The Daily Egyptian - Housing Guide Spring 2021

THE

Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.

DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM APRIL 28, 2021 VOL. 104, ISSUE 15

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

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The Anna Veterans’ Home is a 50-bed nursing care facility for eligible veterans that opened in 1994 Sunday, April 25, 2021 in Anna, Ill. Jared Treece | @bisalo

Veterans’ homes receive aid to cope with quarantine

George Wiebe | gwiebe@dailyegyptian.com

At the start of the pandemic, retirement home safety became a top priority in the U.S. as those most vulnerable to COVID-19 were together in a relatively small space, but after a year a new concern arose: mental health.

As these facilities took measures to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, doors were shut and loved ones were forced to keep distance. Isolation became the new disease.

Last May, the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) launched a campaign to fight this new plight, Operation Rising Spirit.

“Every day, staff at the homes enter the frontlines to safeguard our veterans’ safety and wellbeing,” IDVA said in a statement.

Operation Rising Spirit is a movement asking for voluntary support of Illinois’s four public Veterans’ Homes in Anna, LaSalle, Manteno and Quincy.

“Uplifting messages and displays of support from the community will help boost the morale of veterans and staff during this unprecedented time,” Linda Chapa LaVia, IDVA director, said.

Calls, letters, emails and signs outside the homes are encouraged to lift the spirits of residents.

Taking part in these efforts is the Veterans Assistance Commission in Macon County, Ill. “operated by and for veterans,” as stated on their official website.

“The main thing I do is try to raise money and send a check to the veterans home,” William Hanes, chairman

of Veterans Assistance Commission in Macon County, said.

The home in Anna also has a wishlist showing what donations like these go toward: newspaper subscriptions, out to eat funds, bird sanctuary maintenance and a Christmas fund. All of these help to make the lives of the veterans more comfortable.

“A month ago we were all very optimistic, we thought we were going to put COVID behind us and now we hear about these variant strains […] it’s all up in the air,” Hanes said.

Rapid vaccination efforts are starting to ease worries, and on April 9, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill) announced the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs would appropriate $2.9 million from the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package.

“It is critical that our state-run veterans’ homes provide the highest quality of care to their residents, that’s why we fought to include these investments in our federal relief efforts,” Durbin said.

There have been seven residents and eighteen employees of the veterans’ home in Anna who have contracted the virus, all of whom have recovered according to the most recent IDVA report.

Among Illinois’s three other veteran’s homes in LaSalle, Manteno and Quincy, 83 residents have been reported to have passed away as a result of COVID-19.

Staff reporter George Wiebe can be reached at gwiebe@ dailyegyptian.com

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

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Things to know before you rent Nicolas Galindo | @ngalindophoto

Many college towns are full of property owners looking to make some quick bucks from unsuspecting young adults, many of whom have never lived on their own before.

Here’s some things to be weary of before you sign the lease to that new apartment.

If you’re going on a walk-through with the landlord and the current residents are present, don’t be afraid to ask them questions about the place. The current residents might be able to give you some insight into residence and how the landlords manage the property.

Some things to look for before you move: check the cabinets for rodent or roach feces. Look at the ceilings for water damage, which typically appears as peeling paint or yellowish circles. Be aware of mold and mildew smells, especially in the bathroom.

Check the faucets to make sure they don’t leak and look under the cabinet for drips in the plumbing.

Look at the air vents to make sure they’re not dirty or covered to prevent proper ventilation.

Always be sure to ask what utilities you’ll be responsible for paying.

Before you sign a lease, make sure you look it over thoroughly to ensure there are no hidden charges. If you spill pasta sauce on the carpet and

it leaves a stain, the cleaning comes out of your security deposit. Routine cleaning after you move out should be covered by your regular rent.

When you finally sign the lease and get the keys, before you move anything into your new home, walk through and take pictures or writedown everything you can see as being a problem. Doing this documents the condition of the home when you moved in and therefore can’t be charged for repairs to anything which isn’t your fault.

Once you have pictures or documentation of the problems in the home, let the landlords know so they can fix the ones they can and are of the ones they didn’t fix. This just covers getting your full security deposit back later.

Following these tips should help you make sure you’re able to get all, if not most, of your security deposit back after you move out. If you ever run into problems with a landlord, or want a second set of eyes to look over your lease agreement, you can contact Student Legal Services and they can help.

Managing Editor Nicolas Galindo can be reached at ngalindophoto@ gmail.com or on Twitter & Instagram @ngalindophoto.

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

ICE detainee alleges medical neglect at Pulaski County Detention Center George Wiebe | gwiebe@dailyegyptian.com William Russell, a 61 year old Jamaican immigrant, has been detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since July, 2020.

“About four months ago, I go to the doctor and I was telling him, my feet is hurting and it swells,” Russell said in a statement.

Accusation of medical neglect and unsafe living conditions have been levied against the Pulaski County Detention Center in Ullin, Ill. A month after the incident Russell was taken to the emergency room at a nearby hospital, where a doctor informed him that his right leg would need to be amputated.

Russell also claims to have narrowly survived contracting COVID-19 last year.

“The agency has instructed its field offices to further assess and consider for release certain individuals deemed to be at greater risk of exposure, consistent with CDC guidelines, reviewing cases of individuals 60 years old and older,” ICE said in its statement.

Of the 600 detainees ICE has deemed “vulnerable” 160 have been released from custody.

Russell’ deportation flight is set for April 29, but the Jamaican government has not yet given approval for his return due to Russell previously contracting COVID-19.

The Southern Illinois Immigrant Rights Project, a group advocating for expanded rights of immigrants, hasve attempted to help secure Russell’s release through calls and emails to the detention center.

Russell has joined two other detained immigrants in filing a civil rights complaint against the facility.

The National Immigrant Justice Center filed the complaint on behalf of the detainees.

Since the start of the pandemic the Pulaski County Detention Center has confirmed 113 cases of COVID-19, the highest of any ICE detainee facility in Illinois.

Staff reporter George Wiebe can be reached at gwiebe@dailyegyptian.com

Two members of the Carbondale Interfaith Council make their way toward the Pulaski County Detention Center Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in Ullin, Ill. Carrying bags of supplies for detainees, they presented them to the guard, but were rejected and turned away. The facility is an ICE owned detention center. Since COVID-19 hit, the facility itself has had an outbreak resulting in 78 confirmed cases of the virus. The Carbondale Interfaith Council held a prayer vigil outside of the detention center to pray for the detainees, their families, and the workers within the center. Jared Treece | @bisalo

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

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First Black female mayor of St. Louis emphasizes public safety

Jason Flynn | @dejasonflynn

Tishaura Jones, who made city history on April 6 when she became the first Black woman elected mayor of St. Louis, has quickly gone to work making changes to the city’s public safety infrastructure.

“Right now I don’t think that we provide a great environment. It’s okay,” Jones said. “Right now, half of the city is pretty much left to fend for itself in terms of economic development, in terms of education, in terms of public safety.”

Jones was sworn in on April 20, and presented a proposed budget that would close the city’s jail, known as The Workhouse, on April 21.

“I think we have to shift our focus and how we look at decisions that we make in local government, and focus on, number one, racial equity and how that plays a role in how our region has been held back, and how this has permeated our policy making decisions,” Jones said.

Jones started in politics in 2002 when she was appointed to the Democratic Party Central Committee for St. Louis’s Ward 8.

She became a state representative in 2008, has been the city’s elected treasurer since 2012, and first ran for mayor in the 2017 Democratic primary which she narrowly lost by 888 votes.

“We were governed by the minority,” Jones said. “We had seven people in that primary and the winner had 32 percent of the vote.”

Since the 2017 primary, a group of residents Photo courtesy of the Mayor-Elect’s Transition Team were successful in changing the election system to implement approval voting, where residents cast approval ballots for as many nominees as they’d could help bring the city together. like in an open primary, and vote on the two most “With just all of the racial issues, especially approved candidates. happening in St. Louis right now, I just think Jones campaigned on making big changes to having an African American woman as the mayor the city’s police and jail systems, two sectors that was, just, it needed to happen to help start bringing have been flash points for community groups unity and kind of a transfer of power,” Meixner organizing in the wake of the 2014 and 2015 said.

Ferguson protests.

Jones said she plans to appoint liaisons to help “I’d like to transform the public safety work on other city priorities like education and department, which is one that leads with an arrest labor. and incarcerate model, to one that leads with Jones appointed former police chief Dan Isom prevention,” Jones said. “That means staffing interim director of public safety on April 15. our police departments and our public safety “When all of these issues are happening, it departments with other licensed professionals definitely helps when It’s someone who’s been like clinical social workers and substance abuse directly impacted by it is the one fixing it and counselors, so we can deploy the right professional solving it,” Meixner said. “Which is why having to the right call.”

Tishaura Jones as the mayor is going to, in my Francesca Meixner, an SIU online student and mind, make the greatest impact and difference St. Louis native, voted for Jones. because she actually gets it because she’s been part “Her policies I just agreed with more,” Meixner of that community.” said. “She’s trying to get more grants and funding into the school system, which is kind of one of my Staff reporter Jason Flynn can be reached at jflynn@ biggest things as an educator.” dailyegyptian.com, by phone at 872-222-7821 or on Meixner said she also felt Jones was the most Twitter at @dejasonflynn. experienced candidate, and had a background that

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Vice-Chancellor for academic affairs discusses in-person classes

Courtney Alexander | @___Courtney_alex23___

COVID-19 took the world by surprise more than a year ago. People conformed to a new way of life, including the students at SIU. Remote learning has been challenging, but students may get the opportunity to attend in-person classes in the fall.

Students have been learning remotely throughout the year but as more students of the community get vaccinated, the university devised a plan for the upcoming school year.

Meera Komarraju, the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the university is currently keeping track of COVID-19 cases and following the state guidelines.

“Right now we’re keeping track [...] of the pandemic around the world, the United States, and locally. We have two plans, plan A and plan B. We’re going with plan A right now knowing that we keep track of the pandemic, but we may have to pivot to plan B,” Komarraju said.

The university plans include attending in-person classes if cases remain low, but if cases spike again then classes will be taught remotely.

“For plan A, we are planning a traditional fall semester with masks and we’ll provide cleaning equipment to wipe desks. We are

keeping a close track of information coming out, so our plan B would be what we’ve done this past fall and current semester.

If the backup plan was implemented, then classes that have less than 50 students can still meet in person if they wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines.

“Classes that enroll more than 50 students will be online and for the remaining classes, we would have a mix of hybrid and face to face. We do have classroom space for less than 50, and we do have the classrooms to have them face to face with social distancing.

Isaiah Overton, a junior and electrical and computer engineering student at SIU, said he’s excited to come back in the fall for classes.

“I’m actually excited to come back, but as far as the concerns of the actual pandemic, it’s still kind of nerve-wracking. We don’t know much about it, we know about the vaccine that’s available, but we also know that in certain areas cases are still rising,” Overton said.

Some freshmen had a rough year since there weren’t as many social events and meeting new people was a challenge for them.

“I think this year, especially for the incoming freshmen, it’s been pretty rough as far as the aspect of mental health. After speaking with freshmen, they all felt alone,

they don’t really have friends and they’re not connected to this campus,” Overton said.

For the upcoming school year, students are encouraged to get vaccinated before school starts.

“After speaking with the chancellor, and some other people here, they really want students to get vaccinated before we go back home,” Overton said. “Vaccinations are currently free, and they have walk-in vaccinations at the Banterra Center.”

LaTanya Dunlap, a junior and psychology student at SIU, said she’s nervous about returning to classes in-person for the fall semester due to a lack of mandatory testing.

“I’m in between deciding because the United States didn’t handle this pandemic at all, and SIU didn’t handle it well either. They didn’t make it mandatory for students to get tested like other colleges,” Dunlap said.

Attending in-person classes are still a risk, but Zoom classes don’t make learning any easier for students, Dunlap said.

“In-person classes risk people’s lives, but zoom classes are terrible because half the time we’re not even listening. How do you expect someone to pay attention to you in their house on a computer screen?” Dunlap said.

Annie Titchenal, an SIU alumni and graduate student at SIUE, said the COVID-19

pandemic and remote learning have impacted student’s learning abilities.

“You can do live streaming or online classes all day long, but it’s the fact that the student isn’t actually aware. They will still have distractions at home, and that is the battle they’re facing, so class is definitely more effective in the classroom,” Titchenal said.

This year students are encountering more difficulties with completing assignments and staying on track during the pandemic.

“There is way less ownership of work, or assignments, or class. I’m speaking in general terms, but there’s just less ownership of classwork,” Titchenal said.

Assisting professors and other students has also been a challenge during the pandemic.

“For me the biggest issue has been helping my professors with technical difficulties. They all have been much older than me and are used to teaching the same way for much longer than I’ve been around,” Titchenal said. “I can remember a couple of classes having to help professors with technical difficulties, it resulted in a sort of sandwich generation, helping both younger students and older teachers.”

Courtney Alexander can be reached at calexander@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at ___Courtney_alex23______.

Dustin Clark | @dustinclark.oof

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

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Aikido club returns, teaches peaceful martial art Elana Schauwekcer | eschauwecker@dailyegyptian.com

SIU’s aikido club has returned after a year of COVID-19 restrictions. The club, hosted three times per week at the Student Recreation Center, is unique in its non-violent approach to martial arts.

Aikido originated in Japan as a synthesis of martial art, philosophy and religion. According to Justin Craft, an instructor of the SIU Aikido club, the art was popularized in the US just after WWII, when soldiers who had learned overseas returned to share their new skills. Craft compared Aikido to partnered Tai chi, in that the ultimate goal is for no one to get hurt.

“It is an unusual response in karate or Taekwondo to be able to stop a conflict without reacting very violently,” Craft said. “In Aikido, what we seek to do is to absorb the attacking energy, redirect the attacking energy and maintain our safety and the safety of the person attacking us, so that basically we dissuade them from continuing their attack.”

Another important aspect of Aikido is the ability to fall down without getting hurt. Knowing how to fall safely can significantly increase one’s courage in a dangerous situation.

“I’m not sure everybody realizes the confidence that can be gained from learning how to fall down,” Craft said. “Whenever somebody attacks, somebody gets hit, somebody falls down. Learning how to do that safely does really foster your confidence.”

There is speculation within the martial arts community as to whether Aikido is a practical method of self-defense. The basis for such criticism is that Aikido is primarily learned in kata, a method of preset attack and response conditions. Celebrity fighters such as Joe Rogan have openly written off Aikido, claiming the objective of protecting an attacker is unrealistic in a street fight where the attacker genuinely wants to hurt someone.

Craft, however, combats this denouncement by explaining Aikido is about preventing fights in the first place through the use of hyper-awareness and attentiveness to surroundings. While he said he recognizes conflict cannot always be avoided, paying attention to the situation rather than being visibly distracted can discourage attackers.

“Most of it is about being present and ahead of the danger,” Craft said. “If someone is trying to hit me, my best option is to not be there. Situational awareness and avoidance is a much better self-defense than the philosophy of ‘I’ve learned these special moves, I’m going to try and use them.’”

Aikido also utilizes three weapons: a ken, a jo and a tanto—respectively, a sword, a staff and a knife. All three weapons are made of wood to do minimal damage to opponents. Over the past year, due to COVID-19, SIU Aikido club has primarily focused on weapons, as they allow students to fight without being in close contact.

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The Aikido club took a hard blow from COVID limitations. As a close-contact indoor activity, many of the skills the members typically practice became violations of the rules, and there was not enough space for all students to be present and properly distanced.

Other martial arts clubs also suffered for the same reasons, such as the Japanese swordsmanship (Gekiken) club, which had to stop meeting during COVID but is hoping to restart in the fall.

“I haven’t given up on the group,” said Peter Dunkel, the creator of the Gekiken club. “But I do intend on rebranding in August, as I’ve learned what things students are interested in and what they are not. I am also going to form a HEMA (historical European martial arts) Italian longsword club.”

Craft said he is hopeful that martial arts groups will be able to get back off the ground now that COVID restrictions are loosening. While Aikido is not a competitive sport, his team travels to seminars together and tends to form family-like bonds, which they have not been able to do in over a year.

As the Aikido club opens back up, Craft said everyone in the Carbondale community is welcome to come and try it out, whether they are beginners or experienced. The club meets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, as well as Saturday in the early afternoon.

Staff reporter Elena Schauwecker can be reached at eschauwecker@dailyegyptian.com.

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

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15-year-old Marion track athlete Amari Tucker, is comforted by her brother Malik when seeing the size of the protest at Marion High School on Monday, April 26, 2021. Tucker was asked to turn in her uniform by her coach, Sara Baker, after complaining that Baker allegedly called her a “Black barefooted African from the third world” in front of her teammates. Danny Connolly | @da.conn.artist

Marion community protests racist incident at high school

Keaton Yates | @keatsians

Marion High School has put track coach Sara Baker on “administrative leave” as students, parents and other members of the community gathered at the high school to protest a racist comment the coach made to a Black member of the team.

On April 23, Asia Gosett posted on Facebook that Baker called her 15-year-old sister a ‘Black-footed African from the third world’ and told to turn in her team jersey. The post was shared over 2,100 times and a rally was organized for Monday.

Superintendent Keith Oates released a message on social media that said, “The coach apologized to the student and her parent during a recent meeting, and the district is currently working with the family towards a collaborative resolution.”

Baker has been placed on administrative leave, Oates said to the protesters. It is unclear whether or not this leave is paid and Oates refused to specify.

Over 30 protesters gathered Monday at Harry L. Crisp Sports Complex and they then marched to the high school while chanting ‘Black students matter’ and calling for Baker to be fired. Police followed the protesters.

They reached the parking lot and met with Marion Mayor Mike

Korshawn Johnson, a graduate of Marion High School, leads the protestors in chants on Monday, April 26, 2021. Over 30 community members showed up to protest the alleged racist incident that occurred at Marion High School. Danny Connolly | @da.conn.artist

Absher and Oates. The two said little to protesters, who expressed their grievances and asked questions regarding the investigation.

Oates declined an interview with the Daily Egyptian, but told the protesters there is a process that must be followed. He did not specify the outcome or whether the school board is involved.

Absher said to the protesters, at best, this was an “extraordinarily insensitive comment.” He also said he knew he would not be able to keep his job if he said the same comment.

He said he did not know whether

or not the comment was racial. “I believe they need to let the process happen,” Absher said.

“What’s the process if she has already admitted to it?” Akeem Petty, a protester, said. “If I walk into a courtroom and say I admit to murder, there is no longer a trial.

Because I admitted it, I am guilty, there’s no process to figure out if I am guilty.”

Protesters went back into the street and police made a line, blocking it off.

One officer threatened to put those who crossed the line in handcuffs.

Another officer brought his dog in a

Skye English holds up a sign and leads protestors on Monday, April 26, 2021 at the Marion High School in Marion, Ill. Danny Connolly | @da.conn.artist

vest out, who barked at the protesters.

Other officers stood to the side, interacting calmly with protesters.

Petty said in a Facebook post after the protest he spoke with the Chief of the

police for over an hour.

Staff reporter Keaton Yates can be reached at kyates@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @keatsians.

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Abortion in Illinois: The road to repeal Parental Notification Act

Jamilah Lewis | @jamilahlewis

The repeal of the Parental Notification Act is the next push the Illinois legislature is doing to make reproductive healthcare accessible as possible to young people.

The Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995 states, “Parental consultation is usually in the best interest of the minor and is desirable since the capacity to become pregnant and the capacity for mature judgment concerning the wisdom of an abortion are not necessarily related.”

If a minor 17 or younger seeks abortion services they must notify a parent or guardian unless a judge gives them a waiver, according to the Planned Parenthood website and Illinois state law.

Since the PNA became law in 2013, it has made it harder for young people to get the reproductive healthcare they need.

Legal Fellow of reproductive rights Davina Rae Dipaolo has represented around 10 young people in court since the beginning of this year and said the majority of young people want to involve a parent in the decision, but don’t have family members that qualify under the law.

“A lot of them are in fear of being kicked out of their home,” Dipaolo said. “A lot of the young people that come to us have parents that have [a] very strong religious opposition to abortion, and so they fear that they would be forced to continue the pregnancy against their will because their parents just do not believe in abortion.”

The fear of losing their caregiver and breaking their relationship with parents who may be opposed to abortion bring up concerns about shelter and well-being, Dipaolo said.

State representative Kelly Cassidy (IL-14) said the statutes around abortion in Illinois don’t depict it as a healthcare service.

“They reflected a fundamental bias because unlike every other healthcare procedure known to man, [...] the laws concerning abortion were all contained on our criminal code,” Cassidy said. “So it’s a combination of addressing this fundamental brokenness of our statutes, and moving this healthcare-related topic into the healthcare-related sections of our code.”

Even with former president Trump out of office, the damage is done to the court and the risk of losing Roe v. Wade still stands, Cassidy said.

In the spring of 2019, the Reproductive Healthcare Act was passed ensuring reproductive healthcare is protected in the state. The newly elected women pushed to get the law passed in the legislature, Cassidy said.

“The bulk of our freshman class were newly elected women and those women came down with a mission,” Cassidy said. “They were elected in the aftermath of the Trump election and they weren’t taking no for an answer.”

Illinois State Representative Anna Moeller of the 43rd district said they’re seeing the states abusing a Republican majority in the supreme court to limit abortion services.

“Whether it’s institutitng waiting times, or instituting incredibly high standards, unrealistic, unreasonable standards for abortion clinics,” Moeller said. “All of these restrictions that we’re seeing in midwestern states and southern states, all of these restrictions are being put in place to eventually test the legality of these restrictions at the supreme court level.”

With being on the chair of the human service committee, just this year Republicans tried to pass around 20 to 30 bills that would repeal abortion rights and require women to have a waiting period or ultrasound before having an abortion, Moeller said.

“I’m proud of the fact that Illinois protects

women, trusts women, and supports women; and I was proud to be able to vote for the Reproductive Healthcare Act and we’re hoping that we can get the PNA repeal bill as well,” Moeller said.

The Judicial Bypass Project of Illinois was made to help young people who seek abortion services and represent them in court to have the PNA waiver granted.

The women’s healthcare services around campus do not offer abortion services but will recommend people to the nearest ones which are in St. Louis and Fairview Heights.

“There are a lot of pockets throughout Illinois that just don’t have an abortion clinic within a reasonable distance,” Dipaolo said.

“Young people have had to travel several hours; that’s just an added challenge of being away from home and school that long.”

If or when the repeal of the Parental Notification Act is passed, young people will be able to access reproductive health care much easier, and young people wouldn’t have to worry about the effect it will have on their personal relationships.

“It would just be such a huge improvement in our access to reproductive health in young people, Dipaolo said. “The project was only created in response to the PNA enactment. So if it is repealed the nature of this project won’t be needed.”

The reproductive rights in the state of Illinois are protected, but as a nation pro-life and anti-abortion rights people still fight to limit women’s choices in their reproductive health.

In an interview by the New York Times, president of the Susan B. Anthony list Marjorie Dannenfelser talks about her work with former President Donald Trump and the push for anti-abortion rights.

“The Supreme Court piece is the most important piece. But there was also a commitment to protect the Hyde Amendment, meaning no taxpayer funding of abortion,” Dannenfelser said in the interview. “That means no abortions on the national level after five months and also defunding and reallocating Planned Parenthood’s funding to other qualified health centers.”

With supreme court justice Amy Coney Barrett getting in court before the end of former President Trump’s term, it put a conservative majority in the court, which gives conservatives a better chance at Roe v.

Wade.

“She’s my favorite. She’s our favorite.

She’s the movement’s favorite because the movement knows her,” Dannenfelser said. “ And she’s been completely vetted. We know who she is, what she’s about.”

With no specific date on when the PNA will be repealed or not, the fight to limit access or get more access to reproductive rights will be a long fight.

“It just comes down to trusting women to make the right decisions for themselves and knowing that there are many reasons why women seek having an abortion, and it’s never ever a decision that’s made lightly,” Moeller said.

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

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

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News

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Tara Nelsen, leader of Southern Illinois Pagan Alliance (SIPA) makes preparations before starting a smudging ritual on Wednesday April 14, 2021, inside the Labyrinth near Gaia House Interfaith Center, in Carbondale Ill. “We have been doing this since 1998 and I will continue doing it,” Nelsen said. Subash Kharel | @pics.leaks

Southern Illinois Pagan Alliance welcomes all to a spiritual journey

Jamilah Lewis | @jamilahlewis

The welcoming atmosphere of the Gaia House interfaith center is home to various religions/faiths and organizations, one of them being the Southern Illinois Pagan Alliance.

Founded as a discussion group in 1998 by SIU Alumnus Tara Nelsen, it was a group to connect others of pagan beliefs to share their experiences on their spiritual journeys.

“I wanted it to be a part of the community because without the University we wouldn’t be here, but I didn’t want to limit it to that, so we had people from high school to retirement age in that group,” Nelsen said. “From that group, SIPA came out of it.”

Nelsen said she made herself known as the witch of Southern Illinois to get more people, but the fear of a bad community reaction is still there.

“I actually expected more pushback than I got, but I had nothing to lose,” Nelsen said. “ So who better try to start something then somebody who’s not afraid about losing something. But the danger and the fear were definitely there.”

They never experienced any hate from the community towards the group. Only during a holiday parade in Carbondale in 2000

where people questioned them, Nelsen said.

“We had a giant pentagram that we pulled behind a truck,” Nelsen said. “The worst kind of stuff that we got during something like that was people saying out loud ‘How dare you be in a Christmas parade!,’ ‘What are you doing here?’”

Like most other practices/ religions, Pagans have holidays mostly based on the seasons with the most popular ones in SIPA being Beltane, which is to celebrate the peak of spring and beginning of summer, and Samhain, which is around Halloween to welcome harvest season and celebrate their ancestors (Sowen), Nelsen said.

Even with being able to celebrate these holidays, the main purpose of SIPA is to have community and share practices, Nelsen said.

“There’s so many different ways to practice paganism,” Nelsen said.

“For a lot of people that’s a great thing; for some people, that’s really hard because if you’re brung up in any kind of structured religion, you’re told when to do things, [and] how to do it.”

SIPA is open to anyone of any religious/spiritual beliefs, which has helped bring a lot of solo practitioners to gain a community.

SIPA member Shilo Mortenson joined SIPA in 2018 after meeting Tara Nelsen in Carbondale.

Mortenson said the group focuses

Tara Nelsen, leader of the Southern Illinois Pagan Alliance (SIPA), performs a smudging of rosemary ritual over SIPA member, Andy Darnelle, Wednesday, April 14, 2021, in Carbondale, Ill. “Part of the reason the group exists is to give people the chance to experience the variety of ways people practice paganism, and to do it themselves too. So every ritual, every thing, is a little bit different,” Nelsen said.

Subash Kharel | @pics.leaks

more on Wiccan areas, but they’re still able to share their practices and can connect to being polytheistic.

“Community is very important especially for young religious [people] who don’t necessarily fit this major cultural push to become Christian because it doesn’t really sit right with them,” Mortenson said.

Monternson said when others branch into different things like religion, it’s hard to continue your practices when you feel isolated, and SIPA helped them become less isolated even though the group isn’t like other religious groups.

“I definitely feel that it’s made me a lot more open to be more open with my religious beliefs,” Mortenson said. “[It] actually

inspired me to get very involved online in paganism and I’m now hosting a cavern based on Hellenic Polytheism and the biggest online pagan community so far.”

Jessica Hendrix who joined SIPA in 2018, was Christian for a long time when she woke up one day and decided to dive into paganism, she said.

“I’ve been a Christian most of my life and I had a lot of bad experiences and I just really felt like it wasn’t for me anymore,” Hendrix said. “I’d been drawn to Wicca and paganism for a long time and I just kinda said you know what I’m just going to dive into this.”

Hendrix said the group’s Facebook presence has been a big help with keeping the members

connected during the pandemic.

One of Hendrix’s favorite things about SIPA is it being a judgmentfree zone and how the group doesn’t interfere with your personal life, she said.

“The thing about SIPA is they’re no interested in your sex life, they don’t want to dive into your private life, they don’t even want to tell you what to do,” Hendrix said. “It’s about acknowledging that every path has merit and that there are tons of different paths and that it’s ok for people to be different and to believe differently doesn’t mean that one is right and one is wrong.”

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

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Sports

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12 years in the waiting: A look back at the 2009 Saluki playoff team

Photo courtesy of SIU Athletics taken at the SIU vs. Weber State game on Saturday, April 24, 2021.

Adam Warfel | @warfel_adam The Salukis made their first playoff appearance since 2009 on Saturday winning 34-31 over Weber State.

When SIU made the playoffs in 2009, they finished the season 10-1 and 8-0 in MVC play qualifying for an automatic bid in a 16 team field.

That Saluki team was dominant on both sides of the field under head coach Dale Lennon, averaging 34 points per game on offense while limiting opponents to just under 16 points per game.

The offense ran a fairly balanced attack averaging 219.5 yards per game rushing and 175.31 yards per game passing.

The Salukis in 2009, were led by senior running back Deji Karim on offense, who finished third in the Walter Payton Award voting, which is an award given to the best player in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

In all 13 games played, including the two games in the FCS playoffs, Karim averaged 130.31 rushing yards per game.

Karim’s best rushing performance of the season came on Oct. 10 against Illinois State, running for 273 yards with three touchdowns.

On defense, the Salukis were led by senior inside linebacker Brandin Jordan, who finished as a finalist for the Buck Buchanan award which is given to the best defensive player in FCS. In 12 games played, Jordan recorded 85 tackles and grabbed one interception to go along with five sacks for the Southern defense.

12 years later, the Salukis once again find themselves in the playoffs this time with a 5-3, and a 4-3 record in conference play.

SIU heard their names called on Sunday, April 18, after defeating four ranked teams with their last win before the playoffs coming over number 15 ranked Southeastern Louisiana on April 17.

On offense this year, the Salukis have had to play with three different quarterbacks due to

injury, but since the Missouri State game on March 27, the position has been held down by junior Stone Labanowitz.

In four of their five wins this season, the Salukis won by a margin of less than 10 with the lone anomaly coming against North Dakota State on Feb. 27 in the 38-14 win.

By the stats, SIU’s opponents actually slightly outscored them averaging 29.56 points per game to the Salukis 27.22.

Labanowitz at quarterback threw for seven touchdowns with only two interceptions and 994 passing yards in six games played.

As far as the rushing attack of the Salukis goes, they are led by sophomore running back Javon Williams Jr., who has ran for 507 yards in eight games played averaging 4.5 yards per carry.

On the defensive side of things, the 2021 Salukis are led by junior inside linebacker Bryson Strong who has accounted for 66 tackles in his nine games played including the playoff win over Weber State.

In 2009, the Salukis were ranked number one heading into the playoffs and were upset in the second round by number six William and Mary who hail from Williamsburg Virginia.

This year, Southern gets the chance to play the underdog card ranked number 14 coming into the playoffs, and having just knocked off number three Weber State on April 24.

The appearance in the playoffs in 2009, marked Southern’s seventh straight appearance in them dating back to 2003.

The Salukis have the mindset now of survive and advance, with hopes of having the continued success the early 2000’s teams had.

Sports Reporter Adam Warfel can be reached at awarfel@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @ warfel_adam.

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Last week’s:

Study Break

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

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