The Daily Egyptian

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2025

InsiDE Lt. Gov. hears health concerns, page 3

Indiana invites Illinois counties, page 4

Saluki men’s basketball races past Roos, win 101-78

17 seconds into the Salukis’ matchup Friday, Nov. 7 against the Kansas City Roos, senior forward Prince Aligbe was called for a traveling violation.

What would normally be an innocent mistake set the tone for the early going. ree early 3-pointers from Roos junior guard Karmello Branch gave the visiting team a 10-6 lead that felt much larger only four minutes into the contest.

Defense continued to be an issue for both teams going forward.

e Salukis held on long enough to break o a 10-2 run and come within 17-16 of Kansas City with 11 minutes left in the rst half.

e Salukis continued to battle back and forth with the Roos through the middle portions of the half. A 6-0 run by the home side nally gave them some room to work with in the form of a 39-33 lead with 3:10 left in the opening half.

From there the Salukis imposed their will on Kansas City the rest of the half. ey opened up what was already a 6-0 run into a 15-1 run to

end the half leading 48-34.

e defense held the Roos to zero eld goals the last 6:18 of the half and forced 4 turnovers in the same time frame. On the other side of the $ oor, the Saluki o ense shot 71.4% from the eld in the rst half.

e Salukis continued where they left o to start the second half. Both forward Rolyns Aligbe and guard Quel’Ron House reached double digit points by 15:37 left in the game with SIU leading 60-45.

SIU continued to get any shot they wanted as the game went on, only missing one shot in the next

Pritzker in Carbondale to discuss infrastructure improvements

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced $2 million to repave roads in Carbondale’s historic Arbor District during a Nov. 5 visit to the city.

e grant will cover the full restoration of West College Street from South Forest to South University avenues; West Cherry Street from South Oakland to South Illinois avenues; and Poplar Street from West Mill to West Oak streets.

During the press conference, Mayor Carolin Harvey noted the streets have deteriorated to the point where simple xes would not su%ce.

“ e pavement was torn down, the storm water system had struggled and safety had become a growing concern,” she said.

With assistance from the Illinois Department of Transportation and strong state leadership, the $2 million project will be fully funded through the state’s $400 million local project appropriation.

Aware of the opposition that some

hold to him, especially downstate, Pritzker commented on the need to assist people from all places.

“But you know, when you have a problem, you represent everybody, no matter what party they belong to,” he said.

Pritzker said he hopes to leave a legacy of people utilizing these improvements without feeling like the state is falling apart.

Following the announcements, the governor took questions regarding the Democratic wins that took place across numerous state polls on Nov. 4, including the New York City mayoral race, which Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won. Pritzker praised the turnout and linked the result of votes to public frustration over the Trump Administration’s response to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s (SNAP) delays.

“It was a reaction in part, to what’s happening from Washington, D.C, and what the kind of oppression that’s being put down on the states, both

ve minutes of play. e Roos didn’t have the same luck, giving the Salukis a 74-51 lead with 10 minutes remaining.

e large lead for the Salukis gave them a chance to see many di erent looks as guard Jalen Haynes, guard Caden Hawkins, and forward Max Pikaar all entered the game by the four minute mark. At that point the home team had stretched their lead to 92-67.

A 3-pointer from guard Damien Mayo put the Salukis above the century mark for the rst time since a Dec. 2, 2023 101-62 win over

Saint Louis. A harmless Kansas City layup made the nal score a 101-78 victory for SIU.

Eleven of the 12 Salukis to step on the $ oor scored, led by House’s 18 points. Rolyns Aligbe (14), forward Davion Sykes (14), and forward Prince Aligbe (12) made their way into double gures as well.

“Anybody on any given night can go o . If one guy isn’t ready the next guy is. I think that’s how it’s gonna work this year,” Sykes said postgame.

e 2-0 Salukis have only played

SIU pay study results go into effect

Employees see raises after $270K

In April 2024, in an e ort to provide SIU Carbondale employees with equitable and competitive pay, the university launched Compensation 2030 — a study that compares all employee salaries at SIU to those of other employees and outlines a career path from entry level to top management.

e study’s results were approved at the Sept. 18 SIU System Board of Trustees meeting — a meeting where civil service workers spoke during public comments about experiences with low morale, heavy workloads and unfair pay. To gain a better understanding of the compensation study and current wages, the Daily Egyptian led a

economically and otherwise,” he said. “People’s rights are being taken away.”

He criticized President Donald Trump’s recent decision to redirect 50% of federal emergency funds to some SNAP recipients while others will get none, calling it problematic to those who depend on the program.

“Honestly, if this is all you had and you’re getting 50% of it, how are you going to survive?” he said.

Pritzker said the state is doing what they can to supplement the issue.

“I think the reaction yesterday in the elections was about people understanding the government does play an important role, and that Donald Trump is acting like the leader of an authoritarian regime who does not care about the people that he is supposed to be representing and leading,” Pritzker said.

e governor said he hopes that the results will bode well for the 2026 elections in the next year of November.

Sta reporter Leo Castro can be reached at lcastro@dailyegyptian.com

CARLY GIST CGIST@DAILYEGYPTIAN COM

KANSAS

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker talks to a crowd about southern Illinois infrastructure Nov. 5, 2025 at Carbondale Civic Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Claire Stroh | @cstrohphoto

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Published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale on a weekly basis in print, and every day on dailyegyptian.com. Fall and spring semester editions run every Wednesday. Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale, Carterville, and Springfeld communities.

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-proft organization that survives primarily off of its advertising revenue. Offces are in the Communications Building, room 1259, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Ill., 62901.

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Indiana University reinstates print edition of IDS

Fired adviser sues university

CARLY GIST CGIST@DAILYEGYPTIAN COM

Indiana University has reversed its decision to cut print editions of the Indiana Daily Student, following weeks of criticism and censorship accusations.

On Oct. 14, 2025, after weeks of dispute over what type of coverage could be printed in the 158-year-old newspaper, the university red the IDS’ longtime adviser Jim Rodenbush and discontinued all print editions. While the university framed the move as a larger part of restructuring student media, the student editors, who refused to comply with their order of printing solely themed content, said they believed it was an act of retaliation.

According to reporting by the IndyStar, the university’s decisions caused IU alumni to pull over $1 million in donations following the university’s decisions.

In a letter to the IDS editors published on Oct. 30, IU Chancellor David Reingold said the IDS would be allowed to continue using its budget to print

editions through June 30, 2026. While he stood by his claim that the decision to cut print “had nothing to do with editorial content,” he recognized that the university’s actions did prompt concern.

“But perception, even when it is not grounded in fact, can carry the weight of reality,” he wrote. “I recognize and accept that the campus has not handled recent decisions as well as we should have.

Communication was uneven and timing imperfect.”

Following his letter, Mia Hilkowitz and Andrew Miller, co-editors-in-chief of the IDS, published their own letter, writing that they believe the decision was the “correct call” and that they’re now “on a solid trajectory toward real solutions for student media.” But they reported that they have yet to be engaged by IU administrators face-to-face, and requested greater involvement of student leaders in e Media School’s plan to improve sustainability.

“ is is a win for student journalism, for editorial independence and our ght to bring quality journalism to our

community — but more is needed,” the editors wrote. “We look forward to being at the table and taking more steps in the right direction.”

e editors also called for more clarity on the university’s initial decisions.

In Reingold’s letter, he said that the university cannot speak about the details of Rodenbush’s ring. Rodenbush led a lawsuit against Indiana University on Oct. 30, allegeding his termination was a violation of his First and 14th Amendment rights.

“ is case presents the Court with an opportunity to serve its originally intended purpose: as a check on the executive and legislative branches, and to show the people of Indiana that it will not bend to the will of a government that suppresses the speech of its citizens and silences the press,” the statement of the case reads.

Deputy editor Carly Gist can be reached by email at cgist@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @gistofthestory.

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

Pamphlets, guides and newspapers created by sta at the Indiana Daily Student sit on a table near the newsroom Oct. 20, 2025 at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Carly Gist | @gistofthestory

Illinois lieutenant governor hears rural health care concerns amid federal cutbacks

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton held a roundtable discussion on Nov. 5 at SIU School of Medicine in Carbondale to assess the most urgent needs for rural health services amid upcoming federal cuts to health and Medicare programs. 13 representatives of rural health services attended, including Shawnee Health, SIU School of Medicine and the Illinois Health and Hospital Association.

A key topic of discussion during the meeting was upcoming cuts to Medicare as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Donald Trump on July 4, 2025. While the law includes a $50 billion grant to rural hospitals to o set cuts to Medicare, according to the Center for Medicare Advocacy, it is also estimated to cut $500 billion in Medicare funding over the next eight years. Shawnee Health CEO Christina Carney raised concerns over patients that have no alternative to Medicare available to them.

Carney said 60% of Shawnee Health patients are currently on Medicaid.

“ e issue is that the individuals who are on Medicaid are not individuals that are going to be able to a ord another health plan,” Carney said. “ ese are not individuals that are unemployed, but these are not individuals that are going to be able to a ord a commercial (insurance) plan. So we’re not going to a di erent plan that’s out there. We’re going from Medicaid, which is not su ciently funded, to no payment, which is of course not funded at all.”

Jordan Powell, vice president of the Illinois Health

PAY STUDY

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Freedom of Information Act request for the full CBIZ Compensation Study, including but not limited to executive summary, narrative and data analysis, as well as the amount SIU paid to conduct the study.

e DE was provided with a purchase order, services contract and redacted preliminary results.

According to the purchase order, dated March 29, 2024, SIU paid CBIZ Compensation Consulting, a professional services advisor, $271,200 to conduct the study. In the study’s services contract, the scope of work stated that CBIZ “shall provide consulting services to SIU to assist the University in modernizing its approach to faculty, graduate assistant and sta compensation.” e contract was valid through April 14, 2025 and could be “renewed at University’s option for up to three consecutive one-year terms.”

During his executive o cer report at the September meeting, SIU Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane said there was no mandate to do a compensation study, but that the administration wanted to do one because they had heard concerns about low wages and salary compressions.

“ ey said, ‘Hey I’m not being paid correctly, or I’m being compressed within my salary,’” Lane said. “We wanted to do something about that.”

Salary compression, also known as wage or pay compression, occurs when there is minimal variation between employee salaries, regardless of di erences in areas like experience or skills.

Lane said that some employees would receive raises as high as “40-some-odd

and Hospital Association, raised concerns of the feasibility of a health care solution on the state level when accounting for the sheer size of budget cuts.

“I think that’s great for us to think about solutions,” Powell said. “But if these cuts move forward as is, I don’t believe there’s a solution that’s going to prevent signi$cant reduction of services and hospital closures. You mentioned individuals losing access to Medicaid, they’re going to continue to come into the hospital.

ey’re going to be in our emergency rooms, we’re going to be providing that care with the reduction of provider taxes. (Illinois Healthcare and Family Services) just estimated that’s going to be a $2.8 billion reduction annually, beginning in 2031.”

Following the discussion, Stratton shared some of the key issues that she would be raising with the Illinois Rural A airs Council, which she chairs.

“ e main thing that I’m going to take away is that these cuts will be devastating to southern Illinois,” Stratton said. “We have right now nine hospitals in rural communities that are on the chopping block, six of them right here in southern Illinois, and the fact of the matter is that means a hit to the local economy, it means people not being as healthy, it means some of our most vulnerable Illinoisans won’t have access to the care that they need.

“We live in the United States of America, people should have access to quality, a ordable health care and we’re going to keep $ghting to protect the people that we represent,” she said.

News reporter Morrigan Carey can be reached at mcarey@dailyegyptian.com.

percent.” Cathy Lilley, a member of the bargaining team for the SIU Association of Civil Service Employees, said during public comments that their current o er barely utilizes the compensation study. In an Nov. 9 email, Lilley told the Daily Egyptian that the union and administration have not settled on a contract, but bargaining continues on Nov. 14.

In January 2024, the range of minimum monthly salaries for civil service workers spanned from $2,121 to $4,917, according to a chart from SIU’s Human Resources’ webpage. With a minimum of 37.5 hours per week, that amounts to a range of approximately $25,452 to $59,004 per year.

e study’s results, which included proposed salary ranges across 23 grades of civil service employees, proposed a lowest minimum annual salary for civil service workers of $31,200 a highest maximum of $857,790.

At the meeting, the board approved the budget for $scal year 2026, including the salary increase plan as identi$ed through Compensation 2030. Campuswide emails went out to SIUC employees on Sept. 26 with the results of the study’s review for respective positions.

“As part of this initiative, we have developed a well-de$ned job architecture that will serve as the foundation for future compensation strategies,” the email read. “ is includes clearly outlined job families, functions, career streams, career levels and pay grades. You are encouraged to explore these resources to better understand the structure and opportunities within our new system: Compensation Study Results.”

A chart was presented in the emails, outlining compression adjustments and changes to classi$cations, pay grades, pay range and salaries. While not

every employee received an increase, no employees were to receive salary reductions, according to previous reporting by the DE. e email also gave employees the opportunity to submit a reconsideration form by Oct. 10, 2025 if they felt their position was not reviewed or evaluated appropriately.

Certain portions of the preliminary compensation study results were redacted under the FOIA law. e DE examined the executive summary, objective and scope of the study, summary of $ndings and recommendations.

According to the study’s executive summary, “CBIZ matched SIU’s positions to positions in the market, developed new salary structures, and calculated the cost of implementing the recommendations.” e study included a review of current compensation practices, update of the compensation plan and assessment of total cash compensation.

According to the study’s objective, CBIZ looked to provide SIU with a plan that aligned with the following:

• Enhances the ability to attract, retain and motivate quali$ed individuals

• Establishes structures that are %exible to meet changing needs

• Is well-aligned with broader goals and strategies

e scope of the study included the following:

• A competitive market analysis of base salary and total cash compensation

• Creation of job architecture framework

• Development of salary structures

• Reconciliation of actual compensation with marketcompetitive compensation

• Calculation of plan implementation costs

e scope of the analysis, which included 1,803 employees, found that 295 employees are above the maximum of ranges by a total of $3,105,223 and 828 are below their respective salary grade minimums.

e summary of $ndings said that there are many reasons an individual employee’s pay may be above or below the market median pay levels.

“New employees or poor performers should be paid below the market, while experienced employees with excellent performance should be paid well above the market,” the summary read.

e study, which looked at salary range midpoints, found that SIU’s average base salary compa-ratio is 90.7% at the 50th percentile, meaning that the average base pay is approximately 9.3% below the published survey data market median. To bring all employees to the minimum of their respective proposed ranges would cost SIU an initial $6,173,641, which represents 5.6% of payroll. To implement compress adjustments would cost SIU approximately $4,972,049 initially, representing 4.5% of payroll.

Based on the study’s $ndings, CBIZ recommended that SIU:

• Increase the compensation of all employees to the minimum of their respective proposed salary ranges

• Temporarily freeze pay for employees above the maximum of their respective proposed grade until the range maximum surpasses actual pay

• Consider adopting compressionbased pay adjustments

• Implement the compensation plan uniformly across all positions

• Incorporate the job architecture framework into people related activities and programs, such as performance management, succession planning, learning/ development, recruiting, workforce planning, etc.

While salaries have been adjusted per the CBIZ recommendations, the university has also been operating within a hiring freeze. On Sept. 3, 2024, in an email obtained by the Daily Egyptian through a separate FOIA request, Chancellor Lane wrote to SIU System President Dan Mahony that the university was looking to “continue hiring freeze or strict analysis of positions and their priority before posting” job o ers.

In October 2025, a Daily Egyptian reporter asked Je Harmon, chief marketing and communications o cer at SIU, if positions have been reviewed or approved under the freeze. On Oct. 14, Harmon wrote, “Areas are funneling position requests through their vice chancellor on a case-by-case basis. Certain criteria are considered for evaluation such as operational need, compliance, health and safety and student support.”

e Daily Egyptian will continue to follow this story as it develops. If you’ve been impacted by low wages and want to share your story, email editor@dailyegyptian.com. Your information and responses will not be shared without permission.

Deputy editor Carly Gist can be reached by email at cgist@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @gistofthestory. News reporter Annalise Schmidt contributed reporting.

Photo provided by Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton Facebook

Rainbow Cafe marks 25th anniversary in southern Illinois

EMILY BRINKMAN EBRINKMAN@DAILYEGYPTIAN

The Rainbow Cafe held its 25th anniversary gala on Nov. 8, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois marking half a century of serving as a vital safe space for southern Illinois’ LGBTQ+ community.

The Rainbow Cafe is a volunteerdriven space for people in the LGBTQ+ community to find a place of comfort and resources where they can feel safe. They offer a variety of programs and services such as community groups for all trans adults and youth, health and wellness services, as well as licensed mental health workers. They also provide patient advocacy, which means when someone feels nervous about attending a doctor’s appointment, someone will go with them to help them through it.

“To be in a state that cares about not only LGBTQ rights but health care in general, and takes a fact-based approach to things like reproductive healthcare and STI testing and prevention, and knowing that there are state resources available that can help support our work is incredible,” Chair of Board of Directors, Kelsey Maffett, said. “The important thing is community and how much we can do together. What is more certain to us than the federal funding landscape is the landscape of this community and the way that we come together and support each other like this.”

The gala was a night of drag art performances from Seymour Chilton and performances from silk aerial performers Kaleigh Allen, Sara Kaiser and Athina Pentsou. Guests also enjoyed drinks, hors d’oeuvres and desserts provided by Hunan Restaurant.

In the past, the cafe has also hosted many fundraising events, such as a transaffirming swim event at John A. Logan, for people of the trans community. The Rainbow Cafe was able to raise enough money to host this event twice.

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at Banterra so far, but now stare down the barrel of a 5-game road trip.

“Average teams can win at home,” head coach Scott Nagy said. “Good teams win on the road.”

The Salukis start their road trip Wednesday Nov. 12 with a 9 p.m. tip at Nevada.

Sports reporter Eli Hoover can be reached at ehoover@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram at @hoovermakesart

“When we bring a good idea to our community that’s affirming and supportive, we’ll respond,” Maffett said.

A highlight of the night was a performance by Seymour Chilton. Chilton shows drag through a male perspective as a performance artist, which in the community is called a male lead. Chilton has been performing for nearly 20 years and has won drag competition titles such as Mr. Arkansas USofA at Large and Mr. Gay USofA at Large. Chilton now tours around the country showcasing his art.

“I try to go back (to performing) every year, just because it’s encouraging to motivate people and see people’s confidence, and I think that’s what entertainment should be a form of,” Chilton said. “For some people to escape but others to build their own confidence.”

Chilton said he views drag as art and empowerment. He makes all of his costumes he performs in, using it as a creative outlet, and then sells them after.

Chilton mentioned the importance of places like the Rainbow Cafe.

“When the gay community is so strongly meeting one another through online apps and stuff like that, a lot of gay bars and safe spaces for people to perform have closed their doors,” he said. “Before, that was the only place you could go that was safe to meet other gay people, and I think Rainbow Cafe also gives an opportunity for services that are available to people that they’re unaware of,” he said.

For 25 years, the Rainbow Cafe has become a symbol of perseverance and community. Its anniversary gala honored the organization’s history as well as the determination of a community that still connects through love and support.

For more information, visit rainbowcafe.org.

Staff photographer Emily Brinkman can be reached at ebrinkman@dailyegyptian.com

Athina Pentsou performs on aerial silks at the 25th anniversary celebration gala of the Rainbow Cafe Nov. 8, 2025 at the Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Daylin Williams | dwilliams@dailyegyptian.com

Johnny Gray hosts the 25th anniversary celebration gala of the Rainbow Cafe Nov. 8, 2025 at the Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Daylin Williams | dwilliams@dailyegyptian.com

SIU sophomore Quel’Ron House (2) drives to the basket during the game against the University of Missouri-Kansas City on Nov. 7, 2025, at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Amilia Estrada | @aestrada@dailyegyptian.com

Indiana seeks to absorb Illinois counties that voted for separation

ORION WOLFE OWOLFE@DAILYEGYPTIAN COM

Many Illinois voters walked up to the ballot on Nov. 5 of 2024 and found a referendum that asked constituents to vote for whether or not they wanted to secede from Cook County, which includes the majority of Chicago.

e referendum that appeared on the ballot read, “Shall the Board of (the respective) County correspond with the boards of other counties of Illinois outside of Cook about the possibility of separating from Cook County to form a new state, and to seek admission to the Union as such, subject to the approval of the people?”

Exactly 33 counties in Illinois have voted for this measure since 2020, including the seven counties that voted during the 2024 election cycle: Madison, Clinton, Perry, Jersey, Green, Calhoun and Iroquois.

Many questions have arisen about what exactly the counties want out of these votes, or if any of their expectations are even possible. Some groups want to make a new state, separated from Chicago.

Indiana, however, had a di erent o er for the Illinois counties.

On Feb. 20, Indiana Republican House Speaker Todd Huston said, “If Illinois residents and counties are looking for something di erent, we’re simply raising our hands and saying, you’d be welcome in Indiana.”

Huston introduced a bill to look into the boundary between Illinois and Indiana, and created the Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission.

Indiana’s Republican Gov. Mike Braun chose the members of the Commission.

Six members were required for the commission to be able to take o cial action, and without Illinois passing o cial legislation, the commission would need six members from Indiana to accomplish anything.

e commission has ve seats available for Illinois to ll if it passes matching legislation.

On Oct. 22, the Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission had its rst annual meeting to discuss the logistics of what this boundary adjustment would look like.

It is a part of an e ort to “free good people from bad Illinois law,” said Scott Carpenter, a member of the Downstate Illinois Secession, a group that has advocated for the separation of southern Illinois counties from the state. He cited “immigration, sanctuary laws, marijuana and abortion centers” as the laws he deemed to be “bad Illinois law.”

Carpenter presented remotely to the commission from his home in western Indiana.

Many other concerns arose around taxation and how people do not feel represented by Chicago and how it controls the political leaning of the state

in most elections.

John Jackson, a visiting professor at SIU’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute and professor emeritus of political science, cited a long history of quarrels between Chicago and other Illinois counties.

Jackson referenced “Forgottonia,” a movement from the 1970s in western Illinois where counties in the area wanted to secede.

“It was the same set of complaints,” he said. “Chicago gets everything and they don’t treat us well and we don’t like their culture or their politics.” is animosity isn’t new, and it is not accepted by the Illinois government as a legitimate issue.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has outright denied any attempt of Indiana or the counties to bring this kind of change about.

In a press conference in early January, Pritzker said, “It’s a stunt. It’s not going to happen.”

e United States Constitution forbids any kind of secession or change of state lines without the consent of those a ected, meaning both states and the federal government.

Without the support of the Illinois government, this attempt by Indiana will go nowhere, Jackson said.

Instead of creating divides within Illinois, Jackson had a di erent suggestion for the people of Illinois.

Voted to secede from Cook County

AJ Sullivan | @Sullinks.art

“We ought to be looking for solutions to our problems and the leadership should stop implying that if we just got rid of Chicago, all of our problems would disappear because it’s not true and it’s dishonest,” he said.

Sta Reporter Orion Wolf can be reached at owolf@dailyegyptian.com or orionwolf6 on Instagram

Sparks fly at annual

A mix of students, faculty and community members came to SIU’s Art Foundry Complex personalized scratch blocks that were then transformed into iron art to take home. e Blacksmithing of their work.

e event consisted of more than 20 students, faculty from the SIU sculpture and blacksmithing like Bob Rogers, who is on the Memphis Metal Museum’s board of directors, was at the process, Rogers mentioned that some of the work the students make, like bookends, are perfect Southern Illinois Printworks also created designs for T-shirts and the ceramic program program, Critical Forum, a sculpture RSO, and the School of Art and Design to end the day’s

Bob Rogers’ helmet sits on the table while he grabs one of the molds to reveal the design at the Iron Pour Nov. 8, 2025 at the Art Foundry Complex in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

Bob Rogers shows o a book end created at the Iron Pour, a tradition the program follows each year with a new design Nov. 8, 2025 at the Art Foundry Complex in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

Bob Rogers shows a design made at the Iron Pour Nov. 8, 2025 at the Art Foundry Complex in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

Blacksmithing student Luke Richey makes a copper bowl at the Iron Pour Nov. 8, 2025 at the Art Foundry Complex in Carbondale, Illinois. Richey says that it takes hours to make one bowl “If I am lucky I’ll get one of these done today.” Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

The SIU Sculpture program brings a bucket to pour smelted iron in at the Iron Pour Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

annual Iron Pour

Complex on Nov. 8 for the annual Iron Pour. e SIU sculpture program sold Blacksmithing program brought an anvil and other tools to demonstrate the creation blacksmithing programs and employees from the Memphis Metal Museum. Employees event displaying the work that students have done. While guiding the smelting perfect Christmas presents.

program sold cups. e Iron Pour was followed by a cook-out hosted by the sculpture day’s events.

TOP: The SIU Sculpture program pours melted iron into a mold at the Iron Pour Nov. 8, 2025 at the Art Foundry Complex in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual Nov. 8, 2025 at the Art Foundry Complex in Carbondale, Illinois.

TOP: Jonathan Barr hits a piece of metal with a sledgehammer at the Iron Pour Nov. 8, 2025 at the Art Foundry Complex in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

RIGHT: Blacksmithing professor Sun Kim hits a piece of metal at the Iron Pour Nov. 8, 2025 at the Art Foundry Complex in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

‘CHROMAKOPIA+’ by Tyler, the Creator could have been an email

WILL ELLIOTT WELLIOTT@DAILYEGYPTIAN COM

To mark the rst anniversary of his 8th studio album

“CHROMAKOPIA,” Tyler, the Creator released a deluxe edition of the album to streaming services on Oct. 29.

“CHROMAKOPIA” is Tyler, the Creator’s most personal project to date, with the songs exploring topics including anxiety, pregnancy scares and nding out his father wanted to be a part of his life. is album also received ve Grammynomminations at the 68th Grammy Awards happening next year, marking Tyler’s most nominated album in his whole career.

e deluxe album added one new song from the original test pressing of the album, called “Mother,” which is great for fans of the song, but was it really necessary?

“Mother” | 8/10

“Mother” is a song that clearly deserved to be on the original album

but was scrapped for not tting the main theme of the album. On the original test pressing of the album, this song was the 11th track before being swapped out for “Balloon (feat. Doechii).” is version of “Mother” for the deluxe album is a reworked version of the test pressing song.

“Mother” is a song focused on Tyler’s relationship with his mother, who is also the narrator of the album, and his early childhood. Tyler talks about how he never t in as a kid and was also abandoned by his father at a young age. He also talked about his mother’s life before the rapper was born and after in her perspective. is song overall is way better than the original test press version which could only be listened to on physical copies of the album released during 2024. It has a way better intro and hook while also keeping a lot of the original aspects that fans and critics loved. Even though this song is good, I still feel like it should have remained o of the album track list and should

have just been a single release.

“CHROMOKOPIA+” | 9/10

Put the pitch forks down for a moment and hear me out. Chromokopia itself as an album is a very strong, beautiful, originalsounding album that deserves a 8.5 at the least. I personally think this album is a solid 9/10 and is placed comfortably third in his discography. All the problems I have to say for this album is for how the deluxe is handled.

“CHROMOKOPIA+” can easily be described as sitting through a pointless work meeting that could have been an email. “Mother” should have been a single and not a full album release. Yes, I understand why Tyler put the track into a deluxe album because this one song is now going to be a part of the physical albums track list, such as CDs and vinyls, but there were other parts of the album I wanted to see from past editions.

One, I still am a rm believer that the nal verses on the album

are really good and should stay, but I would have loved to see Playboi Carti’s on “ ought I was Dead.”

Now, Schoolboy Q killed his verse and so did Tyler and Saintgold, but that voice of Playboi Carti’s adds texture and range to the song. I get the reason why the verse on the test pressing was mumbly and by far Carti’s worst verse of the year, but it would be nice to hear the intro of his

verse as a bridge into other verses. is album still upholds his

quality and standards, but I would have also liked to see some other

‘Ajax in Iraq’: the emotional trauma from war and mythology

YAHRI EDMOND YEDMOND@DAILYEGYPTIAN COM

Southern Illinois University’s Department of eater and Dance brought raw emotion and thoughtprovoking storytelling to the stage with its recent production of “Ajax in Iraq.”

e rst and last show in the McLeod eater for the next few years.

e play, written by Ellen McLaughlin and guest-directed by West Virginian Africana and theater professor at the College of William & Mary, Omiyemi Artisia Green, parallels ancient Greek tragedy and modern warfare, exposing the human cost of battle and the invisible wounds soldiers carry long after they leave the eld.

“I believe the play chose me,” Green said, “ is isn’t even in my wheelhouse of what I teach or my expertise. But as I continued to read, and I looked at our political climate, it made me really curious.”

is play weaves together the ancient myth of the Greek warrior Ajax with the story of A.J., a contemporary female American soldier deployed during the Iraq War. By placing these narratives side by side, the play examines the persistent psychological and emotional impact of war across time.

emes such as PTSD, sexual violence within the military and the search for meaning amid con ict emerge in both stories, underscoring how the trauma of

battle is not con ned to any single era.

Through this juxtaposition, the play sheds light on the cyclical nature of war and the emotional toll it takes on those who serve and the enduring human cost of warfare of the shared struggles of soldiers past and present.

From the opening scene, Ajax in Iraq pulls audiences into a world of chaos and re ection. e cast’s intensity and vulnerability on stage brought moments of heavy re ection throughout the audience.

It wasn’t just a performance — it was an emotional experience that confronted viewers with uncomfortable but necessary truths about war, gender and morality. It has something that everyone can relate to.

“Everyone’s going to bring a different experience to it, and they’re going to see what resonates, what connects to their life experiences,” Green said. “Whatever you see and whatever you hear — that’s for you. That was the purpose for your attendance.”

The production design also played a vital role in amplifying the emotional experience. Stark lighting, fragmented set pieces and haunting soundscapes evoked both the battlefield and the internal struggles of the characters.

Each element worked in harmony to blur the line between ancient myth and modern reality.

What made “Ajax in Iraq” so impactful was its refusal to offer easy answers. It demanded empathy — both for the mythic hero destroyed by pride and for the modern soldier struggling to find humanity amid chaos.

As the curtain fell, the audience sat in re ective silence — a testament to the play’s power and the cast’s dedication. “Ajax in Iraq” was not just theater; it was a mirror held up to the soul of war and the people who endure it.

When asked about what the audience should take away from the play, Green said, “My hope is that we leave this place seeing each other better, deeper.”

Staff reporter Yahri Edmond can be reached at yedmond@dailyegyptian.com

music

nal album list.

Dena Rendleman @dena.rendleman

REVIEW

Gabriel Pryor plays Ajax in Ajax in Iraq on Nov. 5, 2025 in the McLeod Theatre. Daylin Williams | @photosbydaylin

Dawgs surrender 17-point lead, fall to Youngstown State

Saluki Football took a two-game win streak to Youngstown, Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 8 to take on the Penguins of Youngstown State University where they surrendered a 17-point lead to nish the game 48-38.

e Dawgs received the opening kicko and came out of the gates swinging with DJ Williams completing two passes for 70 yards, a 58-yard strike to Jay Jones and a 12-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Robinson, putting the Salukis up 7-0 in the opening minute.

Williams nished the contest with 361 yards through the air as well as three touchdown passes. He also picked up 55 yards with his legs and a rushing touchdown.

e Penguins responded with a rst possession touchdown of their own to even up the score.

Youngstown forced a three-andout on the next Saluki possession, but the Penguin return man mu ed the punt and it was recovered by SIU linebacker Chris Presto. e Dawgs capitalized on the short eld position with a eld goal o the leg of Paul Geelen to regain the lead.

On its second time with the ball YSU’s quarterback Beau Brungard bounced outside to break o a 27-yard gain to get the Penguins back in Saluki territory setting up what would have been a game tying 49-yard eld goal had the attempt not sailed wide to the left.

Following the miss, the Dawgs ran a couple of short yardage plays to get to the 50 before Williams hit tight

end Ryan Schwendeman for a 49yard gain, setting up Williams to run it in from a yard out.

e momentum stayed in the Salukis’ favor, with the Dawgs forcing a punt and getting a pair of big gains to get into YSU territory, setting up Williams to nd wide receiver Vinson Davis III to stretch the Saluki lead to 17.

Down three scores, the Penguins found a trio of big gains to get deep in the SIU half of the gridiron, setting up a Brungard keeper into the endzone to put the score at 24-14 in favor of the Dawgs. at would be the score at the end of the rst half as the teams exchanged punts and Geelen was unable to hit a 51-

yard eld goal attempt as time expired. On the other side of the break, YSU marched down the eld to bring the game within three, highlighted by a 37yard completion to wide receiver Max Tomczak and capped o with a 17-yard screen pass to wide receiver Kylon Wilson. SIU was able to make its way back into Penguin territory with a 40-yard completion to wide receiver Fabian McCray, but the drive stalled out at the YSU 29 and a delay of game penalty pushed the Dawgs out of eld goal range, forcing a punt.

Starting from its own 10, Youngstown immediately got into plus territory as running back Jaden Gilbert was able to nd a big hole for

a 53-yard gain. e Penguins found the end zone a few plays later to take their rst lead of the contest, 28-24.

Facing a de cit for the rst time in the afternoon, SIU could only muster a single rst down before punting the ball back to the home team. Youngstown continued to drive with e ciency, getting into SIU territory for the third straight time and sixth time in the game, before Gilbert broke o another big carry, this time 40 yards to the house, making the Penguin lead 11. e Dawgs were able to nd their o ense again, reaching the endzone for the rst time in the second half on a two-yard pass to Miles Marshall. Youngstown was able to match the

SIU touchdown to make it a 12-point di erence, get a defensive stop on the ensuing Saluki drive and go down and score one last time to put the game out of reach.

e Dawgs put up one last score in garbage time so when the clock hit zero, the scoreboard read 48-38 for a YSU win.

With the loss, the Salukis move to 6-4 overall and 3-3 in Missouri Valley play. e Dawgs will host the South Dakota Coyotes (7-4, 5-2) next on Saturday, Nov. 15, for the nal home game of the 2025 season.

Sports Reporter Nick Pfannkuche can be reached at npfankuche@dailyegyptian.com

Saluki Volleyball sweeps Racers, gets clawed away by Bruins

SIU Volleyball hosted Murray State University on Friday, Nov. 7 and Belmont University on Saturday, Nov. 8. e Salukis came into the weekend series looking to snap a four-match losing streak and hoped to nish out the nal two home games strong.

SIU v. Murray State - Nov. 7, 2025

SIU faced o against the Racers of Murray State, and the Salukis came out swinging. SIU got o to a quick start, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead, and never looked back. e strong front row, combined with powerful blocks, made it di cult for the Racers to gain any ground on the Dawgs. Murray State came within 3 points once more with a score of 1518, but two Saluki aces late in the set sealed the deal, and SIU coasted to a 25-17 rst set victory. Every hitter in the rotation notched a kill in the rst set, including ve from middle

blocker Larissa Seger. Contrary to the rst set, the Racers were the team that sprinted to a 3-0 start, but numerous errors allowed the Salukis to make their way back quickly and knot the set at 5 points apiece. e errors did not stop there for Murray State as they allowed SIU to go on a 6-point run, four of which came on the Racers’ blunders. Outside hitter Kelly Franklin extended the lead with three consecutive kills, and the Salukis were on top once more by a score of 25-16.

e third set began, and SIU looked to make it the last one of the night. e Salukis once again found themselves with an early lead and relentlessly built upon it from the rst point to the last. Middle blocker Eva Krakowski sequenced a kill followed by back-to-back blocks to extend the Salukis’ score. With a marginal lead, outside hitter Annabelle Sulish stepped back to the service line and delivered 6 aces in the span of the

nal 7 points, putting an exclamation point on a dominant 25-10 victory and sending the Racers home in three.

SIU v. Belmont - Nov. 8, 2025

e second match of the weekend series was against the Bruins of Belmont University, and the Salukis sought to build on their dominance from the previous day.

e rst set began, and SIU made a few early mistakes, which allowed the Bruins to possess an early lead.

e Salukis started xing the errors and played a back-and-forth, clean volleyball set. Outside hitter Kelly Franklin added four kills to her total, and the front row put up strong defense late in the set; however, the lead established by Belmont was too much to overcome, and SIU dropped the rst set 25-18.

e Salukis turned on the jets to begin the second set. Outside hitter Annabelle Sulish mashed 5 kills within the rst few minutes, and the Dawgs charged out to an early

lead. e Bruins would start to creep back, bringing the score within 2 points late in the set. e Davies Gym crowd stood in anticipation as SIU needed one additional point to secure a second-set victory, when outside hitter Ceci Bulmahn and middle blocker Eva Krakowski came together for an emphatic block to seal the deal. e Salukis took the second set 25-20.

e third set kicked o with another back-and-forth battle as the two o enses wouldn’t back down. Midway through the set, the Salukis went on a 10-2 run, propelling them above the Bruins. While Belmont brought it within 2 points, middle blocker Larissa Seger hammered the winning point into the ground and SIU took the third set 25-22.

e Salukis hoped to end the match in four sets, but the Bruins had other plans. Similar to the rst set, Belmont obtained an early lead and stuck with it throughout the set. SIU struggled to gain traction against the talented defense and couldn’t overcome the de cit, leaving the Bruins with a dominant 25-14 win. e intense fth set started, and it was neck-and-neck. Sulish, Bulmahn, and outside hitter Ainara Fernandes each had a pair of kills that helped keep the Salukis close. e Bruins would keep putting up strong blocks and smashing the ball into the ground, which allowed them to steal the set 15-12 and the match 3-2. After the weekend series, SIU sits at 11-17 overall with a 5-9 conference record. Belmont now has an overall record of 16-9 and is 7-7 in conference play. e Salukis take to the road for the nal two games of the regular season, starting Friday, Nov. 14, against Indiana State University.

Sports reporter Noah Petschke can be reached at npetschke@dailyegyptian.com

Photo provided by Saluki Athletics

Salukis soar past Flyers, beat Lewis 69-53 in season opener

SIU Women’s Basketball opened up the season on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at home against the Flyers from Lewis University. Looking to improve from a shaky 2024 season, the Salukis came out searching for a 1-0 start to gain momentum moving forward.

e Flyers won the tipo and had rst possession, but failed to score on their rst few looks. Carmen Morales, the center for SIU, laid one up and in for the rst points of the game and of the season. e Flyers found their footing on o ense and locked down on defense, fueling a dominant 8-0 drive, giving Lewis an early lead. e Salukis stumbled for the rest of the rst quarter, scoring the rest of their points on free throws, and found themselves in an early 8-point hole heading into the second quarter.

e second quarter was underway, and the Salukis took control. Alayna Kraus got the scoring started with an and-1 basket, pumping up the packed Banterra Center crowd. e excitement did not stop there as the

Dawgs went on a 13-0 run, giving them the lead. Kraus’s 8-point quarter and the unstoppable SIU defense gave the Salukis a comfortable 32-23 lead going into halftime.

SIU looked to continue its momentum starting the second half, and appeared to be successful when Kayla Cooper nailed a 3-pointer to get the ball rolling. e Flyers and Salukis exchanged buckets for a few minutes, making it di cult to extend the lead; however, the cohesive Saluki o ense was on display as all ve starters notched at least 2 points in the quarter. e defense tallied 4 steals, which led to numerous fastbreaks for SIU. e Salukis nished the quarter with a 48-36 lead, and an SIU victory was on the horizon.

e fourth quarter began, and SIU looked to hold the lead. Guard Jeniah ompson was nearly perfect from the eld in the fourth and scored 7 of her 12 total points in a matter of minutes.

e Salukis capitalized on fouls and turnovers from the Flyers and added to their lead on the most e cient shooting in a quarter of the game (57.1%). e buzzer sounded, and the crowd loudly

Murphysboro City Council votes unanimously to ban Kratom

ANNALISE SCHMIDT ASCHMIDT@DAILYEGYPTIAN COM

Murphysboro has o cially banned the sale and possession of Kratom within city limits following an unanimous 9–0 vote by the city council. e decision came after months of discussion and growing concerns from residents and local professionals about the substance’s e ects and lack of regulation.

Kratom is a plant-derived substance that can act as a stimulant in low doses and an opioid-like sedative in higher doses. It has been promoted by some as a natural remedy for pain or opioid withdrawal, but it is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Murphysboro Mayor Will Stephens said he views Kratom as part of a larger pattern of unregulated synthetic substances becoming more common, and the issue had been circulating for several months before the city moved to take formal action.

“It’s basically a synthetic opiate, and from what I understand, there’s really no great reason to take it, out of someone just wanting to get high, and it’s extremely addictive, and that’s a problem,” he said.

He said that in recent years, many new synthetic drugs have entered the market without clear regulation or legal oversight. ese substances, he explained, often imitate the e ects of prescription opioids such as morphine or oxycodone, which are meant to be used under speci c medical supervision, not sold freely over the counter.

“It’s been discussed probably for the last six months, and the thing that

really pushed it forward was hearing from a couple of residents who had emailed me and just expressed their concern about it,” Stephens said.

He said those messages came from people who described how Kratom was negatively impacting people close to them, which led him to look deeper into the issue.

“People said that it was having a really detrimental e ect on them and so that’s what rst even made me think about it,” Stephens said. “And then I started talking to some doctors and judges, and that’s kind of how the process all began.”

Conversations with local medical professionals and judges were a major turning point in deciding to move forward with a ban.

“Really, it was the doctors that I spoke with that had nothing good to say about it, that made me feel like this was something that we needed to do, and then also seeing that seven other states and other communities in our region had taken this step forward, was really those things combined that I think, pushed it over the top,” he said.

Stephens said the city is currently in the process of notifying local businesses that sell Kratom about the new ban and setting an o cial date for its enforcement.

“Our city attorney is drafting a letter which we are going to be delivering to the various outlets that we know that sell Kratom in Murphysboro, and we’re going to put an e ective date for all of that to be removed from the shelves of these various stores,” he said.

e implementation date remains to

be nalized. He expects enforcement to move forward smoothly once the city attorney nalizes the e ective date.

Stephens said he personally visited one of the local stores known to sell Kratom before the vote to ask their opinion on the proposed ordinance.

“I visited one store that I knew was selling it the day that we were going to consider the ordinance, and I just asked them directly, you know, what do you think about us banning this?” he said. “And they sort of shrugged their shoulders and said, ‘If you ban it, we’ll remove it from the shelves. You know, we want to abide by the ordinance. It’s no problem to us.’ ey said, ‘it’s not something that is like our number one seller, but it is something that, you know, we do sell.’ But they didn’t seem to object.”

While general reactions to the post were largely positive, with hundreds of likes and supportive responses, comments re % ected a broader range of opinions.

“Amazing news. This should be banned everywhere,” one user wrote on Facebook.

Community reaction on social media also appeared to strongly favor the ban.

“When I posted about it on my Facebook page, the feedback there was overwhelmingly positive,” Stephens said. “I did see a few people who said they were using it for pain management, but I mean, out of the 400 or so reactions, I think 390 of them were in favor.”

James Jamason | @XTOMIC_COMIC

expressed concern about how the product is marketed, writing Kratom is “catering to people who don’t need to have any business around it,” while others argued that regulation and education would be more e ective than prohibition.

Others shared personal experiences

with Kratom and said it has legitimate bene ts. One commenter wrote that Kratom had “truly helped my father who is 80 and has su ered from two strokes,” saying it manages his pain and works for him, though they acknowledged it has drawbacks. Another said the substance “changed my life in a good way,” explaining it helped them stop using opioids.

Stephens said he did not consult other municipalities when preparing the ordinance, though he followed news coverage from cities that had already enacted bans.

In recent months, several southern Illinois communities have taken similar steps. Marion passed its ban in May 2025, prohibiting the sale and distribution of Kratom and related derivatives, followed shortly by Herrin, which extended restrictions to possession as well. Metropolis also moved to ban synthetic and plantbased versions of the substance, joining a growing regional trend of local governments acting ahead of broader state regulation. Carbondale has not adopted similar regulations.

e City Council’s vote was unanimous, with only one member absent from the meeting.

Stephens said Murphysboro has no immediate plans to pursue additional restrictions on other substances at this time, though the city may revisit the issue if similar unregulated products emerge that pose potential risks.

Sta reporter Annalise Schmidt can be reached at aschmidt@dailyegyptian.com

celebrated a 69-53 SIU victory. With this win, SIU possesses a 1-0 overall record, and Lewis falls to 0-1.

e Salukis will be back in action on the road against Purdue-Fort Wayne on Nov. 15, 2025.

Sports reporter Noah Petschke can be reached at npetschke@dailyegyptian.com

Saluki guard Kayla Cooper drives down the court after a rebound Nov. 4, 2025 at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Claire Stroh | @cstrohphoto

PUZZLE ANSWERS

(puzzles on page 12)

DE’s RSO Karaoke Cup Sponsored by Hangar 9

Members of Alpha Gamma Delta performs the song ‘You Belong with me’ by Taylor Swift at the Karaoke Cup hosted by The Daily Egyptian and Hanger 9 Nov. 4, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois. RIley Sembler | @riley_sembler

This beautiful tabby survived a hard start with incredible grace. Found by a kind family inSouthern Illinois, Tinsel arrived pregnant and later miscarried her litter despite our best efforts.

Through it all, her spirit never dimmed. Tinsel is gentle, affectionate, and loves cozy nooks, sunny windowsills, and soft pets. She watches the world with big, expressive eyes—and leans in for attention the moment you sit beside her.

If you’re looking for a calm, loving companion to share quiet moments and warm laps, Tinsel is ready to fill your home with comfort and purrs.

to meet Tinsel? Email rescue@wright-wayrescue.org or call 847-728-5434 to set up a visit at our Murphysboro campus.

Rescue is a nonpro t, no-kill animal shelter dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming animals in need.

Easy putt

Bizet’s priestess in “The Pearl Fishers”

Start of a divine appeal

Perspective

E.g. Oolong, Darjeeling

Long-running Ted Danson

The Daily Egyptian - Nov. 12, 2025