THE
ECLIPSE PREVIEW EDITION
Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.
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It’s the Valley, Scott: Nagy introduced as Saluki head coach Brandyn Wilcoxen @brandynwilcoxen
As SIU athletic director Tim Leonard and Chancellor Austin Lane presented new men’s basketball head coach Scott Nagy with a Saluki jersey below a maroon and white balloon arch, confetti rained down with all of the pomp and circumstance of a pep rally. The Charles Helleny Pavilion became home of a celebration for the 15th head coach in program history. After being announced as such on Thursday afternoon, Nagy was introduced to the public at an event attended by scores of fans, followed by a media press conference. Based on Nagy’s accolades in three decades as a college basketball coach, Saluki fans have every reason to be excited. His five total NCAA tournament appearances and three NIT bids across two teams since moving up to Division I in 2004 gives a fanbase that hasn’t seen a postseason run since the late 2000’s more than a bit of optimism. Nagy said that in meetings with Leonard, Lane and former interim AD Matt Kupec, he saw that same passion that is shared throughout the region. “Talking with them, seeing the commitment that they had to men’s basketball, and how badly that they want to win, and what they want to do. That was important to me,” Nagy said. Nagy returns to the state of Illinois, where he grew up in Champaign. His wife Jamie is a native of Decatur. His dad was a longtime assistant at the University of Illinois, where Nagy would get his start as a graduate assistant. He said he’s been trying to get back to the state ever since he left. “We’re excited about it,” Nagy said. “I have such a good base here, really because of what Coach [Lou] Henson and Jimmy Collins and my COACH | 6a
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2024
VOL. 107, ISSUE 27
Eclipse 2024: Everything you need to know about the event
Carly Gist | cgist@dailyegyptian.com
115-miles of cities in the U.S. are getting ready for up to four minutes of complete darkness Monday, April 8. Southern Illinois, however, is not just going to sit back and watch. “We are featuring a variety of events [in] what we’re dubbing the Southern Illinois Crossroads Eclipse Festival,” said Sarah Vanvooren, director of events and outreach at Southern Illinois University. “It includes talks, presentations, an arts and crafts fair…the idea is to provide a unique union stafffriendly, family-friendly experience of activities centered on arts and sciences.” Southern Illinois has branded itself “the crossroads of the eclipse,” as this is the second time it will be in the centerline of totality for a total solar eclipse in just seven years. Carbondale sits where the path of the 2017 eclipse crosses with the 2024 eclipse. According to Assistant Professor of Practice (School of Physics & Applied Physics) Corinne Brevik, watching it is typically a once-inECLIPSE OVERVIEW | 7a
Corinne Brevik, co-chair of the SIU Eclipse Steering Committee’s subcommittee and participates in the Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast (DEB) research project, stands on Neckers Lawn at SIU March 27, 2024 in Carbondale, Illinois. Libby Phelps | @libbyphelpsphotography
Busy Carbondale Spring Fest anticipated in honor of the eclipse Katie Kwasneski kkwasneski@dailyegyptian.com
Yemisi and James Anderson holding their Flava Pack Spices from their business The JAY Effect March 20, 2024 at Redeemer Community Church in Carbondale, Illinois. Daylin Williams | dwilliams@dailyegyptian.com
This year’s Carbondale Spring Fest may be the busiest yet, with traffic through southern Illinois increasing to view the total eclipse taking place on Monday, April 8. The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) estimated 70,000 to 300,000 people will be coming into the area. Southern Illinois is the closest point to Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Alabama, Georgia and Florida to see the eclipse. The fest will take place the weekend leading up to the eclipse, April 6 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and April 7 from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., with music provided by the city of Carbondale from 3 - 10 p.m. on Sunday. Local business owner Michael Smith of Fired Up Jellies and Jams started the Carbondale Spring Fest
back in 2022. This year will be the store’s third time hosting, and there will be around 65 vendors attending, from food trucks, to apparel, jewelry and other artisan goods. “This is a milestone for us because it’s like, look how far we’ve come since the last eclipse,” Smith said. During the 2017 eclipse, before Fired Up Jellies and Jams was a registered business, Smith remembers sampling out his product to the campers who rented out the field behind his house. Now, he holds the annual fest to not only showcase the product, but to bring awareness to local small businesses in Carbondale and surrounding towns. One of the vendors that will be at the fest for the first time this year is The JAY Effect. It is a husband and wife team made up of James and Yemisi Anderson and their line of seasonings. The Andersons have been
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