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SIU overcame another sluggish start Saturday but could not beat Yale, losing its second straight game, 55-50. The team has dropped the first two games of a three-game tournament at Kent State University.
After Yale forced 4 turnovers in the early moments of the game, SIU looked like it was in for long night, similar to the Salukis' game against Kent State. Southern rebounded, however, and held a two-point lead halfway through the second half.
The lead was quickly taken back by the Bulldogs and SIU did not hold a lead for more than a minute.
Yale opened up a 10-point lead with less than 5 minutes left and never looked back. The Salukis continued to score but could not get enough stops to reel in the Bulldogs.
SIU forward Sean O'Brien had a game-high 19 points, which tied a career high for the sophomore from Mundelein.
Juniors Justin Sears and Jack Montague led the Yale offense. Sears, an All-Ivy League forward last season, led the Bulldogs with 17 points and Montague, a guard, added 12 for Yale. O'Brien, Sears and Montague were the only players to reach 10 points in the game.
Coach Barry Hinson's team had 6 assists for the game compared to 12 assists for the James Jones-led Bulldogs. After the game, Hinson expressed disappointment in his team's passing.
"When you play selfishly like we did tonight, you're not going to get very many baskets," Hinson said. "And it's not just the guards; the big guys don't have to shoot it every time they touch the ball."
SIU has recorded less than 10 assists in all three losses this season.
The team was also outrebounded 39-31 and gave up 13 offensive rebounds to Yale. While SIU did a better job of rebounding in the second half, Hinson said it needed to improve.
"I thought our defense was pretty doggone good with the exception of our rebounding," Hinson said. "We can't give up that many offensive boards."
The Salukis went into the half down 27-23. Yale dominated the offensive glass, pulling down eight compared to SIU's two. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Salukis 20-12 in the first 20 minutes of play.
Yale led by as many as 11 points in the first half behind Montague's 3 three-pointers.
Junior guard Anthony Beane struggled and had 9 points and 5 turnovers, although he did hit a buzzer-beater to cut the Bulldogs' lead to 4 points going into halftime.
SIU finishes the Kent State tournament against the University of Illinois at Chicago at noon on Sunday at the M.A.C Center.
Tyler Davis can be reached at email@example.com or on Twitter @TDavis_DE.]]>
The Herrin Tigers' historic 2014 football season came to a close Saturday.
The Tigers won a school-record 11 games, but could not pick up a 12th that would put them in the first Illinois High School Association state championship game in Herrin High School history.
Four-time defending state champion Rochester High School advanced to its fifth straight championship game with a 28-9 win.
Despite only scoring three points, the Tigers dominated the first quarter, taking advantage of a 25-mph northbound wind to keep the ball in Rochester territory for all but two snaps.
Senior kicker Josh Haynes's 24-yard field goal gave Herrin the first lead of the day with 5:42 left in the first quarter.
Rochester's junior quarterback Danny Ziegler found senior receiver Jeremy Bivens for a 42-yard touchdown pass three minutes into the second quarter.
The Rockets led 6-3 at halftime and never looked back.
Herrin senior running back Chase Merrill left the game with a collarbone injury early in the second half.
Rochester senior running back Evan Sembell scored 2 touchdowns in the second half and ran for 183 yards in the game.
Herrin senior running back Chris Butler punched in a score of his own, but that was not enough for the Tigers. Rochester ran the clock down in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Ziegler finished the game with 159 passing yards and 2 touchdowns. Bivens had both of those touchdowns and 127 yards receiving.
Senior fullback Brent Milner led Herrin with 121 rushing yards.
There were few a dry eyes in the Herrin huddle after the game.
"I have never been more proud of a team than I am of you guys," Herrin coach Jason Karnes said to his team.
Thomas can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com and on Twitter @tdonleyde.]]>
Despite a strong second half, the Salukis fell in their final game of the season to an in-state rival.
No. 7 Illinois State (10-1) defeated SIU (6-6), 44-29. SIU scored 29 points in the second half, but could not find an answer to the Redbirds' rushing attack.
Redbird junior running back Marshaun Coprich carried the ball 29 times for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns; it was his 11th straight 100-yard game. ISU jumior quarterback Tre Roberson finished 14 for 23 with 319 yards, 3 passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown.
With the victory, Illinois State clinched at least a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference title with North Dakota State.
SIU head coach Dale Lennon said he knew before the game Illinois State would play the Salukis tough.
"It was a physical football game," he said. "Illinois State was playing for a conference championship, so you knew you were going to get their best game."
Lennon said Illinois State's offense was the best his team faced all season.
For SIU, junior quarterback Mark Iannotti led the second-half surge. He finished 24 for 38 with 266 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. Iannotti also had a rushing touchdown.
Senior tight end MyCole Pruitt set the single-season school record for receptions in his final game as a Saluki. Pruitt's 10 catches gave him 81 for the season. The previous record was Cornell Craig's 77 catches in 1999.
The All-American said it was an emotional end to his career.
"I love my teammates and everyone that has been here from the beginning supporting me," Pruitt said. " I appreciate all those people and my coaches. It's hard to see it end on this note."
Iannotti said Pruitt is the most athletic and passionate player he's ever played with.
Roberson opened the scoring for Illinois State during the first drive of the game.
He threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Cameron Meredith. The drive went 53 yards on just five plays.
Cameron finished the game with 8 catches for 182 yards and a touchdown.
On Illinois State's next drive, Roberson struck again, this time on a 70-yard pass to senior wide receiver Lechein Neblett. ISU's second touchdown drive was even shorter than the first. The redbirds needed just three plays to move the ball 69 yards for the score.
Roberson put on an offensive show in the first half. He was 10 for 17 with 247 yards and 2 touchdowns at the end of the first 30 minutes.
A botched snap on a punt attempt allowed Illinois State to score a safety with 4:59 left to play in the first quarter. Freshman punter Nick Neidig could not control the snap and kicked the ball out of the back of SIU's end zone to keep Illinois State from recovering the ball for a touchdown.
Illinois State out-gained SIU 400 yards to 124 in the first half.
In the second half, the Salukis offense began to click but the defense could not stop Illinois State.
SIU answered a Coprich touchdown to start the second half with one of its own.
Iannotti found senior wide receiver LaSteven McKinney on a 7-yard pass to put the Salukis on the board.
Illinois State answered the score with another touchdown pass from Roberson to Neblett. He finished the game with 4 catches for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Thirteen seconds later, Iannotti threw a 61-yard pass to senior wide receiver Tay Willis for a quick touchdown to make the score 30-15.
Willis had a big day for the Salukis. He finished with 5 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. Willis also took over running back duties for redshirt freshman Cameron Walter who left that game in the first quarter with an injury. Willis had 11 carries for 41 yards.
SIU did all it could to get back into the game, but the Redbirds answered each SIU score with one of their own to make the final score 44-29.
With the loss, SIU's season comes to end at 6-6 and Illinois State will get to move on to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs with its 10-1 season.]]>
Only one area team is left standing after last week's showdown between Carterville and Herrin in the Illinois High School Association Class 4A playoffs.
Herrin won the first game in 18 years behind an explosive fourth quarter that turned a tie game into a 28-7 victory.
The Tigers forced six turnovers in handing Carterville its first loss of the year. Saturday, Herrin will face Rochester High School, a team in search of its fifth straight state title.
Herrin's defense will have to contain one of the most explosive offenses in the state, as Rochester boasts two players who have each accounted for over 2,000 yards this season.
Senior running back Evan Sembell has rushed for 2049 yards and 29 touchdowns this year. He has broken 200 yards in four games, including two in the playoffs.
Sembell ran for 183 yards and five touchdowns in the Rockets' quarterfinal victory over Bloomington Central Catholic High School.
Quarterback Danny Ziegler threw for 2,610 yards in his junior campaign and posted a 29 to 5 touchdown to interception ratio. Ziegler's favorite target is junior wide receiver Jeremy Bivens. Bivens has posted 1,155 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 17.2 yards per reception.
Herrin senior cornerback Josh Haynes said the Tigers are not intimidated by Rochester, but expect a battle from start to finish.
"We know that they can throw the ball and they can run the ball," Haynes said. "But we know that we can beat them. It's going to be a tough game no matter what."
Herrin's offense will be matched up against a defense that has allowed its fair share of points this year. Opponents are averaging 23.4 points per game against the Rockets.
That statistic bodes well for the Tigers, who have scored fewer than 27 points only once all season.
Herrin averages 46.8 points per game offensively, relying on senior running backs Chase Merrill and Brent Milner. Merrill and Milner have each rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons.
Milner ran for a game-high 229 yards and two scores against Carterville. Merrill added 65 yards and a touchdown of his own.
Senior running back Chris Butler and junior running back Gavyn Gosha also factor in the Tiger rushing attack.
Saturday's semifinal game will kick off at 2 p.m. at Herrin's Harrison Bruce Sports Complex. The gates will open at 11:30 for what will likely be a large crowd for Herrin's first semifinal appearance in school history.
A quick drive through Herrin is all it takes to see evidence of the support the community has for its football team. Businesses on virtually every block of Park Street display some form of "Go Tigers."
Herrin boys' basketball coach Irv Lukens said the football team's success has brought the whole town together.
"It's good to see everybody come together with the same focus," Lukens said. "We're cheering and trying to get our town the win."
The winner of the Rochester-Herrin semifinal will advance to Memorial Stadium in Champaign to face wither Coal City High School or Chicago Phillips High School. Those two schools will meet at 3:45 p.m. Saturday at Chicago Phillips' Gately Stadium.
Phillips advanced to the semifinal after knocking off previously unbeaten Rockford Lutheran High School in dramatic fashion.
The Wildcats took on a Lutheran team that came into the game averaging almost 54 points per game and held them to 13, getting help from a missed extra point to win 14-13.
Phillips' offense runs through senior dual-threat quarterback Dewayne Collins. Collins threw a 33-yard touchdown pass in the quarterfinals and ran for the other Wildcat touchdown.
Phillips hangs its hat on its defense. The Wildcats have notched seven shutouts this season. Their lone loss came to Mundelein Carmel Catholic High School on Sept. 6.
Sophomore defensive tackle Chris Elmore led Phillips with three of the Wildcats' six sacks against Rockford Lutheran.
The Wildcats will face a Coal City squad that relies on its run game.
Senior running back Jack Dibble is the lynchpin of the Coalers' attack. He ran for 304 yards and all four of his team's touchdowns in the second round of the playoffs against Elgin St. Edward Central Catholic High School.
St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said Phillips would be in for a grind against Coal City.
"They're pretty much what they look like on paper," Rolando said. "They've got big kids. They'll wear you down."
Thomas can be reached at email@example.com and on Twitter @tdonleyDE]]>
SIU volleyball ended conference play the way it started; with a win against Evansville.
The Salukis (16-14, 10-8) ended their regular season with a 3-0 win against the Evansville Purple Aces (8-22, 4-14).
Freshman outside hitter Abby Barrow led the team with 10 kills, but her hitting efficiency percentage was only .182. Ingram said Barrow was getting blocked a lot.
"She was struggling at the beginning of the match for about the first set and a half," coach Justin Ingram said.
Junior hitter Taylor Pippen led the team in hitting percentage at .615 with 9 kills on 13 attempts. It was her highest efficiency since Oct. 10, when she hit .700 against Drake. Pippen finished the regular season with a .413 percentage, the highest on the team.
"I'm really proud we ended the regular season play on a good note," Pippen said.
Sophomore defensive specialist Katie Baki had 3 service aces, and led the team with 8 digs for the first time this season.
Baki did not have any receiving errors, while senior libero Alex Rivera had two. Rivera has led the team with 470 digs this season.
"We were up against a really good hitter, [Evansville senior Ashley] Ring is a great hitter," Baki said. "I was just trying to get touches on anything I could."
Ring recorded 10 kills, but hit -.038.
Baki said she stood back further from the serving line because the ball floated for a longer period of time, making it harder for the opponent to know where it was going.
Redshirt freshman outside hitter Andrea Estrada led the Salukis with 316 kills this season.
With the win, the Salukis could have an easier start at the MVC tournament.
SIU clinched a conference tournament bid Nov. 7 with a 3-2 win against Northern Iowa (19-10, 13-4), but they could move up to the fifth seed.
"We did our part tonight as far as controlling what we can control," Ingram said.
Indiana State (17-12, 9-8) had a half-game lead on SIU entering the weekend. Friday, the Salukis took a half-game lead with their win and a 3-0 Sycamore loss to the Wichita State Shockers (19-8, 13-4).
The Sycamores play Missouri State (18-11, 11-6) Saturday, and would earn the fifth seed with a win.
Missouri State will likely be the fourth seed, which means either Indiana State or SIU will play the Bears in the opening round. The sixth-seeded team will either play Northern Iowa or Wichita State in the first round, depending on which team is the second seed and which is the third.
Ingram said he is not worried about who the team plays in the opening round. He said the team will probably stick with the same rotation it has consistently used this season.
The Salukis play in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, starting Thursday.
Aaron Graff can be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.com, on Twitter @Aarongraff_DE or 536-3311 ext. 269]]>
SIU football's opponent Saturday has been one of the biggest surprises in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this season.
Illinois State was picked to finish sixth in the conference's preseason poll. Since then, ISU has gone 9-1. Their spectacular season set them up with a nice scenario; a win against SIU and a North Dakota State loss, and the Redbirds will be MVFC champions.
SIU head coach Dale Lennon said Saturday's game is big, his team can ruin MVFC championship hopes and send the seniors out on a positive note during his weekly press conference on Monday.
Just how likely are SIU to do that? It's possible for certain, but doesn't look great.
There is no indication if sophomore Ryan West or junior Mark Iannotti will start at quarterback for SIU. Iannotti finished the last game against Northern Iowa after West was threw 3 interceptions.
Lennon has not commented on who will start since Monday, when he said he wasn't ready to make that decision. The starter for Saturday's game will likely not be public knowledge until game time.
It is also unclear if senior running back Malcolm Agnew will return for his final game as a Saluki.
"I'm curious to see how he's going to be able to go," Lennon said. "I guess it probably doesn't look good, but we'll just kind of see where he's at as the week progresses."
Agnew has not played since suffering an ankle injury Oct. 18 against Youngstown State. If Agnew is absent it is likely that redshirt freshman running back Cameron Walter will take most of the carries for the Dawgs.
No Agnew could spell disaster against Illinois State's No. 20 ranked rushing defense. Walter has proven that he can have big games, but getting to 100 yards on the ground against the redbirds will be no easy task.
Illinois State's defense has been a big part of the team's success; it ranks No. 18 in the Football Championship Subdivision. Unfortunately for SIU, the Redbirds aren't just sound defensively; they're the whole package.
Illinois State has a high scoring offense, only three times have the Redbirds been held under 30 points, and never under 20 points. Those impressive numbers earn Illinois State's the FCS's No. 13 ranked scoring offense.
Why is the offense so potent? Look no further than junior running back Marshaun Coprich and junior quarterback Tre Roberson.
Coprich and Roberson are first and second respectively in rushing yards on the team.
Coprich has 1,585 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground the season for Illinois State. He is ranked No. 3 in the FCS in rushing yards and only three players in the FCS found the end zone more than Coprich this season.
Roberson's passing numbers wont blow anyone away. He is only in the FCS top-20 in one passing category; he is fifth in yards per completion. What make's Roberson so lethal is his ability to run.
Roberson has carried for 711 yards and 5 touchdowns. His ability to move under pressure has caused headaches for opposing defenses all season.
Lennon said he thinks Roberson is the best dual-threat quarterback his team will face in 2014.
For SIU to have any chance at victory in this game the defense will have to find answer to Illinois State's frightening run game.
With a win on Saturday the Salukis can finish 7-5, but it would seem a lot would have to go right for that to happen.
Illinois State is likely to most well around team SIU has faced since the game against North Dakota State on Oct. 11. It will take a big game from the SIU defense just to give the Salukis a shot.
If that doesn't happen Coprich and Roberson will run wild on the Salukis and SIU will be staring at it's first season without a winning record since 2011.]]>
SIU (1-2) lost its second game of the season as it was dominated by Kent State (3-0) in the opening match of a stretch of three games in three days.
The Salukis never led during the game as the Flashes' defense frustrated SIU all night en route to a 74-51 KSU win. SIU shot 35 percent from the field and 16 percent from the arc, while Kent State shot 51 percent from the field and 55 percent from long range.
Six Salukis failed to score during the game and the team scored the least points of the season.
KSU led by as many as 24 points, turned the ball over 14 times and had 16 assists. SIU had 17 turnovers and just 6 assists. The Flashes scored nearly a third of their points off Saluki turnovers.
KSU forward Jimmy Hall led all scorers with 16 points and led his team with 6 rebounds. SIU was headed by guard Anthony Beane and forward Sean O'Brien who both had 12 points in the loss.
Freshman forward Jordan Caroline added 11 points and 8 rebounds for the Salukis before he fouled out during the second half.
The first half was a struggle for SIU as KSU went into the intermission leading 43-28. Kent State led by double digits most of the half and hit 7-of-12 three pointers after going just 3-19 in its last game.
SIU continued to fight and repeatedly cut the lead to 11 but could not quite rein in KSU. The Salukis had 12 turnovers in the first half, which is more than any half of this season and last season.
The Salukis continue playing in the Kent State Men Against Breast Cancer Classic at 4 p.m. Saturday against Yale, and at 12 p.m. Sunday against the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Tyler Davis can be reached at email@example.com or on Twitter @TDavis_DE.]]>
An Illinois judge deemed a law intended to reform the state's unfunded pension system unconstitutional on Friday.
Public Act 98-0599, or Senate Bill 1, was passed in December of 2013 and redistributed pension funds of public officials into health insurance accounts. Judge John Belz, of the Sangamon County Circuit, ruled in favor of unions and retirees who claimed the law infringed upon Article VIII, section 5 of the Illinois Constitution.
With one of the nation's largest budget deficits and a shortfall of funds for pensions, Gov. Pat Quinn signed the act into law Dec. 5, 2013. Lobbyists for workers' unions and retirees, including Bruce Appleby, president of the State University Annuitants Association, have since fought it.
The association focuses on preserving pension and healthcare benefits for public universities and community colleges' employees, both active and retirees, according to its website.
Appleby, a professor emeritus in English at SIU, said the ruling is a win for his organization, but he anticipates more legal action to follow.
"What happened today with the ruling is that they cannot do what they were trying to do in that Senate bill," Appleby said. "Now the state will appeal that decision to the Supreme Court but for us, it's a major victory."
Appleby said the SUAA has committed more than $400,000 to fight whatever court action ensues. He said Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner's position on the matter is not clear as he has not stated if he'll support the state or the union.
In a statement Friday, Rauner said the matter will have to be decided by the state's Supreme Court.
"Today's ruling is the first step in a process that should ultimately be decided by the Illinois Supreme Court," Rauner wrote. "It is my hope that the court will take up the case and rule as soon as possible. I look forward to working with the legislature to craft and implement effective, bipartisan pension reform."
Other state officials, including Rep. Michael Madigan, have called for swift action by the Supreme Court as the legislature will have to work on new pension reform early in 2015.
Appleby said the state has taken 18 percent of his pension to pay for his healthcare, and for employees without Social Security, more than 20 percent was taken. He said his organization's injunction is what incited this ruling.
"The SUAA saw an injunction and got that injunction that said [the law] was unconstitutional because the Constitution Article VIII, section 5 says that they cannot diminish or impair our benefits, and our health insurance is one of our benefits," he said.
Now that the law will have to be adjusted, the state will have to repay this amount with interest, Appleby said.
When Quinn signed the law nearly a year ago, he said it was security for those who regularly added to the pension system.
"This bill will ensure retirement security for those who have faithfully contributed to the pension systems, end the squeeze on critical education and healthcare services and support economic growth," Quinn wrote last year in a press release.
Tyler Davis can be reached at email@example.com or on Twitter @tdavis_DE.]]>
Matthew Riordan, a sophomore from Peotone studying psychology and criminal justice, performs a precision jump Wednesday on the steps in front of Pulliam Hall. Riordan is the Vice President for Unofficial Parkour, which was established this year and has 20 active members. The group is not an official RSO, however the members use facilities like the Mat Room in the Recreation Center to train. "We took a bunch of kids who didn't know how to do parkour but wanted to, and we provided them with a safe environment to learn," Riordan said.
Aidan Osborne • Daily Egyptian]]>
Students with anxiety disorders may have trouble in college, but there are options to help make life less overwhelming.
Christy Hamilton, a counselor with Counseling and Psychological Services, said the Student Health Center received 654 students for individual therapy and 115 students for group therapy during fiscal year 2014.
Counseling and Psychological Services is a portion of the Student Health Center that provides counseling and crisis counseling services to students.
The American College Health Association reported in its 2014 National College Health Assessment anxiety affected the academic standing of 21 percent of students surveyed.
The Mayo Clinic website states anxiety disorders come in several forms and are characterized by the sudden and persistent onset of fear. They also share common symptoms such as increased heart rate, feelings of powerlessness, sweating, trembling and difficulty concentrating.
Gabrielle Morris, a junior from St. Louis studying rehabilitation services, said she has had generalized anxiety for about two years and experiences shaking and an increased heart rate. She said her long-term experience with anxiety helps her.
"I know it's going to be there, but I know how to handle it better than when I first started having anxiety," Morris said.
Morris said she will not talk in some situations, but can still perform everyday tasks.
Jani Jones, a therapist with Goya Health in Energy, said it would be difficult to know if a person is having a panic attack without knowing him or her intimately.
"For the most part, unless it's a severe anxiety attack, no one's really going to know you're having one," Jones said. "If they break out in a sweat and turn really pale, you may be going 'Oh, this person's about to faint on me.'"
Hamilton said students with social anxiety might avoid social situations, which sometimes affects their performance in classes.
"They go to great lengths to try to avoid that interaction," Hamilton said.
She said attending smaller classes is a challenge for students with anxiety because they engage in deeper critical discussions.
"They're going to be expecting that they're going to have to participate and that might really exacerbate the anxiety," Hamilton said.
Jones said she has seen clients' grades suffer because anxiety causes them to withdraw from classes. She said students dealing with anxiety may not understand something in class, but are reluctant to ask for help because they do not want attention drawn to them.
Hamilton said she has met with clients who are avoiding classes because they fear having to speak when there.
Morris said she has trouble talking in front of a class.
"It took me a while to get comfortable to really speak in class, so I generally only speak in my major classes because I know the students, and I am in multiple classes with them," she said.
Morris said it takes time to be able to raise her hand, but she adapts by emailing the instructors questions later as opposed to asking in person.
Jones said the stigma surrounding mental illness does not have merit and is inaccurate.
"It's a physical condition. The whole 'mental illness' [description], I hate that because it is a physical illness," she said.
She said mental illness is caused by hormonal imbalance, which is a physical issue.
Morris said people react strangely when she tells them she sees a therapist.
"They automatically go to the worst possible scenario and they're like 'Is everything okay with your family?' or 'Did something happen to you?' and I'm just like, 'No. I just have really bad anxiety,'" she said.
Morris said people should not belittle anxiety.
"Don't tell me that my anxiety is wrong or I shouldn't have it because it's not really controllable," Morris said.
Morris is part of Active Minds, which is a Registered Student Organization formed with the goal of reducing the stigma of mental illness.
"Active Minds helps because everyone has stuff they go through… It's not judgmental at all and they understand where I'm coming from," she said.
Hamilton said students can ease their way into university social life by joining a group or RSO that shares a common interest with them. She said common interests would reduce the fear of judgment. She also said exposure to fear helps to reduce the power that fear has.
Jones said if you are aware of someone having anxiety problems, it is better to ask them what they need.
"If you're around someone and you can kind of see they're shutting down or they're withdrawn physically, you can just say 'Let's go take a walk,'" Jones said. "Anything to distract that person; main thing is just get them out of that situation."
She also said one way to help calm a panic attack is by singing because it changes people's breathing patterns.
She said it is also important for students to build strong social bonds so they have somewhere to go during difficult situations.
"Good relationships can do all sorts of things for our sense of safety and help us feel understood," Hamilton said.
Hamilton said group therapy is the gold standard of treatment for those with anxiety because it is a safe place for students to share their concerns.
"These types of groups are really great for trying out new types of social behavior," Hamilton said.
She said those seeking help can use counseling groups to acclimate to social situations.
"For this particular concern, it's much more powerful than one-on-one individual counseling," Hamilton said. "It truly is one of the most powerful ways for a person to try out those new social behaviors because it is the safest way to do that."]]>
From Democrats to pastors, Republican Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner has lined up a diverse group of people to help his transition into office.
One day after winning the Illinois governor's race, Rauner began announcing picks for his transition team.
Rauner's running mate Lt. Gov.-elect Evelyn Sanguinetti leads the team. Dozens of other advisors have been appointed, including former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley, former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, U.S. Representative Aaron Schock and former SIU President Glenn Poshard.
Daley served as White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama from January 2011 to January 2012, and is confident in Rauner and the team he picked.
"Bruce's love for Illinois and his competitive drive can make it great once again, the second to none," Daley said.
Aaron Schock is the U.S. representative for Illinois' 118th Congressional District and has held this office since 2009. He said a transition team is an interim cabinet that helps the governor-elect make effective administrative and policy changes.
"It is an advisory board, not a governing board," Schock said. "The transition team only exists while the state government is in transition."
Schock said he is satisfied with Rauner's picks and will make himself available to the governor-elect in any way he needs.
"He's assembled a balanced, bipartisan transition team of effective leaders who are working together to make policy and staffing recommendations that will get the Illinois economy back on track," Schock said. "The goal is to help Governor Rauner prepare to lead the entire Illinois administration, which includes every state department and commission."
Glenn Poshard, a former U.S. and state represenative, said Rauner called him the day after the election and asked if he would be interested in joining the team.
"He felt that my background, having served at the state and federal levels of government, my background in education, economic development, some of these other areas, would serve him well on the transition team," Poshard said. "I told him I would be happy to do whatever I could to get him started and wished him much success."
Although it will be up to Rauner what issues the team will focus on, Poshard said he hopes to advise Rauner on education-related issues. Poshard, a former educator who has been with SIU for more than 40 years, said education and funding for education is one of the biggest issues that concerns him.
"My major issues are trying to make sure that we stabilize the state funding for education," he said.
Poshard said students coming from wealthy areas often have an advantage for getting a good education, but he will make it his responsibility to balance these opportunities for all students. He said he also wants to advise Rauner on economic and job-related issues, and said he will focus on making sure Illinois gets the infrastructure funds it needs to create to jobs.
Poshard said he plans on cooperating with Rauner to make sure the transition team is successful.
"Well, I think every transition team can be effective," Poshard said. "I've worked with transition teams before and what you look for are people who have good ideas, who have experience and knowledge in certain areas that you can take their ideas, their energy and I think the transition team is an important part of having a new administration off and running."
Rauner said a diverse team is important for getting Illinois back on the right track.
"Well, it's all about tapping into the great resources of the people of Illinois," Rauner said "We want the smartest, most accomplished leaders in the state to help be a part of our government administration. We also want to tap into the networks of people who know other people who are leaders."
Through expertise, knowledge and networking, Rauner said his team will help him find solutions for the state's issues.
"We want experts in finance, and in pensions, and in healthcare and in operations and technology," Rauner said. "We want the most talented people in Illinois to come forward and volunteer and join the administration so we can become the best run state in America."
Republican Terri Bryant was elected state representative for Illinois' 115th District on Nov. 4. She said the voters sent the Republican Party a clear message with Rauner's win. She said his background will also help his transition to governor.
"He is a very successful business man," Bryant said. "He has the right idea when it comes to cutting taxes. Therefore you're basically bringing business into the state."
Bryant also said the diversity of Rauner's transition team reflects his openness to compromise.
"I think he's made a very broad and definitely deep transition team, and it looks like he's reached across the aisle so I would hope that going that extra mile to include individuals in both parties would indicate he's willing to reach out and be open-minded," Bryant said.
Rauner is not the first elected official to create a transition team before taking office.
David Yepsen, the director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, said new administrations do this often.
"I think it's pretty common, in fact, when you get a new administration, new president, new governor, to have a group of people who come in and help you find permanent staff to help you identify the issues in the department," Yepsen said. "There are literally hundreds of positions that a governor has to fill and so you've got to start at the top with good people to get that done."
John Jackson, a political scientist, said forming a transition team has been the standard procedure for new administrations for years.
"It's always done," Jackson said. "It's established protocol going back for many years and it's also kind of a state-level model of what the presidential candidates do if they're elected president."
Yepsen said it's important for newly-elected officials to form diverse transition teams.
Jackson, a visiting SIU professor, also said the team's diversity will be good for Rauner's administration.
"We are a very large and diverse state and these people present some of that diversity, not all of it, but it's a desirable quality to have a group like this represent a number of different interests," Jackson said.
The first week of Saluki basketball is best described as a microcosm of what the rest of the season could look like. A close loss on the road, against a good team, was followed by a decisive win on the road, against a bad one.
This team's consistency will be the defining characteristic of the season. Not talent or scoring. Not coaching or bench players.
The first two games of the year were not a surprise. Saint Louis University provided an early test, and possibly the hardest non-conference game of the season. The young Salukis responded well, by limiting mistakes and playing tough defense.
But one veteran scorer, Austin McBroom, was able to propel the Billikens past the Saluki pups.
SIU won big Tuesday night against Tennessee State University, although the Tigers are not a great or deep team. After all, the team was picked to finish last in the Ohio Valley Conference and dressed just eight players against SIU.
The most noteworthy aspect of the game, besides SIU junior Anthony Beane's career-high 32 points, was that yet another opponent, senior guard Jay Harris, had a great shooting night against SIU. Harris shot 9-15 from the field and scored 23 points.
Opponents have had a player score 20 or more points in three out of four games versus the Salukis.
Coach Barry Hinson said if the Salukis play good team defense, he is not concerned about one opposing player doing well.
"If one guy gets 50 on us and we win, and we hold a team under 39 percent or lower field goal percentage, I'm going to come out of that game saying 'ok, we did a good job,'" he said.
Hinson said he has confidence in his team's scoring, so if the Salukis can hold opponents to a low field goal percentage, his team will have a shot at winning most games.
But the offense and defense will be tested during the next month, as junior Ibby Djimde will miss four to six weeks with a knee injury. While the injury does not require surgery, Hinson said the 6-foot-8 center will not be at full health for the rest of the season.
That injury comes just weeks after Hinson revealed freshman forward Jordan Caroline will be dealing with a lingering injury for the rest of the year.
With the banged-up big men, forward Sean O'Brien will remain a focal point of the team's offense. Through two regular season games, the versatile sophomore has averaged 15 points and 9.5 rebounds a game.
He will need to keep those numbers up against a fast-paced Kent State team on Friday and an experienced Yale team Saturday.
Kent State will be a new challenge for the shorthanded Salukis. KSU is the most experienced team SIU has faced with five seniors, and also the tallest team the Salukis have faced with seven players 6-foot-7 or taller. One player, senior center Blake Vedder, is 7-foot-4.
With that height, SIU will have to rebound well to have a shot at winning. The team thoroughly outrebounded TSU but narrowly lost the battle on the boards against SLU.
Hinson said his team must match the activity of the long and active Kent State group.
"Their best offense, sometimes, is a missed shot," he said. "They're relentless on the glass and we have got to do a good job of getting those guys off the glass."
Facing Yale the next day will be a different animal.
Yale has eight upperclassmen and returns leading scorer and All-Ivy selection, junior guard Justin Sears. Along with the talented guard, the Bulldogs boast a squad that is picked to finish second in the Ivy League.
These two games, plus a meeting with in-state rival University of Illinois at Chicago on Saturday, will give SIU all it can handle. These Pups have yet to play games on back-to-back nights, so playing three games in a row will be foreign as well.
This stretch of games will be a good indication of SIU's ceiling.
SIU can play with the NCAA-tournament caliber teams. It did against SLU, but it couldn't finish them off. Winning close games late is the mark of a good team. Hinson does not want the highlight of the season to be an almost-win against a good team.
But this team is young. It has time to learn how to win.
A couple decisive wins during the Men Against Breast Cancer Classic at Kent State, and this weekend could end up being the microcosm that appropriately describes the season.
Tyler Davis can be reached at email@example.com or on Twitter @TDavis_DE]]>
Underclassmen tote tablets throughout campus. However, the success of the tablets is in its infancy.
The Mobile Dawg Program, a $1.5 million project distributing more than 5,600 tablets to freshmen this year, could be improving retention and recruitment, though not all students use it in the same way.
"Although it has not been a perfect project, it has been very successful," said David Crain, assistant provost and Chief Information Officer for Information and Technology.
Crain said the program has helped freshman-to-sophomore retention, which increased 8 percent for fall 2014.
Provost Susan Ford said tablets may have helped, but not tablets alone.
"I can't absolutely say that that improvement in retention is due to any one particular thing," she said.
Ford said some students leave the university because of financial, educational, advisement and mental health issues.
"For the ones that we can address, we're trying lots of different ways to reach out and know what those problems are and try to help students overcome them," she said. "Tablets help."
Both Crain and Ford agreed tablets help recruitment efforts.
Ford said the program, as well as several on-campus computer labs, attracts students of low socioeconomic status to the university who would not otherwise have access to technology.
"If we were Princeton, every student might walk in with a computer purchased by mommy or daddy that's top-of-the-line with all the latest gizmos on it," she said. "That's not SIU."
New freshman enrollment increased by 13 percent for fall 2013, and nearly 5 percent for fall 2014, according to a report by Linda Hubbs, the IT educational coordinator.
Students' thoughts about tablets and their uses vary.
Crain said in a survey his department coordinated, 31 percent of respondents said the tablet program was a factor in their decision to attend SIU.
More than 5 percent of students said it was a major factor.
Seventy-one percent use them for homework and to access electronic textbooks and labs, and 61 percent use them to watch videos and listen to music.
Forty-seven percent use them for social media and 25 percent to use them play games.
Crain said the tablets' primary use is for electronic textbooks and homework, but it is important for students to use them for fun to help integrate the tablets into their everyday lives.
"We want them to use it as if it were their own device, to make their tablet their go-to computing resource," he said.
Crain said freshmen would save $300 on books if they downloaded ones for core classes, such as English 101 and 102, Math 101, 107, and 108, Communication Studies 101 and University College 101.
Not all students use their tablets.
"I haven't used it once since the first two weeks of school," said Eli Scherer, a sophomore from Anna studying German and international studies.
Scherer said the first two tablets he received had battery and synchronization issues. He said it took two weeks for him to receive a third, working one.
Scherer said he was unable to attend training workshops about the tablets during the first weeks of school because he was without one for so long.
"I was really confused by it," he said.
Karrie Sacketos, a freshman from Skokie studying radio television, said she uses her tablet daily.
She said her laptop and cell phone broke at the beginning of the semester, and she used her tablet to communicate through Facebook Messenger and other social media.
Sacketos said she likes how the tablets are compatible with many smart phone applications.
"I was able to have that same concept and not feel so disconnected being far away from home," she said.
Sacketos said she uses her tablet to type papers and search the Internet. She said she downloaded electronic textbooks for her English 101 course, and would download texts for other courses if they were available.
"It's really convenient because the ones they do offer online, we don't have to carry them around anymore," he said.
Sacketos said she dislikes the low storage space on tablets. She said her tablet is nearly full after writing English and other course papers for less than a full semester.
"That's crazy because they're supposed to last us through the four years of college," she said. "For them to already not have disc space is ridiculous."
Crain said university email accounts offer students online cloud storage through Office 365, which is why the tablets have such low storage space.
He said the university will continue to purchase tablets with the minimum hard drive space to save money.
Marissa Novel can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com, on Twitter @marissanovelDE or at 536-3311 ext. 268.
Many students return home to their families and gather around a Christmas tree to open presents. However, not every child in the world can have the same jolly experience.
SIU fraternities and sororities came together Wednesday to help brighten Christmas for 136 less fortunate children around the world.
AJ Soriano, philanthropy chair for Alpha Tau Omega, organized a present packing party to put together boxes for Operation Christmas Child.
Soriano, a senior from Downer's Grove studying business management, said he found Operation Christmas Child, a Christian aid organization that sends shoe boxes filled with toothbrushes, non-liquid hygiene products and toys to children in Africa and Europe, who may not be able to afford them.
Since 1993, more than 113 million boxes have been delivered to more than 150 countries, according to its website.
"For a number of years, our fraternity has searched for a way to create some communal philanthropy and create some bonds with the community for a common good," Soriano said. "We wanted a way to reach out to students and non-Greeks, and Greeks alike."
As Christmas tunes such as "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" and "Jingle Bell Rock" filled room 150 of the Student Services Building, members from Alpha Gamma Delta, Sigma Lambda Beta, Pi Sigma Epsilon, Sigma Pi and ATO gathered to pack boxes.
Angel Escobar, a senior from Chicago studying mechanical engineering, said he enjoyed being able to help out children that are less fortunate than he is.
"It's good for us to give them some things they don't have, as well as the spirit of Christmas," said Escobar, a member of SLB.
Soriano said family members of the greek organizations donated more than $700 to purchase the gifts for the packages. Slinkies, crayons, coloring books and toy cars were among the selection of toys for packing.
He said toys are sent in the original packaging because many children who receive a box have never experienced the thrill of opening up a new gift.
The SIU Dental Hygiene program donated 120 toothbrushes to be gifted.
Participants included a small note, with the box telling the child who receives it, how much they enjoyed making the gift, and some personal information, as well a photo of themselves.
Soriano said he hopes the picture and note created a more personal connection between giver and receiver, more than just sending a box and doing something nice, but a trace of humanity.
An additional benefit of the event was the collaboration of multiple Greek organizations
Mark Homann, a sophomore from St. Charles studying business marketing and management and a member of ATO, said he enjoyed seeing the cooperation between the different clubs.
"It's cool to see that we all care about the bigger picture," Homann said.
Labels are placed on each box, so participants can track where their gift ends up.
The 136 packages were taken to First Baptist Church in Marion, and will be shipped from there.
Soriano said one of his goals for the event was to make it sustainable and become an annual tradition.
"If helping out a child who's underprivileged with a gift we take for granted every year doesn't get you up in the morning, I don't know what will," he said.
Austin Miller can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or on Twitter @AMiller_DE]]>
The SIU football team's defense has adapted during the last two games after senior linebacker Victor Burnett and senior cornerback Keith Suggs were dismissed from the team.
The two players were released from the team Nov. 10 for a violation of team rules.
Burnett was arrested Nov. 1 by Carbondale Police for possession of cannabis, intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to court records. He was suspended from the team Nov. 4.
Suggs was suspended from the team Nov. 6. According to a sworn statement of probable cause by Carbondale police officer Jeramie Stewart, Suggs said he assisted Burnett in selling cannabis.
Burnett had 40 tackles—sixth on the team—at the time of his suspension.
Inside linebacker coach Todd Auer said he has not changed the game plan since Burnett was dismissed.
"I always tell guys they need to be paying attention so when something like this happens they are ready to step up," he said.
One of the players who has seen more playing time in Burnett's absence is sophomore Darius Merriweather. He has 18 tackles this season, with five in the last two games.
Merriweather had his best game of the year Nov. 8 against Missouri State when he recorded 4 tackles.
"It was really good to get the monkey off my back," he said. "I stepped up and made plays when it really mattered. It was a confidence booster."
Auer said he was happy with Merriweather's performance and knew because of his work ethic, Merriweather would step up and play well given the chance.
Merriweather said he learned a lot from Burnett in the time they played together.
"He was actually one of the first guys I met when I came here," he said. "I learned how to persevere through things from Victor. I'm kind of doing this for him because he couldn't do this last year because of his injuries."
Sophomore Chase Allen leads the team with 88 tackles; 22 are from the last two games.
"Chase just gets better every week," Auer said. "He moved from outside [linebacker] to inside [linebacker] this year, and he could learn a new position every week."
Senior Jordan Poole has increased reps in the absence of Burnett. He is fourth on the team in tackles with 67. He's had 16 in the last two weeks.
Auer said Poole has performed well all year, but played exceptionally well against Northern Iowa when he recorded 11 tackles.
The coach said he does not think losing Burnett has affected the team.
"I think we are fine," he said. "Both these last two games our inside linebackers have played really well. Victor was a physical guy, but I don't think we've missed a beat."
In the secondary, the loss of Suggs has not created a problem. Secondary coach David Elson said the players have taken advantage of more reps.
Suggs had 28 tackles, an interception, 2 break-ups and 3 pass deflections this season.
The secondary had a steady rotation of players all season, including senior cornerbacks Courtney Richmond and Boo Rodgers.
"Like any good team, we have a next up mentality," Elson said. "It's really just meant more reps for Rodgers and Richmond. We are fortunate that we've stayed healthy and been able to develop some depth."
Richmond has 40 tackles, 2 interceptions, 5 break-ups and 7 pass deflections this season.
Elson said Richmond has finished plays well all year and has broken up more passes, which is something he wants from his players.
He has 11 tackles and an interception in the two games since Suggs' dismissal.
Rodgers has 20 tackles, 2 interceptions, 7 break-ups and 9 pass deflections this season. In the last two games he's had 6 tackles and 2 break-ups.
"I've been really proud of the way those guys have stepped up, especially as seniors," Elson said. "It does look like they are playing their best football over the last three or four weeks."
The Salukis will finish the season at 1 p.m. Saturday in Normal against Illinois State.
Brent Meske can be reached at email@example.com or on Twitter @brentmeskeDE.]]>
No charges will be filed in the 2012 case of the death of Molly Young, according to a report by the state's attorney appellate prosecutor obtained by KFVS-TV.
The report says there is insufficient evidence to declare the case a homicide, but that it will remain an open investigation.
"This allows anyone to still come forward with information that would advance the theory of a homicide rather than a suicide," the report states. "The reality of a criminal prosecution is that once an indictment is issued, the prosecutor must be armed with the same evidence he or she would need to meet the burden of proof of beyond a reasonable doubt. Such a threshold cannot be met under the facts of this case at this time."
Young was found dead March 24, 2012 with a gunshot wound to the head in her ex-boyfriend's apartment in Carbondale. Richie Minton, her former boyfriend, worked as a Carbondale police dispatcher at the time of her death.
Young's father Larry Young told the DAILY EGYPTIAN on Wednesday he started an investigative committee to evaluate the case and provided the state's attorney with several documents, including blood evidence, names, phone numbers and addresses of everyone who lived in Minton's apartment complex.
"We sent them all the information they needed," he said. "They haven't acted on any of that. We never understood why they're saying that [there is a lack of evidence]."
The family and community—noting the treatment of the case appears similar to that of former SIU student Pravin Varughese—have criticized the actions of police and other officials involved. Varughese was found dead Feb. 18 after he had been missing for five days.
"There continues to remain a stench like a very heavy fog surrounding not only Molly's but Pravin's [case], and who knows how many others in Carbondale," Larry Young said. "It is unconscionable that prosecutors would let the media have their report without contacting our family about our concerns and explaining the findings to us first."]]>
Although the SIU football team was eliminated from playoff contention with its loss to Northern Iowa on Saturday, it still has plenty to play for.
The Salukis needed to beat seven Division I schools to become playoff eligible in the Football Championship Subdivision. The loss to Northern Iowa dropped the Salukis' record to 6-5, and 5-5 against Division I opponents.
Coach Dale Lennon said SIU would look to put its fingerprints on the Missouri Valley Football Conference standings by playing spoiler against Illinois State on Saturday.
"Well, this is a big game," Lennon said. "Number one, a conference champion could be decided in this game, so if you don't think that doesn't put some signifiance into it, you don't think we're much of a competitor."
ISU is tied with North Dakota State for first place in the conference at 6-1. A loss by the Redbirds would end their chances of winning the outright MVFC title.
Junior quarterback Mark Iannotti has personal reasons for wanting to beat Illinois State.
Not only is he familiar with many people at Illinois State from his high school days, but he also wants revenge for a 2012 game when Illinois State defeated Iannotti's former team Eastern Michigan.
"It's one of my rivals," Iannotti said. "Back at Eastern Michigan, they came into our house and threw us around a little bit. I definitely have some bad blood with Illinois State and I want to get them back."
Senior tight end MyCole Pruitt said the Salukis would remain focused on winning Saturday's game despite being out of playoff contention.
"We're pretty much just trying to finish strong and finish out this year on a good note," Pruitt said. "We've had a lot of things happen to us over the course of this season. We're just trying to finish out on a high note."
SIU's season-opening win over Taylor University, a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, set the Salukis back by taking a spot on the schedule that could have been filled by a Division I school.
The last time SIU made the playoffs was in 2009. Each year since, the Salukis have been eliminated from playoff eligibility before the final week of the season.
After the Salukis' loss to Indiana State on Oct. 25, SIU needed to win each of its three remaining games in order to make the playoffs.
The Salukis won their next game at Missouri State but fell to Northern Iowa a week later.
Senior linebacker Tyler Williamson said the pressure of needing to win was nothing new to SIU.
"Obviously we've been in the same kind of position the last two years I've been here," Williamson said. "I don't think it was anything we couldn't handle. We just didn't do what we needed to do."
Lennon said pride was a motivating factor for SIU heading into its last game of the season.
"There's a big difference between a 7-5 record and a 6-6 record," Lennon said. "And there's a lot of momentum that could be built off that. We can still finish in the upper echelon of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which is the best football conference in the country."
Thomas can be reached at email@example.com and on Twitter @tdonleyde.]]>
Even though dialect differs from decade to decade, similar social issues are presented in the McLeod's final performance of the fall season.
The McLeod Theater will perform its rendition of "Clybourne Park," which provides a unique juxtaposition of generations from the year 1959 to 2009.
The play, set in a Chicago neighborhood, was originally written by Bruce Norris and is directed at SIU by Segan Ojewuyi.
The central theme of the production revolves around a couple, Bev and Russ, who are eager to sell their house because of the memories surfacing of their son's tragic death.
Members of the community encourage the couple to stay because the family purchasing their home is African-American.
One thing that stands out in this production is the time period change from the first and second acts. The first takes place in 1959 during the height of segregation, whereas the second takes place in 2009.
All the performers in the first act will be in the second as well, but as different characters.
"It was a lot more difficult to do act one than act two because act two is in 2009," said Dan Heise, who plays Russ. "It was a lot easier to connect with that language because it was so kind of rapid fire."
Heise, a senior from Columbia studying theater, said this will be his first major role in a McLeod Theater production.
He said it was much easier to transition from act one to act two, rather than two to one because it goes from an outdated style of speaking to a more relaxed one.
Heise said the social issues at hand are much more obvious in the first act, given the time period.
"In the '50s it is a lot more direct," he said. "One of the things our director touched on was that there's this whole thing of this political correctness that comes into being by 2009."
The subject of racism is "tap danced around" in the second act because people do not want to come out and say the issue of race is at hand, he said.
Other than race, the production has other themes such as grief and losing one close to you.
One person who was very attentive during the production was Vincent Rhomberg, McLeod Theater marketing coordinator.
Rhomberg said after watching the play he went home and had to process all of the elements that were brought up.
"The play is very layered," he said. "There's not a single thing that drives it through in terms of 'Oh, this is about racism, or this is about dealing with the loss of a family,' and burying those memories and wanting to move on … and at what point do we share that as a common human condition? … I think those resonated very highly with me."
Heise said he wants the production to make people think rather than be a call for people to take action and enact change.
"If anything, I'm hoping it will make people think a lot more about the way the world is and how all those different relations work in today's society," Heise said.
The McLeod Theater will show "Clybourne Park" Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $16 for adults and $6 for students.]]>
One band that has become increasingly familiar to the Carbondale music scene over the years has been the '90s music and dance cover band the Hot Sauce Committee.
With a band name inspired by a hit Beastie Boys track, it can be inferred that the Hot Sauce Committee knows how to bring the '90s back to any venue they play.
The Chicago-based band combines '90s hip-hop beats that gain emphasis with their two DJ's but they combine it with the energy of a live band, which brings a whole new element to their on-stage presence.
The DAILY EGYPTIAN had the opportunity to talk with guitarist Brian Bender to discuss a variety of topics about the band.
How did you guys get together and start the band?
It was sort of a discovery or adventure. Basically, Serv and myself would essentially just go and hang out at parties and were in bands before and played a lot at this place called the Upper Room in Chicago. Then we met people through music and through parties. We met our DJ…at a party. Our bass player was playing in another band and we met him through that. We just fell in love with the nostalgia of the '90s and playing '90s music and we had that common thread. We're all just a bunch of fun-loving idiots, I mean dancing on stage and playing the music. It actually turned out to be a cool thing where people actually enjoy what we do, so we get to play three to five times a week all over the Midwest.
Do you add your own sound to these '90s tunes?
I'd say we add what we call "a little bit of sauce" to the songs. We do some '90s hip-hop, rap and R&B, but then we'll do some '90s boy bands, pop and some alternative tunes… so its fun playing shows because you always get that fun-loving person that will say "play Free Bird" or they want to hear metal. There's always that one guy at the show, so what I try to do is, I might play "Enter Sandman" while we're playing "Hypnotize" by Notorious B.I.G. or we'll do "Wild Thing" and then we'll add "Paradise City" by Guns N' Roses, something that we don't typically do, but I'll add those recognizable guitar riffs or vocal lines just to give them a little of what they want, while also staying true to the music that we're doing.
How would you describe your experiences in Carbondale?
Every time we come back it gets more and more amazing. We were very lucky, where we've been able to play some big events in Carbondale so it's been a great experience meeting new people. Polar Bear and Unofficial are opportunities to kind of go above and beyond fun, so you get to dress up and everyone's enjoying adult beverages if they are of age, so we went kind of over the top with it. Our first Unofficial, we dressed as storm troopers and did a little skit before our set and Polar Bear was the first show we had projectors and televisions hooked up to our songs … It was very snow-oriented with video representation behind us when we were playing so that was really cool. When it's warm outside, we'll play Pinch Penny Pub … so every time we come we meet people, we're always hanging out after the show, Steak n' Shake is usually where we kind of congregate after a show in Carbondale. Then, we take the six or seven hour journey to where we're playing [next], either Illinois or Wisconsin.
What's the future looking like for you guys?
We're playing a ton of shows. We're doing some special event things. At the end of the month, during Thanksgiving weekend, there's a place in Chicago called Bourbon Street, where we're actually becoming a boy band for one night only. We're doing all the music from New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, N'SYNC. Sometimes we'll do a Beastie Boys tribute where we'll do a set of all Beastie Boys stuff. We'll do events like that to kind of make it fun for people that have seen us a bunch, so it's like a new experience. We're doing new songs. We're adding a ton of new video. We have dance rehearsals like where people have ballet studios. We'll go in front of the mirror and play our music and look at our dance choreography. I mean, there's a ton of like fun stuff that we're doing. The future is fun.]]>
Josh West, a senior from Trenton studying architecture, grooms plants in a hydroponic vertical tower Wednesday in the greenhouse located behind the Agricultural building. "I'm minoring in landscape because when you look at a building you see everything around it, the surrounding area is important, "West said. The greenhouse was built in 1953 and is scheduled to be reconstructed starting this May, said Patrick Hogan, the greenhouse manager and a graduate student from Wheeling studying plant and soil agricultural systems.
Aidan Osborne • Daily Egyptian]]>
SIU baseball did not have to find as many recruits this season as the last two years.
The Salukis signed left-handed pitchers Seth Hackett, from Smith County High School in Elmwood, Tenn., and Joey Marciano from John A. Logan Community College. They also signed left-handed hitting outfielder Logan Soole from Monarch High School in Louisville, Colo. Soole can also pitch, but coach Ken Henderson said he will mostly play outfield.
The team currently has 26 underclassmen. Henderson said this year the team could not sign as many players because it is only losing four players after the season.
"We just replace what we lose," Henderson said.
Hackett had a 5-3 record with a 2.02 earned run average and 73 strikeouts in 45 innings pitched during his junior year.
Marciano had an 8-2 record with a 1.93 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 79 innings pitched at John A. Logan his freshman year.
"He was heavily recruited," Henderson said. "Fortunately for us, he goes to a junior college that is 10 minutes down the road. He lives in Carbondale and obviously that helped the recruiting process."
Soole was the No. 11 rated player in Colorado by Prep Baseball Report. He will become the fifth player on the team from Colorado.
"We have a good reputation in that area," Henderson said. "It's a combination of that and [hitting] coach [Ryan] Strain being from that area that opened the door for us."
Soole had a .435 batting average with 4 home runs and 15 stolen bases his junior year. He also had a 4-2 record with a 1.83 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched.
Henderson said next year will probably also be a small recruiting class since the team will not lose many players.
Aaron Graff can be contacted at email@example.com, on Twitter @Aarongraff_DE or 536-3311 ext. 269]]>
Nothing is certain but death and taxes. However, it is not certain how high the latter will rise for community members' homes.
Carbondale residents and council members expressed opinions about a proposed property tax increase to fund pensions for police officers and firefighters at the Carbondale City Council Meeting Tuesday.
The city will need more than $170,000, a total city tax increase of 18.6 percent, for the pensions for fiscal year 2016.
"All of these are mandated expenses over which the city has limited control," City Manager Kevin Baity said.
Baity said the total amount of pensions for police officers is more than $2 million. He said pensions for firefighters total more than $800,000.
Rebel Pinkston, of Carbondale, said the Carbondale Police Department has too many officers for its population.
He said he researched ratios of police officers to their populations in other college towns such as Edwardsville and DeKalb and found they are much lower than Carbondale.
"We need to find out why these other college towns basically get along with a lot less police officers than we do," he said.
City council does not have to make a final decision until its meeting on Dec. 16.
If the city raised the full 18.6 percent, homeowners with property valued at $85,000 would see an increase of $13.19 per year; those with homes worth $100,000 an increase of $16.14 per year; and those with homes worth $150,000 an increase of $25.98 per year.
Marissa Novel can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com, on Twitter @marissanovelDE or at 536-3311 ext. 268.]]>
SIU basketball won its first game of the 2014 campaign Tuesday night with a victory on the road.
SIU traveled to Tennessee State for a matchup against Dana Ford, the youngest coach in the NCAA. The Salukis defeated the Tigers 84-67 behind junior guard Anthony Beane's 32 points, a new career high.
Sophomore forward Sean O'Brien finished one rebound short of his second-straight double-double with 15 points and 9 rebounds.
Junior guard Jalen Pendleton and freshman forward Jordan Caroline both finished with 11 points.
Senior guard Jay Harris' 23 points led Tennessee State.
The Salukis were out to a big 46-26 lead at the end of the first half.
Beane led all scorers with 24 points in the first half; he was a perfect 8-8 from the field. O'Brien also finished the first half with 11 points. The two players made up for all but 11 of SIU's first half points.
SIU dominated the Tigers in all aspects of the game in the first half. The Salukis shot 57 percent form the field compared to Tennessee State's 30 percent.
TSU did a good job of shutting down Beane and O'Brien in the second half. Keeping SIU's leading scorers in check allowed the Tigers to momentarily get back into the game.
Beane scored only 8 points in the second half; O'Brien only 4.
Harris and freshman guard Charles Tucker led TSU on a run midway through the second half to pull the Tigers within 11 points of the Salukis, the smallest margin of the half.
Tucker had 16 points in the second half.
Foul trouble brought the TSU run to halt, however. Four of the Tigers' five starters fouled out of the game, including Harris.
TSU was forced to finish the game with just four players on the court since the team only dressed eight players.
The Salukis will search for their second win Nov. 21 against Kent State in the Men Against Breast Cancer Classic in Kent, Ohio.]]>
Forget about what has been portrayed in books and movies, there is now a new way to find out how people actually fall in love.
Ball State University is offering a new class that teaches students about dating and love, called Cardinal Chemistry.
The course is meant to analyze if two classmates are able to find love and make a genuine connection, according to ballstatedaily.com.
During the course, six random students enrolled in the class try to create a connection by analyzing aspects of relationships such as romance, storytelling and psychology.
The class is offered within the Department of Communications, but can be interesting for those studying psychology because of its connection to the field.
Annette Vaillancourt, a psychotherapist and counselor practicing in Carbondale, said the course is a great idea.
"It would be really wonderful to have a class to teach people what brain chemistry is involved in love," Vaillancourt said. "But it should also teach them that there are skills that teach you how to maintain love."
She said there is an element of biochemistry that goes into love, and being attracted to someone releases hormones in the brain, for example, serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and vasopressin.
She recommends people to live the life they choose and not change their lifestyle just to search for a potential soulmate.
"The thing you have a passion for, is the path you are supposed to follow in life," Vaillancourt said. "And your soul mate will be on a similar path, and they will help you move toward that higher purpose and support you, rather than allow there to be barriers in your path."
Even though a professional believes the class would be beneficial for those taking the class, the ones potentially paying for the class had mixed emotions.
Anton Sandgren, a senior from Sweden studying business finance, said the class could be a waste of time for students.
"I don't understand what I could get out of it as a student," Sandgren said. "Students pay a lot of money for each class, and I think paying for one on this topic would be pointless."
Alaina Boudreau, a freshman from Kankakee studying advertising, said she would definitely take the class.
"That sounds really interesting," Boudreau said. "I think it would be beneficial to students because of the research that must be involved, but I also think the subject matter is something that is prominent in the lives and minds of students, and when you can relate a class to your life or what interests you, it's more enjoyable."
Although there is plenty of money spent on college classes, love is an essential lesson.
Divorce, unplanned pregnancy and the growing epidemic of poverty has changed the idea of what love looks like to society.
These issues could cause couples to fight and distance themselves from the emotions that brought the couple together initially. Life's stresses can become an escape for people who willfully release themselves from responsibility to maintain a relationship.
The data collected by BSU may help the relationship-challenged.
Today's society is rife with unrealistic expectations of love and has a negative impact on youth.
Teenagers being subjected to unrealistic couples on television, movies and music videos makes a difference in society as to how people fall in love.
Taking a course like this will educate people more than shows like "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" do, and actually teach people about falling in love with someone.
Gabriella Scibetta can be reached at email@example.com or on Twitter @gscibetta_DE.
Hunters can help feed the hungry this holiday season while doing something they love.
Local food pantries are accepting deer meat donations this season.
One processing plant providing meat for the hungry is Whitetails Deer Processing in Carbondale.
Zach Hill, co-owner of Whitetails, said donating deer meat is a great option for people who enjoy hunting for the fun of the sport.
"A lot of people enjoy hunting, but they don't want to shoot an animal and have it go to waste," Hill said. "They can send it to us and we'll cut it up and send it to food pantries who send it out."
Hill said the plant cleans the meat and trims away blood clots and excess fat before it is distributed.
"We trim it up the same way we would if we were going to eat it ourselves," he said.
The first shotgun season begins Nov. 21 and ends Nov. 23. Last year 148,000 total deer were killed with half coming from shotgun season, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Hill said he donates meat to both Jackson and Williamson County food pantries.
Jane Williams, a volunteer for the Murphysboro Food Pantry, said the pantry could use the meat. Providing enough food for the pantry is a challenge, Williams said.
"From the middle of October to the end of November, I'll probably spend $20,000 easily on food," she said.
Williams said the pantry used to get a lot of deer meat in the past, but they have experienced a sharp decline in recent years with the closure of a meat processor who used to work directly with the pantry. Now it gets less of its deer meat from processing plants and more from private individuals.
Deer meat is good but it can be tricky to work with because of how lean it is, Williams said. She said the pantry sometimes has to get creative with the meat.
"A lot of people don't like deer meat burgers because they're so dry," Williams said. "Our clients love to use it to make chili."
Hill said the low-fat content of deer meat makes it healthy, and there are many foods it can be used in, including soup and spaghetti.
Davon Bauer, a junior from Belleville studying criminal justice, said donating deer meat is a great use of excess meat.
"It sounds like a good idea," Bauer said. "It's a more personal way to give back."
Christopher Hanusiak, a sophomore from Chicago studying computer science, said these programs can help people see hunters in a better light.
"A lot of people think hunting is just for the fun of killing animals but there's people that use every part of the animal," Hanusiak said. "Everyone should try it or educate themselves about it."
Wiliams said it would be wonderful if more people got the word out about donating deer meat. Even one deer helps immensely, she said.
"Even one deer is 50 or 60 pounds of meat," she said.
Williams said the Murphysboro Food Pantry feeds around 1,000 people a month.
Illinois Sportsmen for Hunger is an organization created by IDNR to encourage hunters to donate meat, according to the department's website.
Hunters may be eligible to receive money from the state to cover processing costs, as the donations are tax-deductible, according to the website.
Hill encourages more people to donate to families in need.
"Don't let your meat go to waste, you'll be helping out a lot of people by bringing it in," Hill said]]>
Michelangelo's Statue of David has served as a symbol of the human body's peak since 1504. Unlike David, who stands naked, the muscled members of the SIU community will have to cover their bodies, or at least their biceps, if they visit the Recreation Center.
A new dress code for specific areas starting in January, the officials contend will protect against the spread of MRSA, an infection transmitted by way of skin contact.
Troy Vaughn, director of the Recreation Center, acknowledges that there has not been a case of MRSA tied to the Recreation Center and Vaughn wants to make sure it stays that way.
Only patrons who use the personal fitness and wellness studio, upper track, and east and west weight rooms will be required to wear shirts with sleeves. The rule will not include the basketball courts and pool.
This new policy is designed to limit the possibilities of a member's skin touching any of the equipment.
He said men like to wear shirts with the sleeves or sides cutoff and women wear shirts with their shoulders exposed.
"The more contact that people's skin comes to the equipment, there's more of a chance for infection," Vaughn said. "It's imperative, on our end, that we do the very best that we can to protect our users."
Vaughn said nearly 80 percent of members already abide by the new policy.
Jesse Hood, a senior from DeLand studying advertising, said he agrees with the new policy because he sees people not cleaning up after themselves everyday.
"Sleeves can still get sweaty, but it's less likely to get on the equipment," Hood said. "Not enough people wipe down."
Earlier this year, spray bottles and small towels were attached to most of the exercise machines in the center. Vaughn said the spray is hdqC2 and kills most bacteria on contact. The small towels used to wipe the solution are changed four to five times a day by janitors.
One of the main infections the code wants to prevent is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly referred to as MRSA.
Jodi Robertson, director of nurses at the Student Health Center, said MRSA is highly contagious and resistant to most antibiotics.
MRSA can lead to bloodstream infections and pneumonia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The infection creates open sores that some think look like spider bites, making it easier to spread.
Robertson said MRSA has become community acquired, meaning poor hygiene won't directly cause infection. It is mainly attained from personal contact.
She said there are occasional visits to the health center regarding possible MRSA infections, but it is not uncommon with the amount of people living together.
The weight rooms and studios are the areas covered by the dress code because they have most frequent skin-to-machine contact. The west weight room is mainly free weights, which patrons have to carry plates and set themselves.
Vaughn said the users of that room are 80 percent men, who lift heavier weights. But even experienced weightlifters can forget to wipe or clean off equipment.
"We have to clean a lot more vigorously in there than anywhere else, just because of those conditions," he said.
Vaughn said the new rules are also designed to reduce intimidation among people who may not want to weight train around the bigger, more experienced lifters.
Mike Murphy, an SIU alumnus, said he understands the health concerns, but did not believe there is any intimidation in the west weight room.
"The people that come in here to lift, will lift, regardless of what someone is wearing," Murphy said.
The east room has pin-selected weights, typically used by less serious lifters.
Terilyn Mahome, who had just finished working out in the east room, said the new rule is an inconvenience for members.
"I've been coming here for two years and now I have to go out and buy new clothes," Mahome said.
Mahome, a senior from Chicago studying exercise science, said the Recreation Center is becoming a more restrictive place, like Planet Fitness, a gym that restricts the attire of its patrons more than the Recreation Center.
The policy will take effect on Jan. 5, before most students return from winter break. Vaughn said he has ordered about 400 shirts to give to people who are not in proper attire, but when those run out, violators will have to change or leave.
Staff will be present to enforce the rule, and Vaughn said they will do so in a personal and professional way.
"We're not asking for much. All I'm asking for is that we just get a tee shirt on. It's just a tee shirt, plain and simple," he said.
Austin Miller can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or on Twitter @AMiller_DE]]>
The SIU football team has been a run-first offense this season and utilized a combination of four running backs.
That was until senior Malcolm Agnew went down with an ankle injury Oct. 18 against Youngstown State.
Since then, the bulk of the running game has been placed on freshman Cameron Walter, junior Mika'il McCall and senior Ken Malcome.
Walter emerged as the go-to running back in Agnew's absence in the Nov. 8 game against Missouri State. He rushed for 210 yards and was the first Saluki back to go for more than 200 yards in a game since Deji Karim in 2009.
"It's all great," he said. "It was my first career start, so that meant a lot. I didn't go in thinking I would get over 200 yards, you just go in there and run hard."
After the game, Walter was named the National Freshman of the Week by Sports Network, the MVC Freshman of the Week and was added to the CFPA Freshman of the Year Watch List.
"It's awesome to see all the accolades that are coming from it," he said. "It's surreal, it's a dream come true."
His 210-yard performance was the fourth-best rushing game for any freshman in the country this season. Walter had 37 carries, which was sixth-best in the Football Championship Subdivision this season.
Walter said he did not have to alter his game when Agnew went out with injury because he had been practicing hard all year.
"You have to come into the season with the mentality that the spot is not closed, and always have the mentality to be able to come in [to the game]," he said. "I feel like we were all prepared to come in when Malcolm went out."
Running backs coach Larry Warner said Walter's success at Missouri State can be attributed to his confidence. He said Walter has a lot of potential and has not come close to reaching his ceiling of talent.
Agnew said he has seen a lot of improvement in Walter this year, especially his ability to take over the bulk of the rushing.
"Watching him last year on the scout team, I didn't know if he would do a lot in this program," he said. "But he worked his butt off to improve… I keep telling him that it's his backfield now. He has stepped up and done the best he could."
Before Agnew's injury, Walter ran for 66 yards on 26 rushes for 2 touchdowns. In the three games without Agnew, Walter has run for 266 yards on 63 rushes and a touchdown.
Warner said he did not have to change the strategy once Agnew went out.
"Our game plan really didn't change much," he said. "I have confidence in all my backs to come in and make the same runs. That's the way I prepare my guys so they can come in any week and be that guy. It's the next-guy-up mentality."
Warner said the backs have found a way to continue the rush-first mentality of the offense, even without Agnew.
The Salukis have 16 rushing touchdowns this season, 10 of which came from Agnew. There has only been one rushing touchdown since his injury, a 1-yard rush from Walter in the fourth quarter of a 41-26 loss to Indiana State on Oct. 25.
The trio of Walter, McCall and Malcome had 350 yards on 74 carries with 4 touchdowns before Agnew was hurt. Since the injury, they have rushed for 314 yards on 78 carries, but Walter makes up for the bulk of those yards.
McCall only has 25 yards on 7 rushes since Agnew was injured. He did not travel to Missouri State because of disciplinary issues. He did not have a carry against Northern Iowa the following week.
Malcome has 8 carries for 23 yards in the three-game span. He only had 1 carry for 1 yard in other games this season.
Agnew said the backs are doing well in his absence, but it is hard for him not to play.
"It's been hard watching, standing on the sidelines not able to contribute on the football field at all," he said.
Warner said the backs will not attack Saturday's game against Illinois State any different after being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.
"Every week we are trying to win," he said. "We're going to go out there and play like we're fighting for the playoffs. This is one last game to send the seniors out right."]]>
A serving specialist in volleyball has a similar role to that of a field goal kicker in football; they both come into the game without warming up and are expected to perform a critical task.
Sophomore libero/defensive specialist Leah Edgerton played all 124 sets as a freshman, but a new team system has limited her playing time this season.
In volleyball, teams are allowed 15 substitutions per set. Ingram said redshirt freshman outside hitter Andrea Estrada can pass the ball better than all defensive players, except senior Alex Rivera. He said because of that, he has not used many subs to bring in defensive players.
Last season, SIU had eight players play more than 100 sets, three of which were defensive specialists. Only two defensive specialists have played in more than 80 of this year's 107 sets.
However, it has not kept Edgerton off the court completely. She has played in 47 of the team's 107 sets this season, mostly as a substitute to serve for junior hitter Taylor Pippen.
"That's one of the toughest things to do is to solely come in there and perform your serve after 10 reps or 20 reps in practice," coach Justin Ingram said. "The expectation is to drive the opponent off the net."
Edgerton said she had to adjust to her role, but is happy with it.
Edgerton has four service aces and three service errors on the year, compared to Pippen's nine service aces and 13 service errors.
Ingram said Pippen has served more this year, usually earlier in sets, but in certain situations it is better to go with Edgerton. He said when he puts Edgerton in, he hopes she can record some digs.
"It's the serving-defense combo," Ingram said. "That's the attribute Leah brings that is a little bit different than Taylor."
Pippen said she is not as strong in the back row, and passing is one of the weaker parts of her game.
"[Edgerton's] a lot better in the back row than I am right now," Pippen said. "I think we just feel more comfortable when she serves and she's passing those balls up behind our hitters."
Edgerton said serving is not always her main focus in practice, but she knows her role and makes sure she performs well because it leads to better all-around play.
"If you can serve well, it's the first contact," Edgerton said. "If the other team is out of system, it makes the defense a lot easier, which transitions into a better offense."
Edgerton said her serve comes in at a lower angle than Pippen's and sometimes throws off the other team.
"Having a different serve is good for the [opponent] to not get used to one serve all the time," she said.
Edgerton said she has no idea if she will earn more playing time next season, but wants whatever is best for the team.
Ingram said it takes a certain mindset to produce in Edgerton's role and he trusts her at the line because she has been successful this season.
"It's a pretty tough role to be in, but she's grabbed on to it and done a great job for us," Ingram said.
Aaron Graff can be contacted at email@example.com, on Twitter @Aarongraff_DE or 536-3311 ext. 269]]>
The "Halo" franchise has been the crown jewel for Xbox since "Halo: Combat Evolved" was released in 2001. Since then, players have gone on four adventures with the greatest Marine of the future, Master Chief.
With the success and popularity of Master Chief's saga, Microsoft has bundled all four games together, and updated them for Xbox One as "Halo: The Master Chief Collection."
"Halo 2" celebrated its 10th birthday on Nov. 9 and as a present, it was given a complete restoration. 343 Industries, the game's developer, did the same thing with "Combat Evolved" in 2011. The anniversary treatment is not just a graphical upgrade to showcase Microsoft's newest console. Each level and multiplayer map has re-mastered sound design, lighting, object textures, and yes—better graphics.
Those who played the "Halo 2" when it came out in 2004 will be delighted to know the game plays even better in 2014. And, gamers who never played it will seem like they are playing a brand new "Halo." The awesome story and game design are only improved.
This is the version Bungie, the original creators, had in mind in 2004, but lacked the technology to create.
"Halo 3" was caught in no-mans-land with this bundle. The game isn't old enough to require a makeover, but isn't new enough to have incredible graphics. It is the only game that dates itself, unless you play the original settings in the first two.
The highly underrated "Halo 4" looks even better than it did in 2012, which is hard to believe.
The campaigns of these games are some of the best of any shooter franchise, and they still hold up.
But before the release of this game, many people—like myself—were excited about the multiplayer side. Every map ever made, more than 100 in total, would be available. And the nostalgia of "Halo 1" and "Halo 2" multiplayer modes bring back fond memories of playing these games for hours with friends.
Unfortunately, the online matchmaking has been broken since the game launched on Nov. 11. Getting into a game means a wait of more than five minutes, but usually, players have to retreat from their search because no opponents are found. This is a continuous cycle that lasts way too long.
If someone is lucky enough to find a game online, the lobbies are divided into uneven teams, even if there is an even amount of players. Then, games can end unexpectedly and players are forced to search for that needle in a haystack: one playable game.
343 has been working night and day to fix the game's problems. It reduced the amount of playlists, making it easier for the population to find games. It has also promised a content update to fix the game on one's own Xbox.
The issues with the launch of this title continue a wave of recent games being released too soon with glowing errors.
"Destiny," "Battlefield 4" and "Sim City" were all released within the last year, accompanied by tons of hype. But they were also accompanied by the cries of furious gamers, who paid good money for a working game, only to receive glitch-ridden products.
This trend is infuriating. Publishers feel they can just slap a release date on a game, be able to at least have something resembling a full game on a disc, then hope they can patch the game in the following days.
That is like going to a restaurant and ordering chicken noodle soup and the waiter not giving you a spoon, then saying "we won't have any spoons until next week." Now I've got this tasty bowl of soup just teasing me. If I knew I could not eat the soup, I would not have bought it.
Even though the online functionality is limited, each individual and overarching story are worth the time of any gamer. If anyone wanted to purchase a Xbox One and find what it's all about, this is the game to do it. Hopefully, the multiplayer modes are restored as soon as possible to give the full package "Halo" fans are eager for. There is five star potential delivered in a three star package.
Stars: 3 out of 5]]>
In addition to presiding over three campuses, the university's president will assume chancellor responsibilities in Carbondale.
President Randy Dunn will add chancellor duties to his presidential role as a short term solution following the death of then-interim Chancellor Paul Sarvela. Sarvela died Nov. 9 at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, increasing the urgency of a chancellor search to begin.
"I anticipate the [SIU Board of] Trustees — when meeting in December — will provide some guidance regarding the parameters of the search, particularly with respect to whether or not an external search consultant is utilized," according to an email Dunn sent to colleagues Tuesday. "While a dual chancellor-president position will present its challenges, I have no doubt… it can be workable for the period of time necessary for a thorough and comprehensive chancellor search."
During a phone conference, Dunn said it will be difficult to find a permanent chancellor any sooner than three to four months.
"This is a critical search," said Dunn, who was selected to be the university's eighth president Feb. 17 and began his duties May 1. "We want to make sure we do this the right way but… we don't want to be stretching this out nine months. It would be inappropriate for me to be serving that long."
According to Dunn's email, the university will continue to implement the decentralized decision-making method implemented by Sarvela, who was in office for more than four months. He assumed chancellor duties when former Chancellor Rita Cheng became president of Northern Arizona University.
"The campus has really invested heavily in decentralizing the structure, and the pushing down decision making has been critical for this duel coverage to be able to happen," Dunn said.
Dunn said while he plans to be on other SIU campuses for larger events, he expects to be there less while assuming chancellor duties.
"I'm still fully invested in what's going on there," he said. "I don't want them feeling like second class citizens."
Dunn said the board has discussed adding a system level position to help with shared services and streamlining programs.
"The idea here is not to lose the momentum, it is to keep things moving forward using the structure that the campus, under Paul's leadership, had created," Dunn said.
This story will be updated online as more information becomes available.
Luke Nozicka can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or on Twitter @lukenozicka.]]>
One in four Illinois residents say Illinois is the worst state to live in, according to a 2014 Gallup poll. Additionally, Illinois is the fourth most corrupt state in the nation, based on U.S. Department of Justice data.
Four of the last seven Illinois governors have been imprisoned because of economic and political corruption.
On Nov. 4 Bruce Rauner won the Illinois governor's race, making him the state's first Republican governor in more than a decade. He will replace Gov. Pat Quinn in January and will serve with a heavily Democratic legislature.
David Yepsen, current director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, said just because Illinois has not had a Republican governor in more than 10 years does not suggest Rauner cannot be effective.
"Bruce Rauner is a businessman," Yepsen said. "He didn't get where he got because he can't do deals."
Yepsen said Rauner has the potential to work with both parties and wouldn't be the first Republican governor to be successful.
"Jim Edgar, when he was a Republican governor, had deals with Democrats and he had a successful tenure," Yepsen said. "There's even a school of thought that says the two legislative leaders may get along better with Rauner than they did with Pat Quinn."
Already in control of the U.S. House, Republicans needed to win six seats in November to take control of the Senate. They won eight. Republicans also won four governor seats in states that previously had Democratic governors, including Illinois.
Jim Nowlan, a former Illinois legislator, said Rauner faces many problems upon taking office.
"I think Rauner is going to have a great deal of trouble working with Democrats," Nowlan said. "It's going to be tough for him to fulfill the public's expectations."
Nowlan, a political science instructor, said a major problem Rauner faces is the state's budget, which he will have to produce a few weeks after being sworn in.
"His first budget is going to be fascinating because he has to produce a balanced budget with $4 billion less than the $35 billion in the General Fund this year," Nowlan said. "He won't be able to do that, so he'll have to say he needs some revenues beyond what would otherwise be available given the rollback. He more than has his plate full."
Steve Brown, spokesman for Democratic speaker of the Illinois General Assembly Michael Madigan, said Rauner's win may have more to do with voters on a national level than at the state level.
"The national election appeared to be on the job approval ratings the president had and an inability to motivate voters who would support the president," Brown said. "The democrats continued to enjoy a pretty good success in Illinois in this last election. They re-elected Sen. Durbin, and kept the substantial majority of the legislature."
Former SIU President Glenn Poshard said Illinois has had successful Republican governors and hopes Rauner will be the next.
"Well, we've had successful Republican governors in the past," Poshard said. "Jim Thompson, Jim Edgar, these people were very successful and generally they governed with Democratic legislatures. So I think he will try to govern as a moderate Republican and if he does I think he'll find a lot of Democrats are ready to cooperate and reach out and help him be successful."
Poshard, a former state senator and U.S. congressman, said Illinois wasn't the only state affected by the Republican Party's victory and people should want to work together with Rauner toward compromise.
"He did get elected and I think it's everybody's hope in the state of Illinois that he will succeed because we're Illinoisans first and we want the state to do well," Poshard said. "I think it depends. If he is successful at creating jobs, if he's successful at solving the pension problems, if he's successful at bringing the economy back."
In November, Republican Terri Bryant was elected state representative of the 115th district, defeating Democratic nominee Bill Kilquist. Bryant will take office in January and said Rauner's background provides him the skills needed to be an effective Republican governor.
"He's a very successful businessman," Bryant said. "He has the right idea when it comes to cutting taxes. He has a more business-friendly plan and a more business-friendly attitude."
Bryant said Rauner's win didn't necessarily speak to anything about the Democratic Party, but more about the Republican Party.
"Voters liked what the Republican Party was saying to them, which is we need jobs for this state and we get that by reducing taxes and concentrating on bringing businesses by the state," Bryant said. "The message the Republican Party had resonated with voters."
She said this isn't the first time Illinois voters have switched and voted for the opposite-party candidate.
"I think the lesson that needs to be learned by anyone running for office is that you have to listen to the constituents in your district and your state," Bryant said. "It's my plan to work with the legislators in as far as whatever their plan is doesn't violate my core values. And if they're good for my district then I'll work with whoever is willing to work with to better the state."
Poshard was appointed to Rauner's transition team and said compromise across both aisles is something Rauner can help accomplish.
"Oh, I definitely think compromise is possible," Poshard said. "It's always possible in a democracy. In fact, without it you have a stalemate and I think we're seeing a lot of this at the federal level in the last few years. But I believe compromise is possible in this state and it's my hope that Gov. Rauner will reach out across the aisle to democrats."
Yepsen also said Rauner has the ability to push Illinois in the right direction.
"The campaign is behind us here," Yepsen said. "It will be a good transition and we have to give him a little time here against the up-an-running, but I think he can get some things done.
Illinois has been a democratic state historically. However, Rauner's victory against Quinn is a microcosm of the change in the world of politics.]]>
The temperature on the thermometer is falling, and singles hope to do the same this time of year—fall in love.
Aside from spending the holidays with family and friends, many people prepare for winter by searching for someone to spend it with.
This seasonal trend among young singles is known as "cuffing season."
During the fall and winter months, people who would normally rather be single or promiscuous find themselves desiring to be "cuffed" or tied down by a relationship. The cold weather and prolonged indoor activity causes singles to become lonely and desperate to be cuffed, according to urbandictionary.com. The season lasts from September to March.
Annette Vaillancourt, a psychotherapist and counselor who has been in private practice for 24 years as a marriage and relationship therapist, said people who participate in the season should consider why they want a relationship.
"With all these sites like Tinder and Match.com, it will truly be wise to know what you want out of the experience," Vaillancourt said. "If you are new to the dating world, it would be nice to have hundreds of emails from people wanting to know something about you."
During these months, cases of seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD, increase. SAD is a form of depression and occurs when seasons change, Vaillancourt said.
The symptoms for SAD are similar to depression and there are no tests that prove someone is dealing with it, according to WebMD. Vaillancourt said chemical changes in the brain can cause SAD.
"When the days get shorter, especially since we just had the time change, and the sun sets earlier, it affects our brain," Vaillancourt said. "There is a part of us that just wants to hibernate in the winter. So people will get depressed in the winter, and that can affect their interpersonal relationships."
Isaiah Cotton, a freshman from Naperville studying cinema and cinematography, said he is seeing relationships start to heat up in college.
"I don't see people getting into relationships with others, but I'm starting to see people open up to others and begin the process of starting a relationship," Cotton said.
Megan Monaco, a freshman from Erlanger, Ky., studying economics, said she is against the idea of cuffing season.
"People look for a winter relationship just to have somebody to buy them things during the holidays and to have someone to cuddle with when it's too cold," Monaco said. "I would personally rather invest in Netflix and a thermal blanket because there is less work and feelings aren't involved."
Vallancourt said when days start to get longer, people start to feel better. However, it's not uncommon for people to hit a slump from November to about April, she said.
She said although studies show suicide rates peak during the holiday season, there are two peaks during the year.
"One [peak] is during the holiday season, and the other is in the spring when everything is new, bright and shiny and everyone is happy and the depressed person feels so different than that, and they feel hopeless," Vaillancourt said. "During the holidays when you are supposed to be feeling happy, and if you are depressed and you're not feeling happy, I think there is the highest rate of suicide."
She said she urges people to be good to themselves and said people in relationships often do not realize how important their own happiness is.
"People have to optimize this time of year," Vaillancourt said. "Young people don't understand that you are not in the relationship for the other person to make you happy. Your job is to make yourself happy, and share that with someone."
She said concentration on one's own happiness is an important life skill because relying on others for happiness makes one susceptible to getting into abusive relationships.
"If you get into the relationship and you aren't in charge of your own happiness, you are not doing things to build your self-esteem and be able to leave," Vaillancourt said.
Many people believe their happiness is reliant on others, which leads to the belief in cuffing season, but they can create their own happiness, she said.
Cotton said SAD can affect students' lives in other ways aside from relationships, but if students do pursue relationships, they must make sure they are ready.
"Relationships are pretty great for people who are comfortable enough with themselves and can identify their own faults and adjust their own faults and adjust to them for someone that brings joy into their life," Cotton said.
Demetrious Charles, a freshman from Chicago studying biochemistry, said the season could be beneficial for some people but detrimental for others.
Charles said he would not take part in cuffing season because he does not want to play with someone else's feelings.
"For those who can get cuffed every season, it's good because they're able to settle down and have an intimate relationship for a little while," he said. "But it wouldn't be good for those people who don't usually settle down often, because they would most likely want to stay in a relationship and their feelings would get hurt."
Ken Culton, a clinical social worker and the social work coordinator at the SIU clinical center, said this is a common behavior.
"Any kind of novelty is a way to keep out a negative emotional state," Culton said. "As students and their families gather together for the holidays, I think a lot of people put a lot of pressure on themselves as they approach the holidays relationally."
He said he sees the phenomena happen in both positive and negative ways during the holidays depending on the parties involved. He advises people to choose their moments of happiness.
Gabriella Scibetta can be reached at email@example.com or on Twitter @Gscibetta_DE.]]>
One SIU volleyball player is on pace to become one of the most efficient Salukis of all time.
Junior hitter Taylor Pippen has a .408 hitting percentage, which would be the highest single season percentage in Saluki history. Sonya Locke, who hit .369 in 1981, holds the record.
"Sonya Locke means everything to this program," coach Justin Ingram said. "Just to be mentioned with Sonya is a great feat in itself. Our focus is certainly on the team, and our production as a group. We want to win this thing. Regardless if one person or a few are [having career-best efficiencies], we're looking for that win."
Pippen said she is aware she is on pace for the record, but has not paid much attention to it because she is not ready for the season to end.
Not only is Pippen's mark significant at SIU, but it also leads the Missouri Valley Conference this season. Pippen is the only conference player with a percentage above .400. Wichita State's Abbie Leham is second with a .399 hitting percentage.
"I like to have the mindset that I'm one of the best hitters in the conference and I'm doing the right things," Pippen said. "Have that mindset and you'll play like that."
Pippen has improved her hitting percentage by nearly 100 points from last season's .309. Ingram said she can be even better next year.
Ingram said the Salukis' new playing system is a big contribution to her improvement, because she can hit off of two feet.
"Some of it has to do with her abilities to hit in front of the setter," Ingram said. "She's always good behind the setter off of one foot, they call that a slide hit. However, within our offense this year, we're always in a three-hitter system. Which means the opportunities to go off of one foot are less."
The change in systems gives Pippen more chances to hit the ball more effectively. Pippen said she understands volleyball better and listenes to her coaches more this year.
"With time comes growth," Pippen said. "Over these three years I've been able to figure out the right ways [to play]."
Pippen said when she has an error on an attempted kill, it frustrates her, but makes her want to kill the next attempt that much more.
Freshman middle hitter Alex Rosignol said Pippen has helped her learn the position more this year.
"I came in and I saw Taylor," Rosignol said. "I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I hope I'm like her someday.'"
Rosignol said Pippen has not had to say much to her because she learns from just watching her.
"I even looked up to her before I came here," Rosignol said. "I couldn't wait to play with her, I knew I was going to learn so much from her."
The Salukis have their final regular season match Friday at Evansville and the MVC tournament Nov. 27-29.
Aaron Graff can be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.com, on Twitter @Aarongraff_DE or 536-3311 ext. 269]]>
The end of the year is upon us and with that movies of the year lists will come.
It was a weird year for cinema. If a film was not unanimously praised, it got mixed reviews and seemed to fall of the face of the earth.
While there were not many brilliant films, there are some that made waves and will be remembered for some time.
"Birdman: Or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance" (Rated R; 119 min) is the best and most unique motion picture of the year.
"Birdman" is a comedy drama directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and stars Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis and Edward Norton.
Riggan Thomson, played by Keaton, is an actor on the last leg of his career. It has been 20 years since the original Birdman movie came out and made him a star. He has searched for relevance within his art ever since.
His last chance at being remembered as anything other than Birdman comes in a theater adaptation of Raymond Carver's "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love," which he wrote, and is directing and staring in.
The play starts to fall apart and Thomson's psyche goes with it. He starts to imagine the character of Birdman as an alternate personality of his and the lines between reality and fantasy become more blurred.
Michael Keaton is a man mostly known for one role. While many cinephiles will tell you the man has had a plethora of amazing characters to his name, there is one that still haunts him to this day, Batman (1989).
Since then, he has become an actor fighting under the shadow of success, which makes him perfect for the role of Riggan Thomson.
Keaton is beyond excellent in this film. It will be a crime if he does not win an Oscar for Best Actor this year. He brings sadness to his character and plight. The fight for relevance is something every creative person can relate to and he makes it even more heartbreaking.
It is never truly stated whether Thomson sees truth or illusion. The character is constantly on the edge of a breakdown, he adds realism and believability to the fantasies around him.
The acting in general is to be commended. Stone and Norton both give award-worthy performances as well. Stone plays Thomson's drug addicted daughter and Norton plays a fictional version of himself. Both play characters who, in the wrong hands would be deplorable, but they make them charming.
There are many interesting and engaging aspects of this film. The continuous shots, the mixture between meta-realism and off-the-wall visuals and random moments of black comedy make it compelling.
The meta-realism of this movie is present and sound. Many pieces of fiction fail at building a convincing world, but this movie never struggles with it. The superhero craze, the nature of critics and the personality of an actor are just some of the aspects of this movie which make it successful.
This movie is not going to win the Best Picture award this year and that is disappointing. It is of no fault of this film, but in fault of the Oscar committee. It is by far the best movie of the year and is groundbreaking work for everyone involved.]]>