THE Daily Egyptian
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.
A boat that’s dope – and floats: How I survived the 50th Cardboard Boat Regatta
Will elliott @CameramanWill06
The cold air hit my face as I, alongside my co-workers, carried a month’s worth of work to the shore of campus lake. The crowd that surrounds me in a half circle claps and cheers when we touch foot to the cool, rough sand. As soon as me and my fellow co-captain get into our
boat and touch the water, the crowd dips into silence.
On the morning of Saturday, April 26, Southern Illinois University hosted its 50th annual boat
Trump, DHS reverse abrupt student visa revocations after onslaught of legal losses
The Department of Justice announced Friday, April 25 in federal court that the Trump administration will reverse the visa revocations of thousands of international students across the country.
First reported by POLITICO, the wholesale reversal in federal court came early Friday morning after weeks of intense scrutiny by courts and dozens of restraining orders issued by judges who deemed the mass termination of students “flagrantly illegal.”
This decision comes on the heels of hundreds of court cases that resulted in losses for the federal government, many of which were fought by students in Illinois.
regatta, which I had the pleasure of participating in. People of all ages came to put their cardboard creations to the test to see whose boats could survive the smelly, cold campus lake.
Races started at around 1 p.m. and featured three different categories for racers to compete in. My journey for the regatta started
IDPH reports one confirmed measles case in southern Illinois
The Department of Homeland Security is now changing their approach to monitoring the status of international students in the U.S. The DOJ said that Immigration and Customs
Enforcement is working on a “new policy” and that, until that policy is put in place, no longer will students have their SEVIS records terminated “solely based on” criminal history checks – which had flagged both misdemeanor charges and dismissed cases through their AIfueled “Catch and Revoke” method.
According to both POLITICO and the Associated Press, who received statements from those involved in the federal cases, government lawyers say that ICE is “developing a policy that will provide a framework for SEVIS record terminations. Until such a policy is issued, the SEVIS records for plaintiff(s) in this case (and other similarly situated plaintiffs) will remain Active or shall be reactivated if not currently active and ICE will not modify the record solely based on the NCIC finding that resulted in the recent SEVIS record termination.”
Despite this reversal from the federal JaCkson
Carly Gist CGist@dailyeGyptian Com
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported the state’s first confirmed case of measles in 2025 on Wednesday, April 23. The case, which involves an adult in Marion, Illinois, is the first to be confirmed since an early 2024 outbreak in Chicago that resulted in 67 cases, according to a press release from the department.
“This is the only case IDPH is aware of and this is not considered an outbreak at this time,” the department wrote in the press release. “IDPH will update the public should there be any notable developments. The risk of community transmission for the general public in Illinois remains low.”
Dr. Jeff Ripperda, a family physician at Shawnee Health, emphasized this to the Daily Egyptian Thursday afternoon. “Anytime news like this comes out, it tends to trigger
people’s anxiety, and maybe people who have some health anxiety in particular also get very worried,” he said. “It’s not like we got a widespread outbreak of measles. Again, we’re talking about exactly one person thus far.”
IDPH urges all Illinois residents to check that they are up-to-date on their measles/ mumps/rubella vaccinations, as people who are not vaccinated are at the highest risk of contracting the disease.
“I’ve had people asking about taking more extreme precautions than they really need to take, like do they need to have levels checked in their blood to see if they’re immune to measles, should they be getting a measles booster shot, and the answer is, for pretty much anyone who got the childhood vaccination, the answer to that is no, they don’t need to do any of that, because we can generally presume immunity if you had the childhood vaccine,” Ripperda said.
Lucas Burmester sits in the U.S.S. Bumfire while Auron Burmester floats next to the ship at the Cardboard Boat Regatta in campus lake April 26, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois. The U.S.S. Bumfire took home the Titanic award. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual
COLUMN
In their press release, the IDPH stated that unvaccinated individuals who are exposed to measles should look out for the following signs and symptoms:
• Rash
• High fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red, watery eyes
Symptoms can take from seven to 21 days to appear. If an individual becomes symptomatic, they should notify their local health department and contact a health care provider before going to a medical office or emergency department.
In the press release, IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said that two doses of measles vaccine are 97% effective in preventing measles. According to Ripperda, the vaccine, which was introduced in 1963, is safe and effective. The CDC
VISA REVERSAL
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government, it is unclear how this decision will affect the students that have already left the country. While their legal status may now be reinstated if they had minor — and often dismissed — legal infractions, coming back into the U.S. with a recently revoked visa is complicated.
When it comes to the students at Southern Illinois University, the Daily Egyptian will continue to
reports that in the decade prior to the vaccine, nearly all children got measles by the time they were 15
neurologic complications – that’s per year from measles. After that vaccine was introduced in 1963,
“...by the late 1990s, measles was thought to have been eradicated from the United States.”
-
Dr. Jeff Ripperada Family physician at Shawnee Health
years old.
“If we go back to the 1950s and before that, before the measles vaccine came out…100% is statistically accurate on the number of people who got measles,” Ripperda said. “50,000 hospitalizations per year, 500 deaths in kids per year, and about 1,000 people who would have major
monitor their status as they begin to figure out their next steps. As reported previously, some SIU students had already left. University officials are working on providing a statement as more information regarding this situation is released.
Staff reporter Jackson Brandhorst can be reached at jbrandhorst@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @jacksondothtml
those rates went down incredibly, such that by the late 1990s, measles was thought to have been eradicated from the United States.”
However, Ripperda said he receives questions from patients about vaccines now more than ever. The main concern, which was proposed by a British doctor in 1998 who later lost his medical license, is that
autism can be caused by the MMR vaccine, which is given to children in two doses during early childhood. The idea was published in a small study that was later retracted as it was found to be based on scientific misconduct.
“If the MMR vaccine caused any sort of spike in autism, we would have expected that rate to go up massively around the year 1963 when the mass vaccine was first introduced,” Ripperda said.
According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health, approximately 15 million children were given one of the new measles vaccines from 1963 to 1966. The first studies of the prevalence of autism, which took place in the 1960s and 1970s, estimated two to four cases per 10,000 children.
IDPH reported that all exposed health care staff at the southern Illinois clinic where the individual tested positive were wearing masks
and are considered immune. IDPH and the clinic are working to identify any possible exposed patients and their immune status.
Nationally, the CDC is reporting 800 confirmed cases, which is double the national total in 2024. IDPH said in the press release that they have been closely monitoring the outbreak in Texas and New Mexico, which has resulted in 680 confirmed cases and three deaths.
“With hundreds of cases being reported nationally, we have been working closely with our local public health and health care partners to prepare for any potential measles cases in Illinois,” Vohra said. “IDPH is urging medical providers to consider a measles diagnosis in patients with consistent symptoms and alert their local health department immediately if they suspect a case.”
News editor Carly Gist can be reached at cgist@dailyegyptian.com.
...the wholesale reversal in federal court came early Friday morning after weeks of intense scrutiny...and dozens of restraining orders issued by judges who deemed the mass termination of students “flagrantly illegal.”
Support at SIU
SIU Students have access to counselors by visiting our office in the Student Health Center Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or by calling (618) 453-5371 to schedule an appointment.
Counselors are also available at various locations on campus Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 12:30 - 9:00 p.m. (excluding university closures).
Please call (618) 453-5371, so we can direct you to a location.
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Get started by calling the support line after-hours. Connect@SIU after 9 p.m. call (833) 434-1217
quickest way to determine if you or someone you care about should connect with a behavioral health professional.
Lasting Legacy: The name behind the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute
Ethan EisEnbErg JrnL 201
On the picturesque campus of Southern Illinois University, there exists a place that blends the worlds of academia, government and policy giving great opportunity to its students. Coined the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute after the deceased senator of Illinois, the institution provides students with the standards required of most academic institutions while also providing something more.
“We don’t have students per se in the sense that we don’t give degrees or we don’t organize classes through the institute directly… so it doesn’t have… students in the way… the political science department has… but there are many programs, and a lot of what we try to do is just bring policy makers to campus and let students have a chance to interact with them… and see how they work,” director of the Institute, John Shaw, said in a recent telephone interview.
The institute also provides discussion sessions with prominent leaders, both nationally and internationally, in the field of public policy. Held both virtually and in person, students get the opportunity to gain practical knowledge firsthand from policy makers and officials themselves.
This is seen in the institute’s internship program headed by university professor Linda Baker, which allows a select group of students each spring semester to travel to the State Capitol in Springfield. The group is able to both observe and participate in activities which deepen their understanding of public policy and government including being able to observe governmental activities directly as well as partaking in academic courses while living in Springfield full time.
“Each year I teach a political science course that is an internship class and that class brings students from the campus to Springfield and they work in the House, they work in the Senate and some may work in transportation,” Baker said.
Many institute interns go on to work in government, such as the Illinois Capitol, while others choose to further their education by pursuing a law degree or other form of higher education. The institute also describes itself as a
think tank bringing together leaders in the world of policy to deliberate and come to a consensus on important matters of the discipline in a nonpartisan manner seeking to promote positive change.
“There is a whole range of institutions, some are affiliated with the university, some of them are independent, they are loosely called think tanks, these are institutions that try to… kind of bridge the world of the academic and policy practitioners… oftentimes these people inhabit very different worlds,” Shaw said.
Being the son of Christian missionaries, the moral value of service was instilled in Paul Simon at an early age. Prior to being a senator, he was still able to engage in acts of public advocacy. In an interview, Simon reflected on his experiences.
“I contacted the governor of Illinois… Adley Stevenson, and urged him to use the state police… I argued that they ought to be used to close down this … illegal gambling operation in our county.
Governor Stevenson, to his great credit, on one May day… had 51 state police swoop down on two of the big operations,” he said.
Simon started his formal political
career in the Illinois House of Representatives and became known for his ability to snuff out corruption within the state Senate. He even wrote an article, at the time, in Harper’s Bazaar Magazine where he exposed widespread corruption. After time in a wide variety of political roles including the United States House of Representatives, Simon eventually made his way to the United States Senate in 1984, where he represented southern Illinois.
Simon was known to fight for the rights of children, educators and the disadvantaged, forwarding bills to address such issues as childhood development and literacy. This value of selflessness in service was taken up by the Paul Simon Institute when Paul Simon retired in 1996.
“Paul announced his retirement and that meant he would leave the Senate… he announced that he and Jeanne Hurley Simon, his wife, were looking for the next chapter of their careers… He thought he had a lot of activity and contributions left, so he wanted to find a good place,” as there were many possible contenders to house the Paul Simon Institute including many of the top universities in Chicago, says institute visiting professor John Jackson.
In order to attract Paul and his wife to SIU, a proposal was put together by Southern Illinois University to bring the institute to its campus. After a long process of internal improval from the school administration, as well as approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the institute was finally ready to commence with Paul Simon becoming the first director of the institute along with four other colleagues, including Associate Director Mike Lawrence and professor John Jackson.
Simon stayed engaged with the institute until his death in 2003.
He still participated in institute events and conferences such as conversation series where Simon would interview people of interest, including an event with Coretta Scott King held at the SIU Arena, a 2003 conversation with Walter Cronkite, one of the great news anchors of the 20th century.
Baker said of Simon’s activities in his later years, “The last two things that he did at the institute were programs that I basically directed and was responsible for. … We did a health care study on access to health care and if you look up
that conference that was one of the last things that he did. We had a huge conference in Springfield, and it brought together policy makers, because my background is in health care. It brought together policy makers from the School of Medicine.”
“He was big on the fact that we are much alike, and we need to find those things that we have in common. And the common ground we have is access to health care,” she said.
Baker continued to say that the paper written from the outcome of the conference on health care was one that lawmakers used in looking at the framework of health care, particularly in rural areas. This spirit of unwavering loyalty to his mission, exhibited by Paul Simon working up to within the year of his death with the institute, can still be seen at the institute today 27 years on. Shaw emphasized the wide breadth of interesting events which the Institute holds, from the Varsity in Carbondale to downtown Chicago. For a more laid-back vibe, he said to come to the institute’s Pizza and Politics which is held at the institute, in the Forestry Building. This is also open to members of the public.
Daily Egyptian file photo of Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Director John Shaw.
Car show brings spark of energy to Carbondale
Riley SembleR RSembleR@dailyegyptian com
Almost a dozen electric cars sat in the parking lot of for a community electric car show Saturday April 27 in Carbondale, Illinois. Jacquelyn Rickard, owner of EVTV, and Brian Noto, Director of Energy, brought their Electric 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder. The car is currently owned by their company EVTV Motor Verks based in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. They acquired the car from the original owner Duane Ball and did a number of minor tweaks. Noto said that this is the same model of car that James Dean died in.
Staff photographer Riley Sembler can be reached at rsembler@dailyegyptian.com
An electric 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, owned by EVTV Motor Verks, sits in a parking lot during an electric car show April 26, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois. Riley Sembler | @riley_sembler
Electric engine replaces the original gas engine of the Porsche 550 Riley Sembler | @riley_sembler
Jacquelyn Rickard, owner of EVTV, sits in the electric 1955 Porsche Spyder Riley Sembler | @ riley_sembler
Glitz, glam, glory: SIU Fashion Studies hosts senior show
@_Deevisuals
Spotlights beam down onto the runway as models walk down it wearing unique, handmade outfits curated by design students.
The Fashion Studies program at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale hosted their annual fashion runway show. Students in the Fashion Studies program showcased their collections that they have been working on since the beginning of the fall semester.
Having hosted the event for over 30 years, program director Laura Kidd planned ahead of time, booking the ballroom a year in advance. Throughout the semester, students prepare to present their final portfolio before graduation.
Students created multiple fashion lines to be presented. They began with sketches, which were then discussed and selected; then they started to work on their patterns. Participating seniors did their own fitting for their specific models and constructed their
final garments.
Senior Aaron Elliott created a line titled “Expectations” inspired by expectations put on LGBTQ men and women and the relationship that is bonded between them.
“Dr. Kidd, the head of our department, has really inspired me to really further my research into fashion and do research on fashion,” Elliott said.
Many other students also said they give credit to program director Kidd, who has impacted their creativity and their college experience in the Fashion Studies program.
“She is supportive and wants to see people succeed, she knows what you’re capable of so she’ll push you to make sure that you can do that,” senior Lisa Vasilopolous said.
Staff photographer Deangelo Handley can be reached through email at dhandley@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @_deevisuals54.
Deangelo HanDley
Dallas Cramer showcase the designer Nicole Robinson’s outfit April 24, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois. Deangelo Handley | @_deevisuals4
Ingrid Hansen greets everyone after showing her collection.
Lisa Vasilopolous works on her model Nicole Fox’s makeup before the fashion show rehearsal.
Courtney Phillips gets ready before going out for rehearsal.
the week after spring break with the SIU RSO Alt. News 26:46, a PBS show where students tell the news in alternative ways. My executive producer, Brenna Gallagher, told us that we would be participating in the boat regatta with our own specially designed boat, the Alt. News TV. We got to work on the ship, borrowing cardboard from the SIU journalism director Jan Thompson.
We spent around three to four weeks sourcing cardboard, building the boat and spending our budget on duct tape. One day during a meeting, Brenna asked the boat-building team if anyone wanted to pilot the boat. Of course, I, the curious freshman, said yes alongside my co-captain of the ship, Lee Villarreal.
After deciding to turn our boat into a VHS tape, the day finally arrived at the Carbondale boat regatta. I was cold, hungry and excited about the boat race.
While Villarreal and I waited for
our heat to be called, I sat back and watched the other teams race on the lake with some fellow
Daily Egyptian and Alt. News staff and crew. I got a little too excited by the boats, to the point
I was yelling and moving my arms like Chris Farley did in the SNL sketch “Van down by the river.”
Eventually, it was Alt. News’ time to shine. Some DE and Alt. News crew carried the boat to the launch point, and then the air got tense. There I was, with Villareal in the boat floating on the water, waiting for the air horn to go off, then a quietness filled the crowd, and the air got thicker.
“On your mark…get set…” the ref said, then time moved slowly, only to be interrupted by the loud air horn. We were off, paddling as fast as we could on the lake.
“Right, left, right, left, right, left,” we shouted while we
were about to rip off while my face was covered with more sweat than water in the campus lake. By the time we reached the first turn, I felt like I wanted to throw up, give up, and eat a bagel all in one consecutive moment. But by the time we reached the final turn, I knew it was time to truly lock in.
“Alt. News, Alt. News, Alt. News,” we chanted while paddling.
We were approaching the end, and I felt gutsy. I stopped paddling and told the crowd of people to cheer us on, only to get the response from one of the event attendees of, “You’ve got to paddle the boat and stop yelling for us!”
After Lee and I crossed the finish line, we got out of our semiwaterlogged boat and started to carry it back to where we were originally located. I definitely needed a nap and probably some apple slices for my hard work. As a boat we placed second in our heat. We may not have won a trophy, but we did end up finishing with a time of six minutes and thirty seconds, beating the DE advertising team by 30 seconds, and that is worth more than any trophy the boat regatta would have handed out. Overall, the regatta was a fun experience, and I recommend that you, the reader of my article, give the boat regatta a try next year, and if you do, bring me some apple slices, please.
Staff Videographer Will Elliott can be reached through email @welliott@dailyegyptian
Daily Egyptian videographer Will Elliott paddled in a boat with Lee Villarreal, supporting Alt. News 26:46 at the 50th Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta in Campus Lake April 26th 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual
The “Just Boat” team try to paddle away from shore at the 50th Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta in campus lake. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual
The Black Pearl team Elisa Lopez and Parker Handley paddle toward the first buoy at the 50th Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta in Campus Lake.
Levi Teague, left, and Kayley Otto, steer the speedboat towards the boats racing at the 50th Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta in campus lake.
Teams push off the shore at the Cardboard Boat Regatta.
The ASME Goofy Goobers team members Christian Smith and Faith Loyd try to make it off shore at the 50th Cardboard Boat Regatta in Campus Lake.
Spectators point and cheer towards the starting line at the Cardboard Boat Regatta.
Illustrations by Dena Rendleman dena.rendleman
Account executive Mariah Fletcher, left, and ad chief Kassity Lee, right, paddle toward the first buoy.
An appetite for local news: Illinois journalists discuss expanding coverage in news deserts
Carly Gist CGist@dailyeGyptian Com
In southern Illinois, where several counties have zero news outlets, journalists Molly Parker and Julia Rendleman are working to promote local news. As assistant professors of journalism at SIU, they’ve helped bridge the gap with the Saluki Local Reporting Lab, a program that connects students with resources needed to publish works in statewide organizations. The two organized their newest initiative last week: a community forum discussing the importance of local news.
The Thursday, April 24, event, Local News! Why it’s important to Southern Illinois, featured a panel discussion and forum about how nonprofit newsrooms and universities are rebuilding news coverage in Illinois.
“We just wanted to bring people together to talk about the importance of local news,” Parker said. “We all know the problems and we don’t want to dwell on them – that we’ve lost a lot of reporters and have a lot of news deserts, although also a lot of people still really working hard, I think, to cover the news in our region – but we know we could do more and that we can do more together, so I think we just wanted to bring people together to talk about how partnerships can help do more, basically.”
The panel, held at the Varsity in Carbondale and moderated by John Shaw, the director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, featured editors from ProPublica, Illinois Answers Project, Northwestern Medill and Capitol News Illinois. Among the panelists was the Daily Egyptian’s editor-in-chief Lylee Gibbs.
“The Daily Egyptian has really stepped up to, I think, fill the news void,” Gibbs said. “I mean, a lot of people are coming to us for the news, and if we’re not the first person to tell it, I think we’re doing it quite in-depth in comparison.”
According to the 2024 Medill State of Local News report, Illinois has lost 86% of its journalists and 36% of its newspapers since 2005. Forty counties currently have just one news source, and five counties across southern and southeast Illinois are considered “news deserts,” meaning they have no locally-based news source.
“We are discussing how nonprofit newsrooms are partnering with traditional legacy newsrooms, whether they’re
nonprofit or for profit, things like The Southern Illinoisan and news stations around here,” Parker said. “These nonprofit organizations want to be good partners. Nobody’s trying to replace what exists. We don’t have enough. So like the Daily Egyptian, even some of the sort of upstart blogs, we should be training them to do better. We’re not trying to take over. Nobody’s trying to take over. I think everybody’s just trying to look for solutions where we can take what few resources remain and be stronger together.”
At ProPublica, a nonprofit journalism organization based in New York City, Sarah Blustain leads the Local Reporting Network, which partners local journalists across the country with the newsroom to produce investigative works. She’s held the position since 2021, and has worked with Parker on Illinois-based projects. She traveled from New Jersey to participate on the panel.
“Newspapers are disappearing at a very rapid clip,” Blustain said. “I feel like there are now national outlets, but they all sort of cover the same stories, you know, the immigration story, the tariff story, whatever, and it makes what is happening locally more invisible, but that doesn’t mean that what’s happening locally is less bad for people. You still need to investigate locally and tell people what’s happening in their own backyard.”
Illinois Sen. Terri Bryant was in attendance at the event, and she said she had been hoping for that discussion point to come up. As a legislator, she believes that the most successful newspapers are the ones that cover hometown topics.
“One paper that I take at home is the County Journal out of Percy,” Bryant said.
“It’s just a hometown newspaper. It’s not super expensive to buy the subscription to, and I don’t even get it until two weeks later because it gets mailed to me; I don’t care.
It’s not just because I’m a legislator, but because I know a lot of the people that are in that paper.
“It’s exciting to me to see that somebody maybe that I went to school with has become a grandparent, or I remember a few years ago there was a young man from Steelville who, at 10 years old, made a triple play. That’s exciting to see that kind of stuff. And I think a lot of the larger newspapers, including The Southern Illinoisan, got to a place where they were buying news from
national level, from the state level, they forgot all about the hometown folks.”
Bryant said she and her staff have an initiative called “Saw You In The News.” She said they have subscriptions to 12 print newspapers, and when they see an article featuring her constituents, they laminate it and send it to them with a handwritten note.
“My staff cuts them all out, but I read every one of those articles before we send them off so that I can know what’s going on in the district,” she said. “It makes me a better legislator.”
Sonya Dymova, a third-year journalism student at Northwestern University, said she became interested in local news after seeing statistics on how a lack of local outlets can be linked to higher rates of government corruption.
“I was stunned when I saw that,” Dymova said. “Like, if local journalists are not going to come to the (government) hearings, are not going to sit there — even if there is no story, just by showing that we are here and we are watching you, I honestly believe that that’s such a deterrent against corruption and without it, things would be way, way worse.”
Dymova made the trip from Chicago
to Carbondale with her classmate Simon Carr and professor Bob Rowley, who was also a panelist. At Northwestern, students and faculty track and analyze changes to local journalism throughout the U.S. through The State of Local News Project.
“I think that everyone deserves to be seen, heard, felt, and that we should have papers out there that are able to see and hear real people and talk to them about what’s going on in their lives,” Carr said. “I think that’s a big deal.”
It’s this interest in local journalism that inspired Rendleman and Parker to put the program together.
“We’ve noticed that there’s an appetite for local news,” Rendleman said. “If the Daily Egyptian posts anything online, like there’s automatically a lot of engagement…We just think that we need to bridge the gap for readers and writers and people making the news and consuming the news, and this is a great opportunity to do that.”
Alongside Gibbs of the Daily Egyptian, Blustain of ProPublica and Rowley of Medill, the panel featured Ruby L. Bailey, editor-in-chief of the Illinois Answers Project; Jan Thompson, director of the SIU School of Journalism and Advertising; and Jeff
Rogers, executive director of the Illinois Press Foundation. The program was sponsored by the School of Journalism and Advertising, Capitol News Illinois and the Illinois Press Foundation.
Before the panel, Parker said she hoped to have some folks show up to have a lively conversation. With over 80 people in attendance, the theater ended up packed, and many guests stayed to chat at the conclusion of the forum.
“I think it’s important that we let people know we’re here to listen,” Parker said. Rendleman shared Parker’s sentiment.
“I hope that people see that we’re open and willing and wanting to talk about the issues that are important to them,” she said. “If they have a story and they feel frustrated, like why isn’t anyone covering it, this is a great time to approach us or reach out. Just like Molly said, stronger together. We’re a small community and we need to work together. News is really important and especially actual, factual news that is verified, fact-checked, real interviews with people who are living and not created by AI robots. That’s what we are, and we want to stake that claim in our community, and we want people to feel invested.”
News editor Carly Gist can be reached at cgist@dailyegyptian.com.
Panelists applaud Lylee Gibbs, editor in chief of the Daily Egyptian, after she introduced herself at the local news forum April 24, 2025 at the Varsity Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Enan Chediak | @enanchediak
Saluki Baseball scrapes away with series win over the Redbirds
Nick PfaNNkuche
NPfaNkuche@dailyegyPtiaN com
After finishing the series sweep of SEMO on Tuesday, April 22, Saluki baseball returned to Carbondale for a pivotal three game weekend series with the Illinois State Redbirds, both trying to hold on to the chance for second place in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Dawgs took two of the three games, winning the series.
Alec Nigut took the ball in the series opener on Friday, April 25 but the Redbirds got to him quickly. The Saluki’s ace was pulled after only recording four outs while being on the hook for six Illinois State runs. Cole Koonce took the loss with three runs in 1 2/3 innings of work and Dylan Petrey had the best outing of any of the Saluki pitchers with only one run on his resume in 4 1/3 innings.
Cecil Lofton feasted at the plate in game one, finishing the night 3-4 with two home runs and a double, driving in seven runs in
the process. Jordan Bach knocked in another two with a homer in the fourth, but it wasn’t enough as the Dawgs dropped game one 9-11.
Game two saw Meade Johnson start on the hill for the Dawgs on Saturday, April 26, retiring all three batters he faced before leaving with an injury. Jackson Payne took the ball next, tossing 4 2/3 innings of four run ball. Koonce, Tanner Gerdes, Matt Irvine and Blaine Harpenau rounded out the day with only Koonce giving up a single run.
Matt Schark led the bats with five runs driven in on two home runs.
John Lemm and Bach also chipped in two RBI each in the 14-5 win.
Tyler Timmerman was on the bump for the rubber match on Sunday, April 27. He got 10 outs for the Salukis while surrendering four runs before handing the game over to the bullpen. The pen shined with the series on the line. Al Holguin went 3 2/3 hitless innings with four strikeouts, only facing
one over the minimum. Sam Frizzi picked up the last two innings, earning his third win of the season. Schark homered again in the series finale and Bach notched his fifth RBI of the weekend, but it was Tate Lewis who earned the player of the game honors for the Dawgs. The junior came into the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh and went 2-2 with an RBI single and an RBI double in the eighth that brought in the winning run in the 5-4 Saluki victory.
With the series win over the Redbirds, the Dawgs now sit at 30-13 overall and 12-6 against Missouri Valley opponents with only nine more games to go before the conference tournament. SIU is currently tied with Murray State for second place in the Valley, who they will play on the road next weekend at Murray.
Sports Reporter Nick Pfannkuche can be reached at npfankuche@dailyegyptian.com.
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News Editor: Carly Gist cgist@dailyegyptian
Sports Consultant: Ryan Grieser rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com
Digital Editor: Bhayva Sri-Billuri bsri-billuri@dailyegyptian.com
About Us
We distribute 7,000 printed copies every Wednesday across the SIU campus and surrounding communities, including Carbondale, Murphysboro, Carterville, and Marion. We have expanded with limited distribution to surrounding towns and in Springfield.
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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.
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Tyler Timmerman (19) pitches against Illinois State University April 27, 2025 at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. Emily Brinkman | erb_photo_
April/May 2025
WEDNESDAY (4/30)
PKs - Carrie Nation & the Speakeasy (Wichita), 8 p.m., 21+, Free Booby’s - Open Mic Comedy
THURSDAY (5/1)
Booby’s: Karaoke, 8:30 p.m., 18+, free
FRIDAY (5/2)
Tres Hombres: Chris Chamness, 6 p.m., 21+, Free Varsity Center : FILMS: The Wizard of Oz, 7 p.m., $8 Varsity Center : Musicans United in the big room, 10 p.m., all ages, $5
SATURDAY (5/3)
Tres Hombres: Ethan Stephenson Band, 9 p.m., 21+, free Varsity Center : The McDaniel Band, Tawl Paul, Snowbird Street Band, 7 p.m., $12
Alto Vineyards: The Ol’ Fishskins; 2-5 p.m., 21+
SUNDAY (5/4)
Alto Vineyards: Wine Down Sunday with Ivas John, 2-5 p.m., 21+
WEDNESDAY (5/7)
PK’s: TRIVIA with Alee, 8 p.m.
THURSDAY (5/8)
Booby’s: Karaoke 18+ free 8:30 PK’s: Tim Crosby happy hour show; 6-9 pm
FRIDAY (5/9)
Varsity Center : FILMS: Labyrinth, 7 p.m., $8 Varsity Center: After Credits
Comedy Show; 8:30 p.m., $10
SATURDAY (5/10)
Alto Vineyards: Regina Coley/ Vintage Station Band, 2-5 p.m., 21+ Blue Sky Vineyards: Reds, Whites, & Blues Celebration; “Hats Off” to the new graduates featuring AwardWinning Wines, Live Music, Local Artisans, Burgers & Brats from the Grill & More; Diamond Dog Band, 3-6 p.m., all ages SIU: Graduation Commencement, 9 a.m., 1 p.m., Free
SUNDAY (5/11)
Alto Vineyards: John Drake, 2-5 p.m., 21+
WEDNESDAY (5/14)
PK’s: TRIVIA with Alee, 8 p.m.
THURSDAY (5/15)
Varsity Center : Bluegrass concert: Grammy-winning Bronwyn KeithHynes, 7 p.m., $15
Booby’s: Karaoke 8:30 p.m., 18+ Cornerstone Reformed Church: Hyink Strings Concert, 7 p.m., free
FRIDAY (5/16)
Tres Hombres: Edwin Linson, 6 p.m., 21+, free
Wednesday (5/21)
PK’s : Trivia with Alee, 8pm Thursday (5/22)
Booby’s: Karaoke, 9:30pm, 18 to sing 21 to drink
Saturday (5/24)
Varsity Center: Taylor Swift Dance Party by Charity Dean, 6pm, $15 Tres Hombres: Ivas John, 8pm
Wednesday (5/28)
PK’s: Trivia with Alee, 8pm Thursday (5/29)
Booby’s: Karaoke, 9:30pm, 18 to sing 21 to drink
Friday (5/30)
Tres Hombres: Eastwood and Bradley, 6pm
Former Salukis return to Carbondale — as rival coaches
Ryan GRieseR RGRieseR@dailyeGyptian com
Two recent former Saluki softball players made their return to Carbondale for the first time this weekend.
Madi Eberle and Elizabeth Warwick, who played for the Dawgs from 2021 to 2024 and were crucial pieces to three consecutive NCAA Regionals appearances, returned to Charlotte West Stadium and were even back on the field and in the dugout. This time, they were on the first base side, and wearing the navy blue and gold of Murray State.
Both Eberle and Warwick are now members of the Racers’ coaching staff. Eberle is an assistant coach who focuses on pitching, and Warwick is a graduate assistant who serves as the first base coach.
Neither expected to find themselves back in the Valley so soon though.
Warwick, who earned a bachelor’s degree in finance, didn’t see herself becoming a coach. Then Murray State came calling.
“This opportunity kind of fell into my lap,” Warwick said. “I kind of didn’t know what I was doing, taking all the opportunities I could. And I really liked this one, so I’m super glad I did it.”
Eberle, who was an exercise science major, said that she “honestly would have laughed at you in your face” at the suggestion of becoming a coach after graduation. But softball kept calling her.
“I finished out my four years and I missed it so much, and I was like, ‘I can’t stay away from the game for too long.’ And I would have never done that without being away from the game for a couple months,” Eberle said.
Eberle said that SIU’s current head coach, Jen Sewell, had texted her about multiple coaching openings to gauge her interest.
“Once Jen texted me, I kind of reached out. I was like, ‘Maybe this is something I could want to do,’” Eberle said.
Eberle then reached out to former head coach Kerri Blaylock, who led the program from 2000 to 2022 and brought Eberle into the program, who was able to help get her into contact with Kara Amundson, the Murray State head coach.
Eberle had a coaching background from even just being in Carbondale. Kenzi Bennett, an assistant coach during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, helped Eberle to set up and give pitching lessons to nearly 30 girls over the summers and also helped guide her toward being a coach.
“I got a lot of good feedback from parents and the players themselves, and I was like, ‘You know, maybe I’m not doing too bad. I don’t mind doing this, I have a lot of fun with it, and maybe it’s something I want to do,” Eberle said.
While she wasn’t pushed as much toward being a coach, Warwick said that she has received valuable mentorship from a pair of Saluki Hall of Famers.
“I’ve had two great people, Kerri and Mary Jo Firnbach, to kind of mentor me, and I’ve leaned on them in the process whenever I have questions. They’ve just been great women and leaders that I’ve always kind of had to fall back on whenever I need advice,” Warwick said.
Her new role has led to a bit of a shift in how Warwick views her relationship with these mentors, too.
“We are also kind of becoming more so friends now that I’m not playing and we don’t have the player-coach relationship. So it’s been interesting to get to know them in that way as well,” Warwick said.
For Warwick, the hardest part of becoming a coach has been relinquishing control during games.
“It’s definitely been having to give up the control stick, and it’s been harder because I am such a competitor,” Warwick said. “It’s definitely just been hard to sit back and watch.”
Eberle, who also coordinates some of the meals and travel plans for the Racers, says that the behind-
the-scenes things that players don’t see are the biggest difference for her. She also doesn’t miss being on the field though.
“I dealt with a lot of injury with my time at SIU… by the time I finished my four years, my body was tired and ready to move on from pitching, “ Eberle said. “So I never really, truly want to be back out there. I honestly love this side of it way more than I ever did while playing.”
Both Warwick and Eberle said that seeing familiar faces that they competed against and traveling to the same locations they did as players has been a bit strange.
“The first weekend, it was a little bit weird because we were like, ‘This feels like a normal weekend,’” Eberle said. “We’re obviously playing the exact same teams. I know a lot of the girls still in the Valley playing, so it’s fun getting to see them.”
As weird as they may now find it, both Eberle and Warwick are grateful for the start that SIU gave them.
“I’m super excited to be there,” Warwick said. “I love SIU and they gave me so much, so I’m excited to
come back and see everyone.”
Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com.
Coming back to Carbondale was the final stop on Murray State’s Missouri Valley Conference road schedule. Warwick, who was interviewed before the series was played, knew that it was going to be “weird” to be in the first base dugout instead.
“It’ll be really weird to, I don’t want to say root against them, because I would never root against those girls, but you kind of have to, to a degree. We want to win those games just as badly as they do. But it’s just been weird emotions… I don’t know exactly how to feel yet,” Warwick said.
Eberle, who will be calling pitches and has been scouting her former teammates, finds it even stranger.
“It’s just been weird writing their name down and studying them, and it’s just weird that I’m studying one of my old teammates where her and I were besties not too long ago,” Eberle said.
For current players like Anna Carder, who was Eberle’s primary catcher in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, it’s a different set of emotions.
“I didn’t see either of them becoming coaches; it was pretty shocking to find out. But I’m super excited for both of them, I’m sure this is a great opportunity for them to get some coaching experience under their belt,” Carder said.
While it will certainly be different to watch Eberle making mound visits and Warwick coaching first base, Carder doesn’t think that there will be any bad blood.
“There’s no hard feelings or anything. I think mostly I’ll just find it kind of hard to take seriously… I’ll probably find it kind of funny because I know her as a friend,” Carder said.
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Former SIU athletes, Madi Eberle, (Murray State softball assistant coach,) and Elizabeth Warwick, (Murray State softball graduate assistant), discuss strategy during a game April 26, 2025 at Charlotte West Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. Jason Isele | @iselephotography
Citizens watch in horror as Joseph “Old Man” Strong (Lucas Reilly) urinates without paying a fee during a dress rehearsal April 22, 2025 in the McLeod Theater in Carbondale, Illinois. Set in a dystopian society where citizens are forced to pay to use public bathrooms, “Urinetown” is a satirical comedy that follows Joseph’s son, Bobby Strong (Seth Worthington), as he leads a rebellion against the corporation that profits off their basic needs. Carly Gist | @gistofthestory
Privilege to pee: ‘Urinetown: The Musical’ hits the McLeod Theater
Dominique martinez-Powell @D martinezPhoto
Before audiences walked into the McLeod Theater, they were given a golden coin and told to use it wisely. Those who know what “Urinetown: The Musical” is about, know what the gimmick was trying to portray, but there were many who had no clue what they were about to walk into.
The original run of “Urinetown” on Broadway lasted 925 performances and closed out in January 2024. A show with a premise so seemingly ridiculous that the writers at some point contemplated if it should ever be performed for an audience went from an Off-Broadway hit to a Tony Awardwinning success.
Finally, “Urinetown” has graced SIU’s stage once more to close out the theater school’s Spring 2025 season.
“Urinetown: The Musical,” a satirical comedy written by Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann, speaks on the strife of a town suffering a water shortage so bad, the town inhabitants must pay to pee. There are no private toilets and cops are always on the lookout for those who choose to relieve themselves in public. Any who engage in the act of public urination or defecation will be subject to immediate arrest and promptly sent to Urinetown, a mysterious place that is not to be revealed until Act 2 of the musical.
“Urinetown” tackles several themes under its potty humor including capitalism, revolution, political buyouts and corporate greed are among the few. Despite “Urinetown” now being 24 years old, its message is still not dated, even if it does seem to be making light of its situation on the surface.
The idea stemmed from a poorly
planned out trip to Europe that Kotis took, where the bathrooms were pay to use, which resulted in him having to spread his money further until he made it back to the states. Kotis believed the idea could end his career before it really truly began, but regardless he and Hollman persisted.
Believing that the musical was unproducible and un-pitchable, they let their imagination take them on a ride. This allowed them to break the mold of what a conventional musical would require.
“Freak-show of a musical” Kotis called “Urinetown” in the introduction of the book, one that Kotis contemplated should not be performed. Despite the burning disdain I hold for potty humor, I think it holds its own.
The opening number was electric and the harmony stayed in my head for days after and only improved when I saw an actual run of the show with an audience. The amazing chemistry at the start of the show left a great warmth in my chest that lingered until the end. The presence of the audience really brought the actors’ performances to life and elevated an already great show.
Bobby Strong is played by BFA musical theater sophomore Seth Worthington. He has had a rich performance history so far at SIU, and his growth and vocal performance continues to astound. Vocally, he was the strongest of the cast. I would much prefer to listen to his version of this musical’s songs versus the studio version.
Given Worthington’s only in his second year and still continues to improve from the great standing he already had his freshman year, he is a triple threat to keep an eye out for in the future. He does a great job embodying the heroic
main lead in the satirical manner in which it was meant to be played.
“It’s very easy to just see Bobby as like every leading guy that’s in a show. You see so many characters that could be like him… And I think that’s what made him so hard to play, because going into it, I was like, oh, there’s not that much depth to a character like Bobby Strong… What has made it so hard is the satire that’s in the show, the comedy that’s in the show, I’m playing it funny but being serious about yourself. You know, the more serious you take yourself the funnier, it ends up being,” Worthington said.
Richard Zimmerman is a community member and alum of SIU’s cinematography department. He currently works as a restorative artist. He was present during SIUs first run of “Urinetown” in 2007. Zimmerman said the show stuck with him since. He was waiting for the chance to come back to SIU and when the opportunity presented itself he jumped. Thank god he did. Zimmerman plays the antagonist of our story, Caldwell B. Cladwell. He is a joy to watch and he really brings a booming life to the character. His comedic timing and superb character acting sings in this role. The respect Zimmerman has for the character’s complexity and the writer’s intentions are clear in the choices he makes as Caldwell.
“What a scary thing to play Caldwell B. Cladwell, who is known as the villain of the show. But it’s just because he’s lived long enough to become the villain. We all in our younger years, have ideals and dreams that we follow. But if we live long enough, those dreams may turn into villainy. I could have been Bobby Strong in my younger years, the hero, but, you
know, life happens,” Zimmerman said.
Bailey Warner played the naive, but forever hopeful, Hope Cladwell. Warner displayed good comedic timing and chemistry during her performance. Warner and Worthingtons vocally played well off each other. This was especially evident during their duet “Follow Your Heart.”
I much prefer their version to the studio recording.
Officer Lockstock and Little Sally were played by Blake Zappa and Daily Egyptian staff photographer Alexis Lessman respectively. They served as the narrators and expository devices for the audience in the overall story of the musical. Zappa is a transfer student in his senior year at SIU and a BA theater student. Lessman is a senior BFA in musical theater and this is her first mainstage role but not her first time in an SIU theater production. The two played well off one another and were very entertaining in their fourth-wall breaks during the show.
Another comedic standout was Sam Deiter, a biological science senior with a minor in music. Dieter played Officer Barrel. Deiter in conjunction with Zappa got some of the best and most memorable laughs – a great cast for the cop duo of Lockstock and Barrel.
Creator Mark Hollmann came to visit the cast to speak with them during the time of their rehearsals. It was a touching experience for all of them. Hollmann is an Illinois native.
“(Hollman) grew up in Fairview Heights, which was maybe half an hour from where I grew up and so it was so hopeful that someone would be putting together and be able to write something like this and so close to home. So it gave me confidence. It
doesn’t matter where you’re from… inspiration can strike and if you work hard and follow your heart you just might find yourself on that stage,” Zimmerman said.
Worthington felt that Hollmann’s visiting chat with the cast made him work that much harder. Before he was just a name on his script. After, he became more.
“There’s so many people around the country specifically doing this show and it made me want to work much harder after meeting him because if I made something like that, I would want the people who use what I made to try as hard as they can at it,” Worthington said.
Matthew C. Williams is an assistant professor of performance and movement at SIU and served as the production’s director and choreographer. Williams has good reason to be proud of his students, their growth and the stellar show they were able to put on.
“My takeaway of this process is how incredibly mature, insightful, artistic and creative these students are and have developed into over the course of this process, and over the course of this year. A lot of them are seniors or juniors. So I can see, like the collective sort of experience of their training really culminating in this show. And they’re using it all, and they’re just an incredible group of young people that give me hope for the future in this silly musical about saying there’s no hope for the future,” Williams said.
Student managing editor Dominique Martinez-Powell can be reached through email at dmartinezpowell@ dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @d.martinezphoto