Southern Illinoisans react to the death of Charlie Kirk
Clouds hung over the Marion Square on Sunday evening as hundreds of people gathered to remember the life of Charlie Kirk with a candlelight vigil and a church service that included pop-up baptisms, prayer and commemoration.
e vigil drew a large crowd of mourners, some holding American ags and wearing red hats, others dressed in black to grieve. Attendees alternated between quiet moments of prayer and public displays of faith while the baptisms were performed at the center of the square.
Kirk was the co-founder of Turning Point USA and a prominent gure for the modern Republican movement.
Kirk would visit college campuses across the country in promotion of TPUSA and free speech, encouraging debate from university students.
He was shot and killed while doing so on Sept. 10 of this year while speaking at Utah Valley University.
His assassination is one of the
increasing number of attacks on political gures, like that of Democratic state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, last summer’s attempt on President Donald Trump and the 2023 attempt on Nancy and Paul Pelosi.
Kirk self-identi ed as a Conservative and an evangelical Christian and acknowledged his role as a polarizing gure in American politics, and up until his very last moments, stood staunchly behind his beliefs on even the most hotbutton issues.
One of the most controversial topics that Kirk would speak on was gun control. Kirk stated that he believed that it’s “worth it” to have “some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights.”
Kirk also stated that he thinks the United States made a “huge mistake” when passing the Civil Rights Act, that Martin Luther King Jr. was “awful” and “not a good person,” that “abortion is murder,” that “trans women are not
From $30 to ‘30 Rock’
Odenkirks talk past, present and
CARLY GIST CGIST@DAILYEGYPTIAN COM WILL ELLIOTT ELLIOTT@DAILYEGYPTIAN COM
Before he was Saul Goodman, Bob Odenkirk was the breakout star of Tasty Paste.
SIU School of Journalism and Advertising named for alumna Charlotte Thompson Suhler
e School of Journalism and Advertising at Southern Illinois University has a new name.
On Tuesday, Sept. 9, the school was honored with the namesake of Charlotte ompson Suhler, making it the rst school on the SIU campus to be named after a woman, while also making it the rst school within the College of Arts and Media to be named after an alumni.
SIU’s communications building was jam-packed with journalism students, faculty and alumni—the past generations and the next—all gathered in the lobby of the building to celebrate this occasion alongside Suhler’s friends and family.
SIU System President, Daniel F. Mahony chose one word to describe Suhler; “impact.”
Suhler attended SIU from 1961 to 1965, many years before the advent of digital media. She worked with the Daily Egyptian during her time at SIU, which
remains one of the only printed school newspapers in Illinois, and Suhler said that is very important to her.
“I’m a huge advocate for local newspapers,” she said. “People don’t know the amount of information they lose on a weekly and daily basis if they lose physical news.”
Suhler went on to work on the SIU Foundation board and founded the Fund For Women and Girls, a non-pro t organization on the East Coast that helps women wherever they might be.
In her career, she’s worked with the likes of Gloria Steinem and Tom Wolfe. She helped connect Steinem to Betty Harris, a publisher in the industry, which allowed Steinem to publish Ms. Magazine.
“At a time when journalism is having a tough time being trusted, she’s like the cavalry coming in and having our backs,” said SoJA Director Jan ompson. “ e fact
Most people haven’t heard of it, probably because it never aired. At least not outside of his home in Naperville, Illinois, where his production equipment consisted of his mother’s typewriter and a $30
Panasonic cassette recorder he’d purchased at a K-mart. en 11 years old, Bob was already a huge fan of comedy troupes like those on “Saturday Night Live” and Monty
Why is SIU using AI when our syllabi say that students can’t?
Hey ChatGPT, can you write us an article about SIU’s position on the use of AI?
* ere was an error generating this response.*
Oh. Guess we’ll have to be journalists and do it on our own…
On Tuesday, Sept. 9, sta members of the Daily Egyptian gathered in the hallway outside of the School of Journalism and Advertising for a dedication ceremony hosted by the SIU Foundation. With every chair lled by faculty, students and SIU o cials, we stood in the back, watching as the school was o cially named after Charlotte ompson Suhler, a trailblazer for women’s rights and an SIU alumna.
SIU System President Dan Mahony said naming ceremonies are “extraordinarily rare” — he’s
only ever attended three. But this one was extra special, because the School of Journalism and Advertising became the rst school at SIU to be named after a woman.
Excitement buzzed through the room in waves of chatter, guests relished in the honor and then a hush fell over the crowd when
SOJA Director Jan ompson took to the podium to give remarks. ompson Suhler sat in the front row, next to Chancellor Austin Lane and Mahony. After ompson’s speech, Mahony introduced omas Suhler and her legacy — with a twist.
“We decided to do something entirely di erent and have ChatGPT give us a bio on Charlotte,” Mahony said. “And I nd that whole concept terrifying, but her bio is really incredibly impressive, and ChatGPT was clearly impressed as well. And I will say they gave me this task because
Charlotte Thompson Suhler holds a miniature Gus Bode ahead of the unveiling of the renaming of
of
2025 at
Communications Building in Carbondale, Illinois. Riley Sembler | @riley_sembler
Bob Odenkirk hands his brother, Bill Odenkirk, a microphone Sept. 12, 2025 during a press conference prior to a public event at The Varsity Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Carly Gist | @gistofthestory
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Jim Edgar, Illinois’ 1990s-era moderate GOP governor, dies at 79
HANNAH MEISEL, JERRY NOWICKI CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
Jim Edgar, Illinois’ 38th governor who served from 1991 to 1999, died Sunday after disclosing an aggressive cancer diagnosis earlier this year. He was 79.
ough he’d been out of power for 26 years — more time than the two decades he spent in o ce as an elected o cial — the former governor was still active in Illinois political circles until the end of his life, heading a bipartisan program to develop up-and-coming leaders from across Illinois.
In a statement Sunday, Edgar’s family con rmed he’d died “from complications related to treatment for pancreatic cancer,” a diagnosis he’d made public in February.
“We are deeply grateful for the love, support and kindness so many have shown to Jim and our family over these last several months,” the statement said.
Despite his failing health, Edgar still made public appearances in the last months of his life, including in August at his 2025 Edgar Fellows program in Urbana, though the former governor had to make an emergency room trip during the gathering.
A moderate Republican, Edgar became symbolic of a near-extinct breed of GOP politics in the years since he left o ce. He wasn’t the only elected Republican in Illinois with a pro-choice stance on abortion, but Edgar and his contemporaries were still in the minority at a time when the GOP was still a powerhouse in state politics.
But as hardline Republican politics became ascendent nationally, the GOP’s power in Illinois dwindled, making Edgar somewhat of a political nomad. e former governor became a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, and last year campaigned with other Republicans for then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ unsuccessful bid for the White House.
Edgar’s bipartisan leadership program and disavowing hardright figures like Trump made the former governor plenty of allies in the Democratic party, including Gov. JB Pritzker, who said Sunday that he considered Edgar a “friend and mentor.”
“His commitment to reaching across the aisle in service of the people of Illinois undeniably made our state better,” Pritzker said. “Now more than ever, we should channel that spirit and resolve to live as Governor Edgar did: with honesty, integrity, and an enduring respect for all.”
e governor said he would direct ags across Illinois to be lowered to half-sta in honor of Edgar’s passing.
Edgar’s death follows that of his immediate successor, former Gov. George Ryan, in May.
Edgar was born in rural northeast Oklahoma but grew up in Charleston, Illinois. He later attended college in his adopted hometown at Eastern Illinois University, where the future governor was elected student body president.
But that wasn’t his rst victory at the ballot box; according to his website, Edgar was in rst grade when he ran Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1952 campaign in his elementary school’s mock election, cementing his lifelong status as a Republican, though his parents were Democrats.
After college, Edgar served as an intern and then sta er for Republican legislative leaders before himself getting elected to the Illinois House in 1976 at age 30. In the middle of Edgar’s second term, then-Republican Gov. Jim ompson tapped the young lawmaker to become his legislative liaison.
ompson then appointed Edgar as secretary of state in 1981, an o ce he held for a decade until he was sworn in as governor in 1991.
In a public appearance in Spring eld on May 28 at the Illinois State Library, state leaders honored Edgar’s commitment to literacy and to the processes of government.
At the event, Pritzker told the story of his rst meeting with Edgar after Pritzker was elected governor in 2018, just months after the state ended a costly two-year budget impasse between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats in the General Assembly.
“He said one really important thing to me,” Pritzker recalled. “He said: You really only have one critical job as governor of the state of Illinois, and that’s pass a budget.”
But Edgar’s most enduring contribution to the state of Illinois, Pritzker said, could be summed up in a well-known Edgar quote: “To me, the best politics is good government.” Pritzker said it was re ected in Edgar’s decision to maintain many of the sta that were hired by his Democratic predecessor when he became secretary of state.
“ at view — that honest loyalty to the people of Illinois — is what makes Jim Edgar an icon no matter what party you belong to,” Pritzker said. “He has not only guided his every move in a bipartisan fashion, but he has also kept true to his own moral compass.”
Capitol News Illinois is a nonpro t, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide.
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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
Corrections from Sept. 10, 2025:
In the story titled “New Illinois law requires student health centers to o er contraceptives, medication abortion,” two quotes from Student Health Services Director Jamie Clark were mistakenly attributed to Medical Chief of Sta Andrew Ri ey. e online story has been updated to correct these errors.
e story titled “Community holds memorial for demolished Washington Street Garden” incorrectly stated that Carbondale Food Autonomy oversees the Red Hen Garden. Carbondale Food Autonomy is a collective of people who manage various gardens around the community. Red Hen Garden is managed by Women for Change in collaboration with Carbondale Food Autonomy. e online story has been updated to correct these errors.
Former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar speaks at a May 28 event in Spring eld to dedicate the reading room at the Illinois State Library in his honor. Edgar helped secure funding for the facility when he was secretary of state. Jerry Nowicki | Capitol News Illinois
that someone wants to put their name on the School of Journalism and Advertising sheds a very positive light.”
Suhler was greeted initially at noon in the Hall of Presidents, where she and her family shared a meal with the likes of ompson and Lisa Knight, the SIU Foundation’s director of development for the College of Arts and Media.
When Suhler was rst approached about the idea of the school being named after her by Knight, “At rst, she was kind of like, ‘what? Me? No,’ but eventually came around to the idea.” Knight said.
Suhler was “overwhelmed by the reception” at the ceremony on Tuesday, and came close to shedding tears during her speech. She spoke about how there are people who accomplished so much more than her that could’ve been here instead.
Knight spoke about Suhler’s willingness to give something like her name to the school, “It’s just something we are so excited to see when an alum is so ready to get that engaged. And it just makes us ready to go out and keep doing this… it’s just incredible to see the circle of life here,”
“I think she underestimates what she’s done and the impact that she’s made,” Knight said. “I’m so glad to see her family and friends come out and support. She’s left such a legacy. I just, I’m really excited to see how charismatic she is. e people, everyone else, can see that and see how she comes across as such a humble individual.”
When asked about what advice she wanted to leave with aspiring journalists, Suhler said, “I want schools to teach the di erence between learning something and questioning it. You have to be as objective as possible. You have to be calm, clear and decisive. Don’t be hesitant to say what you know is right and wrong.”
Suhler is also the namesake for an Advertising Award to help female CAM students going into their junior and senior years. She was able to meet some of the recipients of this award at the ceremony on Tuesday.
“I don’t normally get teary but… hearing the stories… it was special to know I made a di erence in someone’s life,” she said.
Sta reporter Orion Wolf can be reached at owolf@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @orionwolf6
Pulitzer-winning Evelyn Hockstein visits SIU
PEYTON COOK PCOOK@DAILYEGYPTIAN COM
Evelyn Hockstein, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist based in Washington, D.C., presented her work to journalism students and community members on Friday, Sept. 12 at the Sharp Museum on SIU’s campus as a part of the Women Photojournalists of Washington’s traveling exhibition.
“This is the most unglamorous, glamorous job that you could have,” Hockstein, who is a photographer for Reuters, said. “It sounds amazing to go to the Oval Office and in some ways it is, but it is incredibly chaotic and I spend a lot of my time crawling on the floor.”
WPOW is a volunteer-run nonprofit organization that educates the public about the role of women in visual journalism. The organization consists of 400 female photojournalists, photo editors, video journalists, multimedia producers and other industry professionals.
This is the second year that SIU has been a stop on WPOW’s traveling exhibit, following last
year when photojournalist Anna Rose Layden made a visit to Carbondale.
Despite Hockstein’s current success, she didn’t always know that she wanted to be a photojournalist – or even work in politics. She was drawn to history and social justice. Photographs from times like the Civil Rights Movement, the Great Depression and the Vietnam War left indelible impressions, drawing her to journalism.
“I didn’t really know how to become a photojournalist,” Hockstein said. “So I signed up to work at my college newspaper and really, my career took off from there.”
Before her senior year of college, she interned at the White House. After graduating, she went on to her first job at the Bay City Times in Michigan. She didn’t want to go to another small-town newspaper, and had an idea in her head that she would leave America for Northern Ireland or Israel.
Talking with editors led her to choosing Israel because of the abundance of stories. Hockstein
gathered her CDs and sold them for $5 each to buy a one-way ticket to Israel.
Hockstein said she had never covered conflict before. She had worked at a couple of small papers but was struggling to find an internship. She knocked on Reuters’ door and the photo editor took her in as an intern. After going international, she decided to explore more of the world.
“I had a colleague in Nairobi and he said, you know, come to Kenya. It’ll be a great place to be based. So I briefly went back to the U.S., I literally packed a bag, and I went for a month to check out Kenya, and I fell in love and I decided to move there, and I ended up staying in Kenya for seven years,” Hockstein said.
She spent those seven years traveling all over the continent for coverage. Hockstein started freelancing for The New York Times and covered conflict in places such as Darfur, Sudan.
“It might seem like your work as a journalist… can feel fruitless or disheartening,” Hockstein said. “I believe that we just have to keep shining a light and there is power
in that and that’s why I keep doing what I do.”
Kenya changed after Mwai Kibaki won the election in 2007 and the country erupted into a violent political crisis. The citizens who favored the other candidate alleged that there was electoral manipulation.
“I covered conflict in other countries, and Kenya was always the stable country and it was where I would come home to when I would go to Congo or go to Sudan or go to Ethiopia,” Hockstein said. “Now this was happening in Nairobi and all over.
I remember going to a stadium and seeing, you know, displaced with people there and I had never seen that in Kenya.”
After her time in Kenya, she moved back to Washington, D.C., and worked as a freelance photographer, primarily for the Washington Post. Now, Hockstein works as a photojournalist for Reuters. Since returning from Kenya, she has covered events such as a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Black Lives Matter and the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Peggy Wilkens, a professor who
retired from SIU, watched the presentation and walked through the exhibit with her husband afterward. “ ink about who we just pulled in here,” Wilkens said. “She has a lot of credentials… She’s just outstanding to me. We’re lucky, very lucky.”
Hockstein’s coverage for Reuters on the Alamo Women’s Clinic after the fall of Roe v. Wade and the solar eclipse in 2024 has brought her to Carbondale several times throughout her career.
Julia Rendleman, a photojournalism professor at SIU who organized the event along with WPOW, first met Hockstein in 2019 while covering the 400th anniversary of enslaved Africans being brought to the shores of Virginia.
“I feel inspired by Evelyn. I mean, every single image she showed today like, made my heart move,” Rendleman said.
Hockstein’s photos are on her website at https://evelynhockstein.squarespace.com/
Digital Editor Peyton Cook can be reached at pcook@dailyegyptian. com or on Instagram at @ cookmeavisual
Dr. Hong Cheng (left), Charlotte Thompson Suhler (middle) and Pat Carlson (right) have a conversation before the luncheon Sept. 9, 2025 at Morris Library in Carbondale, Illinois. Riley Sembler | @riley_sembler
Saluki football’s fast start grounds Skyhawks
e Salukis hit the road for the second week in a row following their loss to BIG10 Purdue and traveled to Martin, Tennessee to face the UTMartin Skyhawks on Saturday, Sept. 13. In their rst game of the season against a fellow FCS school, the Salukis soared past with a nal score of 37-10.
e Salukis defense started the game on the eld, but quickly forced a three and out. anks to a long strike from quarterback DJ Williams to sixth year wide receiver Jay Jones and a roughing the passer penalty on UT-Martin, SIU found itself quickly knocking on the doorstep. Williams nearly walked into the end zone from 4 yards away to put the visitors up 7-0 three and a half minutes into the game.
After a slew of unsuccessful drives on o ense for both teams that consisted of fumbles, interceptions and failed fourth downs, the rst quarter ended with the score still 7-0 SIU.
After the Saluki defense yet again
got multiple third down conversions, and when they couldn’t convert on 3rd and goal, SIU committed a pass interference to give them a fresh set of downs. On the next play, redshirt senior quarterback Jase Bauer found tight end Drake Martinez to cut the SIU lead to 14-7 with 2:43 left in the second quarter.
e Saluki o ense got the ball from a UT-Martin punt with only 40 seconds left in the half. It proved to be just enough time for Williams to break o a big run and senior kicker Paul Geelen to nail a 28-yard eld goal, sending SIU to the locker room with a 17-7 lead.
out of reach, however. Williams rushed for 12 yards twice on the next drive, the second one being his third rushing touchdown of the day. A bad snap on the ensuing PAT kept the score at 3010 Salukis.
e Salukis added the cherry on top when junior running back Chandler Chapman broke o a 44yard touchdown run with just under two minutes to go. at sealed a 37-10 road victory for the Salukis. e loss was UT-Martin’s rst home-opening loss since a 34-24 loss to Chattanooga back in 2018.
stopped UT-Martin on fourth down, the Saluki o ense nearly wasn’t able to take advantage. Williams was nearly sacked on a big third down before escaping the pocket and nding wide receiver Fabian McCray for a 56yard touchdown. McCray’s second receiving touchdown doubled the lead, making it 14-0 with 11:07 left in the rst half.
Neighborhood Co-Op hosts annual Farm Crawl
The Neighborhood Co-op hosted an annual Farm Crawl on Saturday, September 13, and Sunday, September 14, 2025, in Carbondale, Illinois. The Farm Crawl is a way for the community to learn about where local products are produced. All the proceeds go to Food Works, a local non-proft organization with a mission to create a stable food economy in southern Illinois. The Red Hen Garden, located north of Carbondale, is run primarily by women volunteers through the organization Women for Change. The Red Hen Garden is open to the public with the idea for people to grab produce from the vine. Kathy Bell, a former Carbondale teacher, welcomed guests to the garden Saturday afternoon. The Well House Farmstead is located southwest of Carbondale and is run by Elicia and T.J. Freeman. They house sheep, chickens, and gardens with various fruits and vegetables. These fruits and vegetables are sold in various local stores and are even delivered directly to customers. Even in the heat, the community showed out and came together to learn about local farms in Southern Illinois.
Two minutes later UT-Martin graduate linebacker Tah Banda came down with the Skyhawks’ second interception of the game. On the ensuing drive, the Saluki defense could not seem to get o the eld. UT-Martin
e Salukis completed the double dip on the other side of halftime, with Williams scoring his second rushing touchdown of the game on a keeper from 13 yards out. at gave SIU a 24-7 cushion with 11:32 left in the third quarter.
UT-Martin refused to go down without a ght, marching down the eld to put up a 33-yard Cade Hechter eld goal to close the gap to 24-10. Williams made sure the game stayed
Despite two rst half interceptions, Williams had 345 total yards and 4 of the team’s 5 touchdowns. e 2-1 Salukis now look forward to a date with Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) in the 2025 installment of the War for the Wheel Saturday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. in Cape Girardeau.
Sports reporter Eli Hoover can be reached at ehoover@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @hoovermakesart
Saluki defensive end Donnie Wingate defends UTM opponent in an e ort to halt a UTM rst down Sept. 13, 2025 at Hardy M. Graham Stadium in Martin, Tennessee. Claire Stroh | @cstrohphoto
Photographer Riley Sembler can be reached at rsembler@dailyegyptian.com
A hand-painted sign for the Red Hen Garden swings above some plants. Riley Sembler | @riley_sembler
Elycia Freeman, a self employed farmer, leads a ock of sheep who are feeding on pecan leaf Sept. 13, 2025 at Well House Farmstead in Carbondale, Illinois. Riley Sembler | @riley_sembler
A sheep peeks out above other sheep. Riley Sembler | @riley_sembler
Python, so he started creating his own sketches. But it wasn’t a one-man job — his brother, Bill Odenkirk, was there by his side.
Now, 50 years later, they’re still glued at the hip. It’s a Thursday morning at SIU, and the hallways of the communications building are fairly empty when the pair waltzes in, hats and sunglasses on and Starbucks in hand. All of the students have migrated to the Northlight Studio, eagerly awaiting their arrival.
“They’re here!” one calls out as the brothers glimpse through the door. A hush falls over the crowd. They make their grand entrance, and that’s when the applause begins.
Bob Odenkirk, an actor, producer and screenwriter best known for his roles in drama television series “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” started his broadcast career as a host of an SIU radio show. Since then, he’s written for “Saturday Night Live,” created a sketch comedy series called “Mr. Show with Bob and David,” won two Primetime Emmy Awards and received one Tony and one Oscar nomination. His younger brother, Bill Odenkirk, completed a doctorate in chemistry before following in his footsteps, writing first for “Mr. Show,” and then transitioned to animated series “Futurama” and “The Simpsons.” He’s also won four prime-time Emmy awards. Get it wrong, and Bob will correct you.
Together, the Odenkirk brothers returned to SIU, Bob’s alma mater for a short visit. On Sept. 11, they conducted two workshops about navigating the entertainment industry and screenwriting for students in the College of Arts and Media. Around 50 students were present in each session, filling nearly every chair, but the energy in the room stayed serene — besides jotting down notes on paper and laptops, the students kept their eyes glued to the duo, watching in awe as the brothers shared their expertise.
“I think in order to become a master yourself you
must learn from the masters,” Dahlia Dahl, a cinema major at SIU, said. “And Bob and Bill Odenkirk are certainly great writers in their field, so I wanted to learn from them.”
But before they became masters in their field, the Odenkirk brothers began their comedy journey at the dinner table. Every night, they would reenact their day for their mother and five other siblings.
“I was the headliner,” Bob wrote in his biography “Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama.” “Mostly I would stand up and act out some idiocy from the day, make fun of people I met, or just be a clown.”
Bob’s college education began at The College of Dupage, when he was just 16-years-old. He later transferred to Marquette University and again to SIU, where he finally settled down.
“I felt I had the freedom here to write and perform and create here,” he told the students.
For RTD and animation student Abigael Popp, this still rings true.
“I’m really grateful for SIU’s opportunities,” she
So ILL Syndicate Gym
told us after the workshops concluded. “There have been a lot of different clubs and just little things that really help to hone in your skills and I think that’s beautiful and that’s brilliant and I can understand why…SIU has produced somebody such as Bob Odenkirk.”
Popp attended both workshops, and she said the experience exceeded her expectations.
“The group was a lot smaller so it was a lot more interactive than what I thought it was going to be and that was pleasantly surprising,” Popp said. “I was closeup, face-to-face with them, we got to have real-time conversations. We got to see how they interact with one another, interact with the environment…Really, what I’m trying to say is we got to see how they are really normal people, and that was awesome.”
Devereaux, Jr., a struggling, tenured professor in the English department.
“Richard Russo explained to me it’s (the show) really about what tenure does to you,” he said. “When you hear about tenure and you don’t work in academia, it sounds wonderful. It sounds like the best thing that could ever happen to you. You have a job for life. But he said it actually can mess people up, and (he) wanted to write about that.”
He speculated that the show struggled to find its audience.
“I think it’s a little hard for the audience to go, ‘Wait, so, what is tenure? What is it again? How does that work?’ and ‘Oh, that just sounds perfect. I don’t know why that’s an issue.’ when that’s not at all what Richard Russo wanted. He wanted people to perceive the challenges of ‘now you have a job for life, but you won’t really get a raise, and now, how do you differentiate yourself or excel if you can’t get a promotion really?’” he said.
In the past year, however, Bob has found immense success. He received a Tony nomination for his role in the play “Glengarry Glen Ross” and starred in “Nobody 2.” In June, he told Entertainment Weekly that he would love the opportunity to host the season 51 premiere of “Saturday Night Live.” So we wanted to know, is this still on the table?
“That’s a fine question. I don’t get to decide who hosts ‘Saturday Night Live.’ I would happily do it,” Bob told us. “The show has never left my life; it has always been a part of my life. I have become and have always been friends with people of the show… Everything has to line up time wise, you know?”
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Bob and Bill are fairly private individuals. Ask them a question, and they’ll ramble for minutes on end, but see them passing in the halls, and they’re secluded. We were allowed to follow them throughout their visit, but under certain circumstances: only two reporters could be there, no videos were to be taken at their events (it allows for a more casual, authentic experience — no pressure to say the right or wrong thing, Bob explained at a public event at The Varsity Center), and on Friday, we had just a short time allocated to us at a private interview with the SIU Foundation.
Studio B of WSIU was set up for the occasion. Two chairs, two tables and two waters grace the stage, but the brothers were given separate interviews. Bob sat relaxed, sporting a maroon and white Saluki hat. He talked with his hands and carried a no-nonsense energy. He explained his college career — how he left SIU early to move to Chicago, but made sure he’d graduate as a Saluki.
“My degree I got in ‘86 from SIU by taking one final class at Columbia College in Chicago and sending the credits back to SIU,” he told the Foundation. “So my degree is from SIU, even though College of DuPage, Marquette University and Columbia College all want me to be an alumni. But I’m not. I’m an alumni at SIU.”
He earned a degree in broadcasting and a minor in philosophy. He received an honorary Doctor of Performing Arts degree from the school in 2020 and walked the stage in 2023. He was the keynote speaker during a 2020 virtual spring commencement ceremony, where he stated, “I am a Saluki, you fools, and I will destroy you,” which has become a slogan on SIU T-shirts.
SIU has followed Bob into his professional career. In 2023, he starred in “Lucky Hank,” a television adaptation of “Straight Man,” a novel written by former SIU professor Richard Russo. While the story is set at a fictional college in Pennsylvania, it was inspired by Russo’s experiences teaching at SIU and other universities. When we asked him if this was a crazy coincidence, he lit up with a smile.
“It’s just a strange coincidence and funny and great, and that was a really cool show,” he said. “I wish it had lasted longer.”
The show was canceled after one season, but it remained a learning experience for Bob. He played the leading role of William Henry “Hank”
After Bob finished his thoughts, he shook our hands and swapped places with Bill. With Season 13 of “Futurama” premiering on Sept. 15, we asked him to discuss his role and the possibility of future seasons.
“We certainly hope so, because we, all the writers on the show, love it,” Bill said. “It’s such a creative platform, creative concept for a show, whether it’s science fiction or even something more wacky than that, we can do it there. And what more can you ask for from a show you’re working on?”
His job with “Futurama” came five years after he graduated from the University of Chicago with a doctorate in inorganic chemistry. It was when he graduated, Bill said, that he was certain he wanted to change course.
“When you get a PhD in chemistry and sciences, generally what you do is you go to do a post doc, which is another two years afterwards, and then you have to start the whole process of, well, whether you’re going to... look for tenure at a university or going to industry generally. And I was like, ‘I don’t want to spend two more years doing this. I love writing, and I love being with those writers and doing creative stu like that.’”
Bob and Bill went from sharing their comedy at the dinner table to sharing it with the world. So we would have been remiss to not ask about how their bond helped them blossom as creative thinkers.
“I don’t think I would have ended up writing comedy or anything in entertainment if it wasn’t for Bob,” Bill said. “Because it takes an enormous amount of, well — I’ll say it — ego but also just con dence and bravery. And Bob has all those three and, of course, enormous talent… I didn’t have the bravery, and I would say, also talent that Bob has, you know, and so it’s great to be able to caboose — I’m going to use the word caboose — along with his powerful train, and get into the business that way.”
Bill walked out of Studio B to join his brother for lunch. ey had Booby’s, a Carbondale staple, then hosted one last workshop for theater students. Finally, they took the stage at e Varsity Center for a public discussion, concluding their visit to Carbondale.
Deputy editor Carly Gist can be reached at cgist@ dailyegyptian.com, or on Instagram @gistofthestory.
Videographer Will Elliott can be reached at welliott@dailyegyptian.com, or on zInstagram @cameramanwill06.
Quinton Hice, a cinema major, asks Bob and Bill Odenkirk a question during a screenwriting workshop on Sept. 12, 2025. Carly Gist | @gistofthestory
women,” was a believer in “ e Great Replacement” and was “very pro-Israel,” — all opinions in which he faced public scrutiny over, yet always defended with a smile.
Sunnie Gream organized Sunday’s service alongside Redemption Church, and had called Marion City Hall with the hopes of closing the Square down for the event in celebration of Kirk’s life.
Gream expressed how excited she was for the baptisms, which were started because Pastor Robbey Smith from Redemption Church asked Gream if he could bring a baptism pool.
“Even if we get one person, it’s worth bringing it (the baptism pool) out,” Gream recalled telling Smith.
Tim Rich walked up the steps and into the pool before he was dunked in the water by Stephen Linke, with Redemption Church, the crowd of witnesses cheering.
“I am hurt. I am broken for what happened to Charlie. I can tell you being a military veteran and war veteran, I have seen a lot,” Rich said. “We know the ght that we have ahead of us and I always felt like some of us had to do the hard things to protect others.
“But I never felt worthy of God’s love and God’s embrace, so I never got baptized. But seeing what happened to Charlie made me realize that we have to take it a step further, and we have to do everything we can to bring Jesus’ love to everyone.”
Rich said he was inspired by the oath he took to defend the country when he was serving in the military.
“I took the oazh to love God, not just the country, not just to defend the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, but defend and spread the love of Jesus across the nation and world,” he said.
As people were baptized, the surrounding crowd held American ags, signs, candles and a wooden cross. Hands raised in worship while songs about faith ed through the Square.
Adam Pendergrass, a father of nine, stated that his faith in
God and in America brought him out to the event.
“We need to get back to square one and stop hating each other,” he said. “I’ve got too many kids… the world that we are going into right now, I feel like we are failing.”
Two men holding American ags, Hunter Mays and Elijah Dickerson, said Kirk’s faith inspired them to attend the event. Mays said that Kirk, his faith and his courage inspired him.
“I felt like it (Charlie Kirk’s faith) was something that was a lot of inspiration to Americans,” Mays said.
Dickerson said he was at the event to “remember Charlie Kirk and the death of him, but not just the death, but also his legacy and moving forward and this turning point that’s happening in America in a revival for Christ.”
Renee McDonald, mother of two children baptized in the Square on Sunday, said that the event is a symbol that God brings people together.
“ is shows that the community can still come together regardless of race and everything,” McDonald said. “ is is everything Charlie Kirk was aiming for.”
Carolyn Repass said she grew up Christian, but then strayed away.
“I got very involved in witchcraft, and for the past year or so, I’ve been on the path back to Christ,” Repass said. “Charlie Kirk had a lot to do with that, and being baptized at this vigil felt right. Charlie did his job and brought so many people back to Christ.”
Her husband, Edward Repass, said that he had also renewed his faith after personal challenges.
“I got so deep and into dark, dark magic,” he said. “ at is how I know the demons are real. I was a heroin addict for 25 years. I’ve almost lost my leg due to it. My mom died a couple months later and I found out I had a 20-year-old daughter I didn’t know. I quit that day and walked away. I prayed in rehab. I gave my life to God.”
Repass said of Charlie Kirk’s death, “Seeing that happen in such a barbaric way, it’s beyond party at this point. I have had to go through my social media and eliminate so many people
who are celebrating this death cult. I don’t care what party you are from, it’s wrong.”
Brenda Tripplett, who was watching the baptisms, was emotional as she talked about the event..
“Tonight when we were watching Sunnie’s (Gream) daughter get baptized, there was a feather that landed right on her hair in front of me, and it was solid white,” Tripplett said. “I know that was from the angel. Charlie Kirk and God are so proud of everything that they are doing today.”
Grief was visible on faces throughout the crowd, but celebration rang after every baptism with music and hands raised in worship. American ags were held beside candles creating a blend of patriotic symbolism, religion and public mourning for Charlie Kirk.
“As a Christian, we rejoice at everything Charlie stood for,” Alaura Barras, who held a sign in memory of Kirk, said. “We’re here for God because of Charlie.”
She said Kirk’s death felt personal for her.
“My mom actually knew him relatively well,” Barras said. “She’s planned several events around southern Illinois and spent plenty of time with him. She described him as genuine and kind. Even back then, he was a much younger man. He was a great representative for Christians and kids in college too… You know, you don’t have to be quiet about your views and it doesn’t take violence and hate and anger to have open conversations.
“I agree with him and to support the people that agree with him that are Christians, (people) that want better for the next generations. ey are afraid to speak for fear of being murdered or harmed, or their family being hurt.”
e SIU chapter of TPUSA hosted a remembrance event in the international lounge of the SIU Student Center on Monday, Sept. 15 at 5:30 p.m. is event was held after the Daily Egyptian’s deadline, so visit dailyegpytian.com later this week for full coverage.
Sta Reporter Mariah Fletcher can be reached at m etcher@dailyegyptian.com
Stephen Linke with Redemption Church hugs Emma Long, 13, before she is baptized during an evening candlelight vigil held for Charlie Kirk Sept 14, 2025 in Marion, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
Anthony Pendergrass looks down at his candle as he attends the vigil with his father and siblings. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
An attendee wears a tattered American Flag. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
Tim Rich is lifted out of the water by Stephen Linke as he is baptized. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
Illinois among first states to outlaw AI in Clinical Therapy
KRISTEN BORCHERS KBORCHERS@DAILYEGYPTIAN COM
On Aug. 1, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law a new bill titled the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act. Supporters of the rst-of-its-kind law claim it protects people from unquali ed chatbots: Arti cial Intelligence can no longer provide psychological counseling services. As AI gradually seeps through more aspects of our daily lives, Illinois emerges among the rst handful of states attempting to regulate its usage within mental health services.
Any company or individual infringing the law will receive a civil penalty of $10,000. e law prohibits licensed mental health clinicians from using AI therapeutic services to deliver any patient care including diagnosing, creating recommendations of care, identifying emotional states, and directly communicating with clients. e act does allow mental health professionals to utilize AI as administrative support, such as note-taking, scheduling, and processing insurance claims. Any further mental health services must be delivered by licensed professionals.
Je rey Kellogg, who is a clinical assistant professor at SIU, holds 35 years of clinical experience. He specializes in working with children and emerging adolescents, and expressed his excitement for the bill.
“I’m glad Illinois is doing this, I hope more states will follow in turn. I think you can pass a law, but it’s all about how you implement it and how you monitor it and use it,” Kellogg said. “I think there are some real powerful uses in AI, but we’ve got to be intelligent about how they’re developed.”
Kellogg explained that con ding in AI may be enticing at rst glance, as AI shields users from others’ potential judgements. When having long conversations, the chat begins to mimic the consumer’s language, in turn creating a familiar conversation.
“It’s attractive because what it can do is respond to the person in ways over time that enforces their own way of thinking: it encourages them. It also has a business model that wants to keep you engaged just like computer games,” Kellogg said.
Cognitive Behavioral erapy, or CBT, involves recognizing distortions in thinking that are creating problems. erapists applying CBT assist in
anybody in the state, without any kind of guard rail, said Sauer.
“It probably gives pretty decent advice – initially,” Kellogg said. “If it goes with the person and the person is going down a rabbit hole, does the chatbot recognize that and go down the rabbit hole with them? Or does it say ‘hey, wait a minute, that’s not a healthy way of thinking or that’s not a healthy way of behaving.’”
Parents of a 16-year-old in California are suing OpenAI, claiming that ChatGPT contributed to their son’s suicide after he con ded in the chatbot that he was considering ending his life. Last month, OpenAI stated they have 700 million weekly users.
“I think that was part of the intent even, that the promise of AI was that it would be useful for being able to address the shortage of mental health professionals across the country,” Sauer said. “If you’re doing it by introducing people to systems that are not supervised, by potentially causing harm, by potentially risking suicidality, then what have you really accomplished?”
e American Psychological Association’s senior director of healthcare innovation, Vaile Wright, represented the world of psychology at the Capitol on Sept. 3. Wright testi ed before the U.S Congress asking for federal regulation of AI within therapeutic services. e APA is America’s largest professional organization for psychology.
In written testimony from the APA, Wright emphasized that AI can be a powerful tool if mental health professionals are involved in its development. Wright added that the nation’s youth are especially vulnerable to the risks of AI, because emerging adolescents are in a period of critical development, they are more susceptible to in uence.
“Without a whole lot of oversight, (chatbots are) giving teenagers some harmful advice about substance use, or eating disorders, or self-harm,” Kellogg said.
During testimony before congress, representatives from the APA formally requested an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. e organization repeatedly highlighted the need for mental health professionals to be involved in any further development of AI. APA stressed that AI could be used to “augment’ therapeutic services and not “replace.”
“At APA in 2024, at that time, almost everything that I heard was very positive and excited about
“Without a whole lot of oversight, (chatbots are) giving teenagers some harmful advice about substance use, or eating disorders, or self-harm.”
- Dr. Jefrey Kellogg Clinical Assistant Professor at SIU
reframing client’s thought patterns into a healthier alternative. AI, although equipped with an entire network of information, may not fully recognize the path it’s leading someone.
Ann Sauer, a clinical psychology professor at Midwestern University in Downer’s Grove has been a clinical psychologist since 1990, and emphasized that chatbots cannot replace the real-world experience of a trained psychologist.
Anybody who wants to work with the public as a therapist needs to have the right training, needs to be licensed by the state of Illinois as having particular credentials and needs to have had particular supervision experiences – yet we would allow a chatbot to come in without any specialized training, without any oversight and be able to do therapy with
goal is to help people who aren’t experts in medicine have access to credible medical information.
“Computers are really good at pulling out facts if you have a gene or a protein or a disease,” Blake said. “Methods to actually detect those kinds of entities are really pretty well developed. With mental health, it’s much more nuanced and it could be the way that somebody asks a question is a clue to what’s going on underneath the surface and I don’t think large language models or language processing methods are generally not as good at detecting those nuances that happen a lot in mental health.”
Blake explained that people aren’t using AI for the purpose it was intended for.
Professional Regulation’s responsibility to oversee. He added DFPR already has a demanding job as is.
“I mean, really, are you going to make some AI cops? I really don’t know. at’s the part where it doesn’t really have any bite in it,” Jacobs said.
“I kind of think that if we keep on being told that we’re having mental problems, I think you’re gonna have mental problems,” Jacobs said. “I think maybe we’re going overboard. I think that it’s great that we can have folks that can work with you and get you through drug problems and childhood growing up problems. AI is not going to help in those particular instances, even though the mental health practitioners think that it’s gonna be a really big boom, I don’t think they’re gonna be able to use it as much as what they think.”
AI,” Sauer said, who frequently attends AI-oriented seminars at APA. “ e seminars now have been much more about kind of risk management in AI, being cautious about AI and attending to the guard rails that are necessary for working with AI.”
As more users connect with AI, incongruencies in responses are occurring. Chatbots are giving users harmful advice and even di erent responses to the same question depending on the day.
“We see a lot of hallucinations in terms of references, in references that don’t actually exist, papers that were never written, combinations of authors that didn’t actually happen,” said Catherine Blake, a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Blake is researching and studying AI, and her
“Even if a model is providing some kind of response, it’s really on the user to make sure that the place where that response was given is a reliable source. Many of these large language models are not developed by academia and we don’t know what data was used to train these models,” Blake said.
Illinois State Rep. Paul Jacobs, a Republican representing Illinois’ 118 district, voted yes on preventing AI posing as a licensed therapist.
“It’s something that everybody felt very comfortable trying to just kinda put brakes on it; on what you can do and can’t do when you’re dealing, especially with emotions and mental state,” Jacobs said. “ at’s pretty tough to,I think, turn over to a machine. (A) machine doesn’t really have much emotions.”
Jacobs isn’t sure how this law will be enforced. He said it falls under the Department of Financial and
On Sept. 11, the FTC launched investigations into seven AI companies, whose chats act as “companions.” OpenAI, Instagram and Meta are among those included in the orders. FTC will be closely monitoring how these AI companions communicate with children, speci cally if they’re complying with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule.
“ ey’re very useful tools, but they’re tools and they shouldn’t be used to replace things that might be available to you,” Kellogg said.
SIU o ers Counseling and Psychological Services through the Student Health Center. CAPS can be reached at (618) 453-5371 Monday-Friday from 8-4:30 p.m.
Sta reporter Kristin Borchers can be reached at kborchers@dailyegyptian.com
Audrey Sullivan | asullivan@dailyegyptian.com
IDNR’s ‘Becoming an Outdoors Woman’ encourages local women to get their hands dirty
KRISTEN BORCHERS
As the sun beat down mid morning at Touch of Nature in Makanda, ve strangers gathered around Donut Pond. While grasping a y shing rod, each cast their bait into the water. Despite the occasional weeds reeled in, the anglers came ready and continued searching for a bite. Guided by an instructor, each woman paused and listened intently, working to perfect their casting techniques.
At this year’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshop sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, women escaped their daily lives and unplugged. On Sept. 1214, 80 women delved into various workshops. ese workshops were designed with the intent to educate BOW attendees on a wide array of wilderness skills. Backing a trailer, orienteering, frog gigging and gun handling were among the many learning opportunities o ered.
Originating in 1991 in Wisconsin, BOW now takes place in 38 states across the country including six Canadian provinces. e widely
Bars
popular weekend was created by Christine omas, the dean of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
“A lot of the learning classes that were there, were either co-ed or just for men or men were participating,” event coordinator Lisa Demeule said.“ ere was just not an environment that felt safe and supportive and non intimidating to be around a bunch of guys that have been hunting their whole life or whose dads have been hunting their whole life. From there I mean it blew up around the country.”
Although gun handling was safety oriented, instructor Chris Flemming kept the atmosphere lighthearted. Flemming served in the Marine Corps and took two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He explained that the teaching is the most satisfying when the women enter with hesitation but walk away smiling and feeling comfortable.
e three-day program was designed to give women a safe space where they could freely learn outdoor skills, supported by encouragement and a team of experts instructing each
session carefully. “ e handgun and ri e workshops were the main reason I signed up because I just wanted the chance to gain knowledge and experience in a trustworthy environment… not because someone wanted to convince me of something or sell me a gun or anything like that, it was just purely to learn,” Margie Cook, a rst-time participant who traveled from the Chicago area, said.
e women of BOW learned all weekend long. More notably, they supported one another.
Instructor Lesley Tennessen has taught courses for 12 years.
“I got all this up here,” she said as she referenced her head. “I need to make sure it’s out before I go and this is one way to give.” Tennessen, who teaches courses on outdoor cooking, said. Women learned baking in a cast iron pan, and utilized box ovens and propane stoves.
“Life becomes very mundane and very just structured, especially if you’re a younger mom or a single mom. is allows you to come here and just be yourself. By being
Event Calendar
Boobys - Carbondale, IL
• ursday, Sept. 18: Karaoke Night, 8:30 PM
•Friday, Sept. 19: Juba Kings, 9 PM
•Saturday, Sept. 20: Sturg and Friends, 9 PM
•Tuesday, Sept. 23: Metal Night featuring Defcon, Voidgazer, Spellbade and Bloodhound, 9 PM
Brews Brothers - Murphysboro, IL
• ursday, Sept. 18: Trivia, 8 PM Hangar 9 - Carbondale, IL
• Wednesday, Sept. 17: Music Bingo, 2000’s edition, 7 PM
• ursday, Sept. 18: Southern Grit, 9 PM
• Friday, Sept. 19: WINGTIPS, 9 PM
• Saturday, Sept. 20: Nonstop Reggae, 9 PM
PK’s - Carbondale, IL (21+)
• Wednesday, Sept. 17: Trivia, 8 PM
• ursday, Sept. 18: Tim Crosby, 6 PM
• Saturday, Sept. 20: Tawl Paul & Slappin’ Henry Blue, 9 PM Route 51 – Elkville, IL
• ursday, Sept. 18: Nate Graham, Time Whiteford w/ Je Bradley, 6 PM - 8 PM
• Friday, Sept. 19: Chad Harris, 6 PM - 9 PM
• Saturday, Sept. 20: Diego Campos, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
John Brown’s on the Square - Marion, IL (21+)
• Wednesday, Sept. 17: BXBW, 8 PM Tres Hombres - Carbondale, IL
• Friday, Sept. 19: Cash & Co., 6 PM
• Saturday, Sept. 20: Rip Lee Pryor, 6 PM
Vineyards
Blue Sky Vineyard - Makanda, IL
• Saturday, Sept. 20: Stuart Smith, 2 PM5 PM
• Sunday, Sept. 21: Brian Smith, 2 PM - 5 PM
Feather Hill - Cobden, IL
• Saturday, Sept. 20: Eide Clare, 3 PM - 6 PM
Peachbarn Winery - Alto Pass, IL
• Friday, Sept. 19: Plan C, 4 PM - 7 PM
• Saturday, Sept. 20: Edwin Linson, 2 PM - 5 PM
• Sunday, Sept. 21: Baked Music: Ash Blair, 1 PM - 4 PM Starview - Cobden, IL
• Friday, Sept. 19: Comedy night, 7 PM
• Saturday, Sept. 20: Timmy Perdue, 1 PM - 4 PM
• Sunday, Sept. 21: Ol Moose, 3 PM - 6 PM
Von Jakob Vinyard - Alto Pass, IL
• Saturday, Sept. 20 - King Kaiju, 5 PM
• Sunday, Sept. 21: Robert Russel, 2 PM OwlCreek Vineyards - Cobden, IL
• Saturday, Sept. 20: Bosco & Whiteford, 3 PM - 6 PM
• Sunday, Sept. 21: Johnny Colller, 3 PM - 6 PM
yourself, you let your creative juices just ow and grow up a little bit,” Tennessen said.
During meal breaks, women would discuss which session they would be attending, coming back with loads to share during lunch and dinner. Rock climbers were encouraged by Touch of Nature sta and other participating climbers. As every woman scaled the blu s on Devils Standtable at Giant City State Park, cheers rang into the air after they made their small but celebratory feats of reaching higher elevation.
Brittany Schwien, a returning participant, was a climber. At rst she couldn’t reach the top of the blu , until she watched other women take their turn. After receiving words of encouragement, she reached the top of the blu , called Scout. From the ground, sta and climbers cheered and applauded at her accomplishment.
“I’m scared of heights so it’s crazy realizing what you can actually do if you put your mind to it. Even with the fears that you have, so it’s incredible,” Schwien said.“I wanted to leave Friday
night because of my anxiety but I stayed and I’m so glad I did, because I wouldn’t have done this.”
Oftentimes, barriers to entering the outdoor male-dominated world comes with a set of challenges.
“I think what you really take out of this is, ‘I have friends and I can do things and I can do them, I can go seek these things.’ ey’re not just menonly things. Because we tend to think of shooting, power tools, trailering, those are all men things. Even shing; men things. ese are not just men things,” Tennessen said.
“Everyone’s got their own story. I’m a single mom myself, so usually that’s what hinders most of my decision making for what I want to do. It could be your job, it could be your nances, it could be literally anything. So I think this program in particular is really powerful because those skills are o ered to the women here, but beyond that there’s a real sense of community here,” Demeule said.
Sta reporter Kristen Borchers can be at kborchers@dailyegyptian.com
Pam Taylor makes a picture frame with pieces of nature during the nature crafting class during the Becoming An Outdoors Women Workshop Sept. 14, 2025 at Touch of Nature in Makanda, Illinois. Taylor traveled from Colombia, Missouri for this workshop. Libby Phelps | @libbyphelpsphotography
Jill Atherton takes a hook out of the mouth of a green sun sh during the y shing class.
they’ve heard me speak before and decided you better read something.”
A ChatGPT-composed speech? In a room full of journalists? Seriously? e energy in the room immediately shifted. ere were some laughs coming from the crowd, but we witnessed professors, advisors and students exchanging looks of shock and confusion.
Before making that disclaimer, Mahony mentioned his own biography process.
“Now, I will say I’m someone who goes to a lot of events and bios are read of me,” he said. “I know they sound like they’re written by me because they’re so overly positive. I will say they’re not written by me. ey are written by somebody who works for me and wants to stay employed.”
It was a funny joke. But the question is, where was this e ompson Suhler?
According to ChatGPT, as recited by Mahony, among the rst women to major in advertising, “possibly the very graduate in the history.” She managed advertising accounts and lled in on editorial tasks at her family’s newspaper at the age of 16, led Tri Sigma Sorority while at SIU and helped organize the rst student protest on campus. She co-founded the Suhler Family Investment O ce to invest in early
stage media companies, as well as the Fund For Women and Girls, which advocates for resources and opportunities for women.
All of this is true. ompson Suhler has been at the forefront of women’s rights activism. She’s served the SIU community since 1961. Yet SIU didn’t take the time to honor her with an authentic, personalized biography — they used a chatbot instead, one that, according to the latest research, perpetuates the production of data centers that contribute to the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the world.
ere’s a conversation to be had about SIU’s position on the usage of AI within its system, but there’s also a conversation to be had about putting in e ort for the women at this school.
Bob Odenkirk, one of SIU’s most famous alumni, visited this past week to host workshops for students and to speak at e Varsity theater. He was introduced at every event, and — fortunately — AI was not mentioned once. But for it to be used at the School of Journalism, and for ompson Suhler, felt like a slap in the face. e journalism program has evolved under women’s leadership —
to name a few, Jan ompson is the rst woman to serve as a permanent director in 80 years. Professors Molly Parker and Julia Rendleman started the Saluki Local Reporting Lab, which has published student works in outlets from Capitol News Illinois to ProPublica. Kavita Karan and Bridget Lescelius lead the advertising side.
e Daily Egyptian Editorial Board primarily consists of women, and neither us, nor our newsroom sta , were asked to assist in writing this biography for ompson Suhler. It was disrespectful to her, to women in media and to any student in the school spending $30,000 to learn and experiment with language.
As journalists, we understand how busy life can become. Maybe the SIU Foundation didn’t have the time or the writers. In that case, it could have been used as an opportunity to increase student success and engagement — one of the strategic pillars of Chancellor Lane’s IMAGiNE 2030 plan. ere are nearly 90 students studying journalism at SIU, according to SIU’s fall enrollment data, but instead of asking a student for assistance, they asked ChatGPT.
Look, we are aware that it is within the best interest of universities, businesses and any institution prioritizing the bottom dollar to operate as e ciently as possible. We know that SIU, like the rest of the world, will be leaning into the usage of AI — we strongly suspect it in their social captions, it’s likely been used on their websites, and we now know they’ve used it to write a biography.
Like the World Wide Web in 1994,
we also understand that it’s di cult to navigate a rapidly developing digital landscape. Morals, ethics and humanity come into question, and they face the same foes that they did back then. Environmental destruction and the displacement of the underprivileged to make way for massive data centers is reprehensible.
e heaps of carbon dioxide emissions and additional greenhouse gases that propagate from a single chatbot training session is jarring.
And that’s not even to mention what it’s expected to do to our already declining literacy rates, attention spans and early education systems. Nor is it to mention its role in misinformation, personal data collection, the surveillance state and the overall safety of its users.
Many of our course syllabi feature a clear-cut “no AI” policy, while others ask students to at least discuss
AI usage with their professors. If multiple professors are against using it and students are being punished for doing so… why can the highest members of the SIU system use ChatGPT?
We can acknowledge that the university will struggle to regulate this issue, and that they will be implementing and allowing AI usage within some university departments, however, we wholeheartedly condemn the usage of ChatGPT for something like a biography.
AI has little to no place within the Charlotte ompson Suhler School of Journalism and Advertising. We’d like it to be clear what place it has among the rest of the university.
Editor’s Note: is article was NOT written using Arti cial Intelligence of any kind.
Yasmin Martinez-Powell | ymartinezpowell@dailyegyptian.com
Apple Fest ends apple-y ever after
e 74th Annual Murphysboro Apple Festival, Apple-y Ever A er, was from Sept. 10 to the 13 in Murphysboro, Illinois. e festival consisted of two parades, four days of carnival rides, games, live music and more. e kiddie Parade took place on Friday Sept. 12 while the Grand Parade was on Saturday Sept. 13.
A Ferris wheel slowly rotates with people on the ride Sept. 12, 2025 at the Murphysboro Apple Festival in Murphysboro, Illinois. Lee Chambers| Lchambers@dailyegyptian.com
Flooding chairs lay adjacent to the road Sept. 10, 2025 in Murphysboro, Illinois. Chairs are placed on the side of Walnut St. weeks in advance for the parade. Lee Chambers| Lchambers@dailyegyptian.
Kamdyn Donoghue and Jaxon Rushing ride the Hang Glider. Daylin Williams | @photosbydaylin
Michelle and Mila Thies slide down the tallest slide. Daylin Williams | @photosbydaylin
Melissa Lay and Benjamin Johnson dance in front of the Appletime Stage with live music being played by Ivas John Band. Lee Chambers| Lchambers@dailyegyptian.com
WEEKLY CROSSWORD
"Multitalented"
by Steve Zisser
Isn't wrong?
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Sponsored by Castle Perilous
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Pull one's leg
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A or B, but not AB
Do-over requested by a failing student 44. "The _____ File"
46. With 53-D, major hip-hop recording label 48. Ludicrous
50. SNL staple
51. Shipping units 52. Houston baseballer, familiarly
53. See 46-D 54. Flesicher, Gold or Shapiro
