BLACK HISTORY MONTH KICKOFF - P. 8-9
The Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916
WWW.DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020
VOL. 103, ISSUE 20
SIU freshman retention numbers highest in 10 years News Desk | @DailyEgyptian
Approximately 91% of freshman enrolled at SIU in the fall came back to school in the spring, according to a release by the university. “This is the highest fall-to-spring-retention rate for new students in at least 10 years and reflects an increase of 5 percentage points in just four years,” interim chancellor John Dunn said in the release. The release said the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs told trustees that fall 2020 applications for freshmen were up 20%. There were 11,695 students enrolled in fall 2019 and the total enrollment for spring semester is 10,779. The spring 2020 enrollment numbers show an 8.61% decrease from the spring 2019 numbers, according to the release. “More than 1,100 students graduated in December, largely accounting for the difference between fall and spring,” the release said. “From additional outreach to new strategies to the increased engagement of our faculty and staff, we are making a difference,” Dunn said. “I have often said that recruitment and retention is everyone’s responsibility, and I thank you for taking that responsibility seriously.” The Daily Egyptian’s News Desk can be reached at 1-618-536-3329, by email at editor@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @dailyegyptian.
Generations of drag southern Illinois royalty discuss the changing face of drag Juniper Oxford | @JuniperOxford
Southern Illinois is home to three generations of drag royalty and with each generation the drag scene has evolved. Drag has been performed for centuries, but the earliest written account of the term “drag queen” was in 1941. Instead of more detailed costumes which emphasize flashiness, there is a greater focus on the abilities of the performers and on competitions and pageants. Blanche DuBois Blanche DuBois is known as the mother of drag in the southern Illinois drag scene. She has been performing for over 40 years and is the oldest queen in southern Illinois. Blanche has won over 57 titles and first performed in drag when she was 18. “Drag has changed very much,” DuBois said. Please see STORY | 13
Rana Schenke | rschenke@dailyegyptian.com Monica Thomas raises her hand in prayer at the Imbolc ceremony on Saturday at the Gaia House in Carbondale. Thomas said when her faith came into her life, it changed her. “It changed me as a person for the better,” she said.
The return of light:
Southern Illinois pagans celebrate Imbolc
Kallie Cox | @KallieECox
Over 50 people crowded into the Gaia house on Saturday carrying red candles to perform a healing ritual in observance of Imbolc. Imbolc is a celebration of the coming of spring and return of light according to Tara Nelsen, co-founder of the Southern Illinois Pagan Alliance. “Some of the flowers just started to come up, there’s a little more light and it’s just starting to not be in the dredges of winter,” Nelsen said. “So coming together to celebrate that returning of the spring, returning of the sun, keeps the community remembering that it’s not always winter and not always horrible.” Imbolc can also be considered Brigid’s day, Nelsen said. “She is the goddess of healing, of motherhood, of new beginnings,” Nelsen said. “Coming out of the winter, slowly coming out of the winter, Brigid is kind of there to help get through that, help give strength
healing energy. Smudging is a process where sage smoke is waved over the body or over a space to purify it. and help give the energy and also To begin, Samuel Duncan, a pagan energy to the land so that it can grow from Paducah Kentucky and leader and everybody can prosper.” of the ritual, would call out to Brigid Paganism is a very old religion while participants repeated his chant. and the belief system was structured Imbolc, Brigid, we call to you. when people were living off the Imbolc, Brigid, we attune to you. land and if someone’s crops failed, Imbolc, Brigid, we celebrate you. if their animals died, they died too, Imbolc, Brigid, bringer of Nelsen said. inspiration, fertility and healing Honoring changes in nature is very Keeper of the sacred fire we important in the pagan system and invite you in. there is a “wheel of the year” that Cassandra Bolte, who was acting contains eight major celebrations that as Brigid for the ritual, lit a sacred SIPA observes, Nelsen said. red candle that was on the altar with “Those eight celebrations can be Brigid’s flame. broken down into the solstices and This candle has been used by SIPA equinoxes,” Nelsen said. “Then in in rituals for over 13 years and is two between them are two ‘lesser’ sabbats degrees separated from Brigid’s flame and that’s what this one is.” in Ireland, Nelsen said. The other rituals SIPA observes are After this, participants positioned Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh, in the north, east, west and south Mabon, Samhain and Yule. of the room called out to Brigid in Before the ritual began, everyone prayer. Everyone around the room gathered outside to be “smudged” lit their red candles off of Brigid’s and participants laid items on the altar flame as the group continued to that they wanted to be charged with chant to the goddess. Please see IMBOLC | 3