The Daily Egyptian - August 25, 2021

THE

Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.

DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2021

VOL. 104, ISSUE 20

Southern Illinois University community release balloons in memory of Keeshana “Shanna” Jackson Aug. 22, 2021 at Davie’s Hall. Chris Bishop | @quippedmediallc

‘A beautiful soul with a bright future:’ Honoring the life of Keeshanna Jackson

On Sunday, Aug. 22, SIUC freshman Keeshanna Jackson was shot and killed at 3:12 am on 501 W. Cherry on her way back to her dorm.

Jackson attended a college party like hundreds of other students during Solar Bear weekend. What was meant to be a fun weekend for students to let off some steam after syllabus week, ended in tragedy.

Jackson’s friends and family members gathered in front of Davies Hall 16 hours later to honor the beautiful, bubbly and funny soul that she was. Community members were asked to bring blue and white balloons to let go of at the end of the event.

Jackson’s friends wore shirts with “Long Live Shanna” and a photo of Jackson on the front. Community members brought flowers to lay in front of the photos and memorial of Shanna placed by her friends in front of the trees outside the hall.

Pastor Christopher Sims of Hopewell Baptist Church led a prayer for the mourners to begin the vigil.

“We come here with broken hearts, confused, angry, upset. I’m grateful tonight to know that no matter what our emotions are, you’re God enough to be able to handle them,” Sims prayed. “Even with our questions, you’re big enough, and you’re God enough to be able to handle the questions of her family.”

Sims also asked God to watch over the students of SIUC. “I bleed the blood of Jesus over every college student on this campus right now, over every dormitory, over every classroom.

I pray for your divine protection.

We don’t have to live in fear but I pray that you give us the strength to be able to walk in wisdom and live in wisdom,” Sims said.

Please see JACKSON | 8

Keeshana’s friend lays flowers on memorial Aug. 22, 2021. Chris Bishop | @quippedmediallc

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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Contact Us Email: editor@dailyegyptian.com Faculty Managing Editor: Annie Hammock ahammock@dailyegyptian.com

Southern Illinois Unity Coalition eyes Dentmon Center for future youth programming

Editor-in-Chief: Oreoluwa Ojewuyi oojewuyi@dailyegyptian.com Design Chief: Chloe Schobert cschobert@dailyegyptian.com Photo Editor: Sophie Whitten swhitten@dailyegyptian.com Multimedia Editor: Chris Bishop cbishop@dailyegyptian.com News Editor: Jason Flynn jflynn@dailyegyptian.com Sports Editor: Ryan Scott rscott@dailyegyptian.com Business Manager: Lyn Sargent lsargent@dailyegyptian.com Business Office: Arunima Bhattacharya 618-536-3305

Newly installed basketball court at the Dentmon Center Aug. 23, 2021 in Carbondale, Ill. Chris Bishop | @ quippedmediallc Jamilah Lewis | @jamilahlewis

About Us

The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale on a weekly basis. Fall and spring semester editions run every Wednesday. Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale, Carterville, and Springfield communities. The Daily Egyptian can be found at www. dailyegyptian.com or on the Daily Egyptian app!

Mission Statement The Daily Egyptian, the student-run news organization of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is committed to being a trusted source of news, information, commentary and public discourse, while helping readers understand the issues affecting their lives.

Publishing Information The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale and functions as a laboratory for the School of Journalism in exchange for the room and utilities in the Communications Building. The Daily Egyptian is a non-profit organization that survives primarily off of its advertising revenue. Offices are in the Communications Building, room 1259, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Ill., 62901.

Copyright Information @2021 The Daily Egyptian. All rights reserved. All content is property of the Daily Egyptian and may not be reproduced or transmitted without consent. The Daily Egyptian is a member of the Illinois College Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Advisers Inc. and the College Business and Advertising Managers Inc.

Submissions Letters and guest columns must be submitted with author’s contact information, preferably via email. Phone numbers are required to verify authorship, but will not be published.

Students must include their year and major. Faculty must include rank and department. Others include hometown.

Submissions should be sent to editor@dailyegyptian.com

acknowledgements The design and artwork provided in this publication are supported by a Windgate Scholarship Charitable Foundation scholarship awarded by the School of Art and Design, Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

For years, Eurma C. Hayes center has been a community center with the main purpose of providing a daycare for children with social, educational, and health services available to all in the community.

Earlier this year, residents of Carbondale were protesting plans to put a police substation in the Eurma C. Hayes center including Hayes’s great granddaughter Jasmyn Taylor who made a petition with 2,115 signatures out of the 2,500 signatures needed.

Most residents felt the Black community didn’t need more policing but instead getting more help to fund solutions.

According to the leader of the Southern Illinois Unity Coalition, Nancy Maxwell, she and the community have turned to another center for children and adults called the Dentmon Center.

The Dentmon Center is a part of the old Carbondale Community High School, and was founded by NBA player Justin Dentmon, who is from Carbondale and wanted to give back to his community, Maxwell said.

The center is home to a basketball court and indoor batting cages, and can house around 2300 people.

Maxwell said other possibilities include a community garden, a studio and a theater.

Since the Eurma Hayes center gets most of the community’s attention, the Dentmon center is overlooked, but has a lot to offer, Maxwell said.

“It’s a different building, different center, and somebody suggested that I go over there and look at that place and it’s a lot of possibilities that could be set up for the children,” she said “They actually did some programming this summer with some children, but it’s not well known.”

The reason for turning away from the Eurma C. Hayes Center does not have to do with the substation, but more so wanting to have a safe space for the children, Maxwell said.

“Our main objective was to have something and somewhere for the children to go, and that does not seem to be the case with Eurma Hayes,” Maxwell said.

“Eurma Hayes was for the kids. From the plans I heard, it didn’t sound child-friendly to me.”

One of the main reasons a community center is needed is to get children away from harm and violence.

“We’re fighting to turn the children around who are out here dealing with gun violence, whether they’re seeing it, experiencing it or they’re actually the people that are conducting it,” Maxwell said. “We need a way to reach out, so that gym, being able to record music; because everybody is not into sports.”

Other plans​​to be included are a section for children with autism, a computer lab open to all ages and possible bus services that would bring children from Carbondale,

Marion and other local towns and​​transport them to the Dentmon center, Maxwell said.

With the center’s workers making these plans, the community is here to assist.

Representatives from SIU, the state’s attorney, Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Illinois) and Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Carbondale) were invited by the NAACP to see the vision of the future of the Dentmon Center, Maxwell said.

The center’s main focus is getting the funding to put the plans into motion.

“Some of the city council people came out as well because of the American Rescue Plan,” Maxwell said. “ Each county was given x amount of dollars for certain things, and one of the things that I believe that some of those dollars should go to is assisting a community center in the Black community for the children.”

With the Carbondale Police Department having a budget of more than $10m this year, some of the money could be used to improve the community with the Dentmon Center, Maxwell said.

“This community center is a good thing, also the police need the community’s help with gun violence,” she said. . “I believe if we had a place for the kids to belong to, they wouldn’t need all that police presence or officers.”

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

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

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Weeks of Welcome helps new students feel at home at SIU

Savannah Long hands out bagels on Bagel Wednesday Aug. 18, 2021 at Faner Hall. Chris Bishop | @quippedmediallc Elena Schauwecker | eschauwecker@dailyegyptian.com

SIU’s Weeks of Welcome is back with festivals, food, games and more to welcome new students to campus. This year is a particularly special year for both first-year students and sophomores, as last year most of the Weeks of Welcome events were either canceled or moved online, and the opportunities for social connections were limited.

Kirstin Altom, a junior mortuary science major, was a resident assistant in Mae Smith during the 2020-2021 school year. She said, though she tried to get students involved with both online and in-person events, most of her residents were either afraid to gather due to COVID-19 or simply felt they could not build any real relationships online.

“It was very hard to get students to participate online, in person, anything. They just felt disconnected, and it didn’t really matter what you were putting out there,” Altom said. “It was like pulling teeth to get them to do things, but I feel like there’s an eagerness now to get them out there.”

Emily Spann, the director of New Student Programs, said it is a priority to all the event coordinators that students stay safe but are still able to interact.

“Event hosts decide the best modality for their event. There are several events that are in-person, but there are also several events that are online/virtual,” Spann said.

Tiffany Young, a sophomore, said she is interested in participating in Weeks of Welcome events, but she feels there is not enough communication informing students. She said she believes the university may intentionally not be publicizing events very much in order to keep from having large groups of students gather during the pandemic.

“I always want to go to those activities, but I don’t know about them until they’re halfway over,” Young said. “I’m always hearing different things from different people, and it’s confusing.”

Spann said she disagreed, as it is part of SIU’s mission to make all students feel welcome, and she encourages all students to participate in Weeks of Welcome. Additionally, there are events organized for non-traditional students, international students and students from different cultures.

“Non-Traditional Student Services hosts a Family Carnival and the Student Multicultural Resource Center hosts various events,” Spann said. “It’s important to note that all events are open to all students. Students are looking for a connection, a community at SIU. We’re hopeful through Weeks of Welcome events, students are able to make those connections.”

The school has events going on for the first six weeks of the fall semester. On Thursday, Aug. 12, Weeks of Welcome kicked off with Light up the Lake, an event at Becker Pavilion that included s’mores, a climbing wall, a DJ and dancing.

On Saturday, Aug. 14, the festivities continued with Dawgs Night Out, one of the most popular events of the year. The line at the student center continued out the door and wrapped around the building of the student center as new and old students mingled, taking goofy pictures in a photobooth, riding a mechanical bull, singing karaoke, playing laser tag and more.

Altom said she believes the first few weeks are critical to students feeling safe and comfortable at SIU, and she is hopeful that by holding in-person events, everyone will feel more connected and at home.

“I think all the events we put on at the beginning of the year are important because they can make or break some people’s

college experiences,” Altom said. “The beginning of the year sets the tone for your whole year, so if there’s nothing going on at the beginning of the year, why is anyone gonna want to go to anything later on? If we’re having stuff now and introducing everybody to everything right at the beginning, they see everything that we have to offer.”

Weeks of Welcome will continue through Sept. 26 and include events such as the College of Liberal Arts’ “Bagel Wednesday’s” in Faner, Morris Library’s game nights and the Saluki Sprint at the first football game.

Spann encourages everyone to log on to wow.siu.edu and find some activities where they can have fun with their old friends or make new friends.

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

A group of students gather to hear what the Writing Center has to offer at the Morris Library’s open house event on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at SIU. Jared Treece | @bisalo

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

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Remembering a great journalist, investigator, teacher, mentor and friend William Freivogel | Professor When I woke up the day after William A. Recktenwald died this week, the first thing I heard in my head was his gravelly voice asking, “How are you doing my friend?” It was a greeting I had heard from “Reck” dozens of times over the past 15 years at the SIUC School of Journalism where we were colleagues.

I don’t think I know of anyone who stayed in touch with a wider network of friends, colleagues and former students than Reck. Almost every vacation he flew to visit them in farflung places around the globe. On one of those visits he survived the deadly Sri Lanka tsunami.

If this were August, 2020 rather than August, 2021, I know where Reck would have spent this past week.

He would have been at the SIU dorms helping students and their parents move in. He never missed a movein week – including last year’s as he headed toward retirement – and he had the muscles to get the job done because he worked out at the SIU gym late into his 70s.

There are half a dozen categories of greatness that apply to Reck. Great journalist, great investigator, great mentor, great teacher, loyal friend. But despite all that greatness, it was never beneath him to grab suitcases and boxes and tell the students and parents that SIU was a terrific school and they were wanted here.

I knew Reck by reputation before I knew him as a friend. Reck, Phil Greer and I were three journalists whom Mike Lawrence had recruited for the SIU School of Journalism.

Mike, himself a journalist and former press spokesperson for Gov. Jim Edgar, was at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, which he went on to head.

When I came to SIU, I knew about Reck’s role in the fabled Mirage tavern sting, which revealed many of Chicago’s inspectors were crooks. And I knew he was a storied investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune, and was a finalist for a Pulitzer prize multiple times and worked on two teams that won Pulitzers.

What I didn’t realize was that Reck would be my savvy, hard-working collaborator on some of our biggest projects in the School.

One of the worst days of our lives was April 29, 2008, when Ryan Rendleman, a talented young photojournalist on the Daily Egyptian, was killed when a truck totaled his car as he drove along Highway 127 to an assignment. On the day of his death, Ryan had been offered a hand-out photo of a child afflicted by a disease for which there was a scheduled fundraiser near Carbondale. He could have just stuck the hand-out in the paper with a short story. But Ryan thought he would bring the story to life by taking photos of the child and was on the way to the photoshoot when the truck struck him.

We were devastated. Reck, Greer

William Recktenwald posed for a picture at the SIUC School of Journalism before his retirement. Jayson Holland and I had been particularly close to Ryan, along with the students and the faculty managing editor at the DE, Eric Fidler. We started a scholarship in Ryan’s name and planted a redbud tree outside the School of Journalism. Reck worked hard on both projects, tending to the health of the tree as years passed.

He took it a step farther by getting Ryan recognized at the Newseum in Washington D.C. as one of the

Reck also took the lead in our retrospective on the first century of the Daily Egyptian. He spent hours pulling together the names of past editors and making sure their names were all spelled right – not an easy task.

He also lined up Geoff Ritter, a former student working at the Carbondale Times, to write the lead piece.

Geoff was one of scores of students with whom Reck stayed in close touch.

trips for the reporters to national NABJ conferences. Reck also kept in close touch with Ugandan students we had met on trips there. He often updated me on students I had met but that he had really gotten to know.

If memory serves, Reck also once bought a car for a poor Hispanic student to drive to a far-off summer internship. And another time he lined me up to join him interceding with

Reck’s life. He was a storied reporter even though he couldn’t write or type well. He didn’t have a close family life but kept up with dozens and dozens of close friends. He didn’t have children but mentored scores of young people who remained his devoted friends.

And he didn’t graduate from college, because of his undiagnosed dyslexia, yet rose to be president of the SIU Faculty Senate.

“Students loved his classes. I’ve heard from many in the past few days. Reck treated them to a wry, understated sense of humor as he imparted the wisdom of half a century.”

- William Freivogel School of Journalism Professor

journalists who had died in the line of duty. He remained close to Ryan’s family.

The day of the Leap Day Tornado that hit Harrisburg in 2012, Reck made sure DE reporters and photographers got to the scene immediately and then called friends at the Tribune to tell them about the disaster. DE photos were on the front of the Trib the next day thanks to Reck’s intercession.

But it was what Reck did next that was special. He headed up a project to publish a book on the Leap Year Tornado to help raise funds for those hurt by the storm. Not only did Reck lead the project, he also lined up the support of the chancellor and himself sold some ads to help fund publication. He presented the book to the community the following August.

In the end, Geoff was Reck’s power of attorney and had to deal with difficult decisions over these past five weeks as his health declined rapidly. Ritter’s obit on Reck captures the man beautifully.

As we approached the 100th anniversary edition of the DE, Reck and I talked often about the sad fact that there hadn’t been a Black editor and that Black people often didn’t feel at home in the newsroom. We were grateful that Tyler Davis broke through that year to become the first Black editor. (And this year, Oreoluwa Ojewuyi became the first Black woman EIC.) During most of his years in the School of Journalism, Reck was the faculty sponsor of the local National Association of Black Journalists chapter. He often found ways to fund

the court to reduce the punishment of a promising DE cartoonist who had broken a window in downtown Carbondale.

Students loved his classes. I’ve heard from many in the past few days. Reck treated them to a wry, understated sense of humor as he imparted the wisdom of half a century. One example was the story he told to stress the importance of ending an interview by asking if the interviewee had anything to add. Reck told of an interview he had with a coroner after a young man had died unexpectedly and his parents suspected foul play. When Reck asked the coroner if there was anything to add, the coroner said there was one last matter - the note found in the man’s stomach. It was a suicide note.

There were many paradoxes in

In our journalism faculty meetings he was the most savvy of operators. I was the director but always made sure I was on the same side as Reck – not only because he usually was right but also because he almost always won.

His keen reading of the departmental operating papers left those of us with so-called “terminal” degrees in the dust.

Most of my journalistic mentors are dead now. But I sometimes hear them in my head – not their voices but their nuggets of wisdom. For years to come, I think I’ll be hearing Reck and his greeting, “How are you doing my friend?”

William H. Freivogel is a professor and former director of the School of Journalism at SIUC

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

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SIU-C COVID exposures a motivation for petition for vaccine, testing mandates similar to other universities Janiyah Gaston | @janiyah_reports Jason Flynn | jflynn@dailyegyptian. com

A petition to institute a vaccine mandate at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale is circulating following an incident in which at least two classes were exposed to a COVID positive student.

“I’m the [graduate assistant (GA)] assigned to a class that leads one of the breakout discussions,” Adam Turl, a GA in the mass communication school, said. “Several dozen students in a medium to small size lecture hall where you couldn’t socially distance.”

Turl said when they were notified of the COVID exposure by SIU-C on Thursday school administrators seemed more concerned about getting the infected student their homework than the health of the students and staff, and that the incident was one of at least twelve they’d heard of from other graduate assistants.

Kim Rendfeld, executive director of communications and marketing at SIU-C, said there have been no COVID outbreaks, “in any classroom, and If there were an outbreak, we would follow the Department of Health order to pause our use of the classroom until it was thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.”

SIU-C’s COVID-19 Dashboard

shows six positive cases of the virus from August 9 through August 15, and shows 13 students in quarantine as of August 20.

That is the third highest number of quarantined students since SIU-C began tracking, close to past COVID positivity peaks in November 2020 and January 2021 when 18 students and 16 students, respectively, were recorded in quarantine.

Turl, along with other graduate assistants, faculty members, and community members, put together the petition demanding the school require vaccinations, mandate testing for unvaccinated students, bring back access to online learning options for classes, and address social distancing issues.

“I thought it was odd and irresponsible not to have a requirement for vaccination or regular testing… and there’s no reporting from the administration about the number of cases on campus,” Turl said.

At time of publishing, the petition had over 318 signatures.

While SIUC decided to make vaccination and testing optional, other schools like those in the University of Illinois (UofI) system, Doane University, Loyola University and

California State University are requiring students to get the COVID-19 Vaccine.

According to a statement by UofI System President Tim Killeen the decision to mandate vaccines for students and staff was, “consistent with our own scientific modeling of the risks associated with the spread of the virus and its variants. It is also consistent with the Illinois Department of Public Health’s goals.”

Rendfeld said she could not speculate on the reasoning behind other schools’ COVID safety procedures, compared to those in place at SIU-C. According to Liz McCue, communications manager at Doane University, and Hazel Kelly, public affairs manager at California State, both of the schools are making the vaccine required as a way to keep students safe and reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Kelly said, “With the current surge of COVID cases due to the spread of the highly infectious delta variant…

Receiving a COVID vaccine continues to be the best way to mitigate the spread of the virus.”

According to McCue the school would prefer students get vaccinated before they come on campus, but if they are not able to get it after then the school will have a vaccine clinic on

campus at the start of the school year.

Regarding SIU-C’s COVID measures, Rendfeld said, “we do already provide vaccine clinics on campus. It’s twice weekly, and we already provide updates of our testing and positive cases.”

For now SIU-C is only encouraging students to get vaccinated, but if cases keep rising the administration might need to rethink their position, Rendfeld said.

“We are continuing to monitor the situation, and we will adapt our plans as we need to do so… The decisions that we make will be in the best interest of the university, and they will be based on the guidance of public health experts,” Rendfeld said.

Schools such as California State have made it clear that they want their students to get vaccinated before a certain time. According to Kelly, students have to provide proof of vaccination or receive an exemption

by September 30th, or they will not be allowed to use the campus facilities.

“Students and employees accessing any CSU campus facilities must either provide certification of vaccination or receive an exemption for medical or religious reasons,” Kelly said.

Kelly said if students are not vaccinated

they may face disciplinary action.

According to Loyola’s COVID-19 information page their administration will be suspending students’ enrollment if they fail to verify their vaccination status.

“Students who have not uploaded their vaccination cards or received approval for an exemption by Friday August 6th, will not remain enrolled in classes when the fall semester begins and will not have access to campus building.”

Turl said the GAs don’t understand why SIU-C hasn’t taken more severe precautions to mitigate the spread of COVID on campus and in the larger community.

“I don’t understand the sort of lackadaisical approach that the administration has taken,” Turl said.

“The trajectory over time is towards reduced vaccine advocacy, which is particularly worrisome for people who are immunocompromised, like myself.”

Staff reporters Janiyah Gaston and Jason Flynn can be reached at jgaston@ dailyegyptian.com, jflynn@dailyegyptian. com, or on Instagram at @janiyah_ reports. To stay up to date with all your Southern Illinois news follow the Daily Egyptian on Facebook and Twitter.

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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Carbondale community members gather outside Shryock Auditorium for SIU’s second Sunset Concert event July 29, 2021 in Carbondale, Ill. Chris Bishop | @quippedmediallc

Sunset Concerts return to ‘connecting people in-person’ after COVID hiatus

Elena Schauwecker | eschauwecker@dailyegypThe “Sunset Concerts” have returned for the 41st year with a new lineup of bands after being canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

The concerts began on July 22 with a blues performance from Shawn Holt and the Teardrops, and will conclude Aug. 26 with Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers.

Tena Bennett, the director of the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale student center, said the “Sunset Concert” series has been a staple of community life and family fun for decades.

“It started as an event for the university and community to enjoy music during the summer, and it carries that through today,” Bennett said.

“It has come to be an expected part of the summer experience in Carbondale.”

Ricky Tate, a member of the band Steel City Jug Slammers, which is based in Birmingham, Alabama, performed at the “Sunset Concert” Aug. 12. He said it was his band’s first time playing in Carbondale, and he loved the community’s welcoming and energetic spirit.

“It seems like the whole community gets behind it. I wish there was more stuff like that that I could get involved with because they have it all taken care of for you,” Tate said. “It’s cool to be invited in like that, and everyone’s just all on the team everywhere we went. It felt like a community effort.”

The Steel City Jug Slammers are a jug band, playing a mixture of blues and folk tunes inspired by the early 20th century. Tate said it is the goal of the Steel City Jug Slammers to bring back some

of the popular music styles of the 1900s.

Tate said the genre has always been appealing to him because of the community of positive and supportive musicians involved, which began with the influence of the original jug bands from Memphis.

“Whoever was willing to play and had tunes in the moment was in it, and that’s definitely translated over into the modern jug band. When there’s another jug band, we all kind of link up.

We’ve got friends from Canada and all over the country that are in jug bands. If we’re in the same room, we’re in the same band — it’s like a big family,” Tate said.

This social aspect of music took a hard hit during COVID-19 when bands such as the Steel City Jug Slammers were unable to perform in person. Similarly, Josh Gilbert, from the Josh Gilbert Band, who performed at the “Sunset Concert” Aug. 19, said he also thrives in live performance settings.

“The current digital livestream platform, or even just music videos or studio recordings, I have never gotten comfortable with,” Gilbert said. “I just love connecting with people in-person and drawing them into an experience. And even though I have a story to tell, I love to hear others’ stories too!”

The Josh Gilbert Band plays an original blend of southern blues, rock, pop, soul and country music. Gilbert said the music business has been extremely difficult throughout the pandemic, but he encourages student musicians to adapt to the circumstances as best they can.

“Be open to offering your music as a service

Rocky Athas performs at SIU’s second Sunset Concert event July 29, 2021 at Shryock Auditorium. Chris Bishop | @quippedmediallc in any kind of way you can think of — offer your music to all kinds of folks and businesses, and connect with many different organizations outside of the box,” Gilbert said.

The Sunset Concerts this year have given Carbondale students and community members the opportunity to gather and enjoy many different genres of music after a year of isolation.

Tate said he believes events like this have been given new meaning, and music is just the remedy people need to lift their spirits.

“People that have been happy-go-lucky for as long as I’ve known them were all down and out during the quarantine,” Tate said. “I don’t know anybody that wasn’t suffering from that. Coming back out and playing helps people. When we get to pretend like we’re normal at a concert for a minute, it alleviates that stress, even if it’s just for an hour.”

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

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

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Specialty stores thrive while mall continues to be distressed University Mall, which once housed more than 70 shops and stores, now operates just 25.

Andrew Erbes, the owner of Gloria Jean’s Coffee, said his business will close its doors due to a lack of foot traffic, a decrease in sales and increase in the capital costs.

“Our sales are down to about a quarter of what they were pre-pandemic,” Erbes said. “The economics of it no longer make sense.”

Gloria Jean’s, which has been in operation since 1993, is slated to be shuttered by September, Erbes said, and another store is not currently slated to take its place.

“It’s sad to see some shops that we are used to seeing not here anymore. Of course, it hurts to see them go,” Erkan Alkis, the manager of Embroidery Station, said.

Embroidery Station, which personalizes items like hats, shirts, blankets and back-to-school gear, has been one exception to the decline businesses such as Gloria Jean’s experienced at University Mall, Alkis said.

The mall was forced to close on March 21, 2020 due to Gov. JB Pritzker’s COVID-related stay-athome order, and reopened May 28, 2020 “When everything opened back up we actually made an increase in sales,” Alkis said.

Rebekah DePalma, the general manager of Earthbound Trading Company, said the store took a financial hit due to COVID restrictions.

“There were people who didn’t want to wait in the line outside of the store to come in, and people would see a line, so they would just keep

walking.” DePalma said.

Earthbound is also a specialty store, and DePalma said sales rebounded and increased as COVID restrictions were lifted.

Because Earthbound Trading Company’s items or Embroidery Station’s services may not be reliably found in other towns or online, they are able to attract customers instead of relying on foot traffic.

“We sell a lot of crystals, stones, tarot cards, things like that,” Depalma said. “We have a lot of guests that come from Evansville, Cape Girardeau, Paducah, so they’re coming from outside of southern Illinois specifically to University Mall for certain stores.”

Alkis said that while malls across the country are in distress, he believes the owners of University Mall, Mason Asset Management and Namdar Realty, are invested in riding out the downturn.

“They are investors. They’ve been through this turmoil,” Alkis said. “At some point, things are going to shift back.”

DePalma said she tries not to worry about what other stores may or may not be doing.

“I’m more focused on my store, and helping the team in my store to succeed,” DePalma said.

Erbes said he hopes other shops in the mall are able to avoid closing, and he encourages people to support local businesses by patronizing local establishments.

“The mall and the businesses in it are near and dear to my heart,” Erbes said. “I grew up in this mall, and have strong family connections to it.”

Staff reporter Joel Kottman can be reached at jkottman@dailyegyptian.com and on Twitter at @ JoelKottman.

Jacqueline Boyd | @jacqueline.boyd

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Joel Kottman | @JoelKottman

ART, WINE BLUES FEST

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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Jackson continued from

1

Jackson’s childhood and college friends shared fond memories of the freshman.

Koran Snulligan said he met Jackson at the grocery store where he asked to connect with her via Facebook. Snulligan recalled Jackson saying, “Boy if you wanted my number just say that.”

According to Snulligan, Jackson initially wanted to wait a year for SIUC to continue to work at her nail business.

“She said that she wanted to defer a year because she learned how to do nails by watching YouTube videos in her living room,” Snulligan said.

Snulligan said Jackson decided not to defer and continue doing nails while attending school.

“I helped her do her housing [contract], I made sure she was able to come here. She packed all of her stuff in a U-Haul,” Snulligan said. “She paid for her own U-Haul to get all the way down here.”

Snulligan remembers Jackson as a joyful person who shared her joy with those around her.

“In any situation she would make you laugh and smile,” Snulligan said. “I don’t want anyone to leave here sad. I want you all to remember her life.”

Snulligan said the vigil was meant to act as a celebration of life for Shanna and said she is resting in a better place now.

“Ain’t nothing down here for her no more. I’m okay with that because it’s so much better up there then it is down here,” Snulligan said. “She has been through too much for her to end up like this. So we’re not going to think about the bad. We’re going to think about the good and the kind of person she was and who she wanted to be.”

Andrea Brooks met Shanna last week during move-in. Brooks said the two quickly became close and remembered Shanna’s beautiful smile. Shanna was fun, goofy, and talented at her craft, Brooks said.

“She was everything. I’m going to make sure I graduate for her because she couldn’t,” Davis said.

She said the community needs to look out for one another not only in times of tragedy.

“It’s dangerous out here. I hope everybody stays safe. This following year, I don’t want to see any more deaths. I don’t want us to come together for death. I want us to come together for celebration, or graduation or birthday or wedding or anything else,” Davis said.

Father first name Brown, Professor of Africana Studies at SIUC, provided physical and verbal support to those close to Shanna and the rest of the SIUC community as they gathered in a circle around the vigil.

“This is a circle that has more power than anything I have seen on this campus in 20 years,” Brown said. “Us old people on the faculty ain’t got nothing to teach y’all. Y’all have

“You cannot just forget them after you leave today, because these young people need to be uplifted and thought about every day.”

- Grace Gunn Member of USG

everything to teach us.” community should give them the space and support they need Brown said Snulligan spoke words of truth and strength over and directly asked black students at the vigil to raise their hands the community despite the grief he was experiencing. to show the community the mourners have behind them.

“I know some stories of pain and trauma in this group, that Shanna’s family and friends urged anyone with any nobody should ever have to go through. I watched it myself. In information on the shooting to report it to the police. all these years I have buried too many children on this campus,” Carbondale Police Department can be contacted via phone at Brown said.

(618) 457-3200.

He said the community should never say Jackson is gone Community members are also encouraged but instead let her spirit live on. to report any information or suspicious “She’s the reason we’re here, and she’s gonna be the activity to the Carbondale/SIU Crime reason we walk away. She got more to teach us then Stoppers anonymous tip line at she ever could have as a freshman,” Brown said.

(618) 549-COPS (2677) or the He said Shanna’s life and presence should teach Murphysboro/Jackson County us all important lessons. anonymous tip line at (618) “Let her talk to you in the quiet time on a 687-COPS (2677). walk somewhere, honor her by hearing her.

Then, honor yourselves by making sure that we Editor-in-Chief Oreoluwa [...] stop this from happening,” he said.

Ojewuyi can be reached at Brown said we aren’t where we’re supposed oojewuyi@dailyegyptian. to be but he has hope the SIUC students can com or on twitter @ be the light to outshine the darkness that odojewuyi. led to Jackson’s sudden death.

Grace Gunn, member of USG, reminded the community to offer support to the friends and family of Jackson beyond the vigil.

“I just want to take a minute to highlight the beautiful spirit that all these students standing before you right now have, and what the impact of this tragedy will have on them,” Gunn said “You cannot just forget them after you leave today, because these young people need to be uplifted and thought Tears roll down the face of a speaker during the vigil that was held for Keeshanna Jackson, a SIU about every day.” freshmen who was shot and killed early Sunday morning. The vigil was held in front of Davies Gunn said the Hall on Sunday, August 22, 2021 at SIU. Jared Treece | @bisalo

A group comfort each other during a vigil was held for Keeshanna Jackson, a SIU freshmen who was shot and killed early Sunday morning. The vigil was held in front of Davies Hall on Sunday, August 22, 2021 at SIU. Jared Treece | @bisalo

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Page 9

Mourners place photo of Keeshana on tree Aug. 22, 2021 at Davie’s Hall. Chris Bishop | @quippedmediallc

The photo of Keeshanna Jackson sits at a vigil that was held for Keshanna Jackson, a SIU freshmen who was shot and killed early Sunday morning. The vigil was held in front of Davies Hall on Sunday, August 22, 2021 at SIU. Jared Treece | @bisalo

Matt Wilson of Southern Illinois Unity Coalition sings Amazing Grace as Keshanna “Shanna” Jackson’s friends mourn Aug. 22, 2021 at Davie’s Hall. Chris Bishop @quippedmediallc

Left: Keeshanna’s friends mourn over her memorial at her prayer vigil Aug. 22, 2021 at Davie’s Hall. Chris Bishop | @quippedmediallc

Students and community members gather for the vigil for Keeshana Jackson Aug. 22, 2021 at Davies Hall in Carbondale, Ill. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography

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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Dustin Clark | @dustinclark.oof

Teaching the teachers: How research can improve our education system

William Box | wbox@dailyegyptian.com

Developing research, spearheaded

by Dr. Senetta Bancroft and Dr. Felicia Mensah, suggests that the Inverted Classroom model can better serve K-12 educational needs, particularly in majority Black and Latinx communities.

The Inverted Classroom model is an experimental method of education in which students are given information in segments then expected to deliberate amongst themselves and come to correct conclusions with the data before continuing, rather than relying on lecture and rote memorization.

Bancroft said their research focuses on professional development for K-12 teachers.

“Specifically we want to support their ability to teach standards-based science that is both using evidencebased practices that are also inclusive practices,” Bancroft said.

This is an area of research that particularly interests Mensah, a professor of education specializing in science teacher education at Columbia University in New York City.

Mensah has written and coauthored a number of books Critical Race Theory, a scientific approach to how racial biases within legal institutions can systematically disenfranchise minority individuals without open discrimination, and how education can be a tool to promote equity among disenfranchised students.

“I don’t think we do enough listening, we don’t have the resources, and we don’t ask for help when we need it,” Mensah said. “The role of the individual in the classroom for

teachers is to come out and stop hiding and pretending you know it all. The main question to ask is ‘how can I support others?’”

Bancroft said her focus on minority communities stems from her understanding of how underfunded educational institutions adversely affect educational outcomes of the students who attend them. This is due to their relative difficulty in maintaining an adequate, effective educational staff.

Low-income minority communities are particularly vulnerable to this issue.

“It has to be a district that has the funds to really invest in supporting the teachers,” Bancroft said. “With professional development, it often takes anywhere from one to three years to move away from that traditional approach of lecturing… to basically move towards that more sense-making, active student approach.”

Bancroft said having the funds to incentivize teachers to learn a new classroom model is the issue commonly faced when implementing new teaching strategies, particularly in underprivileged neighborhoods.

The goal of the research that Bancroft and Mensah have performed has been to change the way that teachers are taught to interact with students in a classroom setting.

“You are basically setting them up, asking questions, probing and slowly unfolding information so they can make sense of the evidence.”

Bancroft said According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2020, 13.1% of Black

“Intersectionality foregrounds how systemic oppressions work in the lives of teachers of color, and it adds to the complexity of understanding race and other social markers.”

- Felicia Mensah Professor of education

females over the age of 25 lacked a highs chool diploma. This number is 16.7% among males, which is an increase of 2.5% compared to the 2010 Census, but still lies below the national average at 14.4% for females and 17.1% for males.

Educational attainment has been on the rise in Illinois overall over the past ten years, with the state boasting a higher percentage of high school graduates, at 88.3%, than the national average, at 87%.

On a county level, low income communities like those found in Kane and Randolph counties find themselves underperforming academically as well, with 16.9% and 15.5% of their populations respectively lacking a high school diploma.

Bancroft said funding affects the lack of resources available to students, particularly within scientific fields like chemistry.

“We can explain things pretty well with science, so being able to touch and feel and observe those materials is important, and it’s important to be able to do it safely,” Bancroft said.

Bancroft said the emotional investment teachers give to students to ensure their academic success is paramount to a good educational experience. However, schools that lack adequate funding can find it difficult

to retain teachers that are willing to put in the time and emotional labor to help struggling students.

Mensah teaches a doctoral level course on critiquing teacher education. “The basis of the course is to develop racial literacy. What does it mean to think about race and racism in a classroom setting,” she said.

The main difficulty of the model in the classroom setting is ensuring that students have proper guidance in these inverted classrooms.

Increasing the number of minority teachers in our education system proves to be beneficial not just for all students, but especially other minority students, Mensah said. These teachers serve as role models for students as well as having first hand knowledge of the struggles faced by their minority pupils, allowing them to better serve the student population.

Mensah said larger, systemic issues heavily impact the way educators are able to serve their students.

Community health and welfare, lack of social and emotional learning, and traumas forced upon students both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic all serve to make education less attainable for economically disenfranchised students.

Addressing these issues will

require a multifaceted approach, but the recent uncovering of the flaws in our teaching system, laid bare by the pandemic and its impact on schools, gives us ample opportunity for reform, Mensah said.

In a research article published in 2019, titled Finding Voice and Passion: Critical Race Theory Methodology in Science Teacher Education, Mensah concludes that educational and emotional support for teachers of color is paramount to ensuring, sustaining and promoting Black teachers, particularly Black female teachers.

“The multidimensionality of Black women’s experiences as multiply burdened suggests their experiences are distinct, and that their experience of discrimination and disadvantages are similar to and different from those of White women and Black men,” Mensah said.

In the article, Mensah highlights the need for an intersectional approach to the problems facing minority teachers.

“Intersectionality foregrounds how systemic oppressions work in the lives of teachers of color, and it adds to the complexity of understanding race and other social markers,” Mensah said.“Building a future pool of Black teachers comes from the preparation of preservice teachers of color. Therefore, their experiences in teacher education represents an area of growing importance as well.”

Mensah said.

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

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

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Saluki Teen Science Cafe returns to encourage educational enjoyment

William Box | wbox@dailyegyptian.com

The Saluki Teen Science Cafe is returning to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIU-C) on September 23 after a three month hiatus caused by a decline in attendance during the summer months.

The Cafe is a research project which records interactive, student-led STEM seminars and seeks to improve the confidence kids have in approaching science related topics and classroom performance.

Angela Box, professor of education at SIU-C and co-founder of the Saluki Science Cafe, attributes the drop in attendance to a lack of outreach options available as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. However, they continued to gain an audience virtually during online lectures with teachers encouraging their students to participate and urging students to join through word of mouth.

“Our goal is to figure out how we reach our teens, especially our rural teens, and engage them,” Box said. “Not just engage them, but get them to want to be a part of or interested in STEM.” Greg Hollmann, a teacher at Rend Lake College who virtually presented at the cafe last September, said the project is intended to be an affordable way to

engage in conversations about science and utilize community resources.

“The more our public knows about [the project], the more they will be willing to support these efforts and participate,” Hollmann said.

Marcy Hood, a graduate student at the SIU-C STEM Research Center, is in charge of organizing the Cafe and its various functions. Now that it is inperson, Hood’s primary objective is to boost attendance under proper masking and social distancing regulations.

Hood said much of the previous months’ low attendance is attributed to students being “burned out” after being exposed to multiple hours of educational screen time per day, decreasing desire to attend another, voluntary online educational opportunity.

“Last year, we didn’t have as many [students] as we would like due to some students not having internet at home or not getting the word out yet or just the burnout from being online school all day,” Hood said.

While the cafe has a strong local presence, it’s roots began internationally.

Starting in the UK in the 1990’s, the US branch began in Los Alamos, New Mexico in 2007, and has since spread across the country with major centers in large cities such as St. Louis, New York, and San Diego.

Before attending SIU-C as a graduate student, Hood was an elementary level science teacher. While attending, she plans to align her research with the cafe’s mission to create an interactive atmosphere that can be applied to the classroom.

“I just want to help teachers see the value in STEM in their classrooms and see why it’s so important, especially at the elementary level,” Hood said.

Hood also plans to recruit presenters that can appeal to the interests of the current students. “​​The purpose is to get kids involved in loving science and STEM,” Hood said. “It’s also to have them learn about something they wouldn’t learn about in school, because they can have such a variety of information at the TSC.” With its return, previous presenters are expected to return by popular demand, including professor Hollmann. His September presentation on astronomy was particularly well received by the students and faculty in attendance.

“A lot of times astronomy is something that folks have an interest and a curiosity in.” Hollmann said. “It’s an easy topic to attract some participants and also give them some information they can use on their own.”

Hollman said he believes giving students a good understanding of

where scientific knowledge comes from will allow them better sift through misinformation on the internet.

He believes that interactive learning and appealing to the interests of the students allows them to better grasp the knowledge presented to them and fosters a desire to learn.

“I think a healthy Teen Science Cafe has a lot of the teens driving the topics and driving the conversations,” Hollmann said.

Interactivity is a common thread among TSC’s across the country, and is one of the main tools the national program uses to attract high school and college students across the country, according to the TSC website.

“One thing that was emphasized to me as a presenter was that this is not just free reign for me to share the knowledge and information that I have,” Hollmann said. “I need to find some way to interact and make this a lively discussion.”

Hollmann said he believes the TSC is a valuable resource for students seeking to further their STEM education.

Box said she uses this interaction as the primary method of engagement with those who attend.

“Overall, our interest is in reaching especially those kids who are not necessarily motivated,” Box said. “What

we wanted to know was, if students are engaged consistently, will their selfefficacy increase?”

Box said that ensuring rural students understand they can learn practical knowledge and also get them potentially interested in STEM education is one of the major objectives of the research project.

“You know, the teen science cafe, we want to do outreach and service.”

Box said. “One of the ways that we have discussed doing that is by not just setting up the one, what we would consider a centralized place, because in a rural area it isn’t really centralized.”

The organizers of the Saluki TSC plan to broaden the reach of the program to further, more isolated, communities and underprivileged areas of southern Illinois by setting up additional locations throughout the area making it easier for students that would otherwise be unable to attend due to transportation restrictions.

“We want to reach teens using teens, and engage them,” Box said. “And that they are interacting with professional STEM professionals who are willing to actively engage with them.”

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

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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Families gathering and watching the Balloon Glow event at the end of the Centralia Balloon Festival. Aug. 20, 2021 Centralia, Ill. Dominique Martinez-Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography

A hot air balloon pilot lights up his balloon Aug. 20, 2021 at the Centralia Ballon Fest in Centralia, Ill. The annual festival ended every night with the traditional balloon glow when the pilots would flicker their balloons to light up the fair grounds. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography

Two hot air balloons light up Catfish Pond Aug. 20, 2021 at the Centralia Balloon Fest in Centralia, Ill. The festival began on Friday and ended on Sunday, hosting many vendors, balloon teams, and thousands of guests. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Page 13

Brylee Dukes and John Hitron ride on a tethered hot air balloon Aug. 20, 2021 in Centralia, Ill. Chris Bishop | @quippedmediallc

Families attending the Centralia balloon Festival surrounding a hot air balloon that is being prepped for the Balloon Glow event. Aug. 20, 2021 Centralia, Ill. Dominique Martinez-Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography

Visitors gather around a hot air balloon as it prepares to take off Aug. 20, 2021 in Centralia Ill. Chris Bishop | @quippedmediallc

Scan the QR code to see the video associated with this story.

Left: Bevan Gibson (left) and Jan Fetcho (middle) attend their yearly visit to the Centralia Balloon Fest with their friends and family Aug. 20, 2021, Centralia, Ill. Gibson said, “We like everything about it, actually, and it’s really cool when it gets dark. It’s very friendly and family oriented. It’s just really nice.” Dominique Martinez-Powell | @dmartinez_powell.photography

Sports

Page 14

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Saluki’s Brown named to Buck Buchanan award watch list

Joseph Bernard | joseph.l.bernard@siu.edu

Senior defensive back, Qua Brown, has been named to one of the Football Championship Subdivision’s most prestigious award watch lists — the Buck Buchanan award.

Brown was named on the Buck Buchanan award watch list on Aug. 5, along with 34 other defensive players in the FCS. Brown is one of twelve defensive backs to be named to the watch list. The award will be given to the most outstanding defensive player in the FCS at the end of the season.

Brown reflected upon his journey from a redshirt freshman, up to now as a possible Buchanan award winner with high hopes for the NFL. “It was a humbling experience for me to know and understand that there actually is a lot of work for me to get to as a player, to get better and get exactly where I felt I could be at,” Brown said. “To finally see things making a turn right now and going the way I imagined it a long time ago is pretty humbling.”

Brown, while happy with the recognition, said there is plenty of room for improvement within his game.

“To finally see things making a turn right now and going the way I imagined it a long time ago is pretty humbling.”

- Qua Brown Saluki Football senior defensive back

“When I saw that I thought it was pretty cool or whatever, but I still feel like there’s a lot I need to get better at as a player. I know there’s a lot of improvement as far as my game,” he said.

Brown said he can do a lot more to put the team’s offense in better spots to put points on the board.

“I want to make more plays and get more interceptions. I just want to have an even bigger impact defensively and give us a better chance to have a better field position for our offense and just have even more production and consistency as a player,” he said.

Brown attributed a lot of his successes to his mentor, Jason Petrino, the Saluki football team’s defensive coordinator. .

“Ever since he came in, [he] told me how much he believed in me

and the type of player I could be in this program and that he would put in the work and do everything to push me to be that player,” Brown said.

Brown credits Petrino as being a large part of how he got to this point.

“He’s made a huge impact in my life as a player and increasing my confidence as a player on the field and challenging me, which has helped me get to where I am now.

He’s a huge part in my success for sure,” Brown said Petrino attributes Brown’s skillsets for being name to the watch list “He’s a great fundamental tackler,” Petrino said. “He understands quarterback progressions and where the ball is anticipated to go based on coverages and gives those clues to teammates on the field”.

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One thing seemed to stick out in particular about Brown to Petrino.

“Qua is driven. Driven to be the best person he can, be the best football player he can, but also be driven in life. He won’t just be satisfied with a normal life” Petrino said. “He doesn’t boast or bang his chest when he’s doing it and he knows the only thing he needs to do is keep his head down and keep working.”

Petrino also commends the person that Brown is off the field.

“He’s a great person. He treats everybody with respect. He respects the process and he knows and understands you have to put work in in order to have success,” Petrino said.

Petrino believes one of the best things coming out of Brown possibly winning this award, would be the example it will set for some of the younger players within the locker room.

“The thing that’s going to be great is understanding that you get recognized based on the way you prepare in practice. [Brown] has great practice habits,” Petrino said.

“It’s one of those things you say to a lot to the new guys in the program, that these are the practice habits that you want to have in order to be

successful on Saturdays”.

Even some of Petrino’s kids have seen the type of person that Brown is. “[Brown] and my youngest son have an ongoing battle of playing Madden. So my son is always asking when the football players are coming over so he can play Qua in Madden. So I know my kids definitely look up to him.

He’s just that kind of person,” Petrino said. “When you get him around people he shows his personality the most and he’s a very careful individual”.

Brown said, while earning this award would be a nice touch at the end of his collegiate career, there’s one thing in particular he’d like to do.

“I’m more concerned about a championship right now. I never got one in high school so it would be nice to go out with a bang.

I understand that if we win a championship all those accolades will come with that. I’m more concerned about a championship than a personal award at the moment,” Brown said.

Sports reporter Joseph Bernard can be reached at joseph.l.bernard@siu.edu or on twitter @Jojobernard2001.

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Page 15

High school teams ready for football season

Ryan Scott | rscott@dailyegyptian.com

After COVID-19 forced the delay of the 2020 fall football season, high schools in Illinois had to wait to play until the spring.

Now they are facing a shortened offseason as they prepare to kickoff their seasons in August.

Marion Defensive Coordinator Jason Dunning said COVID-19 is still affecting his team at this point, as the school takes as many precautions as it can “in fear of losing a player or losing a coach” to the COVID situation.

“I thought we got kind of clear, and we were in the open,” he said. “We got to summer, no masks, we’re able to kind of do everything as normal used to be and now I feel like we are headed right back in with literally every hour, potentially something could happen.”

Bryan Lee, the head coach for Carbondale Community High School football, said COVID-19 is still negatively affecting the Terriers.

“These kids who’ve been isolated, it’s been a lot for them. So, we have more numbers than we’ve had in a long time, that is because a lot of kids are looking for something to do. So in some ways it’s been good. I think Covid has brought more kids out to try something,” Lee said.

However, the school is still “suffering from kids who struggled academically during the quarantine, during remote learning,” Lee said. ”Trying to get those kids’ grades right and kind of get them back on the path they need to be on, so that’s been a challenge,” he said Marion football Head Coach Taylor Perry said the Wildcats had to shut down for almost two weeks due to positive tests this summer.

“We’re trying to build a little more depth everywhere. Just in case, the guys go down.

You know it’s something people always got to do in case of injuries, but it’s a little more prevalent now with quarantines,” Perry said Dunning said he thinks playing in the spring actually helped their starting quarterback Hunter Simmons get a scholarship to play

with the SIU football team.

“He was a kid that really didn’t have a lot of interest, and was planning on going the JUCO route. He ended up having such a tremendous season that he started getting some looks and got some offers. Then all of a sudden, SIU jumped on board, and he went from potentially heading to Joliet to play JUCO ball at College of Dupage, and now is on scholarship at SIU,” Dunning said.

Lee said he didn’t think the spring season felt normal with all the restrictions that the teams were under.

“It was really great for our seniors to play their final season, but in a lot of ways it just didn’t feel like real football, and we’re still in masks, we’re socially distanced. There’s just a lot of it and, like I said, kids were ineligible and that hurt us,” Lee said Perry said he thinks the spring season was a negative for Illinois players recruitment.

“I think it definitely hurt. Some of the seniors in Illinois, a lot of fall out of the colleges that already signed kids and they didn’t get to have a season on film,” he said Perry said they are aware of potential burnout of athletes that played other sports into the summer and didn’t start contact practices until mid-July.

Dunning said his team is taking extra precautions to limit contact.“We’re planning on going into the first game, with taking one or two extra buses to try to space the kids out,” he said.

Players will use locker rooms in waves to limit indoor contact, he said.

All three coaches said staff and players are always wearing masks inside.

After an undefeated 6-0 spring, the Marion Wildcats are kicking off their season against the Herrin Tigers, who went 3-2 in the spring. The game is scheduled in Marion on Saturday, Aug. 28.

The Carbondale Terriers, who went 2-4 in the spring, will open the season on Aug. 27 with a trip to Murphysburo to take on the Murphysburo/Elverado Red Devils.

Sports editor Ryan Scott can be reached at rscott@dailyegyptian.com or on twitter @ ryanscott134

The Carbondale Chamber of Commerce would like to encourage you to utilize any of our following members for your student housing needs this upcoming semester: Ambassador Housing (618)-457-2212 Alpha Rentals (618)-457-8194 Aspen Court Apartments (618)-549-1700 Crab Orchard Manufacetured Homes (618)-549-7513 Evolve at SIU (618)-216-7222 Edgarton Construction and Rental (618)-529-2535 Exit Realty New Beginningz (618)-529-4663 Five Star Realty (618)457-2244 Janet McCready Realty Central (618)-559-1587 Jennifer Gutierrez - Southern Illinois Living (618)-925-0491 Realty Central (618)-457-4663 The Pointe at SIU (618)-529-6444 Schilling Property Management (618)-549-0895 The Reserve at Saluki Pointe (618)-529-3500 Walnut Street & University Mall Apartments (618)-490-1018 View our Chamber website for a full listing of restaurants & other services our members can provide to you! carbondalechamber.com

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Study Break

JUMBLE ANSWERS:

HMMMM. WHAT DOES THIS QR CODE DO?

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