season to what they hope is an even better outdoor one.
“My excitement is just like, indoor is over, we’re getting outside and it’s time to really show and prove what we’re supposed to be doing,” director of track and field and cross country Richard Jones said.
And while the Salukis will be running, jumping and throwing their way towards a conference title, with a chance to earn it in Carbondale as SIU hosts the Missouri Valley Conference Championships for the second consecutive year, it’s not without facing stiff competition.
“The Missouri Valley Conference has gotten that much better over the last two years in particular,” Jones said. “That kind of lit a fire under, so to me, it’s just the mere fact of ‘let’s get back outside, let’s get back to our roots. Let’s get back to some really good coaching and competition.’”
“I can’t necessarily say we’re going to win it all, but that’s always the goal,” Jones said.
If the Dawgs are going to win it all, it will come off the strength of some top-tier athletes, including freshman Andre Jackson, who is coming off an MVC Indoor title in the 400 meter dash and the Men’s Indoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year.
Jackson recognized the significance of his explosion onto the collegiate track and field scene, but wasn’t willing to dwell on it.
“I think it’s big, but it’s just the first step. I feel like I had to get out with something nice to get to the next part where I want to be at,” Jackson said.
Another trio of freshmen are being counted on by Jones to show up on the outdoor stage after strong starts to their careers indoors.
“Layla Watson, I would look to see something from her. Nadir Langston, he was a finalist in the indoor 60 meter hurdles, so I would like to see him do a little bit better outdoors,” Jones said. “Dominic Martin is another freshman, he did the multi events indoor, so I would hope to see something from him outdoors.”
Despite the fast starts, that doesn’t mean that older athletes and distance runners are being forgotten either.
“Distance runners, I would like to see them do fairly well. Brianna Nieset and Hannah Meiser in particular are athletes who continue to get better, Will Fultz and Weston Jokerst in the 1500 outdoor as well,” Jones said.
These top-level athletes are going to be counted on by Jones and his staff to find their way into the finals in their respective events. But, it will take more than just outstanding performances by these athletes to capture a title. It takes, at minimum, multiple athletes in the top eight of each event, meaning there will need to be some big contributions from lesser-known athletes.
“Just kind of training them up to be those kind of bench players like in basketball that come off the bench and score some big points for us,” Jones said. “That’s kind of going to be my goal, getting out of those other athletes… the ones that most people may not be paying attention to, to try to get them to make finals. And I think we have a good shot at doing that.”
Senior sprinter Teanna Bell sees the potential of the team as a whole, citing the eye-popping performances that are happening earlier in the year than normal.
“I think we’re capable of doing amazing things if we keep doing what we’re doing. We’re hitting marks that we weren’t hitting last year around this time, so I think we have a good chance at doing that,” Bell said.
Jones, who primarily coaches sprints and jumps, admits that while he is biased towards calling those events a strength, hasn’t forgotten about his throwers either.
“We have some different events that transition outdoors, some of the longer throws like the discus, the javelin, the hammer throw, we would expect to see a little bit of improvement in those events that you don’t see in indoor,” Jones said.
The improvements up and down the roster will be key to keeping the MVC trophies in Carbondale at the end of the season.
“We’re excited. It’s home, that means we get to finish at home. I got graduation here and then turn around and I got conference here. I just get to finish strong and give it everything I got,” Bell said.
Jones knows that the Salukis up and down the roster are ready to defend their home track as Jackson said.
“We do have a really strong team. Sometimes it isn’t always reflected in the team scores… but individually, we have some really strong athletes,” Jones said.
“We want to kind of lean towards our athletes to really highlight them in their accomplishments. And I do believe we have a good group of men and women that are doing that and representing SIU at a high level,” Jones said.
Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com.
scored 30 or more points.
SIU also outrebounded Indiana State 3729, including 9 offensive rebounds to help Nagy win his 591st game, including his Arch Madness debut, and the Salukis snapped an Arch Madness losing streak that dated back to 2023 with the win.
Their win earned them a date with the Drake Bulldogs, and the Dawgs weren’t as lucky this time around, as the cold coming from the ice underneath the hardwood in the Enterprise Center, home of the St. Louis Blues hockey team, seemed to seep into SIU Salukis’ offense.
Game 2: It’s a Dog eat Dawg world: Drake beats SIU, ends season
Playing their season-ending 70-53 loss to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament No. 1 seed, the Drake Bulldogs, SIU endured several multi-minute scoreless runs and shot only 42.2% from the floor.
It may have been turnovers that doomed them more though. Drake’s league-leading defense was on full display, holding the Salukis to their lowest point total of the year and 15 turnovers.
Drake dominated on the offensive boards early as well, picking up two quick offensive rebounds and two accompanying buckets. The Bulldogs racked up 8 offensive rebounds in the first half, 14 in the game and outrebounded the Salukis in the game 34 to 32.
“They were just a lot more physical than we were. 14 offensive rebounds, and they all hurt us,” head coach Scott Nagy said.
The first half was particularly painful for the Salukis and their faithful fans who followed them from Carbondale to St. Louis. SIU had 9 turnovers in the first period alone and gifted the Bulldogs 15 points directly off of them.
Drake shot only 41.9% from the field and 35% from 3.
“It was the offensive rebounds, the turnovers that beat us, and a lot of it just had to do with their physicality,” Nagy said.
While they cleaned up the turnovers in the second half, the deficit in shots was too much to overcome.
“They had 11 more shots than us in the first half, and we were down 11 points,” Nagy said. “You count the turnovers and then the offensive rebounds that they get, the extra shots, that’s really what beat us. We guarded them pretty well, we couldn’t get our defensive rebounds.”
Drew Steffe opened the scoring for the game off a feed from Davion Sykes, and Ali Dibba picked up where he left off in the openinground Indiana State matchup, picking up 5 points before the first media timeout.
Drakes’ defense clamped down on the Dawgs, holding them without a field goal for over 4 minutes before Kennard Davis Jr. heated up and hit a stepback jumper and a 3-pointer
to cut the margin to 29-22.
The Salukis came out of the half firing; Sykes tipped an offensive rebound out to Steffe, who hit a 3 before another Sykes offensive rebound led to a Dibba basket to cut it to 33-39.
Hensley alone missed four 3-point attempts in the opening minutes of the second half as the offense as a whole fell silent outside of Steffe and Dibba’s quick start. SIU had another four-plus minute scoreless streak, though Drake, who shot only 43.9% from the field for the game, wasn’t able to expand their lead much.
Jorge Moreno had two baskets, including a spin move and drive to the hoop, but Drake, seemingly earning every bounce and even corralling a blocked shot by Moreno and putting it back up, was heating up from the floor and went up 53-39 with 7:35 left to play.
Drake was able to bury the Salukis with another 3, and had a wide-open slam by Cam Manyawu to suck the air out of the arena and drive the large contingency of SIU fans in Enterprise Center to near silence with 5:07 left to play.
Drake’s 3-pointer by freshman Isaiah Howard, his fourth of the game, with 3:25 to play was what buried the Salukis. Drake fans, who showed up en masse in St. Louis, roared in approval as Howard set his career high in both points, 21, and steals, 6.
After Hensley subbed out, Drake coach Ben McCollum called a timeout for Nagy to be able
to bring
who finished with 19 points, and Davis Jr.
with 54 seconds left, and Drake
the ball out to end the Dawgs’ season.
Drake went on to win the MVC Tournament and punch their third-straight ticket to the big dance, a feat accomplished by one other team in MVC history: the Salukis in 1993 to 1995.
SIU ended the year 14-19 overall and 9-13
in the MVC. Looking forward, Nagy isn’t afraid to shy away from the expectations of fans.
“I want them to expect more from us… I like being in a place where basketball’s very important,” Nagy said.
Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com.
Dibba,
to the bench
dribbled
Head coach Scott Nagy listens to a question at the post-game interview following the Dawgs 70-52 loss to the Drake Bulldogs that eliminated SIU from the tournament, ending their season March 7, 2025 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
Herrin comes out to Sanctuary Lounge drag show
Enan ChEdiak @EnanChEdiak
Music plays as DJ Cinnamon Dubois stands at one corner of the room, and the spotlight in the other corner draws all eyes to the stage as Blanche Dubois walks down the aisle in a simple, solid yellow fringed dress.
The Sanctuary Lounge in Herrin is packed, and the air warm. Red lights gleam against the rusty brick walls as people mingle and drink, moments before the drag show begins.
The crowd started the night off with low energy, but as drinks were downed and spirits were raised, Blanche brought the show from zero to 100 in no time.
The crowds cheered for each performer as they walked down the aisle to the stage, lip-synching and dancing under the colored lights. The crowd went wild for Jodi Santana’s performance of Dolly Parton, a smash hit in Herrin’s rural community.
“Well, I knew I had some people coming that was in my family, so I did some of my all-time favorite,” Santana said. “Dolly Parton was always a big draw. Everybody loved that.”
Many of the performers at the show are titleholders from Missouri. The Sanctuary Lounge also had some familiar faces including Santana and Blanche.
Blanche said that she had been performing at the bar in Herrin for about four years before it became the Sanctuary Lounge. “It used to be another bar,” she said. After performing at the building for many years, new owners took over, and Blanche said that they continued to host their drag show.
One of the owners of the Sanctuary Lounge, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the bar has been open since July of 2024.
“We came up with this because my partner and I met at a bar that I owned in Brooklyn, New York in 1997,” they said. Their partner knew of Blanche and Santana because of the artists’ fame in southern Illinois, they said. “So, I mean they’re just legends in the scene. And so, I sat down with them in our living room before we even opened the bar.”
The Sanctuary Lounge hosts shows and adds a safe space to the Herrin community for everyone to enjoy themselves and be themselves, according to the Sanctuary Lounge co-owner.
Santana echoed this statement about the bar. “I’m really, really proud of the way that people have respected us and treated us and everybody has a good time,” she said. “I mean most of the people that come to see me that I invite are straight people.
And they’re just here to have a good time.”
To Blanche, the audience at Herrin is a lot different than the audience at Carbondale, where she and Santana often perform.
“Well, it’s a different place obviously because this is not a college town,” she said. “When you’re in a college town, you get all kinds of, you know, lots of college students, but here it’s just you get a lot of local people,” Blanche said.
But it’s this community that makes Herrin unique. Santana said that her drag shows are an opportunity to bring people together and have fun. “Drag has been the one thing that I think has always united the communities, the gay and straight communities,” she said.
Santana said that, though she’s seen drag change over the years, she has a positive outlook for the southern Illinois drag scene. “I think classic drag will always be very popular because we have a big following that’s followed me and Blanche for many, many years,” she said.
A lot of work goes into shows like the one put on in Herrin this Saturday night. “It takes probably a couple week’s preparation because I want to plan what song I want to do and my costumes usually
revolve around that song,” Blanche said.
“Then the final week before the show, a couple days before, I’m just pre-prepping everything and packing. And packing is a big issue,” Blanche said.
“Sometimes I find myself doing a checklist. Like today, I ran off and forgot the hat.”
The Sanctuary Lounge is planning their next
or on Instagram @enanchediak.
drag performance on April 12 with Blanche Blanche, Jodie Santana and other drag performers from southern Illinois and beyond.
Photo Editor Enan Chediak can be reached at echediak@dailyegyptian.com
Devion Mornett takes a dollar bill from a fan during her performance March 8, 2025 at the Sanctuary Lounge in Herrin, Illinois. Enan Chediak | @enanchediak