The Daily Egyptian - March 6, 2024

Banged-up Salukis showing resilience heading into postseason

How landlord Loretta Cooley went from mobile homes to multimillion dollar success

caRly Gist | cGist@dailyeGyptian com

Wedgewood Hills Apartments is the product of decades of hard work and overcoming adversity. Starting with a trailer court, Loretta Cooley made her dream come true one fateful day in 1985.

“It [opening day] was different,” Cooley said. “I had, I think, 24 used mobile homes is all I had for equity. And I flew to Elkhart, Indiana and bought 26 brand new ones…It was kind of [a] thrill for the new ones to come in and set

them up and everything.”

Over the next ten years, Wedgewood Apartments was born at 1101 East Park Street. Today, the main office is painted blue (Cooley’s favorite color) and the interior is cozy, making guests feel welcome even before they are officially at home.

“I think our key to the success is we care about our tenants…When you move into an apartment here it’s going to be perfect. People

Ryan GRieseR RGRieseR@dailyeGyptian com

The SIU women’s basketball team isn’t going to let their season end without a fight.

“The biggest thing I want them to do is compete,” head coach Kelly-Bond-White said. “When we walk into that locker room, our gas tank should be on E.”

The Salukis, who have been bitten hard by the injury bug, are limping into Hoops in the Heartland, the Missouri Valley Conference’s conference tournament for women’s basketball. Several players are nursing injuries, while at least one has been lost for the remainder of the year.

“We’ve had two surgeries this week, and a docket of a couple more later on. It’s just part of the game, the adversity that you hit,” Bond-White said.

These injuries have forced the coaching staff to have to constantly integrate different pieces into the rotation on a nightly basis and have led to many different lineups being on the

floor this year. The Salukis have had 14 unique starting lineups in 27 games, and 10 different players have started games.

Bond-White isn’t deterred by the challenges posed by injuries, saying, “as long as I’ve got seven, we can make something happen.”

Upperclassmen Quierra Love and Laniah Randle are the only players to start every game this season. While it may be easy to blame some of the struggles on a revolving door of lineups, Love refuses to do so.

“We all play together in practice, we switch it up, so we get some time with each other in different rotations, different lineups. We just have a great team where everyone is ready to step up at any given time,” Love said.

Despite several losses and a seemingly ever-growing injury report, Bond-White’s team has still competed hard in their last few games, including taking the fourth-place team in the Valley, Illinois State, into overtime.

One sign that they aren’t giving

Empowering Women: Carbondale prepares for Air Race Classic

In the world of air racing, skilled pilots navigate challenging courses spanning thousands of miles. The stories of female aviators often intertwine because of the Air Race Classic (ARC), an all-female aviation competition that pushes the boundaries of strategy and camaraderie within the aviation community.

This year, the ARC will begin in Carbondale at the Southern Illinois Airport. As competitors gear up for the 2024 race, many women are reflecting on their journeys into aviation, the challenges faced in the previous races and the impact this event has on their lives and the broader world of women in aviation.

The Saluki Aces is a collegiate team with two members from SIU. The team competed in the 2023 ARC last June, and finished second both overall and amongst collegiate teams. The team is hoping to compete again this year.

Graci McDaniel, pilot of the team, said, “I found my interest in aviation from wanting to become an astronaut, surprisingly. Although that’s still my ultimate dream, aviation seemed like the best way to go about it, without the chance to be stuck behind a desk for the next 20 or so years of my life.”

McDaniel had family members who were connected to the aviation industry, which piqued her initial interest and influenced her decision to get involved herself.

“My grandpa, Calvin McDaniel, founded the Pinckneyville airport, so aviation was a common theme in stories told at the dinner table. I took my first discovery flight my junior year of high school, and I fell in love with the profession. Hopefully as commercial space travel becomes a commodity, there will be an opportunity to help or even fly rockets one day,” McDaniel said.

She originally became involved

Adrianna Katcher (24) and Sydney Prochaska (3) hug after the SIU vs. Bradley matchup March 2, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Enan Chediak | echediak@dailyegyptian.com

HEARTLAND HOOPS | 9

Loretta Cooley, owner of Wedgewood Hills, sits behind her desk in her office Feb. 28, 2024 at 1001 E Park St. in Carbondale, Illinois. Libby Phelps | @libbyphelpsphotography COOLEY | 10

Women photojournalists of washington Exhibit

Photos by Dominique Martinez-Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography

Anna-Rose Layden, a photographer based in Washington D.C. laughs as she gives a speech talking about what she does as a photojournalist. “Covering protests and rallies is a huge part of my job in addition to photographing inside of the big white buildings,” Layden said.

Group of attendees listen as Guest speaker Anna-Rose Layden speaks during the Women Photojournalists of Washington Exhibit Feb. 23, 2024 at Sharp Museum in Carbondale, Illinois.

Associate professor Antonio Martinez and SIU student Deangelo Handley talk over the photos displayed.

Julia Rendleman, SIU’s photojournalism professor, and Ester Hays, a guest of the women photojournalists of Washington Exhibit, chat with guests.

Attendees at the Women Photojournalists of Washington Exhibit mingle amongst themselves.

“She was at the forefront of her field”: the “Duchess” of journalism

From covering the New York World Fair to almost getting shot at outside a mobster’s hospital room, a journalist named Virginia Marmaduke paved the way for other women in her field across the nation.

“She was at the forefront of her field as a female reporter in Chicago and in Illinois. She had the opportunity to cover stories that most other females of her time weren’t able to cover and that’s because of both her reputation and the attention to detail that she paid,” said Molly Hudgins, executive director of SIU Alumni Association.

Many notable females have impacted the SIU community. Marmaduke inspired female journalists then gave back to the school through scholarships and service.

“She was very caring about students. She didn’t have any children of her own so anything she could do to help advance the career of an SIU student, she would do that. So she set up a scholarship in her name through the school of journalism,” said Jak Tichenor, Statehouse Correspondent for Illinois Lawmakers public TV series.

Maramaduke started her journalism career in Southern Illinois at the Herrin Daily Journal. There, she covered every type of story from socialites to crime. After spending many years there, she moved up to Chicago and began working for the Chicago Sun.

“She was a very good reporter and had some years of experience before she went to Chicago and she actually wrote about organized crime in Southern Illinois during the 1920s,” Tichenor said.

During the time, female reporters were typically assigned fashion and society stories to report on. Maramaduke asked to write about crime and sports. She was the first female reporter at the Chicago Sun to cover those topics, as well as one of the first female reporters in the nation.

“That was unheard of, you know, for a female to do that at that point in time. One of the things that she had said was a quote from her that she wanted to “cover the blood, the guts and the sex,” said Toibretta Reiman, corporate board secretary and assistant to executive director at the alumni association.

At the Chicago Sun, Marmaduke worked to investigate her stories first hand.

“The head of the crime family was in the hospital dying, so she and her photographer went to the hospital and found the guy. They spotted her peeking from the closet and the mobster who was still in the hospital bed pulled a gun and he was going to shoot her. She pulled off her high heel shoes and plopped the guy with it. She and her photographer were able to make a hasty retreat out of there,” Tichenor said.

In the newsroom, Marmaduke was given the nickname “Duchess” by her

editor at the Chicago Sun. The nickname stuck with her throughout her career. “He said ‘well you got MaraDuke as your last name so I’ll just call you the Duchess’ and that’s how they came to call her the Duchess. She went by that nickname throughout her entire career,” Tichenor said.

The nickname was used for her radio talk show called Coffee with the Duchess and when her radio show moved to television, it was called Date with the Duchess. Both shows took place after she finished her journalism career.

“She got to interview not only the president and probably gangsters, you know those things, I mean she interviewed Queen Elizabeth at one point, which I thought was pretty fascinating,” Reiman said.

Marmaduke was connected back to Southern Illinois when the president of the university, Delyte Morris, reached out to her about writing about the expansions of SIU.

“She wrote a series of articles about SIU and really helped Morris get the word out about Southern Illinois University. In those days, and that was a time when SIU was going through major expansion and there’s all sorts of different connections with her here, but that was always one of her favorite stories,” Tichenor said.

After retirement, Marmaduke moved back down to Southern Illinois to live in a log cabin in Pinckneyville. She spent her free time involving herself in the SIU community, WSIU and Public TV fundraising.

“She was an unofficial spokesperson for SIU. Anything she could do to promote the university she was happy to do. She would help people with the news media and search connections to get stories out about the university back in the day and she was always willing to help raise money for the university,” Tichenor said.

While working for WSIU, Marmaduke co-hosted broadcasts and

covered events throughout Southern Illinois. She even commentated on parades that were broadcast on TV.

“I went to the apple festival parade and it was her and another guy from WSIU and they were the commentators for the parade, it was on TV through WSIU. I remember because you could hear her as you’re going by in the parade and she’d say

oh there’s our queen and she’d say my name and she goes ohh she’s from my hometown where I live and it was just fun,” Reiman said.

Marmaduke received many awards for her accomplishments during her career. She was the recipient of a Lincoln Academy Laureate and was noted in the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame, as well as being the first

on the Chicago Sun editorial staff.

“She was well respected enough at a time when there weren’t a lot of journalism awards given to women,” Hudgins said.

Staff reporter Alli Goering can be reached at agoering@dailyegyptian.com

woman

Alli GoerinG AGoerinG@dAilyeGyptiAn com

Photos provided by Alumni Association.

Photos provided by Alumni Association.

SIU Women’s Club offers friendship, networking and scholarship opportunities

Jasmine Thompson JasmineThompson@dailyegypTian com

Dating back to 1937, the Southern Illinois University Women’s Club organized social, educational and cultural informal social events for all the women in the SIU community.

The SIU’s Women’s Club became a formally recognized organization in 1948 and it continues to grow.

Today, it has nearly 200 members.

Nancy Mundschenk, the president-elect said, “So over that time, we can talk about membership, we’ve continued to grow, evolve, and respond to our membership in a couple of ways.”

The mission statement goes as follows: “This shall be a social organization, the purpose of which shall be to afford its members opportunities to broaden their acquaintances, to further friendships, and serve Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the women of Southern Illinois in any way the group may deem advisable.”

Membership Director Olga Weidner said, “There was more a feeling that people at the club needed to be formalized to become more known in the community because at first people thought that the qualifications to join were different. But you know, it included everyone, women of any age, either be a 4E student or a grader or had an affiliation with a student or anyone at Southern Illinois University,” Organizing events and building a community requires the effort of

many people. The board members are an important part of this process. They each have the skills and knowledge that they bring to the table. They work hard to plan and coordinate activities, promote the event, and connect with attendees to ensure success.

The Board of Directors for this year are:

•President Deb Barnett

•President-Elect Nancy Mundschenk

•Secretary Courtney DouglasLedbetter

•Treasurer June Gibbs

•Program Director Gena Albert

•Communications Director Stacy Morgan

•Historical Director Tamara Workman

•Technological Director Vanessa Sneed

•Interest Group Director April Teske

•Membership Director Olga Weidner

•Scholarship Director Deb Sarvela

•Past President Amelia Ketzle

The board members understand the importance of education and are committed to supporting their members through financial assistance.

“Yes, we have um, monthly meetings. So we’re doing this once a month. And everyone gets to go to the president, vice secretary and treasurer. So it’s a typical kind of thing, how much money do we have? How are our communication strategies? What are we doing on

membership?” Mundschenk said.

The Women’s Club offers two $2,000 scholarships to female undergraduate students: The Dorothy Morris Traditional Student Scholarship and The Joyce Guyon Non-Traditional Scholarship.

Mundschenk said, “We plan a program that brings our focus to scholarships to be sure to get as many scholarships as we can. It’s going to depend on the generosity of our members whether we’re going to receive scholarships a year. We honor recipients of our scholarships. We’ll pay attention to that again.”

The first scholarship was named in honor of Dorothy Morris, who made a profound impact on the Southern Illinois University community. This scholarship is specifically designed for female students who are traditionally pursuing their undergraduate degrees.

The second scholarship is the Joyce Guyon Non-Traditional Scholarship, which is available to female undergraduate students who are returning to school after a break in their education or who are pursuing their degree in a non-traditional manner. This scholarship is named in honor of Joyce Guyon, who was a strong advocate for women’s education and empowerment.

Weidner said, “Later on when Joyce Guyon passed away, we felt that she had taught all these years. She had been a first lady for years.

And we felt it was important to name a non-traditional scholarship.”

Those are not the only scholarships available however.

“For the past several years, we’ve been giving three scholarships. This year, we’re giving four. So that’s something we haven’t touched at all and it’s a donation. So these women are supporting them out there.”

Mundschenk said.

Women’s Club also provides over 20 different interest groups to its members.

These include for this year:

•Adventure Gals

•Antiques and Collectibles

•Book Discussion – Afternoon

•Breakfast Group

•Bridge – Afternoon

•Bridge – Couples

•Chinese Dongxi

•Community Service and Volunteerism

•Cuisine of the World

•Culinary Cruisers

•Cultural Events of Southern Illinois

•Euchre & More

•Evening at the Cinema

•Gentle Toning, Stretching, and Yoga (GTSY)

•Knitting and Stitching

•Meet ‘n Eat

•Opera Group

•Scrabble

•SIU Athletics Group

•Suitcase Sisters

•Welcoming Newcomers Dinner Group

“Well, first of all, the most important thing is that we engage the membership to participate

in events. We try to find out what interests them in programs. And when they come, we value their participation, so it makes a difference. We give their opinions as to what they would like to see in those programs,” Weidner said.

The fall tea has been a signature event of the SIU Women’s Club for many years. In recent times, it has evolved into the Afternoon Tea, which is held at the Stone Center. This event is highly anticipated by the members, as it gives them a chance to dress up, enjoy some tea, indulge in snacks and socialize with other members.

“It used to be The High Tea, the president’s wife, and it was at the Stone Center, and it was tea. We still have the tea set, and we put it on the table, and we have the scrapbook of previous events, and everything,” Mundschenk said. “But for our teas, we still graciously accept the support of the president’s office and Mrs. Maloney, so that’s great so that our members can go for free. But, yes, I think it’s a more dynamic and interactive kind of event now. I was glad that we had it outside, that we all met under the tent,”

The club has its next event on April 25, celebrating and recognizing the scholarship recipients at its Spring Business Meeting from 4:30-7 p.m. at the University Museum Sharp Gallery.

Staff reporter Jasmine Thompson can be reached at jasminethompson@dailyegyptian.com

Dune II outshines the original

peyTon cook pcook@dailyegyTpian com

Dune I is boring, but Dune II is so much more.

While the first entry in the Dune series was dragged down by its extensive worldbuilding, the sequel took that world and provided an immersive experience that lives up to the expectations set up by the original.

Dune II is definitely one to see in a theater with surround sound that shakes the seats and brings each scene to life. The visuals are stunning with beautifully-choreographed action. The special effects did not take away from the narrative, and the music added just the right amount of dramatic flair to enhance its story even further.

The movie takes place directly after the first, and continues the journeys of the original characters while introducing new members of the cast without feeling bloated. Even side characters get time to shine.

The music score is intense and captures the attention of anyone

looking away from the screen. Dune is compared to Star Wars and for the score to set itself apart from John Williams’ famous one is impressive.

Dune I had issues in that the music was overpowering the dialogue, but the sequel rarely has this problem. The movie takes advantage of its dramatic yet unspoken scenes to make the music loud and let the audience know that something is about to happen.

The movie does not contain many slow moments, but the action is believable and steals the audience’s attention. It also plays into the narrative; the Fremen, the people residing on Arrakis, the sand planet on which the movie is set, have lived there for generations, and it is cool to see how they use “Desert Power” in their environment to gain the advantage in battle.

On the downside, with roughly 15 to 20 minutes of trailers, the audience is sitting in the theater for three hours. But after being delayed for four months following the

Hollywood strike, the movie is well worth the wait.

Dune II does cover a lot of information that is provided in the first movie. It is highly recommended to watch or rewatch the first movie –currently streaming on Max – before seeing the sequel.

Some highlights in the all-star cast include Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Austin Butler and Timothée Chalamet.

A third movie is possibly in the works, but that depends on the success of the second one. The second movie wraps up very nicely, as opposed to the first Dune which felt unfinished. The sequel ends at a great point while leaving room to complete the trilogy. Trigger warnings include violence and blades.

The full spoiler version will be available at www.dailyegyptian. com later in the week.

Design chief Peyton Cook can be reached at pcook@dailyegyptian.com

in the ARC because of her co-pilot, Meadow Boden, who asked her to participate.

McDaniel said, “I was very in-the-dark at first, but little did I know it would be the best aviation experience I have had to this day. The ARC is an amazing organization and I look forward to participating again this year.”

The resources and donations the team received from SIU were highly beneficial for their overall success.

“SIU assisted us with the plane and fuel costs for last year’s race, which we hope will be the case this year. The ARC is pretty expensive, so we are very grateful for that burden to be taken care of. The prep work for the race took the majority of the five months before the race, including fundraising and studying for the race itself,” McDaniel said.

She thinks their biggest success of the race was their strategy. Due to how the race is set up, McDaniels said she had no idea they were in the top 10 teams, let alone second place, and she plans to use similar strategies with her team this year.

“Meadow and I found ourselves in a few unique situations during last year’s race. Because you don’t know exactly where you’ll be stopping along the route, hotels had to be booked the day of, or in some cases 30 minutes before we arrived. On our Sulfur Springs, Texas leg, we had another team stay with us because there were no more rooms available. During our Cross City, Florida leg, we actually had to stay in a hangar because there were no more rooms available,” McDaniel said.

These situations provided them with opportunities to showcase their problem-solving skills and adaptability as dedicated women in the industry.

McDaniel said, “Because the race is all female, it is extremely helpful in inspiring women pilots. The competition aspect makes the race a little tense at some points, but everyone is willing to help in any way they can.”

When the teams stopped in Hastings, Nebraska, the predicted weather was poor. The teams helped each other decide the best course of action. People were also helpful with aspects of the race not related to aviation, like giving soap and medicine when needed.

“I learned so much about aviation and made so many new connections and lifelong friendships. I still keep in touch with a few of the girls from the race last year, and I’m hoping to see and meet even more people this year,” McDaniel said.

Lara Gaerte, assistant director at ARC, who started out as a racer and then began volunteering for the organization, said, “The race challenges all aspects. It’s pre-race, it’s knowing your airplane, knowing your piloting skills, but it’s also networking. Women are still a fairly small percentage of aviators in general, so it’s the ability to connect with likeminded ladies who have the same interest that you do.”

Gaerte initially got involved in aviation when she signed up for an aviation explorer post in high school. Afterwards she connected with a flight instructor for lessons to further her expertise.

Gaerte said, “I soloed the summer between my junior and senior year and got my private license before I got out of high school. And then I just

continued adding ratings and went to college.”

She first took part in the ARC in 2004 as a copilot with Margaret Ringenberg as the pilot.

“I paid attention and learned as much as I could, because she [Ringenberg] was amazing at it,” Gaerte said.

The route changes every year. It’s about 2500 miles, with eight to ten stops depending on the availability of airspace. Organizations and airports apply to host the start or the terminus and then the route gets built around it.

Gaerte said, “At the end of each year’s race, the next year’s race route is published. Sometimes people will look at it and say that’s not really the route for them, it’s a lot of travel. Or they’ll look at the next year and see that it fits better.”

It’s also a financial and time commitment. For people that are only going to do it once or twice, they might look at the route and wait for the right year, or a year they have the money to compete.

“I think that even now, this race is a bucket list item for a lot of lady aviators. Some people only do it once, there’s others that continue to come back for the challenge every year, me included,” Gaerte said.

The number of people competing fluctuates

race, and make it all available on our website.”

“This race, it’s the ultimate cross country. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) loves it because you’re trying to fly the perfect cross country. Get the most out of yourself, the most out of the airplane, have the very best score,” Jahn said.

For many individuals who obtain their pilot licenses, venturing beyond their local airspace or neighboring states can be a significant milestone. The ARC, spanning four days across the country and encompassing multiple states, presents a unique opportunity to go to various places that may be entirely unfamiliar to participants.

Jahn said, “This would be your opportunity to fly in a multiplicity of states, environments, airports you’ve never seen, really learn a lot, test your skills. I’m surprised by the number of students who have never tied down their airplane, have never refueled their airplane. All of these I would consider to be basic skills. This is your chance to learn them all with everybody else around you also learning.”

The earliest race was 1929, the races were open to men. And the women wanted to show that they were as qualified as men. They also hoped to create more opportunities for women in the process.

“The Powder Puff Derby, which is the predecessor to the ARC, began in 1947. After World War Two, we had all of these women who were involved in flying…airplanes and doing all sorts of wonderful things. And then the guys came back from the war and all the women were out of a job,” Jahn said.

These women were looking for opportunities to test and protect their skills, and racing turned out to be a great way to demonstrate their proficiency.

Jahn said, “That race ended in 1977, and the ARC was born. And it has really provided an opportunity for women to do a lot of things, not just flying airplanes, but there’s all of the organizational work…There’s a lot that goes on in putting on this race that really provides significant learning opportunities for women in ways that you can’t get anywhere else.”

from year to year, though it is generally between 50 and 60 teams.

Gaerte said, “For a lot of the local communities that we visit, this might be the only time they’ve had us there. So you get local pilots, local media looking at this event. It’s empowering.”

Amid continuous community engagement, the impact of the ARC extends far beyond the race itself. The event has become a catalyst for fostering a deeper connection between aviation enthusiasts and the broader community.

Gretchen Jahn, assistant director, leads the organization in developing the ARC’s historical database with details from 1947 to 1977. She continues to ensure current records are available and contributes to the preservation and accessibility of air race history.

Jahn credits her husband with her initial interest in air racing.

Jahn said, “It’s all my husband’s fault. Shortly after we got married in 1978. He went to Alaska, became enamored of airplanes, and got his license. I flew with him for several years as he kept encouraging me to get my license and it’s like, well, I’m doing all the navigating, I’m doing the flight planning, I’m doing the radios, what’s so magical about the left seat?”

After her husband took a three week vacation and they weren’t flying, she decided it was time to get her license. Soon after, her husband presented her with a new opportunity.

“He introduced me to the Ninety-Nines, who sponsored a local air race here in Colorado. I volunteered for it, and I was hooked,” Jahn said.

Since learning about air races, Jahn has taken part in many, and has gotten involved in ARC directly. She started volunteering in the late ‘90s, doing a lot with the first timers’ briefings, and regular briefings, until she was asked to be on the board. She was on the board for 14 years.

She said, “I’ve been racing a lot. This is going to be my 27th race this year for the ARC, and that doesn’t include all of the other races that I’ve done. I’ve also received two research scholar grants from Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund. I take data both from the current race and from the predecessor

In 2002, ARC shifted to have a larger focus on education and safety. The educational mission has caused the organization to incorporate additional items into the work. Along with prior briefings, it now requires competitors to take safety courses in advance.

“A significant element was the outreach to colleges. We’ve actively gone to the colleges and universities to recruit them to field teams. And this year, we have finally, with popular demand, added the intercollegiate class, which is specifically for the colleges and to highlight the programs that they have and the women that they have competing,” Jahn said.

A lot of these girls make friendships that last through their corporate careers or airline careers.

Gaerte said, “You have that lifelong sort of connection to people that are in all different facets of aviation now, and the colleges also make their own networking connections.”

Competing as a collegiate team provides a learning opportunity within a more controlled and supportive environment to go cross country outside of the practice area.

Jahn said, “The woman I’m racing with this year was my baby bird four years ago, on a college team. She used her experience in the race in her interview, to get a job at Frontier Airlines. They just absolutely loved hearing about everything she did with cockpit research management.”

It is a great way for a young person to get involved from the very beginning, and the learning experiences make a difference for however they decide to pursue their aviation career.

Jahn said, “You’re all participating. You’re all sweating. You’re all grumbling about the weather, but you’re also having the absolute best time, and the memories and friends you make from this last a lifetime.”

Visit the Saluki Aces’ Facebook to support them and follow their progress.

Check out the ARC website for information about the 2024 race and its past history.

Day Starr-Fleming | @DaySF-Facebook

Harbaugh’s Cafe: The Heart of Carbondale on a Saturday Morning

As Laura Harbaugh was about to open her self-named diner in March of 2000, there was just one question she needed to find an answer for.

“How are you going to capture 600 people to walk through your doors every day?” said Harbaugh.

Today, nearly any person from Southern Illinois, from college students to elderly couples to young kids, think of Harbaugh’s Cafe when they want breakfast in Carbondale. The restaurant sits on top of Carbondale’s illustrious “strip” downtown and is a hub for everyone to gather and eat some of the best breakfast food in town.

“I wanted that student traffic, that’s for sure [...] I wanted everyone to be able to get there, whether they had a car or not,” Harbaugh said.

It’s been a long road for Harbaugh. She remembers working at a restaurant in the Chicago suburbs when she was 15 and people laughing at the idea of having her own restaurant.

Years later, she went to school at SIU and worked as a server for many years. While she was serving at Quatro’s during her college days, she would often study the number of customers coming in every day to find out what it would take for a future restaurant of hers to make a profit.

“If you do the math; and there are 200 people coming in here [Quatro’s] for a lunch, and I need 77 people to come in my store to break even, then I feel confident in my ability to make that happen,” Harbaugh said.

After years of experience in the food business, she decided she wanted to give it a shot.

“I just decided that I wanted to do it, and even if it didn’t work out, I’d have rather tried than always wondered what could’ve been,” Harbaugh said.

Now her restaurant stands alone with a healthy amount of customers every single day. Harbaugh has proudly maintained her local restaurant for over 20 years, even surviving the near-deathtrap of the COVID lockdown.

Recurring customer Jordan Kruse said Harbaugh’s is a frequent location his friends go to for a reason.

“It has that authentic mom-andpop feel. You get to Harbaugh’s and it just feels different,” Kruse said. Harbaugh had opened up her restaurant with this idea in mind. She wanted to offer a place for college students to come, hang out and give them a break from their tough schedules.

A large part of Harbaugh’s idea behind the store is making everyone feel included, no matter the differences.

“You feel comfortable,” Harbaugh

said, “Anybody can come in. If it looked super proper, you would alienate folks that would think they don’t belong there, which just isn’t true.”

Harbaugh’s isn’t just known for the food, but the decor of the restaurant is truly unique. A light blue and yellow color scheme is evident on the inside and outside of the store.

The inside is almost a hodge-podge of multiple restaurants put together.

Nearly every table and chair is uniquely different from one another, and local art covers the inside walls.

Harbaugh said the reason behind

and I think people really like it.” The staff works in a comfortable environment at Harbaugh’s. Server Stefania Del Rio said Harbaugh’s Cafe has the greatest environment she has ever worked at.

“There’s just a lack of pressure. It’s pretty easy-going and, not that everything is the same, but there is a sense of regularity,” Del Rio said.

shifts, but you have to work hard,” Harbaugh said.

Being the store owner is no easy task, according to Harbaugh. She immediately gets to work, right at 8 a.m. after dropping her kids at school. Then, she works around the store as the morning rush comes in. Whether that be working the grill, helping seat tables or taking orders.

anyone complain. I’ve never heard any bad reviews. Everyone that I know thinks it’s the best breakfast place in Carbondale.”

Del Rio said Harbaugh has a lot of qualities that make her a great manager. She is a great role model for everyone on staff.

Independent Carbondale bookstore stays connected to the community

the whole community.” owner Sarah Heyer said.

Mandi Jourdan who was a student of Frumkin’s.

Bookstores are dying.

This is a phrase that has been tossed around for more than a decade. The question is not whether or not people are buying books anymore; it’s where they are buying them from. There are some bookstores that are commonly overlooked, usually drawing the short end of the straw: independent bookstores. An example of this here in Carbondale is Confluence Books.

Owned and run by Sarah Heyer, Confluence Books is a secondhand bookstore that has been up and running for three years. Whether it’s hosting local authors or the “Buck a Book” sale in the summer for charity, Confluence gets involved in the community.

“That’s part of what being a bookstore is, that you are supporting

The United States Census confirmed fewer bookstores are staying open each year. In 2012 there were 16,819 bookstores open while there were 10,800 reported in the 2020 census.

Amazon has secured a place in the literary market, whether it be a physical book to be delivered, or an ebook. Barnes and Noble, the biggest chain bookstore in America dominates physical copy sales and says sales actually went up during the pandemic. It opened 30 new stores last year.

But Heyer says locally owned bookstores have a lot to offer. An example of this is the launch party held for two local authors on Feb. 13: Rafael Frumkin, a professor at Southern Illinois University and

Bugsy by Rafael Frumkin is a collection of short stories described by him as “really personal, really weird, and really queer”. His writing ranged from comically real and awkward dialogue to a unique perspective on death and looking back at one’s life.

Frumkin was super grateful for the chance to do the launch at Confluence and expressed the importance of supporting independent and local bookstores.

“We have a situation where books

and brick and mortar spaces to discuss books, and authors being able to connect with their readership and promote their work in like a real organic way,that’s being challenged by places like Amazon.”

Mandi Jourdan read excerpts from two different books in her science fiction series called Shadows of the Mind. An important element to her books is the presence of strong female characters. Growing up, Jourdan said, she mostly saw male characters especially in genres like sciencefiction. Writing female characters gives

representation that she didn’t have in the books she read.

Heyer said book readings are one area in which independent local stores stand out.

“Chain bookstores have to go up the chain and ask permission to do lots of things, so they can’t just on the spur of the moment say okay, but since it’s just me I can just say sure, I don’t see a problem with that. Let’s go ahead and do it,” she said.

Events at Confluence are posted on its website, along with a catalog of titles held there.

After the morning rush leaves, she has time to do some financials in the back office, before coming back to the front in the late morning/afternoon rush from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

“It has that authentic mom-and-pop feel. You get to Harbaugh’s and it just feels different.”

- Jordan Kruse Frequent customer

this quirky setup was budgetary reasons when she first opened. Over time, it resonated with the customers, and is now a significant part of Harbaugh’s charm.

“Chairs come and go, and if a certain set gets discontinued, that’s 400 new chairs that I have to buy.

Then, usually, it’ll be around 100 dollars a chair and that adds up quickly,” Harbaugh said. “So that’s why Harbaugh’s looks the way it does,

Harbaugh made sure consistency was an emphasis between herself and her staff. Not just in regards to relationships, but also the work they put in each and every day. There’s no room for someone to come in who is not willing to give it their all.

“While you are here, there is a level of professionalism that needs to happen. No games, no drama, no-nonsense. We’re here to get a job done, ” Harbaugh said.

Although Harbaugh leads a tight ship, she provides plenty of advantages for her employees.

“If you work hard and I know I can count on you, you will get the good shifts, and you will get more

Finally, she closes out her day doing prep for what tomorrow will bring, says goodbye to her employees around 3 p.m. then heads back home to be with her kids after a long day’s work.

The blood, sweat and tears Harbaugh has poured into her store is why Harbaugh’s Cafe has been successful over so many years.

“I’ve always been a hard worker. I’ve never been a ‘well that’s good enough’ type of person. I feel like that’s something we say all too much nowadays,” Harbaugh said.

Harbaugh understands that it all trickles down. When she comes in with a smile every day, Del Rio is more willing to do her best, which means Kruse gets incredible service, then makes him want to return.

“We have very good clientele here that are very respectful of our positions and how we manage to do our jobs. There are a lot of other restaurants (staff) that aren’t as lucky,” Del Rio said.

Kruse said, “I’ve never heard

“She’s been doing this for a long time, and you can really notice. Her personality and her work ethic are both things that have really helped me grow as a person,” Del Rio said. She also mentioned the story of Tanner, a homeless man that would come into Harbaugh’s Cafe every now and again. Del Rio said that every time Tanner wandered into the store, Harbaugh would offer him a free meal and a free t-shirt, on the house.

Del Rio said her nice gestures towards the people around her have left an impact on the people she works with, and reminds them to always have perspective.

At the end of the day, Harbaugh stands proud of what she has accomplished. She understands what Harbaugh’s means to Carbondale, and what Carbondale means to Harbaugh’s.

“Harbaugh’s and Carbondale go hand-in-hand,” Harbaugh said. “If there ever comes a time for me to move on from Carbondale, there will never be another Harbaugh’s anywhere else. Harbaugh’s is meant for Carbondale.”

Editor-in-Chief Cole Daily can be reached at cdaily@dailyegyptian.com.

Owner of Harbaughs Café Laura Harbaugh stands behind the bar in the meeting room in the diner Feb. 28, 2024 at 901 S Avenue B in Carbondale, Illinois. Libby Phelps @libbyphelpsphotography

CeCilia Bulmahn

419 Beat RepoRting

Sarah Heyer looks up at a shelf of old books she keeps in the back of the store Feb. 14, 2024 at Confluence Books in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @LyleeGibbsphoto

Confluence Books owner Sarah Heyer holds a book titled ‘The Sundial In Our Garden” by author Hal W. Trovillion and Violet of Herrin, Illinois Feb. 14, 2024 at Confluence Books in Carbondale, Illinois. “It was a publishing house in Herrin,” Heyers said. “They published their own little papers all the time.”

Sarah Heyer files through a bin books by local author Hal W. Trovillion and Violet of Herrin, Illinois Feb. 14, 2024 at Confluence Books in Carbondale, Illinois.

Sarah Heyer stands at her desk to fufill an online book order Feb. 14, 2024 at Confluence Books in Carbondale, Illinois. “We’ve been open for about three years,” Heyer said. “It landed in my lap but said “I can do it”, have a brain in my head, I’ll figure this out.”

Salukis Blackout Cancer

Senior Guard Quierra Love (0) runs across the court dribbling the ball with the ref not too far behind.

Sophomore Guard Jaidynn Mason (22) runs to score with a lay-up as the Salukis play against Illinois State University.

The team discusses strategy during a timeout while playing against Illinois State University.

Freshman Guard Tete Nelson (23) stands on defense with senior forward Adrianna Katcher (24) backing her up.

Junior Forward Leniah Randle (4) goes for a lay-up against Illinois State University Feb. 29, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois.

up is their defense. SIU ranks in the top half of the Valley in scoring defense, giving up only 69.89 points per game.

“The heart of our program starts on defense,” Bond-White said, “I looked around the league and I didn’t see people that were on the line, up the line, creating chaos, disrupting. That’s what we want to do.”

The Dawgs’ defense against the three has also been quite good, holding opponents to only 30% shooting. Bond-White says that strong perimeter defense and limiting the three are a crucial part of her scheme.

“With us not having the height this year, we’ve played post defense with our guards, so we’ve tried to take vision away… we have to protect our post,” Bond-White said.

Sophomore guard Jaidynn Mason says that the need for disruption is stressed constantly by the coaching staff.

“There’s a very high expectation for the guards on this team,” Mason said.

This style of defense also shows in another statistical category: steals. The Salukis lead the MVC in steals per game with 11.33, nearly two more than the nextbest team. It certainly helps that three of the top five players in the Valley, Love, Mason, and Randle,

play for SIU and average over two per game.

“It shows the trust that they have in our system,” Bond-White said, “We’re in one of the best offensive conferences in the country… We knew that we had to let people not do what they were comfortable doing. And when you look at our kids’ commitment to that, that’s how we’re able to do it.”

While stealing the ball and earning deflections, another stat tracked by the coaching staff to help show players their impact on the game is done on the court. Love is also quick to credit assistant coach Jordan Jones for her role in coaching up the players and putting them in opportunities to get opportunities for steals.

“Shoutout to our defensive coordinator, coach Jordan Jones, because since this summer, we have been going hard on the defensive end, watching a lot of film, and she’s come up with some great, great things for us, and it’s working out for us,” Love said.

Mason also has high praise for Jones.

“She’s on us on defense every practice, she makes sure we’re in every gap,” Mason said.

While the Dawgs’ haven’t seen many regular season tilts fall their way, that all goes out the window when the postseason starts. As it stands on March 1, the Salukis will play UIC, who they will have

played in their final game of the season. Their first matchup ended in a down-to-the-wire seven point UIC win.

Love, who poured in 15 points in that game, said, “You might have beaten a team twice in the regular season, and then an upset occurs.”

The conference tournament, played at a neutral site in Moline, IL, can also represent a fun departure from the normal season format, where crowds are heavily influenced by their home crowds.

Love, who has played in the tournament three times, is looking forward to getting to go back and savor the flavor of intense clashes.

“My favorite part is just the competition, how hard everyone plays,” Love said, “it’s just a great atmosphere, there’s a lot of fans. It’s just a great time.”

The coaching staff has a few more tricks up their sleeve to finish out the season too.

“What you’ll see is us changing defenses, see us doing things a little differently to keep people off balance and protect our limited number in size,” Bond-White said.

Hoops in the Heartland will begin at Vibrant Arena in Moline, Illinois, on March 14. Tickets are available on MVC-sports.com.

Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com.

Cole Daily

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Cole Daily cdaily@dailyegyptian.com

think they’re brand new,” she said. “We put –and this was my brilliant idea and it’s a lot of work – a dozen homemade cookies and a packet for every renter that comes in, and we’re here if they have any problems.”

Cooley sits at her desk, calendar and notes sprawled out in front of her, plants sitting on the shelf by the window. August and May are the busiest months for her, so for now her work weeks consist of an abundance of paperwork and getting acquainted with tenants. Between her upright posture and her assertive tone, Cooley radiates confidence, which is something she’s had to maintain throughout her career.

“It’s been a fight being a woman – a single woman – with the banks and everything,” she said. “The bank I have now is very good to work with, but it’s been a struggle.”

Cooley recalled several instances of being discriminated against in her field by both men and women. In one case, she was told by another woman that she could not buy a home because she may get pregnant and not be able to afford it. The hardest challenge, she said, was proving herself to bankers.

“They always want to know ‘Who really owns this?’ ‘Who’s your husband?’” she said. With a laugh, she continued, “I don’t have a husband, don’t want one.”

Despite being doubted by society, Cooley managed to come out on top. Now 86-years-old, she is still the owner of the multimillion dollar apartment complex.

“We’re very proud and it’s our baby,” she said. “...Mobile homes were fine. There was 46 of them, but I always wanted something nicer and more permanent. And I hired the best architect and the best engineer when I got here.”

Cooley said she “grew up very poor.”

“I never had any money,” she said. “I worked three jobs when my kids were brought up and [started] out with a used mobile home, $100 down and [built] up a $12 million apartment complex. It’s a good feeling.”

She originally wanted to be a nurse, but ventured into real estate as “a matter of making a living.”

“When I got into real estate, I learned about the tax laws and the depreciation so that helped a lot,” she said. “And I had a friend that had a mobile home court, so I started out just buying them and then going out there and cleaning them up, putting bedspreads and curtains in, and he said, ‘they’ll wash their cars with those bedspreads,’ but mine rented better right before his did.”

Prior to entering the world of property management, Cooley came to Carbondale in 1960 to open a hamburger restaurant and fell in love with the city.

“I liked Carbondale,” she said. “I’ve gone to the same church since ‘68…It [Carbondale] was much nicer then than it is now. And I came from Centralia, so I didn’t plan on going back there.”

Since Carbondale is a college town, most of her tenants are students. She noted that many of them, however, are professors, and six tenants are retired.

“We have great renters,” she said. “We have absolutely great renters. I would say out of the 146 apartments, 140 of them are good friends of mine.”

Wedgewood Hills Property Manager David Farlow said he got involved with real estate “by accident.”

“My neighbor asked me if I needed some parttime help,” he said. “I was going into the PhD program at SIU and he said ‘Hey, you want some part-time work?’ and I’m like, “Sure.” And 22 years later, here I am.”

He said he fell in love with the work he and Cooley have done.

“We’re building and growing and it was exciting,” he said.

He described his relationship with Cooley as “symbiotic.”

“She does what she does and I do what I do, but it works together,” he said. “It just works really well.”

Many testimonials on Wedgewood Hills’ website praise Cooley for being an amazing landlord. One tenant commented, “The landlord Mamma Cooley is one of the nicest people I have ever met. She does not put up with bad renters, which is why they are so well kept and quiet.”

Farlow said he believes “her attention to detail” has contributed to Cooley’s success.

“Nothing gets left undone,” he said. “Everything is addressed immediately and properly and with care, very proactive. Especially about not just the property but about the renters. We quash down issues that come up as soon as they come up. We don’t let stuff go at all.”

Not letting things go is a tactic he’s learned from Cooley throughout the years, he said.

“I’m a procrastinator by nature,” he said. “She is the absolute opposite. So I have learned not to procrastinate when it comes to Wedgewood Hills.”

Cooley’s dedication to the community has not gone unnoticed either. Farlow recalled an instance in which she allowed a young woman to live in her house.

“One young lady…was in between a move out or something, and Loretta literally let her come and live in her house for at least a week or maybe even two weeks,” he said. “And I was like, I wouldn’t have done that. I mean, I thought that was pretty outstanding. And I tell folks, she’ll come in here at 2:30 in the morning and she does, if necessary, but that’s just who she is and has always been.”

Cooley said, “I had one boy come in the other day and he said, ‘You’re not gonna retire anytime soon, are you?’ And I said, ‘No, why?’ He said, ‘I want you to be here til I graduate’...And I have had mothers come in with their kids to rent and they used to rent a mobile home from me. The mothers did. So I give them generations.”

Cooley said she manages Wedgewood Hills with compassion.

“I [will] be very honest,” she said. “If you pay me your last month’s rent, and it comes to last month, I’m gonna give it back to you, because you paid it in the beginning. And by the same token, I want you to be honest with me. I have a lot of renters that pay in cash and I don’t even have to count it because they’re gonna be honest with me.”

Cooley wants to leave young women entering a similar business with this advice: “Buyers gotta be tough, and don’t let the men intimidate you too much.”

Staff reporter Carly Gist can be reached at cgist@dailyegyptian.com

Brandyn Wilcoxen @BrandynWilcoxen

Salukis enter Arch Madness tired but determined

SIU men’s basketball came into this season with a lot more questions than answers. After losing their two leading scorers in the transfer portal, it isn’t difficult to see why the Salukis were picked ninth in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll.

Somehow, Southern simultaneously overperformed that projection, and fell short of where it could have ended in the regular season standings, with a sixth-place finish.

Led by a super senior backcourt duo of Xavier Johnson – the Valley leader in both scoring and assists – and Trent Brown – the school’s new all-time leader in career games played – the Salukis managed a 19-12 record, 11-9 in conference play, marking the second-best season in five years under head coach Bryan Mullins.

Despite overachieving expectations, the Salukis were in an even better position just a week ago, when they had the opportunity to play for the third seed in the Valley. On Sunday afternoon, the fourth seed was on the line in SIU’s regular season finale against Northern Iowa.

However, back-to-back losses to Bradley and UNI in the final week of the season dropped the Salukis all the way down to sixth in the standings.

Southern will play 11 seed UIC (11-20, 4-16) in the opening round of Arch Madness on Thursday night at 8:30 p.m at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. With a win, they would advance to play 3 seed Bradley (21-10, 137) at 8:30 p.m. on Friday night.

The Salukis have not cut down the nets in St. Louis since 2006, and have not advanced to the championship game since 2007. If SIU wants to end that drought, it will need to go through the gauntlet.

Although the Flames of UIC have a poor conference record, both of their matchups against Southern have been tight. Their first meeting in December saw SIU hold a slim halftime lead before pulling away, and the Salukis only escaped with a threepoint win during their February rematch in Chicago.

The key to success in both of those games, as it was throughout most of the season, was Johnson. He scored 31 and 29 points in each game respectively while playing near the maximum amount of minutes in both.

That high usage rate seems to have slowed down the MVC Player of the Year candidate lately, only crossing the 20-point mark twice since the Feb. 7 overtime loss to Drake. He has also registered 39 or more minutes in all but one

Zavala | yzavala@dailyegyptian.com

game since Jan. 27.

Fatigue is typically a factor when it gets late in the season, especially in a conference as grueling and physical as the

Missouri Valley. With just a strict eight-man rotation, the Salukis will be relying on their typical cast to push through the grind if they are going to win four games

quarterfinals as a top-four seed. The Salukis most recently were crushed by Bradley on Wednesday in their penultimate regular season game, which does not bode well for a potential rematch.

It isn’t all bad news for SIU though. As with all of their top-five conference opponents, the Salukis balanced out a poor showing with a solid outing elsewhere in the schedule. For Bradley, it was a Jan. 17 matchup in Carbondale that saw SIU hold a 21-point halftime lead, but ultimately allowing a Braves comeback win.

The Salukis will need to not only get out in front of the Braves like they did in January, but also take care of that lead. Blown double-digit leads are a common theme not only for Southern Illinois, but in the Missouri Valley in general.

Southern has suffered two comeback losses of that nature (Bradley and Missouri State), two close calls that it ultimately held on to win (Murray State and Illinois State), and three games where SIU was the team mounting a comeback (Murray State, Drake and Indiana State).

Many of those results have stemmed from the fatigue issue. Three players – Johnson, Brown and Troy D’Amico – have averaged more than 30 minutes per game in the conference schedule, and Southern has rarely had games where it has put two complete halves together without faltering for stretches.

Arch Madness will be a gauntlet. In the 10- or 12-team era of the tournament, only one team that started its tournament on Thursday even reached the final: Valparaiso in 2020. But since the Valley expanded to 12 teams in 2023, eight of the 12 Valley members will start on Thursday, including SIU, making it more likely that a play-in team breaks through.

The Salukis have shown that they can hang with any team, but it has struggled to do so consistently. Entering the tournament on a two-game losing streak against two of the top-five teams in the Valley, Southern does not seem to be in a favorable position.

But as head coach Bryan Mullins said following the regular season finale, nothing from the last two months matters. All that matters is what happens this weekend in St. Louis. With a ticket to the NCAA Tournament on the line, can Southern Illinois beat the odds?

in four days.

If Southern beats the Flames, it will set up a date the next night with the Bradley Braves, who received a bye into the

Student managing editor Brandyn Wilcoxen can be reached on X @brandynwilcoxen or on his email at bwilcoxen@dailyegyptian.com

Yarauseth

Scottie Ebube (2) goes up to dunk the ball as he is guarded by Bowen Born (13) of Northern Iowa March 3, 2024 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

So you want to be a rock star? This may be the student group for you

Carolyn DiCkte 419 Beat reporting

The “rock star experience” –the stage, bright lights and the comradery that comes with making music with bandmates – may seem out of reach to those of us who aren’t celebrities and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers.

But at Southern Illinois University, Musicians United, MU as it is known to its members, aims to bring students a little closer to the rock-and-roll heartbeat. If “become a rockstar ‘’ is on your bucket list, this may be the student organization for you.

“Musicians United – I’ll get a little deep with you – it gives people the rock star experience that they always wanted but maybe couldn’t have had,” said Frank Burke, bassist, vocalist, and a former MU president. “Maybe they didn’t have someone to play drums or they always wanted to be the bedroom rockstar and just didn’t have the band or the resources to get up on stage and rock out. This gives them that.”

At the end of each fall and spring semester, the group plays at least one show at Hangar 9, a bar on the strip

in downtown Carbondale. Typically, the group will try to play as many local gigs as possible.

“Why do I love MU? Because it’s a bunch of weirdos,” Montague said. “It’s the first time I’ve gotten to be

“Musicians United – I’ll get a little deep with you – it gives people the rock star experience that they always wanted but maybe couldn’t have had.”

- Who said it Their identifier

But a lot of work comes before the performances. At the start of the semester, each member chooses a top song that they want to try to play. From there, the group picks the songs they’re most interested in and a setlist is born.

The group selects from a wide genre of music; it trends toward rock songs that are crowd pleasers, but also has played a selection of jazz, pop, goth, heavy metal and country songs. “R U Mine?”; “All I Wanted”; “Celebrity Skin”; “Breed”; “Seek and Destroy”; “Bang Bang”; “Take a Bow” and “Live Wire” were among the songs played at the

group’s closing show last semester. Each setlist typically runs for three to four hours, leaving ample time for musical variety.

MU members not only perform on stage together, but they also form genuine friendships and bonds that last lifetimes, said Izzy Burkhardt, a drummer and vocalist in the group. The students who join come from across disciplinary fields and may otherwise rarely interact. “But we all come together to make music.”

It’s also a “very supportive” group that welcomes people who want to work on their musical abilities and doesn’t judge their starting place, Burkhardt said.

For Autumn Montague, joining MU felt like a homecoming.

surrounded by fellow music freaks and just be unapologetically me and my style.”

For others, it allows them to maintain their love of music while they decide whether they want to pursue it as a long-term career.

“I went to the RSO fair and I heard the music playing and I was like, I could still do music even though I don’t have my major declared as music education yet. And from there I just stayed,” said Jasiah Draper, keyboard player and vocalist.

“I love performing and being on stage,” she added. “I’ve been performing for a long time now

for various different groups and no matter what, the rush is always the same. It’s like nervousness but it’s good, you know.”

The group welcomes lead and rhythmic guitarists, bassists, drummers, vocalists, keyboardists and brass players, for certain songs.

There are no auditions for the group, however members are responsible for knowing the basics of the instruments they choose to play. Members are also expected to learn the songs the group chooses on their own time and come to rehearsals prepared to run songs through to the end.

The group meets twice weekly at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays in the Communications Building, Studio A. Each session lasts through the end of the setlist selected for that rehearsal. Members pay $20 dues to help cover the fees of equipment and other needs of the nonprofit.

“Everyone should join MU. I love it so much. It’s literally my favorite thing I’ve done on campus,” said Macy Sanchez, group officer/social media chair and bassist. “I’ve met so many of my good friends here and you get so much good experience performing and stuff. It’s so fun.”

Musicians United drummer Leland Rodriguez, singer Braden Cummins and guitarist Skylar Neil practice “Joker and the Thief” by Wolfmother Feb. 28, 2024 at Studio A of the SIU Communications Building in Carbondale, Illinois.

Musicians United guitarist Macy Sanchez practices “I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor” by Arctic Monkeys Feb. 28, 2024 at Studio A of the SIU Communications Building in Carbondale, Illinois. Jason Isele | jisele@dailyegyptian.com