THE
Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.
DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2023
VOL. 107, ISSUE 18
Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast Initiative to be highlight of eclipse viewing
Crumbling Campus: The state of SIU’s buildings a cause for concern Grayson Bittner Guest Contributor
Many of the buildings that make up Southern Illinois University Carbondale are architectural gems. But these relics of the past are expensive to upkeep, and some are in serious disrepair. An Excel spreadsheet detailing maintenance requests obtained from Southern Illinois University’s Facilities and Energy Management shed light on the extent of the problem. The maintenance log, obtained under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, shows the types
of concerns that have prompted students and faculty to call campus maintenance. They include dozens of instances of plumbing troubles, water damage, heating and cooling issues, mold, insects and more spanning from 2019 to 2022. In total, facilities management fielded 16,384 different requests over that time frame. Much of the problem is attributable to a backlog of needed repairs, technically known as deferred maintenance. Susan Simmers, vice chancellor for administration and finance, said that deferred maintenance at higher education CAMPUS BUILDINGS | 8
Carly Gist | cgist@dailyegyptian.com
Yarauseth Zavala | yzavala@dailyegyptian.com
Community comeback
Cairo’s New Grocery Co-op Jamilah Lewis jlewis@dailyegyptian.com
Janice Russell, a longtime resident of Cario used to frequently drive across the river to Missouri to do her grocery shopping. Since a new grocery store opened in Cairo over the summer, she now has an option closer to home. Even though Russell finds herself still going to Missouri since it lacks the meats she usually buys, Cairo’s store offers a more convenient local option, she said. “I’m alone, so [I come] at least maybe three… or four times a week,” Russell said. “It depends”. As of this summer, Cairo ended its 7-year run without a grocery store with the opening of Rise Community Market. Cairo had been without a grocery store since the Wonder Market closed in 2014. “In some communities you see you would consider [them] healthy communities,” said Illinois’s Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. “Then, you have other communities, where for lots of different reasons, based on where
Steve Tarver stocks soft drinks in the beverage isle Oct. 20, 2023 at Rise Community Market in Cairo, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
industries pull out [and] based on targeted disinvestment, and lots of other issues in the communities their struggles are more pronounced.” Stratton said there is a perception that food insecurity in Illinois is mostly a problem in urban areas. But it’s also very much a problem in Illinois’ rural communities. Across
the country, these challenges have only worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic. “Even in farming communities, there are people who think, well if it’s a rural community, or if it’s a farming or agricultural community, there’s no food insecurity,” Stratton said. “That’s simply not true.”
In addition to food insecurity in rural communities, there’s usually one store and it’s Dollar General that doesn’t sell fresh produce. Just frozen meals and canned goods, Stratton said. “I think about, do people have access to food? I think about, do GROCERY CO-OP | 3
The Southern Illinois Crossroads Eclipse Festival is less than four months away. Carbondale Public Library held an educational program on Jan. 16 to discuss the Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast (DEB) Initiative, a nationwide NASA project led by Southern Illinois University. “They [total solar eclipses] do not happen very often, and you’ll notice you’ve gotta be in exactly the right spot. Southern Illinois is the magic right spot,” Dr. Corinne Brevik said. “We are exactly on the path of both the 2017 and 2024 eclipse, and that’s very rare and it’s very exciting.” Brevik is a member of the SIU School of Physics, part of the steering committee for the eclipse planning efforts at SIU and team coordinator for the DEB Initiative. According to its website, the DEB Initiative “creates a North American network of volunteer citizen scientist solar observation teams.” These teams “conduct coordinated solar observations” prior to the eclipse and will “web broadcast images from observing sites in near real-time.” Brevik described the initiative as “80 telescopes spread across the whole U.S. that are going to be providing feeds that [will be used] for both science and to share with [the public].” Brevik discussed Citizen CATE, a similar science project conducted in 2017. “In 2017, the eclipse went from Oregon to South Carolina, and in that case, we had a project called Citizen CATE…Anytime you do a citizen science experiment, you get a bunch of volunteers from, in this case, across the country,” she said. “They are not necessarily professional astronomers… They come from a variety of backgrounds. Some of them are people who have never used telescopes before but they want to get involved, and we teach them how to use the equipment.” That project consisted of 70 telescopes spread across the path of the eclipse, she said. Citizen CATE’s goal BROADCAST | 5
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Page 2 | Entertainment and Culture
Wednesday, January 24, 2023
Polar Bear: A long-lived Carbondale staple Alli Goering agoering@dailyegyptian.com
This year’s Polar Bear celebration at SIU was fitting for the arctic animals for which it is named, with sub-freezing temperatures reaching a high of only 19 degrees. Still students bundled up and gathered on a blocked off road to raise a toast to winter and the new semester. “Polar Bear was created in the early 2000s to help boost sales of Corona. Corona partnered up with Pinch Penny Pub for the event, and soon after other bars and house party hosts joined in on the trend,” said the Well That’s Carbondale Instagram page. Since then, students have joined each other in partying during the cold month of January. Though the event started as a way for a local bar to boost sales the tradition has continued for many years. “Polar Bear is really more about Salukis getting together as a family more than it is a party. You can ask anyone here about Polar Bear and it is nothing but excitement. Gives us something to build on for the semester and creates stories and friendships for everyone involved,” said SIU student Keegan Montgomery. The event allows the participants the opportunity to get to know their classmates and share their excitement. Students gathered in front of the stage and danced together. In Carbondale, College Street was blocked off for parties that were being thrown by the fraternities. Hundreds of students gathered to kick off the beginning of the semester and
celebrate the special student holiday. “The Carbondale police also knew about the party so they could shut down the block and be there to keep people from getting out of hand,” said Alpha Gamma Rho member Zach Spruell. Alpha Gamma Rho contributed by helping with the larger street event. It appointed a risk manager for the event to make sure people were being responsible. “We’re all coming together to have a large block party with the other IFC fraternities,” Spruell said. The IFC is the Inner Fraternity Counsel and includes fraternities on campus such as Sigma Chi, Kappa Alpha, Sigma Phi, Phi Tau, Omega Delta, Alpha Gamma Rho and Farmhouse. Together, the counsel funded the DJ, who brought a stage, snow machines and an LED background. There was also a tent with large heaters for participants to gather in to warm up. “Our social chair came up with the idea of throwing this all together to show unity within Greek life. The whole plan was to make it the biggest thing to happen in a long time. We wanted all the fraternities and students here to just enjoy their first week back and start off the year right. That’s why we decided to do it together instead of everyone throwing separately,” said Sigma Chi President Jack Aldi. At night, the crowd shifted to two local bars; Levels Nightclub and Traxx. Both offered special drink deals for the event, which led
to Levels having a very long line and a full nightclub. Cops patrolled the parking lot at Levels to contain the crowd. Traxx had many people visit but was not as busy. In past years, police security has been added to ensure the safety of people participating in the event. Officers were present to assist students participating and were prepared to be at the scene quickly. Before the event, Chief of Police Stan Reno explained the Carbondale police plan for the weekend. “The Police Department wants everyone to make good decisions for the safety of themselves and others. We encourage everyone to plan for the cold temperatures and to drink responsibly. Officers will have a presence throughout the community and will be available to assist anyone in need. We ask for voluntary compliance and safe behavior to allow for a safe and successful weekend,” he said. After a day of cold fun, students ran to social medias to express their appreciation for the fraternities and and share their enjoyment of the party. “Polar Bear is a staple to SIU because it is one of the few day parties and it brings a lot of students out where they get to meet a lot of other people and just have a lot of fun,” said SIU student Cameron Tabor “It’s a big event that brings students together,” said SIU student Jarrett West. “Polar Bear is special because it gets all the fraternities together to meet new friends and have a great time. Polar Bear is all
Polar Bear attendees gather outside of the Sigma Chi fraternity house Jan. 20, 2024 in Carbondale, Illinois.
about celebrating the beginning of another semester no matter the weather,” said SIU student Brady Clark. Staff reporter Alli Goering can be reached at agoering@dailyegyptian.com
News | Page 3
Wednesday, Januaryy 24, 2023
GROCERY
CONTINUED FROM 1
people have access to a grocery store that sells healthy, nutrientdense food,” said Stratton. “I also just often think about how you’d be surprised at the number of people that don’t have access to that type of food for so many different reasons.” Being from Chicago, Stratton said she wanted to learn more about agriculture and realized how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has policies rooted in systemic racism disconnecting specifically Black people from the land to the point where Black people don’t know the benefits of what it can produce. “By understanding our connection to the land, we can feed our communities and address food insecurity,” Stratton said. “That’s from looking back and looking to my ancestors and forward to my daughter.” This summer, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a new initiative to invest $20 million in food desserts in the state. In the press release, Gov. Pritzker said, “When our residents struggle to keep a roof over their head, can’t put food on the table, or have to choose between paying for basic medical care and keeping the lights on- that’s a failure of a system. That’s why I’m proud to sign into law the Illinois Grocery Initiative- a first-of-itskind $20 million investment to open or expand grocery stores in underserved rural towns and urban neighborhoods.” Stratton said the grocery store initiative is a part of the state 2024 fiscal year budget that began in July of this year. With the help of people like Sens. Christopher Belt and Dale Fowler, and Rep. Mary Beth Canty they were able to come together to make the initiative. “We had these diverse legislators coming together to say we need to address the fact that there are too many not just food desserts, but we need to do more to help community and community led grocery stores,” Stratton said. Stratton emphasizes the importance of the grocery store being community-run because of the trend of large grocery store chains leaving small communities
An isle of snacks and home goods are stocked in the communities newest co-op store Oct. 20, 2023 at Rise Community Market in Cairo, Illinois. Photo by Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
because they’re not making the profit they expected. Before the initiative, Stratton traveled across the state, visiting communities and farmers to listen to what the people wanted. Along the way, Stratton met Sean Park who works for Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University. “Years ago, it was a Piggly Wiggly grocery store,” said Park, who’s working on a bigger community project in Cairo with other people from Western Illinois University. “That’s too
big for that town and the town is shrinking. Fortunately […] the Delta Regional Authority bought the building, and they did some upkeep on it.” It started when he told his idea to the lieutenant governor during an informal luncheon with members of the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council “She really liked it. She said, can you work in two different places? Can you work in Cairo, and can you work in... the Southside of Chicago,” Park said Park said because of the
building’s condition, several businesses inhabited it in the past but didn’t stay, and a space of that size was perfect for the grocery store. The store manager and Cairo resident Robert Edwards has around 20 years of experience and fits the job perfectly. “Just giving him a chance to actually work that grocery store and then when we get the meat department, we should be up to the sales numbers we need,” Park said. “Which hopefully will put us around $1.2 million in revenue
for the year.” Once Edwards is up to speed Park believes it will have a really big impact. But both Park and the board of the grocery store are already getting ideas for improvements. In early November the board of the co-op led by the president Gabrielle Harris held an informational meeting to get people to understand the importance of the co-op and the progress that has been made. “That’s where we’re really going at, to make sure that everyone understands the value of it being a co-op, said Harris in the meeting. “When it’s about making decisions, you’re part of that and we want you guys and young ladies to understand that as we move forward.” Being a part of the co-op means investing time into it which includes future committees, jobs that might need to be taken and volunteering to help around when needed, Harris said. “I think the number that was thrown out was maybe two hours a month, which is not a whole lot,” said Harris. “We just want everyone to actually start taking on that responsibility as far as being the owner member.” One of the reasons volunteering is needed since they had to lay off employees because they couldn’t continue to pay them with the store’s current revenue. Even with this happening, the board wants to make sure that the people help and come to them with anything that they want to communicate for improving the co-op moving forward. “It’s important to understand that you have a voice [...] you got to have individuals that can come and say, well, you know, maybe I can help here, or I can help there,” Harris said. “Before we leave, tonight, we’re going to ask everyone that’s a member, if they can volunteer your time.” To find more information on the Rise Community Market you can go to their website and the store’s gofundme. (Editor’s note: This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.) Sports editor Jamilah Lewis can be reached at jlewis@ dailyegyptian.com
Page 4 | News
Wednesday, January 24, 2023
SATs still problematic for some college hopefuls Yasmeen Hasan Guest Contributor
A quivering pencil, tightly clasped into the palm of nervous test taker. Trembling fingers latching on to the imprint of an orange number 2 emblem, with the fate of one’s future seemingly depending on whether or not empty bubbles are filled in correctly. Sleepless nights precede the dreaded three-hour exam, along with the worry of score expectations being met, and college dreams fulfilled. For several decades, the Scholastic Aptitude Test - more widely known as the SAT - has heavily dictated the hopes of teenage students looking to further their education after graduating high school. The test, taken during one’s junior year, was designed as a way to measure the knowledge students have gained, as an indication of their college readiness. It is broken up into a math section and an evidence-based reading and writing section. When Illinois switched to SAT as its primary exam seven years ago, new fears arose regarding what this would mean for the long preparation students would need to endure, and whether it was truly necessary for gauge success in college classes. “I felt the heavy pressure that my future would be over if I didn’t get a high enough score,” said Sereen Safi, a senior at Carl Sandburg High School. Safi recounts spending countless hours on her own time shuffling through old assignments, and even taking practice exams online to prepare. With dozens of homework assignments and quizzes still being thrown her way that school year, she felt it was difficult to concentrate on reviewing for the most important test in her life. “With all the homework we had still being assigned, the SAT became hard to focus on getting ready for,” Safi admits. From her early childhood into her adolescent years, Safi had never been a great test taker. She felt as though she understood a decent amount of the material but was never able to show just how much she knew. “I definitely had test taking anxiety,” confessed Safi, “I would do well on dayto-day assignments at school but would find myself making stupid mistakes on tests.” Along with the mental hurdle the SAT presented, she never had special days allocated towards getting ready for the exam specifically. “We had no real prep days in any of my classes,” she said, “and any scores we got on practice exams were never addressed.” In understanding Safi’s frustration, it is worth noting that being a junior in high school already presents stresses too high to count. Going through years of intense honors and Advanced Placement classes had left Safi feeling drained when it came time to take the exam in April 2023. For Safi, the issue wasn’t so much the content of the exam as it was the way questions were presented. “I felt there was no true way to
prepare because the wording on the SAT wasn’t the same as I was used to seeing in my everyday classes,” she stated. Having seen the common core curriculum evolve throughout her schooling years, she witnessed firsthand the complicated methods teachers were having students use to solve problems in her math classes. From learning how to solve long division problems to figuring out the complexities of geometric shapes, the ways she was taught to go about answering these questions often seemed inefficient. “Teachers had to change the way division was taught, so new methods were implemented,” Safi said, “but the traditional ways of solving these math problems were so much easier.” She believed, with the school system constantly trying to evolve its curriculum, the system ended up overcomplicating it and making it way too time consuming, especially compared to the way her older cousins had learned to solve the same math problems. Yasmine Monsour, a 2021 graduate of Lincoln Way Central High School, had the opportunity to take an SAT prep class leading up to the big test. “The class taught us different tips and tricks for finding the correct answer for several subjects covered on the exam,” Monsour said. Like Safi, Monsour felt the pressure from her teachers, being overwhelmed in the days leading up to the SAT. “They made it such a big deal, as if your college future is over if you don’t get a high score on the test,” she said. The writing portion at the end of the
exam was particularly problematic. “They grade the essays differently than how we learned to write in class, which is why my teachers mainly focused on the essay portion than any other.” Wendy Moss, an English teacher at Carl Sandburg High School, believes there needs to be more attention placed on reading practice when it comes to her school’s curriculum, especially when it comes to students preparing to study for the SAT. “In reading comprehension, I feel like students need to re-read something multiple times before they understand what they are reading.” She adds, “We need to add more reading into the curriculum, especially since Covid set everyone behind.” Moss believes the SAT isn’t necessarily an accurate measure of students’ knowledge. “It can show students’ perseverance and how serious they take things, but it really depends on the student; some test well and some don’t, and that’s okay.” While Moss does her best to get her students ready for the test, she recommends students make the most of online preparation sites on their own time to get more acquainted with topics covered. “There isn’t a set unit for preparing; I take the time where I include questions on my tests/quizzes that might be seen on the SAT,” Moss said. “I think students would also benefit from more preparation being done in classrooms,” A Schoolaro analysis done of the average score by each student who took the test in 2023 revealed that Illinois ranked near the lowest of all
states. Illinois had the eighth worst SAT performance nationwide, with an average score of 970. Many colleges and universities recommend students aim for 1200, with 1040 being the national average score. Since the pandemic, learning pertinent information has been a challenge for many students, with the shift to e-learning and lack of individual one-on-one time for help. High school grade point averages have been shown to be more indicative of college graduation than standardized test scores. A study done by Educational Research of students who graduated from Chicago Public Schools and ended up going to a 4 year college revealed higher GPAs correlated with a higher chance of students graduating. This is because high school GPA “measures a wider variety of skills” rather than focusing on the test taking ability of a student during a single three-hour period. It is more difficult to predict students’ college success from one isolated test, research shows. In recent years, many colleges and universities have made submitting ACT and SAT scores optional, solely requiring students’ high school transcript. At Carbondale’s Southern Illinois University - one of many schools who have made submitting test scores optional - the admissions department believes other factors are just as important, if not more, than an SAT score. SIU, along with many other universities and colleges, considers volunteer work and extra-curricular activities when admitting students. This has surely eased the stress of many
incoming college students, who used to have to rely greatly on high test scores for financial aid offers and scholarships. “Our students are more than a test score,” said SIU admissions officer Julie Strauss. Applying to colleges presents a myriad of stresses for high school students, who face uncertain futures and academic pressure. Teenagers are not defined by a number they receive on one exam, and their futures shouldn’t be shaped by how good they are at test taking. Being in a completely silent environment for several hours knowing they are being pitted against every one of their peers vying for college admission creates a distressing environment, making it inconducive to desired test results. Critics of the test say making ACT/ SAT optional for some colleges is a step in the right direction, but some believe it is the responsibility of schools to better ensure students feel more ready. “More time needs to be utilized in class for specific studying with reviewing content and question format,” said Safi, who is set to begin her freshman year at Moraine Valley Community College this spring. An ever-evolving curriculum can make it difficult for students to master one consistent way of learning throughout their schooling years. With three younger siblings, the trajectory of current teaching methods has Safi hesitant about the future of her brothers and sister. “The format is constantly changing, and I really don’t know what learning in school will look like for my little siblings as they get older.”
Wednesday, January 24, 2023
News | Page 5
Yarauseth Zavala | yzavala@dailyegyptian.com
BROADCAST CONTINUED FROM 1
was to image the inner corona, which is the atmosphere of the sun. “We’re trying to image parts of the sun that are hard to see,” she said. “Normally when you look at the sun, you see the surface, what we call the photosphere, but you don’t see the corona. So eclipses give us this unique opportunity.” Brevik described the experiment as “amazing” and “highly successful.” “We had fantastic teams that collected a lot of images. [The teams] were able to take that data they collected and…publish in scientific journals,” she said. “There were several articles that came out of it. So not only is this an amazing experience to learn how to use a telescope and image the eclipse, but these teams are collecting science-quality data, which is absolutely fantastic.” Brevik noted that the new DEB project is using the success of
Citizen CATE to its benefit. “Citizen CATE [was] highly successful,” she said. “Here comes 2024, and if you did it once, why would you not do it again? But you don’t want to do the same thing again, right? You gotta do something more.” The DEB Initiative has already exceeded some of its goals, Brevik said. “Our goal this time was to have seventy or more teams, and I think we’re up to almost eighty teams at the moment,” she said. The teams consist of new and experienced members. “Just like in 2017, these are volunteer citizen science groups,” Brevik said. “We have middle schools, we have high schools, we have college teams, we have amateur astronomy teams, and then we have some teams who have never done this before. This is their first telescope ever, and they’re learning how to use it.” Brevik said that twenty of the
groups are made up of all women. “They come from 4-H, Girl Scouts, FFA, Boys and Girls’ club, a whole bunch of teams that are doing this for the first time, so that’s super fun and exciting,” she said. All 80 teams are using the same type of telescope. While some elected to buy their own materials, the DEB Initiative received grants from NASA and the National Science Foundation, allowing them to provide groups with equipment, which they will get to keep for future projects. “If a team is really excited and they want to do more and they want to learn more, these telescopes are pretty high quality, so we will actually be able to use them to look for planets around other stars,” Brevik said. “We’ll also be able to look at stars that change their brightness…using these telescopes. If teams are interested, they can look at climate changes that affect the atmosphere, lunar eclipses and we can study changes in the earth’s shadow as it moves across the lunar eclipse. So there’s all sorts of follow-on projects that a team can do.” The total solar eclipse will take place on Monday, April 8. There will be numerous festivities in Carbondale leading up to the event, starting on Saturday, April 6. “Most of it is free, and it’s open to the public,” Brevik said. “People are welcome to come and go as they want.” Events include a Comic-Con on Saturday, astronomy, science and technology expo on Sunday and
Monday and an arts and crafts fair on Sunday and Monday. Eclipse Day and the Comic-Con are the only events that require tickets. Those attending Eclipse Day at Saluki Stadium will be provided glasses, and entrance is free for SIU students. Adler Planetarium, NASA and NASA Edge will be in attendance for the guided eclipse viewing. “This Eclipse Day in Saluki Stadium is not three hours of sitting and just watching the sun,” Brevik said. “Instead it’s gonna be highly interactive. [There will be] lots of interviews. We’ll be pulling those telescope feeds, so we’ll be able to [see] the eclipse happening in Mexico, crossing into the U.S…We’ll be able to track it, which also means we’ll be good to go regardless of the weather…We have a great backup plan because even if we don’t get to see the eclipse, we’re gonna be pulling in live feeds. There’s no way the whole country can be cloudy, so we’ll have good views.” All information about the Eclipse on SIU’s campus is available online. Brevik said that hundreds of volunteers are needed for the event, and anyone is welcome to get involved. A volunteer sheet will be posted within the next couple of weeks, she said, but if interested in helping with the telescope viewing, send her an email at corinne.brevik@siu.edu. She also encouraged all registered student organizations to come up with activities for the weekend. The webinar was hosted by the
Carbondale Branch American Association of University Women (AAUW). The national organization was established in 1881 and is open to anyone with an associates degree or higher, regardless of gender. “For over 140 years, AAUW has been a leading voice, promoting equity and education for women and girls,” Membership VicePresident Martha Ellert said. Today, the organization works to publish research reports, support the academic achievements of scholars, and advocate for laws such as the Title IX Amendment and the Family and Medical Leave Act. “Our Carbondale branch was founded in 1927,” Ellert continued. “Our ways of doing things have certainly changed and evolved through the intervening almost hundred years, but our core mission has been the same: to advance gender equity for women and girls. We host monthly programs, like this one, from September through May, and anyone is welcome to attend any of our programs.” Ellert also said that the Carbondale branch works to achieve its mission by awarding scholarships to women students at SIU, and it encourages those with similar goals and values to join. Those who are interested can reach out through the Carbondale Branch AAUW Facebook page or email msellert@aol.com. Staff reporter Carly Gist can be reached at cgist@dailyegyptian.com
Page 6 |
Wednesday, January 24, 2023
The Story of
Kayleb Wagner Photos taken by: Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
Looking back on the freshman year of SIU’s running back
Kayleb Wagner presents his game-worn jersey to young fan Hank moments after the end of the annual Blackout Cancer game Nov. 4, 2023 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. Saluki fans have the opportunity to bid on jerseys and choose a name to go on the back. Hank’s family bid to put his first name on the back of Wagner’s jersey with a winning bid of $333. Similarly to Wagner, Hank also has a limb difference. The game raised $24,000 for the Coach Kill Cancer Fund that is paid out to Southern Illinois Hospital (SIH) Foundation.
Kayleb Wagner (25) runs towards the sidelines after scoring his first collegiate touchdown in the home opener against Austin Peay Sept. 2, 2023 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.
Kayleb Wagner (25) looks back for the throw as he runs through running back drills as the Salukis prepare in an afternoon practice to take on FBS school Northern Illinois later in the week Sept. 6, 2023 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs lgibbs@dailyegptian.com
Kayleb Wagner pulls himself up in a set of pull-ups in a morning workout Nov. 11, 2023 in SIU’s weight room in Carbondale, Illinois.
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Wednesday, January 24, 2023
Saluki football recruited more than 30 freshmen in the 2023 class, but one faces unique challenges. Kayleb Wagner, a state record-setting running back in high school, was born without a left forearm or hand. In July, the then-19-year-old Florida native moved to Carbondale to begin his collegiate career as a running back. He spent the summer participating in kids camps, volunteering at Rendleman Orchards with other freshmen and working out in the fall training camp in August. “I haven’t seen my momma since July,” Wagner said. “I’m getting kind of homesick.” He began visiting the southern Illinois area the summer before his senior year of high school when he worked with younger kids in Nubability, a summer camp hosted in Du Quoin, Illinois. It works to get limb different youth into mainstream
sports. This later resulted in Wagner’s visit to SIU. “I came from over that to over here on an unofficial visit and then they showed me around, took some pictures and they offered me,” he said. Between classes and all the responsibilities of a college athlete, Wagner’s day revolves around Saluki football beginning at 5 a.m. and ending past 6 p.m. most days. “I know a majority of my day is at the facility,” Wagner said. “I wake up at like 5 o’clock, we got 6 a.m. lifts and you know I’m there from like, to the lifts is like seven something (...) then we got meetings, I leave to go to my class at 8:30. I come back after my second class [and] got my academic meeting at 11. Then I’m there basically until practice is over that night at like 5:30, 6 o’clockish.” Wagner spent his first season at SIU as a redshirt freshman, meaning he would get little to no playing time in a live game. Though he suited up for most home games and a few on the road,
Wagner watched the team in their successful 8-5 season from the sidelines. “I think it’s great for me,” Wagner said. “You know, I think everybody needs to be humbled a little bit. And I think, you know, like all of us come from high school. I’m not saying I’m not humble. I’m saying everybody coming from high school, who was the man, who’s been the man. I feel like not playing, not traveling. Like last week was a real eye opening experience for me when I had to sit in the stands and watch my team so I like that is also motivation.” Although Wagner did not play very much in his first season with the team, he believes the experience both in practice and during a collegiate gameday environment will be beneficial moving forward. “Listen, I’m not doing this again next year,” Wagner said. “Yeah, so like, I’m gonna travel, I’m gonna dress, I’m gonna go to every game because no matter what anybody says they want
to be at every game, they want to be dressed in a uniform. And I think it just gives you motivation out there to make that happen.” Despite his redshirt status, the running back got to step on the field during a live game for the first time during the Salukis home opener against Austin Peay. During his limited action, Wagner was even able to rush for a touchdown, the first of what he hopes are many to come in his SIU career. “Working all summer doing all that and finally getting an opportunity to play in a game and then I score, it was definitely a highlight you know,” Wagner said. “If I look back every year I’m gonna look back on my freshman year that’ll definitely be the highlight.” Having to catch a ball one handed, work out in a unique routine and approach things a bit differently sets his day-to-day routine apart from his teammates. However, this has never stopped Wagner, as shown by the running back’s stellar high school career. Among his accomplishments, Wagner broke current Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry’s single game rushing yard record as a junior and now holds the Florida high school state record at 525 yards. “I knew I had ran for a mile that night,” Wagner said. “But I didn’t know how much I ran for. In the moment it was just kind of like “let’s win the game.”” Henry subsequently invited Wagner to the Tennessee game against Jacksonville where he met and spoke to him on the sidelines. “We still talk sometimes,” Wagner said. “Like the beginning of the year he texted me and told me, like, keep my head up. Like, you know, things are gonna get rough. You know, look at
him, he didn’t really play his freshman year and stuff like that.” Rather than setting him back, being an athlete with a limb difference motivates Wagner to work harder in order to both inspire and be a form of representation for the younger generation. “The kids like me that have limb differences… when I was a kid growing up, I didn’t have nobody like that to really like look up to,” Wagner said. “I think what motivates me is just keep doing what I’m doing, keep inspiring kids like that. There’s so many kids coming to my games, that drive hours and hours to see me play. You know, just to like, just to watch.” According to Wagner, one young boy drove over two hours to come watch his game after being connected through a mutual friend. “Before the game he kind of had his arm like hid in his jacket or whatever, blah, blah, and then after I scored my first touchdown, he kind of like rolled his sleeve up like put his arm on the fence and was acting normal.” Wagner said. “I was like that right there you know, that’s more special than breaking a record or winning a state championship or anything that right there is like, you know, like, wow, I’m impacting this kid, you know?” Wagner has been a source of inspiration for more than just one young fan. Saluki football hosts an annual Blackout Cancer game each year, during which community members get to bid on players jerseys in weeks prior to the game. The winner of Wagner’s jersey bid a total of $333 to have the name of a young boy, “Hank”, on the back. Hank also was born with a limb difference. “I didn’t even notice it at first until actually,
till the game and I was like ‘oh, okay, that’s cool’,” Wagner said. “Even up here, I’m still impacting people you know, and I think the impact I’m leaving on the kids or the younger generation limb difference people is like a great impact.” Spending the first year as a redshirt was Wagner’s preference coming in as a freshman in order to extend his eligibility and time as a college athlete. “My next upcoming years I hope to accomplish, you know, winning a national championship, that’s the ultimate goal you know, that’s everybody’s ultimate goal,” Wagner said. “I just hope to, you know, be a good leader, [a] good positive role model and the younger kids that continue to come in, my teammates, and just be the best player in person I can be because, the better I am and it’ll make people better around me and the better I help, the more encouraged and the more I do. I think the goal is to make everybody else around you better so that we all [get] better because there’s no “I” in team. So it’s a team sport. So everybody has to be good, It’s not just a one man job.” The Salukis ended the 2023 season with a second round playoff exit against Idaho, and their 8-5 record marked their best season since 2009. The team kicks off the next season against power-five school Brigham Young University (BYU) on August 31, when Wagner hopes to burn his redshirt status and get his collegiate career on the run. Photo Editor Lylee Gibbs can be reached at lgibbs@dailyegyptian.com.
Page 8 | News
CAMPUS BUILDINGS CONTINUED FROM 1
institutions “refers to repairs and upkeep of assets and infrastructure that are rescheduled into the future due to limited resources.” “These repairs typically include items that are essential for maintaining the structural integrity and usability of buildings, such as roofs, HVAC systems, windows and exterior structure maintenance,” she said in a statement. “SIU prioritizes repairs that directly address health and safety concerns.” While the university has promised to update campus infrastructure in the coming years, the issue seems to have reached a boiling point as faculty and students are noticing the dire state of buildings all over campus. Faner Hall Faner Hall, which was built in 1974, shows up in the reports as a repeat offender. It popped up 547 times. Issues prompting calls from faculty, students and staff included plumbing issues, electrical problems, ventilation troubles and concerns about the temperature inside the building. One student, who asked that her name be withheld, who worked in the building, said it was “steaming hot in there” in the summer. “When I tell you it was steaming hot in there … like it was hot.” “It was just not a conducive area for me as a person to work at,” the student said. “Like there would be times where I would just have to step out to just get a cool period,” she said, noting that a coworker was asthmatic, and for her, it was particularly problematic. “There’s been a lot of insects. A lot of roaches. When I come back to the office, I’ll literally find like two to three roaches on the ground,” explained the student. “I actually even took a roach home. Cause I had my bag on the floor and I was doing work on the computer. I didn’t even know till I got home and I just saw something crawl out of my bookbag. I was so terrified,” Alyssa Poker, a student at SIUC, has to go to Faner Hall repeatedly, as many of her classes meet inside the building. Faner is a concern for her, too. “I’ve had almost all of my classes in Faner every single semester, and I’ve noticed one of the biggest issues is water damage. And water damage always leads to mold if it’s not dealt with properly,” Poker said. “If you look at the tiles, there’s water damage marks in like every classroom. I’ve been in a classroom in Faner, I think it was on the second floor, that’s where most of my classes are, where there was mold on the walls. It was kind of concerning, cause I don’t really want to be in a classroom where there’s mold,”
Wednesday, January 24, 2023 Health Concerns Building issues extend beyond Faner Hall, and some of the issues pose health risks. Two of the biggest concerns for those calling the maintenance department: mold and bugs. In the same maintenance log, there were 55 complaints about mold across campus buildings and 324 instances of complaints regarding water leaks. There were 24 instances of complaints regarding various insects. One professor who works in the Communications Building and asked that her name be withheld, said that she wears a mask in her office “because the air quality is so poor.” “If I don’t wear a mask, I get stuffy and cough. If I wear a mask it’s better,” she said. “The university takes health-related concerns seriously,” Simmers said. “Our deferred maintenance planning prioritizes repairs that address health and safety issues. If individuals experience issues such as mold, insects or temperature concerns, they are encouraged to reach out to foc. facilities@siu.edu and the university will promptly investigate and address these matter,” Academic Disruptions The troubling state of campus buildings is also affecting classroom instruction, the records and various interviews indicate. “Some of the tech in the COMM building is outdated and can be finicky,” said Justin Young, assistant lecturer in Communication Studies. “Projectors not working or sound not working has been an issue a few times for a class. I will add that SalukiTech has generally been very fast in responding and fixing it after the class, but obviously it’s a little late then for that day.” The Communications building in particular seems to be in dire need of an update. Nearly four years ago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that the state would invest $84 million into upgrading the building, which was constructed in 1964. But the project has faced numerous delays, leading to frustrations. Technology concerns appear to be widespread. Poker explained her experience with poor internet around campus, which inhibited her ability to do classwork. “I think the worst classroom I have experienced internet issues with is Lawson. It may just be a personal thing, but I can’t use my phone at all when I’m in Lawson and my computer never works. I have a really big classroom in Lawson, of maybe 100 people. We have to take attendance on our laptops and we have probably half the class, every single day, that can’t take attendance because the internet doesn’t load anything.” Simmers said that campus officials
are “aware of these concerns, and we are working to address them.” “While balancing needs with available funds will always be necessary, SIU identified technology infrastructure investments as part of its Imagine 2030 strategic plan,” she said. “The Office of Information Technology (OIT) partners with academic and administrative units on campus to prioritize technology improvements for labs, classrooms and offices. In addition, OIT uses input from students provided through surveys, focus groups, etc. to identify student-focused infrastructure priorities.” Simmers said that in the last four fiscal years, SIU has replaced network and Wi-Fi infrastructure in residence halls, upgraded Wi-Fi throughout academic buildings and replaced computers in the computer learning centers, Morris Library and math tutoring center labs. “If someone has specific concerns about technology, it is recommended to work with the leadership in the specific campus area to address and improve the situation,” she added. Campus Housing For the students who live in campus housing, the poor building conditions don’t stop when they leave the classroom. A separate maintenance log maintained by University Housing shows that many of the same issues – water leaks, mold and bugs, for example – extend to living quarters as well. Between 2019 to 2023, students logged 1,068 instances of requests pertaining to bugs or insects, 2,091 maintenance requests regarding heating, 424 requests regarding mold and 5,470 maintenance requests regarding plumbing, according to the records, also obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
Josh Bello, who recently worked as a resident advisor, said he fielded a multitude of complaints from student residents. “Many of the water fountains are still turned off or are not working. There were many complaints about roaches and wasps in people’s rooms. There were a couple of instances of rooms flooding from broken or clogged pipes,” Bello said. Janiyah Gaston, a SIUC student who stays in Schneider Hall, said she’s had numerous issues with plumbing in the building. “So like one day my shower was leaking, apparently, to the next floor down. So maintenance had to come up and fix that. And now, me and my suitemates, our toilet is leaking. So that’s a concern I have because my plumbing should be working and I shouldn’t have to worry about water leaking or anything like that,” she said. She’s also been bothered by the bugs. “The towers, they do have a ladybug issue. So I had like, ladybug after ladybug in my dorm,” Gaston said. “I think I sent like four maintenance requests for them to sweep and vacuum. After the fourth one they put like this little stopper under my door which had been allowing the ladybugs to come in. So, after that I didn’t have that problem anymore.” Gaston explained that maintenance was usually on top of the requests and got each problem fixed quickly. However, she added that due to the structure being so old, maintenance was a common need. Schneider Hall was constructed in 1968. Indeed, many of the buildings on campus were constructed a long time ago. While the university has been steadily updating campus infrastructure and has plans to continue doing so, that hasn’t stopped faculty and students from noticing the cracks and leaks which currently plague the campus.
Wednesday, January 24, 2023
Calendar | Page 9
Community Calendar Wednesday Jan. 17 Student Information Station 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Student Center Crosshalls Contact: Charles M Walker, cmwalker@siu.edu SPC Novelty: License Plates 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM Student Center North Table #2 Contact: Sean Cooney, seandvcooney@siu.edu
Contact Us
Alpha Gamma Delta Recruitment Event 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM Student Center Kaskaskia/Missouri Contact: Natalie Distlehorst, natalie.distlehorst@siu.edu InterVarsity Chapter Night 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Student Center Ohio Contact: Annie McCormick, anniemccormick@siu.edu Friday Jan. 19
Sustainability and STEM Hands-On Activities 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Student Center SC - Sustainability Hub Contact: Aimee Lemrise, sustainability@siu.edu
Sustainability and STEM Hands-On Activities 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Student Center - Sustainability Hub Contact: Aimee Lemrise, sustainability@siu.edu
Student Support Services Spring 2024 Orientation 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Student Center Old Main Room Contact: Erica Dominick, erica.dominick@siu.edu
DPS Bike Registration 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Student Center North Table #2 Contact: Kent Epplin, kepplin@siu.edu
Men’s basketball: SIU vs Bradley 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM Banterra Center Contact: Saluki Athletics, SIUTicketOffice@siu.edu
Women’s Basketball: SIU vs Indiana State 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM Banterra Center Contact: Saluki Athletics, SIUTicketOffice@siu.edu
Thursday Jan. 18 DCFS 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Student Center North Table #2 Contact: Nicole Wood, nicole.wood@siu.edu My Saved Objects Soaps and Lotions LLC 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Student Center The Exchange Contact: Candace Weingart, candace@mysavedobjects.com Sustainability and STEM Hands-On Activities 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Student Center - Sustainability Hub Contact: Aimee Lemrise, sustainability@siu.edu Winston’s Bagels Welcome Back! 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Faner Main Breezeway Contact: Layla Murphy, layla@siu.edu
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Saturday Jan. 20 State of Illinois - African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission Public Hearing 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Guyon Auditorium Contact: MaCassa Johnson, macassa.johnson@illinois.gov Sunday Jan. 21 Women’s Basketball: SIU vs Evansville 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM Banterra Center Contact: Saluki Athletics, SIUTicketOffice@siu.edu Tuesday Jan. 23 Alpha Gamma Delta Recruitment Event 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM Student Center Kaskaskia/Missouri Contact: Natalie Distlehorst, natalie.distlehorst@siu.edu
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The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale on a weekly basis. Fall and spring semester editions run every Wednesday. Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale, Carterville, and Springfield communities. The Daily Egyptian can be found at www.dailyegyptian.com or on the Daily Egyptian app!
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Letters and guest columns must be submitted with author’s contact information, preferably via email. Phone numbers are required to verify authorship, but will not be published. Students must include their year and major. Faculty must include rank and department. Others include hometown. Submissions should be sent to editor@dailyegyptian.com
Page 10 | Sports
Wednesday, January 24, 2023
Salukis take defeat after a close game with Northern Iowa
Jamilah Lewis jlewis@dailyegptian.com
The Salukis played a good game against Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Saturday just falling short four near the end with the Panthers taking the win. “I think we did enough to put ourselves in a position to win,” said head coach Bryan Mullins on how the team performed on the court. “Obviously didn’t shoot the ball well and we just got to be able to make some shots on the road and execute a bit better to be able
to get a road win.” Northern Iowa team came in ready to win with head coach Ben Jacobson being a five-time MVC Coach of the Year and holding the record of all-time wins by a coach at Northern Iowa. In the first half, both teams kept the score almost tied most of the time, with a good balance of both offense and defense with threepointers from guard Trent Brown and forward Troy D’Amico. “I thought the guys were pretty connected as a group out there,”
Mullins said. “It was a physical game but we were able to get some stops when we needed to and had opportunities to win this game.” The Salukis led the game by one point with a score of 30 to 29 going into the second half, with multiple offensive and defensive rebounds, four three-pointers from Trent Brown, Jarrett Hansley, and two from Xavier Johnson, with him scoring 17 points in total. “I thought he was a little bit tentative and trying to attack it,” Mullins said about Johnson’s
performance in the first half. “I was able to talk to him at halftime he was able to figure some things out in that second half, played some much aggressive and you know made some big plays for us.” With only a few seconds left in the game to tie it, Xavier Johnson prepped for the three-pointer, but ultimately missed, giving the win to the Panthers. “You know he’s going to be in those positions, we trust X with the ball whether it’s to shoot it or
pass it,” Mullins said. “And we’ll keep going to him.” The Salukis take on the Valparaiso Crusaders at Banterra Center on Wednesday at 7:00 pm. To stay up to date on all your southern Illinois news, be sure to follow The Daily Egyptian on Facebook and @dailyegyptian on X [formerly known as Twitter]. Sports Editor Jamilah Lewis can be reached at jlewis@dailyegyptian.com.
Salukis 99 beat evansville 60 Photos taken by: Jason Isele jisele@dailyegyptian.com
Junior Forward Seairra Hughes (21) scores against the University of Evansville with a lay-up Jan. 21, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois.
Assistant Coach Jordan Jones discusses a strategy for SIU to maintain the lead before the fourth quarter.
Junior Forward Laniah Randle (4) performs a lay-up as she scores two points.
Senior Guard Quierra Love (0) runs across the court with the ball.
Senior Guard Quierra Love (0) points to an area on the court for a teammate to go to and score.
Sports | Page 11
Wednesday, January 24, 2023
Salukis 63 Vs. indiana state 64 Photos taken by: Libby Phelps @libbyphelpsphotography
SIU freshman Maddy Saracco looks to pass to another player.
Adrianna Katcher pushes through the Sycamore blocks during the game against Indiana State Jan. 19, 2024 at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois.
Se’Quoia Allmond (40) passes towards Tkiyah Nelson (23).
Jaidynn Mason jumps up towards the hoop to score for the Salukis.
Page 12 | Entertainment and Culture
Wednesday, January 24, 2023
: s r e k o o l n o c Aquati c e R e h t t a ia k a d e b h C u n c a S hotos take by: En n.com P gyptia e y l i a d @ echediak
A group of students learn to put equipment on and prepare to try scuba diving in the shallow part of the pool. Parker Handley (right), a student at SIU, and Jeremiah Jahn (left) dive in the deep end of the pool with their scuba diving gear Jan. 19, 2024 at the Dr. Edward J. Shea Natatorium at the SIU Rec Center in Carbondale, Illinois.
A group of divers prepare for students to try scuba diving by checking equipment
A group of divers prepare for students to try scuba diving in the shallow part of the pool.
Parker Handley (right), a student at SIU, and Jeremiah Jahn (left) dive in the deep end of the pool with their scuba diving gear.