The Daily Egyptian by Daily Egyptian

TIFFANY BLANCHETTE | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Children toss leaves after school Oct. 22 at a playground in Ullin. Deanna Smith, 12, second from right, and her mother Frances, from Anna, came to Ullin to help babysit for their friend. Deanna said the fall weather has allowed for going outside more often, and the kids enjoy playing in the leaves. “Being outside keeps them out of my hair more,” Smith said. “I hope it stays warm all winter.”

Illinoisans have two big decisions to make by the Nov. 6 election: who they want to be the next president and whether they approve of a state pension amendment. The amendment, House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 49, is a change to the Illinois constitution regarding the General Assembly or governing body’s ability to increase pension benefits through a vote. The amendment calls for a three-fifths vote to increase pension benefits under any public pension or retirement system, which will affect public positions such as teachers, firemen and police officers. Democratic Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan proposed the amendment, which the house

unanimously approved in April, to place on the November ballot. The measure required only a 51 percent majority vote in the past. Illinois has an at least $83 billion pension fund deficit. To prevent that amount from growing, the state’s leaders have been examining ways to prevent passing pension benefit increases without a careful look from the legislature. People who want the Illinois constitution changed to require the three-fifths majority vote can vote yes on their Election Day ballot, and those who want the constitution to stay the way it is can vote no. Although the options seem simple, Bruce Appleby, a member of the State Universities Annuitants Association’s board of directors, said Amendment 49 is more deceptive than it reads.

“This amendment, if it’s passed, would remove that guarantee of pensions to state employees, and that’s the greatest danger,” Appleby said. While older individuals who are already on pension would not be affected by the amendment as much, Appleby said educators and anybody who looks to work an Illinois public job would be. “For (younger) people, it will have an effect on their future and whether or not they want to choose to stay in Illinois and work,” Appleby said. “This will have a direct impact on future benefits.” He said this change would dishearten him because it goes against the main reason he came to Illinois in the first place. Please see PENSION | 3

An administrative position vacated earlier this month has been partially filled by a university dean. David DiLalla has taken on a new responsibility as part-time associate provost for academic administration. Susan Logue, who retired Oct.1, previously held the position. DiLalla is now 50 percent associate provost and 50 percent associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts. He also is teaching a psychology graduate course for the remainder of the semester. “As associate dean, I had a lot of connection with Susan Logue and her role as associate provost,” he said. “I knew some things about what she did and how she worked. When she retired, it seemed like a natural kind of thing to consider applying for because the job is similar. It ultimately felt like a good fit.” The position search was conducted

internally at the university in which a committee was assembled and reported the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses to Provost John Nicklow. “The internal search for a replacement yielded some strong candidates,” Nicklow said. “Dr. DiLalla had the strongest campus support and brings a wealth of experience to the job. His background in academic administration, compliance and application of contracts will serve him well in this position.” DiLalla said his main purpose as associate provost is to provide consultation and advisement to the provost about personnel matters, the hiring policy and bargaining agreements. “A lot of it is stuff that when it’s working well you don’t want to pay attention to it,” he said. “It’s not the flashy stuff but stuff we have to make sure gets accomplished.” Please see DILALLA | 4

The Weather Channel® 5 day weather forecast for Carbondale, IL Today

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

58° 41°

55° 34°

54° 35°

53° 33°

55° 37°

Mostly Sunny

Mostly Cloudy

Partly Cloudy

10% chance of

20% chance of

0% chance of precipitation

20% chance of precipitation

precipitation

10% chance of precipitation

About Us The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale 50 weeks per year, with an average daily circulation of 15,000. Fall and spring semester editions run Monday through Friday. Summer editions run Tuesday through Thursday. All intersession editions will run on Wednesdays. Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale and Carterville communities. The Daily Egyptian online publication can be found at www.dailyegyptian.com.

Mission Statement The Daily Egyptian, the student-run newspaper 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.

Copyright Information © 2012 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 and College Media Advisers Inc. and the College Business and Advertising Managers Inc.

Publishing Information The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale and functions as a laboratory for the department of journalism in exchange for the room and utilities in the Communications Building. The Daily Egyptian is a non-profit organization that survives solely off of its advertising revenue. The Daily Egyptian receives no student fees or university funding. Offices are in the Communications Building, Room 1259, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Ill., 62901. Bill Freivogel, fiscal officer.

Reaching Us

Phone: (618) 536-3311 Fax: (618) 453-3248 Email: editor@dailyegyptian.com Editor-in-Chief: Tara Kulash ........................ ext. 252 Managing Editor: Lauraann Wood ............... ext. 252 Campus Editor: Lauren Duncan .................. ext. 255 Sports Editor: Sarah Schneider ................. ext. 256 Pulse Editor: Brendan Smith ................... ext. 273 Opinion Editor: Brendan Smith ................... ext. 261 Photo Editor: Chris Zoeller ...................... ext. 251 Web Desk: Benjamin Bayliff ................ ext. 257 Advertising Manager: Lisa Cole ............................. ext. 237 Business Office: Chris Dorris ....................... ext. 223 Ad Production Manager: Matt Weidenbenner ........ ext. 244 Business & Ad Director: Jerry Bush ........................... ext. 229 Faculty Managing Editor: Eric Fidler .......................... ext. 247 Printshop Superintendent: Blake Mulholland ............. ext. 241

Police Blotter November 2

DPS Crime Log — SIU police responded to a report of criminal damage to property at Evergeen Terrace Saturday. There were no suspects. — Marcus Donte Williams, a 19-year-old SIU student from Chicago, was arrested Sunday for stealing a pizza at Grinnell Hall. Williams was issued a Carbondale city notice to appear and was released. — SIU police are investigating a false fire alarm that happened on the third floor of Mae Smith on Sunday. There was no fire and no reported injuries. — An SIU student was arrested

for possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia Sunday. William P. Day, 18, of Huntley, was arrested in the Agriculture Building. Day was issued a Carbondale city notice to appear and released. — SIU police are investigating an iPhone 4S theft from on Oct. 18 at McLeod Theater. The crime was reported Monday, and police have no suspects. — Ashley E. Burnetti, a 23-yearold non-SIU student from Carbondale, was arrested at the intersection of East Grand and South Washington Tuesday for driving with a suspended driver’s license, suspended registration and no

insurance. Burnetti posted a $150 cash bond and was released. — An SIU student was arrested near Abbott Hall Wednesday for possession and delivery of cannabis. Vincent G. Shumpert, 18, of Oak Park, was transported to the Jackson County Jail.

Carbondale Police — Carbondale police are investigating theft from a motor vehicle at the 300 block of South Lynda Street over the weekend, when an unknown suspect stole property between 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 4:45 p.m. Sunday.

SOURCE: CARBONDALE CITY POLICE, SIUC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

NAPERVILLE — A suburban Chicago woman ordered her 7-year-old son and a kindergartner she was babysitting to kneel on a bedroom floor and pray, then stabbed them both dozens of times as they begged for their lives, striking again and again as she told her son he was going to heaven, authorities said Thursday.

Officers who forced their way inside the locked apartment hours later found blood-spattered walls and the children’s bodies in a master bedroom where moments before the killings they had been happily jumping on a bed, prosecutors said. The Naperville police chief said it was the most gruesome sight he’d seen in three decades on the job. Elzbieta Plackowska, a 40-year-

old immigrant from Poland, offered numerous explanations for the violence, including that she was battling the devil and trying to rid the children of evil, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. But she eventually told investigators she stabbed the children and slashed their throats on Tuesday night because she was angry that her husband, a truck driver, was often away.

PENSION CONTINUED FROM

“I moved to Illinois 45 years ago when I finished my Ph.D.,” Appleby said. “One of the things that attracted me to Illinois was that it had such a damn good retirement system, but now I would have real questions as to, ‘Do I want to teach in that state when they have such a bad retirement system?’” A part of the amendment titled paragraph (d), Appleby said, has convoluted wording. He said some experts who have examined the amendment at length believe it will give the legislature the ability to change pension and benefits any way it chooses. Appleby said brochures sent to Illinoisans by the Secretary of State fail to mention paragraph (d) at all, and lawsuits that aim to eliminate the entire amendment have been filed because it is presented in a misleading and possibly illegal fashion. City of Carbondale Signs around Carbondale that read “Vote No” were put out by Appleby and others and were paid for with donations from Illinois voters determined to deny Amendment 49 from being passed. Mayor Joel Fritzler said he supports the amendment because it will make it harder for the General Assembly to increase pensions, which plays a big factor in the Illinois pension crisis. “Essentially, the general assembly can vote to raise the pensions for public safety personnel, police officers and firefighters, and it’s up to the municipalities to then pay for it,” Fritzler said. “So with the simple majority, that helps give a little protection to the city.” Council member Jane Adams said in an email she is against

ssentially, the general assembly can vote to raise the pensions for public safety personnel, police officers and firefighters, and it’s up to the municipalities to then pay for it. So with the simple majority, that helps give a little protection to the city.

— Joel Fritzler mayor

Amendment 49 because it is unclear and does not address Illinois’ massive pension underfunding. “It will undoubtedly require years of litigation to determine what the amendment covers and does not cover,” Adams said. “Litigation is expensive.” The university While many leaders have taken a stance on the amendment, SIU President Glenn Poshard said his involvement with the issue is to encourage the university community and voters to look closely at the amendment before voting on it. “This amendment is pretty straightforward,” he said. “People will have to make up their own mind about it.” Poshard said he thinks the state legislature introduced the bill to help the deficit, but it will also affect the future pensions of state employees who have already been asked to contribute toward the deficit. Gov. Pat Quinn released a plan to help reduce the pension deficit in the spring. The two main aspects of pension reform involve pension’s normal costs and the cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). Quinn said he wants the retirement age to be raised and the amount of adjustments the state pays on pensions to be changed. He also said he wants employees to start contributing to their pensions’ normal costs. Quinn said his plan’s goal is to

eliminate the unfunded $83 million in pension costs by 2042. Poshard said state university presidents have taken a stance on Quinn’s proposal. He said they have asked the state to increase universities’ pensions costs in increments over a six-year period rather than immediately, and the universities will contribute toward the costs rather than asking university employees to do so in exchange. However, the unviersities’ contributions would have to come out of the institutions’ operational budgets, which have already taken a hit from state funding cuts. In relation to the proposal’s COLA aspect, Quinn has suggested employees be given a choice between keeping the yearly 3 percent COLA increase that helps keep their pensions in line with inflation or keeping their healthcare benefits. “That’s a really hard choice for them to make,” Poshard said. “And most people, I think, would be forced to keep their healthcare in expense of the COLA increase.” Poshard said he does not think a decision has been made on the proposal to make employees choose between COLA and healthcare, and he thinks there will be a lot of discussion on it before it goes before the General Assembly. He said he thinks the state legislature won’t make a decision on Quinn’s proposal until January. Although the state legislature has

Source: vote.illinois.gov

been working to resolve the pension debt, Poshard said, the amendment is designed to prevent the deficit from growing in the future. He emphasized students who may not know a lot about the issues should look closely at the amendment because it affects their professors’ pensions, and it could have a direct effect on them if they

ever become state employees. “People are really going to have to take a look at this thing and decide what is important or not,” he said. Lauren P. Duncan contributed to this story. Austin Flynn can be reached at aflynn@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 257.

DILALLA CONTINUED FROM

The formerly full-time associate provost position became part-time after Logue retired. DiLalla will still keep his position as associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, where he manages budgets, personnel and research. “The associate dean’s job is a lot like the associate provost job but at a higher level,” he said. “At some point, we will pursue an associate dean for research (in the College of Liberal Arts) to kind of pick up the part that I left behind.” DiLalla said he thinks he’s ready to start his new position because he’s familiar with the activities he will work on. “I am confident that (DiLalla) will manage this split position well,” Nicklow said. “He has been able to easily transition to this role and is already having a very positive impact on operations. I believe he is enjoying the pace, and he immediately began contributing as part of the leadership team.” Although DiLalla said it takes discipline to keep his positions separate, it’s possible they will intercept. “As a conflict-of-interest issue, we’re very careful about attending to me not contributing twice,” he said. “For things that are coming through the College of Liberal Arts and then here, I’m not going to have a review role there and here so

he associate dean’s job is a lot like the associate provost job but at a higher level. At some point, we will pursue an associate dean for research (in the College of Liberal Arts) to kind of pick up the part that I left behind. — David DiLalla part-time associate provost that I’m not working on the same thing in two places.” DiLalla said he joined the SIU faculty in 1990 as an assistant professor of psychology. “I’m a clinical psychologist by training. That’s what I came here to do,” he said. “I enjoyed being a faculty member, loved teaching, loved doing research and working with students.” When offered a position as interim chair of the psychology department, DiLalla said he was unsure of whether he was ready for an administrative role. “I saw myself as a faculty member, as a teacher, as a clinician, so it just kind of happened,” he said. “The more I did it, the more I kind of liked it and thought that I was able to make a contribution to help the college achieve its goals, and in this job it’s just a step up trying to support the institution.” He said his one regret is that he has to give up teaching his graduate course in clinical supervision. The class will be taught in future

semesters by a different professor. “I’m committed to the success of my college and my colleagues in the college, and when you step it up a bit, I’m committed to the institution being successful,” he said. “I’ve learned not to be ashamed of liking what you do, because if you don’t like what you do you’re probably not going to be very good at it.” Even though DiLalla won’t teach psychology anymore, Benjamin Rodriguez, psychology department chair, said he is still highly respected within the practice. “He’s the go-to guy, and he knows how to navigate the system,” Rodriguez said. “He is busy, but he’s still going to be part of the department. He has been a wonderful asset for the department to have, and he has the right personality for what he will be doing.” Kayli Plotner can be reached at kplotner@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 268.

ALEXA ROGALS | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Naimah Fobbs, a sophomore from Chicago studying physical therapy, rehearses Wednesday with the Southern Illinois Dance Company at Furr Auditorium in Pulliam Hall. “I’ve been dancing since I was 3 and have loved it ever since,” Fobbs said. Chelsea Lenon, choreographer for one of the upcoming dance’s performances, said she decided to name this piece “Red Velvet.” “The uniforms go well with the name of this piece because it is a sassy jazz type of dance,” Lenon said. The show will be at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 31 and 2 p.m. Dec. 1 in Furr Auditorium.

Gas stations scramble in Sandy’s aftermath There’s plenty of gasoline in the Northeast — just not at gas stations. In parts of New York and New Jersey, drivers lined up Thursday for hours at gas stations that were struggling to stay supplied. The power outages and flooding caused by Superstorm Sandy have forced many gas stations to close and disrupted the flow of fuel from refineries to those stations that are open. At the same time, millions of gallons of gasoline are sitting at the ready in storage tanks, pipelines and tankers that can’t unload their cargoes. “It’s like a stopped up drain,” said Tom Kloza, Chief Oil Analyst at the Oil Price Information Service. Exasperation builds on Day 3 in storm-stricken NYC Frustration — and in some cases fear — mounted in New York City on Thursday, three days after Superstorm Sandy. Traffic backed up for miles at bridges, large crowds waited impatiently for buses into Manhattan, and tempers flared in gas lines. Subway service was restored to most of the city, but not the most stricken parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, where the tunnels were flooded. Bridges into the city were open, but police enforced a carpooling rule and peered into windows to make sure each car had at least three people. The rule was meant to ease congestion but appeared to worsen it. More than 1,000 people packed the sidewalk outside an arena in Brooklyn, waiting for buses to Manhattan. Nearby, hundreds of people massed on a sidewalk. Flying gets easier but travel woes still persist Planes were getting up to speed faster than trains and automobiles in the storm-stricken Northeast. The region’s major airports were all open once New York’s LaGuardia resumed flights Thursday morning.

While there were additional canceled flights and the tri-state air space was still relatively empty, flying was closer to normalcy than moving by rail, subway or car. By midday, about one-third of all scheduled departures from LaGuardia and nearly one-third from Newark, N.J., had been canceled, according to tracking service FlightStats.com. There were 192 canceled departures at LaGuardia, 188 at Newark, and 82 at John F. Kennedy International, or about one in every seven scheduled takeoffs for the whole day and evening. Airlines scrapped nearly 8,000 flights Monday and another 6,500 Tuesday. Thursday’s cancellations were about 1,000, according to FlightStats, bringing the total from Superstorm Sandy to more than 20,000. Potential for Sandy scams prompts warnings Authorities warn of the likelihood of Sandy-related fraud reaching far beyond the storm zone — from bogus charities seeking donations, to home repair scams and sales of flooddamaged vehicles. State attorneys general, business and consumer groups and the Justice Department are among those cautioning consumers to be wary as requests for donations start arriving via email, text message, telephone and Twitter. The bottom line: Maintain a healthy skepticism when pitched by solicitors, contractors and groups you don’t know, and give your money to charities and businesses you have reason to trust. Power, transit outages will increase Sandy’s costs Widespread power outages and subway shutdowns may wind up making Superstorm Sandy the second most expensive storm in U.S. history, according to the forecasting firm Eqecat. That would rank it right behind Hurricane Katrina. The firm doubled its previous estimate for the total bill and now says Sandy may have caused between $30 billion and $50 billion in economic losses, including

property damage, lost business and extra living expenses. The cost to insurance companies could run as low as $10 billion and as high as $20 billion. Most automakers report sales jumps despite storm Most major automakers reported sales increases in October despite losing at least three days of business to the punishing rain and wind from Superstorm Sandy. Toyota said its sales rose almost 16 percent for the month, while Volkswagen reported another strong month with sales up 22 percent. Honda sales slowed from doubledigit growth earlier in the year to 8.8 percent, while Chrysler sales rose 10 percent. General Motors was up 5 percent and Ford rose slightly. Of major automakers, only Nissan reported a decrease, 3.2 percent, as Sandy pounded the Northeast, the company’s top-performing region. Retailers’ gains in October could hurt holidays Americans spent briskly in October before Superstorm Sandy hit the Northeast on the tail-end of the month. But the question is whether they’re still willing to buy an iPhone for Christmas if they plunked down hundreds on a generator for Sandy? Twenty-one retailers from club operator Costco to department store Macy’s reported that sales in October through last Saturday were up 5 percent compared with the year-ago period, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. That beat the trade group’s estimated growth of 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent. Results were not hurt by the storm because it hit the East Coast on Monday, two days after the period for which retailers were reporting sales ended. But analysts fear that many Americans in some of the nation’s biggest cities who bought generators, bottled water and other emergency and cleanup supplies before and after the storm will be less inclined to spend over the holidays.

Level: 1

FOR RELEASE JUNE 24, 2011

THE Daily Commuter Puzzle

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by Jacqueline E. Mathews

SOLUTION TO THURSDAY’S PUZZLE

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

by David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

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Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

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ACROSS 1 Actress Tuesday __ 5 __ place prize; bronze medal 10 Moving trucks 14 Above 15 One who gets just his feet wet 16 __ vera; lotion ingredient 17 Chianti or port 18 Eat away at 19 Actress Turner 20 Walked through water 22 Cupboard 24 __ up; arrange 25 Makes gentle 26 See eye to eye 29 Energy 30 Apprehensions 34 On __ own; independent 35 Turn a deaf __ to; ignore 36 Blunder 37 Aries the __ 38 Plead with 40 Go quickly 41 Stab of pain 43 Hotel 44 Repair 45 Up and about 46 “Roses are __, violets are...” 47 Domineering 48 Adamant denial 50 Total 51 Add sugar to 54 Adorns 58 Ukraine’s capital 59 Royal 61 Hammered fastener 62 Doing nothing 63 __ in; occupy 64 Flooring piece 65 Fit snugly together 66 Small isolated bits of land 67 Winter flakes

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Aries — Today is a 7 — There’s more than enough to keep you busy. Avoid confusion. Abundance is available, although all is not as it seems. Act quickly to get a good deal.

Cancer — Today is a 5 — Avoid reckless investments or gambles. A compromise gets achieved after initial resistance. Love is the bottom line. Get curious, and identify the emotional requirements.

Libra — Today is a 7 — You have more than expected. Friends and lovers don’t mix well now. A vacation would be nice. Repeat your desired result like a mantra, already occurring, in present tense.

Capricorn — Today is a 6 — You know more than you realize. Meetings conflict with family time. There’s more than enough to be done. Respect your partner’s opinion regarding the new you.

Taurus — Today is a 6 — You can’t do everything at once. Patience is required, although there’s plenty to go around. Set priorities. Edit your writing before sending it. Stay out of someone else’s argument.

Leo — Today is a 7 — Let your love show. You have more than you thought. Address difficult problems and avoid trouble. The one with the compulsion for precision has the advantage.

Scorpio — Today is a 5 — Work out a problem openly. Let your partner do the talking. You have more friends than you thought. Stand for yourself, and they’re right there with you.

Aquarius — Today is an 8 — Anticipate disagreement, and curtail impulsive spending. Passion is part of the drill. You begin to see the light at the end of the abundance tunnel.

Gemini — Today is a 6 — Finish up old business thoughtfully. Don’t touch your savings. Have a party at home. Love is abundant, but words conceal emotion. Temporary confusion resolves.

Virgo — Today is a 7 — You

Sagittarius — Today is a 7 — Take on new responsibilities and gain respect. Leave your emergency fund intact. Think quickly; move slowly. Neatness draws respect. Argue only if it truly matters.

Pisces — Today is an 8 —

experience a philosophical shift. Acknowledge your feelings. Divide things fairly. Move quickly but not recklessly. Prioritize obligations. This is a potential moment of conflict.

Make it a social event of creative potential. Advance confidently, even if it means less time at home. A fabulous opportunity appears. Brainstorming leads to productivity.

DAILY EGYPTIAN

NICOLE HESTER | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Sophomore kicker Chris Adams throws the ball to junior punter Austin Pucylowski between scrimmages during Thursday’s practice at Saluki Stadium. Adams said he anticipates Saturday’s game against South Dakota State University to be a tough one. “It’s going to be a battle,” Adams said. “We’ve got two really good teams going head to head. We have the tools to win. We just have to play our game and do what we do best.” Saturday’s kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.

The SIU football team must get a home win Saturday against South Dakota State University to keep its playoff expectations alive. SIU (5-4, 4-2 MVC) will need to win its remaining two games to enter the playoff picture, which is decided by a committee. South Dakota State (6-2, 4-1) has a little more leeway. “This is a do-or-die game for us. It’s not for them, but it is for us,” coach Dale Lennon said at his weekly press conference Monday. “If we want to have a chance to be in the playoffs, we have to win this football game. It’s simple math. There’s no getting around

it. Our players know it. Our coaches know it. South Dakota State knows it. It’s game 10, and we’re playing for something pretty significant.” To steal a win, SIU must contain the nation’s leading rusher as well as a quarterback playing his best. South Dakota running back Zach Zenner rushes for 181 yards per game, which is top in the country, and averages 7.5 yards per carry. Quarterback Austin Sumner is coming off a career-high five-touchdown performance against Youngstown State on Oct. 27. Lennon said the Salukis will need to focus on proper tackling to bring down the 6-foot, 215-pound Zenner. “When you have a running back like Zenner, you can’t go for the knock

down shot. His balance is too good, and his strength is too good,” he said. “When you get a running back like this you have to wrap up and then wait on reinforcements. Gang tackling is always big. You have to stop that initial charge because what he’s good at is getting more yards after second effort.” The Saluki defense will look to take advantage of Sumner’s knack for turning the ball over. The South Dakota sophomore has been picked off 13 times, which is the most in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Saluki defense is tied for sixth nationally with 22 forced turnovers. Sophomore linebacker Tyler Williamson said the SIU defense approaches every snap intending to

force a turnover. “It’s a mentality more than luck or momentum,” he said. “Whether it’s an interception or the running back leaves the ball away from his body (and you force a fumble), every series, every snap, you have to be consciously thinking, ‘Let’s get the ball back to the offense.’” Lennon said the Salukis must find the right combination of running plays between seniors Steve Strother and Mulku Kalokoh, and sophomore Mika’il McCall to improve a run game that rushed 11 yards in a 23-17 loss to North Dakota State on Oct. 27. “We’re trying to get the run game figured out,” freshman offensive lineman Matt Griffith said. “We’ve had a couple hitches.”

He said the Salukis haven’t changed their mindset with the playoffs looming. “It’s been like that for us every week since we’ve started,” Griffith said. “It’s a playoff mentality, where we’ve got something to prove. We want to be a team that’s tough to win against and that people respect. Every week we try to send a message like it’s our last game. We’ve been playing like we’ve had our backs against the wall all season.” Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Saturday at Saluki Stadium.

A former Carterville and John A. Logan College standout has joined the men’s basketball team. Ryan Bonifield, a 6-foot-5 sophomore forward, walked-on to first-year coach Barry Hinson’s team. Bonifield led Carterville High School in scores and rebounds as a 2011 senior before playing for John A. Logan last season.

Bonifield played in 23 games as a Volunteers walk-on and scored 35 points. He grabbed 61 rebounds in limited action, including 21 on the offensive end. He also chipped in 10 assists, eight steals and two blocks. Bonifield will step in for the Salukis who are dealing with injury problems. Hinson said at the team’s Oct. 23 media day that the men have struggled in practice because they haven’t had enough

members to play 5-on-5. He said the team searched for somebody to help the Salukis practice and possibly play in the game. “We are really struggling with having enough guys to practice on the floor,” Hinson said last week. “We can’t absorb much more.” Bonifield will provide depth to the Salukis’ front court, which has been depleted because of injuries to sophomore center Dantiel Daniels, junior forward Davante Drinkard

and freshman forward Chase Heins. Daniels, who made the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman team last season, is out for at least five weeks with a groin injury, Hinson said. Drinkard, the Salukis’ tallest player at 6 feet 8 inches, has been limited by nagging foot problems. Heins, a Trico native, is out three months and will redshirt since he underwent surgery last week. The Salukis were forced to play four guards at times in Saturday’s

exhibition opener with just Drinkard and Antonio Bryer available. However, the men rolled to an 83-47 win over Division II Lincoln University. The Salukis, who were picked 10th in the MVC preseason poll Monday, will host Upper Iowa in its final exhibition game at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.

Ben Conrady can be reached at bconrady@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 282.

Riley Swinford can be reached at rswinford@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 268.