The Daily Egyptian - Oct. 29, 2025 by Daily Egyptian

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SIU football beats UNI, page 3

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2025

Carbondale’s Homecoming, Halloween festival brings thousands to Strip

Yahri Edmond YEdmond@dailYEgYptian com

The streets of downtown Carbondale transformed into a festive hub of art, music and family fun on Friday, Oct. 24 as the city hosted a hybrid Homecoming and Halloween street festival on The Strip.

This year’s festivities shut down the town’s iconic Strip and included two stages with four bands, a variety of vendors and food trucks, and interactive activities like a rock wall provided by Touch of Nature.

Dena Haun, Carbondale’s Tourism and Special Events Coordinator, helped organize the event in collaboration with sponsors, city departments and community partners. Haun noted that the event grew out of previous years’ successful Sunset Concert and Off the Rails concert series and the Strip has evolved to include more cultural and artistic aspects.

“We wanted to make it a wellrounded event — family-friendly

with student engagement, live music, and the Candy Walk,” Haun said. “It was a big collaboration, but when everyone contributes what they offer, the community benefits.”

For many attendees, the event was a mix of thrills and sweet treats.

A young girl with her parents who was dressed in a police officer costume, Dre’leigh Moore said, “I like this thing. It’s the best thing ever.”

Navaya Johnson, who cosplayed as Chuckie said, “It’s actually a great day. It feels good… a lot of stuff for the community.”

Yahaira “Yaya” Vargas emphasized the importance of local art and youth participation.

“All of these items showcase local artists — kids and adults alike. Artistic expression

Design by Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

University Baptist Church holds final service after decades of fellowship

Yahri Edmond YEdmond@dailYEgYptian

teaches positivity and resilience,” Vargas said. “It keeps creativity flowing and gives young people something to work toward.”

To also celebrate Día de los Muertos, the Varsity hosted a traditional altar that featured intricate markers, butterflies, flowers and other symbols that honor departed loved ones. Vargas explained that the altar also included a student-produced corrido — a Mexican folk song — that tells the story of a local figure, highlighting the creative efforts of Carbondale youth.

“This is our second year hosting the Community Altar,” said

Vargas, executive director of Southern Illinois Culture and Arts and Bilingual Education. “Last year we went electronic, but this year, thanks to generous donations, we were able to do a more traditional altar. We also hosted a design contest for local students. The first-place winner gets a pop-up gallery downtown during one of the highest traffic times.”

With the streets alive with color, music and laughter, the Carbondale Halloween Homecoming Music Street Festival reflected the town’s community spirit.

“Events like this provide a higher quality of life for the southern Illinois region and bring everyone together,” Haun said. “And we’re already looking forward to next year.”

For more information on ongoing events in Carbondale this Halloween season, visit carbondalehalloween.com.

Staff Reporter Yahri Edmond can be reacged at yedmond@dailyegyptian.com

Memorial held for Collin Rice, SIU student who died in a motorcycle crash

orion Wolf

Mary Wright, a devoted member and the church’s organist, reflected on the moment.

After decades of serving the community, University Baptist Church held its final service Sunday, Oct. 26, marking the end of an era for its longtime members. The sanctuary was filled with several emotional congregants who gathered to share memories, sing hymns and say goodbye to the place that had been their spiritual home for generations.

“This has been my church home… for over 40 years, which is amazing to me,” Wright said. “So it’s very, very sad to see the church close, but it’s now time to move on.”

oWolf@dailYEgYptian com

The church leaves behind a lasting legacy in Carbondale. Though the building will close, members say the spirit of University Baptist will live on through the continued community service

The sun had just crested over Campus Lake by the time Collin Rice’s friends gathered for a vigil behind Bowyer Hall. Rice died in a motorcycle crash last week on Oct. 11.

On Oct. 21, mourners lit tea candles, fished and told stories about their friend under the light of the lake fountain. Rice was set to graduate in December as a senior in Aviation Management at SIU. He was a member of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals. He enjoyed fishing, bowling and playing pool with his friends.

Those gathered at the memorial said he left quite the impact on many people during his time as a student in Carbondale, and that he was a light to his friends and community, always ensuring that no one was left out.

Liam Dunn, Rice’s close friend, said that they had met each other at Neely Hall during the first few weeks of school, and that was one of his favorite memories of Rice.

“I went onto his floor... a few other floormates were there and we were just hanging out. We just chatted for a

few hours in the hallway,” Dunn said. Some students, when asked by an associate professor of Aviation Management, Matthew Romano, offered some kind written words about Rice.

“He never met a stranger,” OBAP member, Bisola Saliu, wrote, “... always welcoming everyone with that unforgettable smile and open heart. His kindness and energy left a mark on everyone who knew him.” Not only was Rice a positive force, he was always himself, friends said.

“Collin always stood out in a crowd,” Rice’s friend and fellow Aviation student, Jerome Johnson, said. “We’d joke with him that he had an ‘old soul’ and would always count on him to outdress others.”

“You (Rice) spoke your mind, stood your ground and were always yourself,” fellow OBAP member Barakat Adeniji wrote to Romano about Rice, “You always lived life fearlessly and to the fullest.” Tyler Hill, the other motorcyclist involved in the crash, was in attendance. He was one of Rice’s friends, and declined to comment.

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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 Springfield communities.

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provided by its clothing and food pantry. When the church decided to close, it offered its building to Good Samaritan House — a local nonprofit that provides food, shelter, and other assistance to people experiencing homelessness.

Initially, Good Sam voted to accept the offer to move its entire operations into the former University Baptist Church building. However, after further discussion and rezoning concerns, Good Sam withdrew its decision and declined to occupy the property.

The Carbondale Planning Commission was set to consider a rezoning request at its Wednesday, Oct. 29 meeting that would have allowed Good Sam to operate at the UBC site.

Community members and Carbondale City Council members spoke at the Oct. 14 council meeting about the potential rezoning to allow Good Sam to take over the University Baptist Church building.

City Council member Nathan Colombo said he personally did not believe it was a good idea to relocate Good Sam’s entire operation into “the midst of our largest owner-occupied neighborhood on a main corridor leading to the university campus.”

His statement, intentionally broad, left room for interpretation. Some residents saw it as a “not in my backyard” issue, others worried about property values or university image, but Colombo emphasized that the core issue was viability and fit — both for the organization and the neighborhood.

He also pointed out that Good Sam’s own financial review aligned with some of the council’s concerns, and the organization’s decision to back out showed that it wasn’t a financially sustainable move.

While the immediate issue around the church has settled, Colombo said this situation has sparked wider community engagement around homelessness in

Carbondale — an issue that has been growing, especially after the Washington Street Garden, a former haven for unhoused residents, was cleared in September. Colombo, who has worked with the Center for Empowerment and Justice helping unhoused people since 2017, said the city is now planning to create a Carbondale Homelessness Action Plan. This plan would bring together local leaders, nonprofits and residents to coordinate solutions and resources.

“Ultimately, what this has led to is an energized community who is prioritizing the conversation around homelessness and those with the least amount of resources in our community,” Colombo said. “People can be angry or happy about what happened with Good Sam, but this is just the beginning of real action.”

Staff Reporter Yahri Edmond can be reached by email at yedmond@dailyegyptian.com

CORRECTIONS

The story titled “University Baptist Church closes after decades of service” in the Oct. 15 edition of the Daily Egyptian stated that University Baptist Church used to be an old schoolhouse, it has since been updated to clarify that the church had a Bible study but was never operated as a school.

The story titled “Authentic Mexican food and drink truck brings a taste of Mexican culture to Carbondale” in the Oct. 22 version of the Daily Egyptian incorrectly stated that Cielito Azul Aguas Frescas sells churros. The food truck sells mini pancakes and aguas frescas.

The story titled “Government shutdown enters week 3: SIU students, federal workers affected” in the Oct. 22 edition of the Daily Egyptian originally stated that the federal employees at the Marion VA will miss their first paycheck this week, however that is not the case. While the Marion VA is a federal agency that may experience furloughs, the Marion VA is funded via advance appropriations and they have a contingency plan in place to allocate funds to their essential employees during a government shutdown. Marion VA employees are still being paid during the shutdown because their salaries were already funded in advance by Congress in the previous year’s budget. The VA’s medical care accounts operate on a two-year funding cycle, insulating them from most shutdown disruptions.

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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

Salukis sprint past Panthers, win 31-17 against UNI

Noah Petschke NPetschke@dailyegyPtiaN com

SIU Football hosted the Panthers of the University of Northern Iowa in a highly anticipated Homecoming weekend Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup on Saturday, Oct. 25. The Salukis looked to get back in the win column after dropping back-to-back games.

The Salukis received the opening kickoff and began the afternoon contest with possession. After a 31yard rush from running back Eddie Robinson, the Salukis converted on third down with a 32-yard rushing touchdown from RB Chandler Chapman, giving SIU an early lead. This marked the seventh time in the last eight games the Salukis have scored on the opening drive.

“We know who we are,” Robinson

said. “Against anyone in the country, we should be able to come out and score on the zzfirst drive.”

After an impressive UNI punt that tasked the Salukis with traversing the whole field to score, the SIU offense came close, but settled for a 40-yard field goal, increasing the lead to 100. With the first quarter coming to a close, corner back Jeremiah McClendon intercepted a pass, leaving the Panthers scoreless and returning possession to the Salukis.

When asked about his interception, McClendon attributed a lot of the work to the defensive line.

“It was great just to see the guys, the d-line go up there and do their job… That helps us on the back end as well,” he said.

Once again, DJ Williams and the Saluki offense kept the chains moving

and eventually secured their second touchdown on a 38-yard heave to tight end Aidan Quinn. Along with the surging offense, SIU’s defense maintained pressure on the Panthers.

Sacks from defensive end Vontrell Chairse and McClendon stopped UNI from gaining any ground.

With the second quarter coming to a close, Williams launched a pass into the arms of wide receiver Jay Jones, upping the SIU lead to 24 points. Shortly after, the Panthers blocked a punt, putting them in prime position for their first points of the game. After failing to notch a touchdown, UNI shifted its attention to the uprights, nailing a field goal and cementing a score of 24-3 at halftime.

The second half was underway, and the Salukis did not show signs of slowing down after forcing a

quick Panthers three-and-out. WR Tae Marrero took the punt 81 yards downfield for an SIU touchdown.

To begin the fourth quarter, UNI threatened to score again with a fresh set of downs within 9 yards of the endzone. However, the Saluki defense held firm, forcing a turnover on downs that prevented the potential first Panthers touchdown.

Neither offense could push across any points for the majority of the fourth quarter until UNI secured its first touchdown of the game, moderately slimming SIU’s lead.

The final minutes of the game were counting down, UNI blocked another punt resulting in a second touchdown, notching their second blocked punt of the day. Shortly after the block, the Panthers found themselves in the end zone once

more, making the score 31-17.

Although the fourth quarter was all Panthers, the Salukis’ early lead established was enough to comfortably hold on to as they coasted to a 31-17 victory in Saluki Stadium.

“When we go play solid football, take care of the ball, play complementary football, and our guys just get to go play, we have a really good team,” Coach Nick Hill said.

Following the victory, SIU is 2-2 in MVFC play and 5-3 overall. Northern Iowa fell to 0-4 in the conference and 2-6 overall. The Salukis hit the road to face off against Murray State on Saturday, Nov. 1, looking to develop a win streak.

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

Saluki Baseball celebrates the life and legacy of legendary Itchy Jones

Nick PfaNNkuche NPfaNkuche@dailyegyPtiaN com

Saluki Baseball held a celebration of life for the late, great Richard “Itchy” Jones on Saturday, Oct.25, at the baseball stadium named after him. Jones died in February of this year at the age of 87.

Jones was the head coach for Saluki Baseball from 1970-1990 and guided the program to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances as well as three trips to Omaha for the College World Series, where the Salukis would finish as the runners-up in 1970 and took home third in 1974 and 1977.

The main event of the celebration featured stories from five alumni who had either player with or for Jones. Scott Bridges, Dan Hartleb, Steve Finley, Dewey Robinson and Bob Hardcastle all shared what Jones’ influence meant to them.

First to speak was Bridges, who played for SIU from 1981-84. He shared how his father’s connection to Jones as teammates at SIU helped make the team as a walk-on and how grateful he was to be given the opportunity.

“This was World Series Saluki baseball, I’m not sure Itch was really interested in a little kid from Chester, but he honored his friendship with my dad and allowed me to walk on,” Bridges said. “He never promised me anything more than a spot on the team or to put a jersey on, but he treated me fairly and he treated me just like the stars he recruited.”

Finley followed after him and shared how Jones’ coaching helped build him into a star and how

his teachings echoed in his ear throughout a 19-year MLB career.

Third to speak was Hartleb, who was brought to tears at the podium while sharing how Jones was more than just a baseball coach for him.

Jones’ guidance has made him the man he is today, he said.

“Itch was like a second father to me. He was a baseball and a life mentor,” Hartleb said. “Without Itch my life would be different. I don’t know what that would mean or what it would look like, but it would be different.”

Hardcastle, who played with Jones in 1959-60, shared stories from their playing days together and how much it meant to have a friend like Jones on the baseball team.

“We had more fun than any of the other kids on the team,” Hardcastle said.

Dewey Robinson was the last of the alumni to speak. He talked about how Jones’ influence helped lead him to a career as a baseball coach and mentor, working as an advisor of pitching development for the Pittsburgh Pirates today.

“I’ve been blessed to be coaching my whole entire adult life. I have Itch to thank for that,” Robinson said.

Former voice of Saluki Radio Mike Reis concluded this part of the celebration to announce the plans for a statue of Jones to be built at the baseball stadium.

In attendance on Saturday was the current Saluki baseball team and coaching staff, who got to learn a lot about the man whose footsteps they now follow playing and coaching at SIU.

SIU hitting coach Seth McLemore

Former Saluki Baseball player Dan Hartleb, who played in 1988, gets emotional while talking about Itchy Jones during the celebration of life event Oct. 25, 2025 at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. Emily Brinkman | @erb_photo_

said he took away from the stories shared how to conduct himself as a coach to help bring the best out of his players.

“As a young coach, I think that’s the cool thing to me, is to follow the examples of somebody so good, that left a legacy that you would want to follow,” McLemore said. “That’s one of the coolest things for me is almost an example of how you should go about your work and how to impact these

guys because that’s why we’re here.”

The celebration of life was attended by Jones’ family, including his wife, Sue, and his kids, Susan and Michael Jones, with Susan sharing what it meant to have so many people attending.

“It shows how much he was respected and cared for with the number of people that wanted to be present, and the effort and the time they took to put such a great event together in his honor,” she said.

Susan Jones also shared her appreciation for Saluki Athletics for helping to set the event up for a man who meant so much to SIU as a whole.

“I really want to thank SIU and the staff, all the guys that put this together for my dad. It was a great honor,” she said.

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

A newsroom silenced: Inside Indiana University’s battle over student press independence

University officials say it was a business decision.

Editors say it’s a First Amendment violation.

Carly Gist CGist@dailyeGyptian Com

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA

— After officials at the Indiana University Media School ordered the Indiana Daily Student to stop printing hard news this fall and to limit its paper editions to themed or promotional content, co-editorsin-chief Mia Hilkowitz and Andrew Miller pulled out two sticky notes and drafted a plan for their next edition. If administrators rescinded their order, as the student journalists had requested, staff would print what they wanted, as they always had. If the restriction stayed in place, they’d ignore it and run an editorial on the front page condemning the attempt to control their coverage.

But before they could follow through on either plan, longtime adviser Jim Rodenbush was fired, and university officials blocked any future print editions of the 158-yearold paper.

The university framed the move not as retaliation but as part of a larger restructuring of student media. The timing told a different story. Two days before the Indiana Daily Student’s special homecoming edition was set to print — an issue that included both feature coverage and hard news — David Tolchinsky, dean of Media Arts, announced an update to the Action Plan for Student Media, a strategy that was created in October 2024 to eliminate budget deficits and preserve student media outlets.

“As you may recall, the Action Plan, which was endorsed by IU Bloomington campus leadership, outlines a shift from print to digital platforms,” Tolchinsky wrote in an email to the editors. “In support of the Action Plan, the campus has decided to make this shift effective this week, aligning IU with industry trends and offering experiential opportunities more consistent with digital-first

media careers of the future.”

Tolchinsky’s message left no room for negotiation.

On Thursday, Oct. 16, the day the print issue was originally scheduled to be out, the IDS published online only. Big red letters on the front page of the e-edition read “CENSORED.”

Instead of ads, which they’d typically sell for print, the staff ran black boxes with messages about lost sales.

The decisions, which followed a weekslong dispute over what content could be printed, has led to scrutiny from First Amendment advocates and raised questions about press freedom and administrative control.

“This is not about print itself. This is about the breach of editorial independence that the university is detecting,” Miller said. “We’re not going nuclear over print being cut. We’re going nuclear because the university cut print after deciding to censor our paper.”

Timeline of events

When the action plan was first announced, IDS printed weekly, distributing copies on campus and in Monroe County. Beginning with the Spring 2024 semester, the plan reduced the paper to seven special editions per semester, which it identified as “high-revenue issues.”

In addition to publishing online, the student journalists continued to print news coverage, and included the special editions as inserts in the paper.

In an Oct. 20 interview with a Daily Egyptian reporter, special to Gateway Journalism Review, Rodenbush said the reduction saved the program around $20,000 during the spring semester while continuing to generate revenue. Everything was working out great, he said, until IU leadership started pushing for the paper to focus solely on the themed content.

“When the fall was coming, when things were about to crank up, is when I started to hear that the provost

was concerned that he was still seeing newspapers in the newsstands,” Rodenbush said. “I believe that he likely thought that he was going to see ‘Homecoming Guide.’ But instead, he’s looking down and seeing the front page of the IDS with ‘Homecoming Guide inserted.’”

Following the second edition of the semester, which printed on Sept. 11, Rodenbush said the request became a topic of many meetings with administrators at the media school. He said he would relay the requests to the editors, but left the final decision to their discretion.

As student media director since 2018, Rodenbush believed it was his duty to not interfere with content. Student media should be left alone, he said, because “it’s the perfect setup for training reporters for the real world.”

On Sept. 25, the IDS printed the edition that would be their last. Rodenbush was called into another meeting, which he described as “animated” and says he was yelled at.

“That was really when I first pushed back about what I was being asked to do,” he said. “I mean, I was basically being asked to ensure that the wishes of the provost were executed. And I began to push back about what that meant and censorship and editorial independence, and it’s not my decision — it’s a student’s decision.”

Rodenbush said he persisted in his beliefs through two more meetings after that. On the evening of Oct. 7, he sent an email to Hilkowitz and Miller explaining what had been discussed: their next edition was to contain solely information about Homecoming; “no other news at all, and particularly no traditional front page news coverage.” He told the students that as an alternative, news could be distributed in the city of Bloomington, but not on campus.

“It’s my understanding that this is

an expectation, not a suggestion,” he wrote.

On Oct. 14, Rodenbush was fired in a short meeting with an HR representative and Tolchinsky. The dean wrote in a termination letter that Rodenbush’s “lack of leadership and ability to work in alignment with the University’s direction for the Student Media Plan is unacceptable.” But the student editors say they believe it was a scare tactic — one that’s created a “chilling effect.”

“We have other professional members, a lot of journalists and faculty, who swore to protect our First Amendment rights and support journalists,” Hilkowitz said, “and we just had a faculty member who had been doing this for years who was fired for doing just that.”

The termination meeting took place at 4:30 p.m. Later that day, at 7:19 p.m., just before publishing an editorial on Rodenbush’s firing, Hilkowitz and Miller learned through email that IDS print was being discontinued. They asked for clarification, but did not receive a response.

“I think they canceled print as a way to try to cover their tracks,” Hilkowitz said. “And I just hope that people realize that this is retaliatory.”

Dean Tolchinsky and Provost Rahul Shrivastav could not be reached for an interview. IU

Chancellor David Reingold said in a statement that the decision “concerns the medium of distribution, not editorial content,” according to an IDS letter from the editors.

“We uphold the right of student journalists to pursue stories freely and without interference,” Reingold said. But as the situation reached national news, the backlash has mounted. Ursula Stickelmaier, an arts editor at the IDS, was disheartened by the university’s response, and said administration “doesn’t value student journalism in a way that is substantial.” A Seattle native, Stickelmaier said she came to IU specifically for the newspaper. Highprofile alum Mark Cuban, who donated $250,000 to the IDS months before print was cut, according to reporting by the IndyStar, took to X to express his disappointment, writing “censorship isn’t the way.”

The Indiana University Bloomington Association of University Professors released a statement on Oct. 16 asking the university to reconsider its actions, which the organization described as “a clear violation of First Amendment protections of freedom of the press.”

While the university said its decision to cut print was driven by business considerations and a shift to digital media,

and Miller

Hilkowitz

Andrew Miller and Mia Hilkowitz, co-editors-in-chief of the Indiana Daily Student, pose for a portrait near Dunn’s Woods at Indiana University Oct. 20, 2025 in Bloomington, Indiana. Carly Gist | @gistofthestory

Establishing Space: How one African American curator makes room amid shifting DEI priorities

AmiliA i. EstrAdA AEstrAdA@dAilyEgyptiAn com

Rain falls softly through grumpy grayscale clouds on a Tuesday in early June, the kind that slows the day and sharpens every sound. The drive to Fern Logan’s home curves through a quiet neighborhood that feels like a world away from Carbondale. Stepping out onto the wet, slate-gray gravel comes with a crisp crunch, the air heavy with the scent of earth and rain. It sounds like the rainforest, water tapping on broad leaves, birds calling in a dozen tones, each note echoing off the green.

On the porch, Logan stands perfectly framed by potted plants. Inside, her home pulses with quiet energy. Every wall holds something — prints, portraits, multi-media pieces. It is much less a house than a living archive. When she talks about her work, her voice carries both calm and conviction, steady as the rain.

“African American women don’t have a space in the art world. They never did. Until maybe just recently,” the 79-year-old curator and photographer said. “So I can’t say I’m reclaiming (space) — establishing, maybe.”

Logan is moving forward with a mission of diversity and inclusivity amaid changing national policies. In January, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14173, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” which directed federal agencies to strip diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility language from grants and contracts, according to the Federal Register, the official publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices from the U.S. federal government.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale, which was named a 2024 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award recipient by Insight Into Diversity magazine, according to an Oct. 3, 2024, SIU System news release, is feeling the shift.

“They’re doing their best to work around the language — like, if it says ‘for diverse students,’ then they’ll just take out the word ‘diverse’ and we know internally that we’re going to focus on students in need,” Logan said. “But then the next people come in and say, ‘Well, it doesn’t say that.’ And there goes the money to the rich white kids.”

The fight Logan wages inside galleries mirrors the political fight happening in Washington: a battle over who belongs, and who gets left out.

Logan, a photographer and graphic artist from Jamaica, New York, studied at Pratt Institute and later earned her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. For Logan, this struggle is decades old — throughout her years in art education, she said she never once had a Black instructor, and in art school African American artists were never mentioned. Not one.

“I went to art school and never heard about an African American artist, much less an African American woman,” she said.

Her “Artist Portrait Series” was born out of that erasure. The collection presents photographic portraits of trailblazing artists such as Elizabeth Catlett, Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence — figures who profoundly shaped American culture yet were often sidelined in traditional art history narratives.

Through her lens, Logan wasn’t merely documenting. She was rewriting the archive.

“There are a lot of people out there that are going to try to cut you down and tell you what your place is,” she said. “And you have to know where your place is yourself, and you have to put yourself where you think you belong.”

“Talking Back,” one of her best-known works, depicts a nude woman from behind, in a posture of punishment under slavery. Down her spine, Logan digitally inserted a row of tongues.

“The woman is in a position of submission, exposing her nude back, which was the position of punishment… So the tongues are her way of talking back,” Logan said.

The work embodies her broader curatorial philosophy: bold, unapologetic and symbolic. At Artspace 304, where she serves as guest curator, she has already proposed a new invitational to highlight underrepresented artists.

“I will invite more ethnic artists to exhibit,” she said. “You know, I have to mix it to keep it politically correct… but if they would just do that — mix it up — it’d be politically correct automatically.”

A recent study published in PLOS One analyzed the collections of 18 major U.S. art museums where researchers found similar disparities: 85% of artists represented were white and 87% were male, while only 1.2% were Black. PLOS One is a peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journal that publishes research across all areas of science and medicine known for making academic studies accessible.

“Third, we find that the relationship between museum collection mission and artist diversity is weak,” Logan said.

U.S. museums remain overwhelmingly white

Najjar Abdul Musawwir, a longtime artist and educator in Carbondale, has known Logan for more than two decades. The two have collaborated on art programming, reviewed grants together

“There are a lot of people out there that are going to try to cut you down and tell you what your place is...And you have to know where your place is yourself, and you have to put yourself where you think you belong.”

- Fern Logan Artist

and male. A 2022 Artnet News analysis of 31 U.S. museums reported that between 2008 and 2020, works by Black American artists made up just 2.2% of acquisitions.

“Representation isn’t just a buzzword; it’s survival,” Logan said. “You have to be the one who puts yourself in the picture. Or no one else will.”

Lately, Logan has been blending watercolor, photography and digital collage. She mentors younger artists and curators and her message is simple: take up space unapologetically.

Her influence is especially visible in the most recent exhibition she curated, Ink-clusive, at Artspace 304. The show highlighted community members’ tattoos as personal narratives and works of art, including photographs from SIU photojournalism students. Local photographer Calvin Mennyweathers, who participated in the show, said her mentorship pushed him creatively.

“The way that she tried to foster inspiration by trying to get us to think outside the box versus just taking a regular picture — that really stood out,” Mennyweathers said.

For Logan, this kind of guidance is an essential part of her curatorial practice. Mentorship isn’t separate from the work; it’s woven into how she builds spaces and exhibitions.

and worked side by side to strengthen the city’s creative community.

“She’s well-known amongst the students, well-known amongst the artists in the community, but also in terms of community leaders,” Musawwir said. “She’s helped bring resources into Carbondale that normally wouldn’t come and for her having that role, being part of the grant writing and funding for this area; she’s not just someone who talks; she does the work.”

That kind of community work, Logan said, is inseparable from education. Her commitment to inclusion extends beyond galleries and classrooms to the next generation of curators and artists.

“We need people of color teaching so that they can bring their history and their experience to other people who may not be aware of it,” Logan said. “It’s all a matter of education. And a lot of success in the arts really does depend on who you know… But if you’re in school and working with young curators or other artists — get to know them, stay in contact, be in shows. That’s how you build the next canon.”

News reporter Amilia Estrada can be reached at aestrada@dailyegyptian.com

Fern Logan looks up from a collection of artworks while curating an exhibit at the Artspace 304 gallery Jun. 3, 2025, in Carbondale, Illinois. “If you slow down and really look, the photograph will speak to you,” Logan said. Amilia Estrada | aestrada@dailyegyptian.com

Carbondale Homecoming Spooktacular

Phi Kappa Tau members gather on part of their roof to watch the Homecoming Parade Oct. 25, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

Saluki Silks member Salma Garcia spins her flag to the school song Oct. 25, 2025 at the Homecoming Parade in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

Attendees fill The Strip as they watch The Urge perform during the Carbondale Halloween Homecoming festival Oct. 24, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois.

Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Linebacker Colin Bohanek (16) catches beer into his mouth from the stands after the Salukis beat the Panthers 31-17 in the homecoming game Oct. 25, 2025 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Arieyon Hicks showcases her talent by dancing at the Miss Eboness Pageant Oct. 25, 2025 in

Saluki Football runs through the tunnel as they take the field ahead of the Homecoming game against Northern Iowa Oct. 25, 2025 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

A child holds rings as she plays ring toss with pumpkins while her mother (not pictured) watches on Oct. 24, 2025 at the Carbondale Strip in Carbondale, Illinois. Riley Sembler | @riley_sembler

celebrates Spooktacular

Rory Gordon (green Ranger) with his wife Mercedes Underwood (pink Ranger) and their son Carter Underwood (blue Ranger) for the Candy Walk on the strip Oct. 24, 2024 in Carbondale, Illinois. Deangelo Handley | @_deevisuals4

Saluki wide receiver Jay Jones (13) attempts to catch a pass as he is blocked by cornerback Isaiah Pinks (30) of UNI during the Homecoming game Oct. 25, 2025 at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

DE’s RSO Karaoke Cup

Alpha Gamma Delta sings “Baby” by Justin Bieber as they perform at the RSO Karaoke Cup Oct. 21, 2025 at Hanger 9 in Carbondale, Illinois. Alpha Gamma Delta scored a 42, beating Farmhouse to move on to the next round. Emily Brinkman | @erb_photo_

Where will Saluki men’s basketball land in the MVC?

Eli HoovEr EHoovEr@dailyEgyptian com

On Monday, Sept. 29, the Missouri Valley Conference released a preseason men’s basketball poll that wasn’t really a preseason men’s basketball poll. Instead of having all 11 schools on it like it did in years past and every other conference still does, it only included the Top 5. Then on Wednesday, Oct. 15, the Missouri Valley Conference opted to release a 39-player watchlist instead of the usual preseason all-conference teams. Both decisions received uproar from fans and media alike.

Paul Oren, founder of The Victory Bell, an online publication covering Valparaiso University athletics, decided to make his own preseason poll and all-conference teams. Almost immediately after the watchlist was released, Oren sent out an email to 18 other journalists that cover schools in the MVC, myself included, asking us to make our own preseason polls and all-conference teams and turn them in to him so he can tabulate the final results. The following is what I turned in: Full/final poll results can be found at dailyegyptian.com

Preseason Missouri Valley Conference Poll

1. Bradley Braves

Are you familiar with the phrase “Always the bridesmaid, never the bride?” The Bradley Braves sure are. The last two years, the Braves have fallen just short of winning the conference championship thanks to the Drake Bulldogs. This year’s mix of returners like junior guard Demarion Burch, transfers like former Wright State guard Alex Huibregste, and freshmen like guard Montana Wheeler, are the reason this should be the year the Braves add to the trophy case.

2. Illinois State Redbirds

Illinois State are the prohibitive favorites in many people’s eyes, including the official MVC preseason poll, but I’m not sold. Yes, they have two of the conference’s best players in junior guard Johnny Kinziger and junior forward Chase Walker, but they had those two last year and

finished 10-10 in conference.

Someone has to step up as a third scoring option for this team to be as successful as everyone says they will be, especially after losing guard Dalton Banks to graduation. That being said, having two superstars like Walker and Kinziger should be enough to get the Redbirds a bye in the conference tournament in March.

3. Northern Iowa Panthers

There’s a reason Northern Iowa head coach Ben Jacobson is about to start his 20th season in that role. He wins. A lot. It feels like every December, people have questions about the Panthers, and every March they seem to have answered them. With quite a bit of last year’s core coming back, including AllMVC 3rd Teamer Trey Campbell, UNI should be able to continue that trend.

4. Murray State Racers

The Murray State Racers are going to be a true test of building a team in the transfer portal. First year head coach Ryan Miller does not have a single player returning from last year’s roster. Not only that, only two players have ever even played on the same team, with center Fred King and guard Mason Miller being teammates on last year’s Creighton squad. The whole roster is littered with MVCcaliber players, but can they play as a team?

5. Drake Bulldogs

Realistically, this Drake Bulldogs team probably should be a spot or two lower. They have a first year head coach in Eric Henderson and they’re relying on transfers that need a bounce back year, such as Loyola-Chicago transfer Jalen Quinn. Even with that information, I cannot count the Bulldogs out. They’ve won the last three conference tournaments, including last year when they were in a similar situation. While that won’t necessarily be the case this year, watch out for Drake to surprise some people.

6. Belmont Bruins

7. Southern Illinois Salukis

8. Indiana State Sycamores

These three teams could finish in any order between the three of them and it wouldn’t be much of a

surprise. One of them could even nab the fifth spot from Drake. The Salukis especially are an interesting case. Nearly all of last year’s core is back and they bring in a loaded transfer class, including former Seton Hall forward Prince Aligbe and Jacksonville State transfer guard Quel’Ron House. All three teams will live and die by guard play, and that will lead to plenty of up and down moments for these squads.

If any of them get hot late in the season, some top-seeded teams may go down early in St. Louis.

9. Evansville Purple Aces

10. Illinois-Chicago Flames

11. Valparaiso Beacons

The long and arduous rebuild continues for these three schools. All three have bright spots to look forward to this season. For the Purple Aces, it’s last year’s MVC Defensive Player of the Year Connor Turnbull. For the Flames, it’s junior guard Ahmad Henderson II. For the Beacons, it’s sophomore guard Justus McNair. Even with those superstars, it will be tough for any of the three squads to break through what may be the deepest MVC in quite some time.

MVC Preseason All Conference

Teams

First Team

Illinois State Forward Chase Walker

Illinois State Guard Johnny Kinziger

Northern Iowa Guard Trey Campbell

Belmont Guard Tyler Lundblade

Bradley Guard Alex Huibregste Walker, Kinziger, and Campbell are the only returning AllConference players from a year ago, and Lundblade is expected to be one of the top three-point shooters in the nation. No need to overthink those choices. The fifth spot for me came down to Huibregste and Evansville forward Connor Turnbull. While Turnbull was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, I don’t see him making enough of an offensive jump to go from no AllConference to first team in a year. Meanwhile, Huibregste was an offensive machine at Wright State last year, averaging 13.5 points per game while shooting 42.3% from the field and 37.5% from threepoint territory.

Second Team

Evansville Forward Connor Turnbull

Drake Guard Jalen Quinn

Murray State Guard Brayden Shorter

Murray State Guard Layne Taylor SIU Guard Quel’Ron House Quinn should bounce back pretty well after a solid, if unspectacular, year at LoyolaChicago last season. Both Shorter and Taylor come to Murray State after ripping up the level they were at last season. Shorter was an AllConference performer at Division II Washburn, averaging 15.5 points per game to go along with 4.0 rebounds per contest. Taylor showed off his offensive prowess at Central Arkansas, making the Atlantic Sun’s All-Freshman team while averaging 17.4 points per game and 3.6 rebounds per game, while adding in 2.2 assists per game and 1.1 steals per game. House benefits from me having seen him in person. House making the AllFreshman team in Conference USA last year as a Jacksonville State Gamecock and his 29-point outburst in the team’s exhibition vs. Austin Peay meant I had to find a spot for him.

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

James Jamason | @XTOMIC_COMIC

Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another’ is beautiful, terrifying and absurd

Brayden Guy BGuy@dailyeGyptian com

Famous director and auteur of “There Will Be Blood,” “Boogie Nights” and “Phantom Thread” fame Paul Thomas Anderson has a new film. “One Battle After Another” is arguably PTA’s most politically and culturally relevant film. The first major scene is the liberation of an Immigration Detention Facility. The film follows the protagonist, Bob Ferguson, a failed revolutionary, as he is separated from his family and comrades to evade the government.

Leonardo DiCaprio does an excellent job of making Bob a lovable underdog. Throughout the plot, Bob is constantly messing everything up, but he never gives up and puts all of his soul and body into fixing his mistakes.

Lead guitarist of Radiohead, Jonny Greenwood, made the soundtrack for this film. This is Greenwood’s second soundtrack that he has crafted for PTA, his first being the soundtrack of “There Will Be Blood.”

The music of “One Battle After Another” is rich with the precarious strings, dissonant chords and staccato piano notes that enhance the emotional weight of the film. Greenwood’s style on this soundtrack is more tame than his playing in bands like The Smile and Radiohead, but it is still beautifully avant-garde. The song “Trust Device” is a piece that works within the context of the story by being played by the titular device. The music then tells which characters are trustworthy, which

becomes a subversion later in the film.

While Greenwood has many instruments on the soundtrack, the one instrument that Anderson used for this film was the gun. The guns of this film are genuinely terrifying. I watched this film for the first time at University Place 8 AMC with a friend. When the first gunshot went off, we both unexpectedly jumped out of our reclining seats and looked around the theater, which was almost completely empty except for the five other people in attendance.

There are two reasons why guns stick out in this film: pacing and sound design. Guns and their presence in the film become more and more dangerous and prevalent as the plot progresses. First, guns are just used to intimidate and negotiate. Then a gun is used to take a life. Guns are used to control crowds with rubber bullets. Guns are being fired at firing ranges. Finally, firefights break out at the end. This steady progression ensures that firefights are not constantly happening, which would ruin the weight that guns hold in this movie and the escalation of violence present in the plot.

The film has distant gunshots that sound very realistic. In a scene where the protagonist is being shot at from 3 miles or farther, the bullets sound like crackling and popping. While the gunshots do not peak the microphone or distort the sound in any way, their liberal use and realistic weight stood out among other films and media that feature firearms.

“One Battle After Another” felt

reminiscent of “Boogie Nights,” with extreme close-ups and characters talking into the camera, as well as explicit sexual themes and humor and protagonists who are troubled rejects of society and their family struggles. Finally, there is a tracking shot of Sergio, played by Benicio del Toro, and Bob going through Sergio’s apartment.

The shot expresses Bob’s feelings of claustrophobia and everything closing in on him, but at the same time creates an intimate closeness between Bob, Sergio and Sergio’s friends and family who live in the apartment. There is a similar shot in “Boogie Nights,” in which a character is tracked by the camera for a very long shot walking through the house, getting a gun from his car and returning to the house. This scene is only claustrophobic in an upsetting way, and it is cool to see PTA use the same shot in a different way seven feature films later.

The characters of this film also have that trademark eccentricity of PTA. Colonel Lockjaw, played by Sean Penn, is the best performance of this film and quite possibly this year. This is a big compliment considering that “Sinners” came out this year and that my favorite director, Wes Anderson, gave us “The Phoenician Scheme.”

Penn’s performance on screen looks like he thought method acting meant he had to take “tren”, an anabolic steroid, and testosterone replacement therapy for this role. Everything from his gait, stare and idiosyncrasies creates the most unforgettable, disgusting character.

There seems to be serious symbolism of capitalism and the historical treatment of minorities in the character Lockjaw.

Other great performances are the aforementioned DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills and Chase Infiniti as Willa Ferguson. The character Perfidia Beverly Hills symbolizes revolution and resistance at its rawest form. This character rebels against everything. Organized rebellion and even the matriarchal duties of raising a child in society are things she cannot and will not conform to.

Willa Ferguson is a character who goes through the most growth throughout the movie, and Infiniti puts on a great performance, especially considering it is her first feature film role, according to her IMDb page. Infiniti has been in multiple TV shows and even a Tyler, the Creator music video.

There are two major criticisms I have of the film. The editing in the last car action sequence is not good and creates a slow and boring pace compared to the rest of the film. The other criticism is based on subjective taste. The film features a protest where an outside agitator working for the government throws a Molotov cocktail that lands in front of the police and military. This then allows the police and military to use force against the protesters.

An outside agitator is often used to undermine the desperation, frustration and actions of protesters and civilians. Instead of recognizing these feelings in the crowd, people point to outside agitators, purposefully escalating the violence to

intentionally make protesters look bad. I think if the crowd took violent actions, or if the outside agitator was left as a vague loose end, it would be a multifaceted plot point that would have fit better with the complicated humanity in this film. The film is still available in some theaters; however, currently, there are no showings in Carbondale. There are no streaming services featuring this film yet, and there are no announcements on which platforms will have it available. The film is available in some nefarious ways that are not legal, and I, out of pure moral superiority, do not condone those methods. So, let this review build anticipation and suspense for when this film does come to BlueRay and streaming. If you scroll past it, do not pass it up! If you want to watch the film, but are worried about possible triggers ruining your experience, look at doesthedogdie. com. It is a crowd-sourced website for trigger warnings. Make sure to turn on an adblocker before you visit their page.

In movie review fashion, I will now give the movie an arbitrary score, but I will score it out of the albums from the band Weezer. I give “One Battle After Another” the score of Weezer’s “White Album” out of the “Blue Album.” The film has Anderson’s iconic style of character and camera work, while also bringing new ideas that work great and add flavor, with a few exceptions that hold the film slightly back.

Staff Reporter Brayden Guy can be reached at bguy@dailyegyptian.com

Don’t shiver in anticipation, ‘Rocky Horror’ is back in Marion this Halloween

Peyton Cook PCook@dailyegyPtian Com

A live performance of “The Rocky Horror Show” will take the stage at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. It is Skyline Creek Productions’ 13th year putting the show together.

“Rocky Horror,” which debuted in London in 1973, follows engaged couple Brad and Janet. After their car breaks down, they take shelter in a castle where they meet Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a mad scientist creating the ideal man for himself.

Following is an adventure that includes popular songs such as “Time Warp” and “Sweet Transvestite.”

The musical runs a little under two hours, but length may vary depending on crowd participation.

“It is the most fun and positive and uplifting environment,” said Bella Morris, who plays Janet.

The cast has bonded during rehearsals, sometimes attending haunted houses and restaurants afterward.

“Getting together and putting on this awesome, awesome show that has been such a staple inside in Illinois — it’s seriously the most fun ever,” Morris said.

Prop bags will be sold at the door so the audience can engage with the performance.

“The show is really heavy in audience participation,” Morris said. “There’s a part where my character, she gets out a

newspaper and puts it over her head ‘cause it’s raining and then you have a newspaper in your bag and you would grab it and also put it on like you’re in the show as well.”

This year’s cast is a mix of old and new faces.

“I’ve typically been behind the scenes, but this season felt like the right time to return to the stage,” Vincent Segretario, owner of Skyline Creek Productions, said.

Segretario is playing Dr. FrankN-Furter this year.

“Back in college, I performed with Midnight Madness, the official Chicago shadowcast, as Frank-N-Furter,” he said. “However, getting the chance to portray him live on stage has always been a dream of mine — definitely a bucket-list moment.”

Segretario said he was not nervous about playing the character.

“In fact, I’m shivering with antici… well, you know the rest,” he said.

He is no stranger to performing. Segretario grew up in musical theater and studied it in college; however, his current focus is on music.

“These days, I spend about three to four months each year touring as a musician or sound engineer, and sometimes both simultaneously,” Segretario said.

The characters have a place in the hearts of the cast and Dr. Frank-N-Furter has a life of his own, Segretario said.

“I’ve been thinking about how I’d interpret this character for nearly 15 years, and over time, that vision has evolved into something that feels both true to the role and reflective of my own creative journey,” he said. “I think there’s a little bit of Frank in all of us — if I’m being perfectly Frank.”

This is Morris’ third year playing Janet, and she plans to modify her portrayal slightly while staying true to the character.

“I definitely try to look for different aspects of the character that maybe I forgot a previous year or something,” she said.

Morris said it can be a challenge when making decisions to change a character.

“With a character like Janet, there is pretty strict guidelines and that you have to stay in between so it can be fun playing the same character,” she said. “It can also be a challenge for sure.”

Outside of performing, Morris bartends and substitute teaches.

“It’s a great way to make

money on the side,” she said. “Because also, you don’t have to be on a tight schedule.”

education major. He plans to attend the show with six friends and dress up. “I think it’s fun to see people’s crazy outfits.”

This is Smith’s third year seeing “Rocky Horror in Marion,” and he said he’s excited to hear his favorite song, “Time Warp.”

The musical pit is excited for the performance as well.

“This is my first one behind a drum set specifically,” said Lucas Barger, a graduate assistant in SIU’s School of Music t and drummer for “Rocky Horror.” Barger recently moved to the area after graduating from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.

“I don’t have a lot of those connections I had over the past few years,” Barger said. “I’m excited to meet some professional musicians in the area.”

Morris said she loves both rehearsals and performing. “I do love that but also you know getting that feeling from the audience when you come on stage and they’re clapping for you there’s nothing like it.”

Digital Editor Peyton Cook can be reached at pcook@dailyegyptian.com, or on Instagram @cookmeavisual

Rendleman dena.rendleman

say the move was unnecessary. They reported that the first three editions of the semester generated $11,000 from advertising, which they’ve now had to cut ties with, and that they’ve already largely focused on digital content.

“We’re getting hundreds of thousands of page views every single month,” Hilkowitz said. “We have a very successful podcast. We just won a pacemaker for our multimedia…They’re going to say it’s a business decision. That is a completely illogical argument.”

Rodenbush said that IU’s action plan made sense initially, when the paper was reduced to seven special editions, because it was content neutral. “The minute they made it about content is the minute that it crossed the line,” he said.

The censorship debate

In 1988, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier that it was not a violation of student journalists’ First Amendment right to free speech when school officials at St. Louis’ Hazelwood East High School prevented the publication of controversial articles on student pregnancy and parental divorce in their student newspaper. Because it was a public high school, and

the newspaper was sponsored by the school, the court ruled that the articles were state-sponsored speech and not public forums.

IDS receives some funding from the university’s Media School; it is not funded by state tax dollars. In its fundraising disclosure, the IDS notes that it may accept funding directed at covering certain topics, but “remains completely independent of such funds in order to produce the highest quality journalism that best serves our audience.”

Whether the Hazelwood decision applies to college publications has long been debated.

“If there is some sort of decision like cutting print, then that alone, in a vacuum by itself, is not onerous to the First Amendment,” said Jonathan Gaston-Falk, an education law attorney at the Student Press Law Center. “It’s when we have these connections where that is a retaliatory effort to stifle that voice, then we have a First Amendment problem.”

Rodenbush said that he has served as an adviser for four university newspapers, and he said IU was the first time he’s experienced “attempted influence” from a university.

But IU’s recent decisions are not the first time the IDS has been at the center of controversy. Hilkowitz said they’ve

dealt with threats online and in person: angry emails, reporters being doxxed and readers visiting the office to confront staff.

Following the 2024 presidential election, the IDS printed negative quotes about Donald Trump from his former allies on a front cover. Then Indiana Lt. Gov.-elect Micah Beckwith incorrectly claimed in a post on X that state tax dollars were going toward the IDS. He wrote, “This type of elitist leftist propaganda needs to stop or we will be happy to stop it for them.

“We’re very used to receiving threats from outside, from people outside of IU, from other students outside the media school institution,” Hilkowitz said. “This is the first time where I feel like it’s a call coming from inside the house.”

What now?

Josh Moore, assistant director of SPLC, said it’s too early to tell whether the events at IU have spiked similar cases around the country. But requests to their legal hotline, which allows student journalists to speak directly with attorneys, has increased by 42% over the last two academic years due to many different threats.

“This should be something that every single collegiate publication across the country is worried about. IDS, we’ve been around for 158 years. That’s a long time and we have a lot of resources, we have a lot of history behind us,” Hilkowitz said,

adding, “If IU was allowed to do this, I worry that administrators at different schools who are looking to censor their student publications and their students will look at this almost as a blueprint for what to do there.”

On Oct. 20, Tolchinsky, the media school dean, announced a formation of a student media task force at IU.

In a press release, Tolchinsky said the task force, which will consist of faculty, staff, students and alumni, is to be appointed in the coming weeks.

The goal of the initiative is to “develop recommendations ensuring both the editorial independence and financial sustainability of student media at IU.”

Gaston-Falk, the SPLC attorney, said that he would like to be fully optimistic about the initiative, but that at first glance, it appears to be a distraction.

“Administration is keeping itself busy, making it look like things are happening in order to assert its legitimacy, instead of actually engaging with some of its stakeholders on the ground like IDS editors and staff,” he said.

Rodenbush, Hilkowitz and Miller have all been in talks with legal counsel. Rodenbush said his current intention is to sue IU.

Despite his firing, Rodenbush said he never wavered in his decision.

“I understood that there were possible severe consequences,” he said. “But I had to do what was going to help me sleep. So I’m comfortable in that.” For now, Hilkowitz and Miller say they’re seeing support. Staff at Purdue University’s The Exponent published special edition newspapers in solidarity and drove two hours to deliver them on IU’s campus. Hilkowitz said she didn’t realize the workers at a nearby coffee shop knew her name until they offered her a free drink shortly after news broke that print had been cut. While preparing for a portrait on Oct. 20, a campus tutor stopped to tell them to keep up the good work.

“We’re going to keep producing really great journalism,” Hilkowitz said. “We’ve been really lucky that this has really sparked a fire under so many of our staffers, and they’re ready to keep doing this important reporting. So as much as IU is going to try to stop the reporting from getting out there, they’re not gonna let that happen. We’re not going to let that happen.”

Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series for the Gateway Journalism Review, produced with funding from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Dena

PUZZLE PAGE

*answers on page 10

Weekly Event Calendar

Your guide to upcoming local events over the next 7 days!

WED THURS FRI

Hangar 9

Carbondale

Game Night

3 p.m.

PK’s (21+)

Carbondale

Trivia, 8 p.m.

Booby’s Carbondale

Karaoke, 8:30 p.m.

Hangar 9

Carbondale

Randy’s Cheeseburger Picnic Tour 8 p.m.

The Varsity Center

Carbondale

Special Film Screening: “The Exorcist”, 7 p.m.

Brews Brothers Murphysboro

Trivia, 8 p.m.

PK’s (21+)

Carbondale

Creeper Bud, Ultra Sex, and Pet Mosquito, 10 p.m.

Hangar 9

Carbondale

Ole Fishskins, Beer Garden, 5 p.m. Emo Night, 9 p.m.

Alto Vineyards Alto Pass

The Monster Mash, 5 p.m.

The Varsity Center

Carbondale

Special Film Screening:

“Halloween”, 7 p.m.

Booby’s Carbondale

Daisy Lady’s, Oops All Opps and TBA, 10 p.m.

Oct/Nov

2 p.m. - 5 p.m. No events listed. 30 31 1 2 3 4

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, 12 a.m.

Project Human X Carbondale

Pumpkin stained glass, 10 a.m.

Daily Egyptian’s RSO Karaoke Cup - 10 - 11 p.m SAT SUN MON TUE

PK’s Carbondale Pabst and Tats fundraiser for Southern Illinois Collaborative Kitchen (also happening at Booby’s and Neon Tiger) 8 p.m.

Bucky Fuller Dome Home Carbondale

2025 Dome Glow: Día de los muertos, 6 p.m.

Bucky Fuller Dome Home Carbondale

2025 Dome Glow: Día de los muertos, 6 p.m.

Little Nashville Marion

Open Mic Night, 6 p.m.

Blue Sky Vineyard Makanda

Brian Smith

Want

Hangar 9 Carbondale Karaoke. FREE. 8 p.m.

The Daily Egyptian - Oct. 29, 2025

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Carbondale’s Homecoming, Halloween festival brings thousands to Strip

University Baptist Church holds final service after decades of fellowship

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CORRECTIONS

Salukis sprint past Panthers, win 31-17 against UNI

Saluki Baseball celebrates the life and legacy of legendary Itchy Jones

A newsroom silenced: Inside Indiana University’s battle over student press independence

University officials say it was a business decision.

Editors say it’s a First Amendment violation.

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA

Establishing Space: How one African American curator makes room amid shifting DEI priorities

Carbondale Homecoming Spooktacular

celebrates Spooktacular

DE’s RSO Karaoke Cup

Where will Saluki men’s basketball land in the MVC?

Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another’ is beautiful, terrifying and absurd

Don’t shiver in anticipation, ‘Rocky Horror’ is back in Marion this Halloween

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Weekly Event Calendar

WED THURS FRI