The Daily Egyptian - April 8, 2026

Daily Egyptian THE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2026 VOL. 109, ISSUE 28

Renovation, budget cuts affect SIU Theater students

MARIAH FLETCHER mfletcher@dailyegyptian.com

SIU School of Theater and Dance students and professors this spring semester have been unable to use McLeod Theater, the school’s main stage, after the space shuttered in December to prepare for renovations. But as the semester nears an end, there is not a contractor assigned to the job and work has yet to begin.

Students and professors said they have felt left in the dark, citing a lack of communication from university leadership about the project’s plans and timeline. Teachers also expressed concerns about the program’s enrollment,

Odenkirk brings

as McLeod — a 521-seat theater on the south end of the Communications Building on SIU’s Carbondale campus — is an essential part of recruitment efforts for the school.

McLeod renovation is part of long-awaited Communications Building revamp

‘Normal’ to Normal, Illinois

Carly Gist | @gistofthestory

SIU alum Bob Odenkirk’s upcoming independent film “Normal” made its Illinois debut on Thursday, April 2. In the action-thriller, Odenkirk stars as an interim sheriff in a small town called Normal, but — spoiler alert — nothing about it is normal. However, the early screening took place at the Normal Theater in Normal, Illinois, and it doesn’t get much more normal than that.

“This is a bigger town than the one pictured in this movie,” Odenkirk told a sold-out crowd after the screening. “But in a lot of ways, I think the town in this movie is representative of a lot of towns in America.”

The film takes place in Minnesota,

not Illinois, and the town has a population of just under 2,000. For Odenkirk’s character Ulysses, crime is a rarity — until he uncovers a dark secret while responding to a bank robbery. The movie is violent and gory, but it’s also funny and mysterious. For current cinema student Olivia Lockhart, this resonated with the work she does at Movie Camera Movement, a registered student organization that produces short films.

“This was really cool, because there’s so much in it,” Lockhart said.

“I can see a lot of the stuff that we do in MCM, like a lot of the different genres that we do, being in this movie, so it’s really cool to see it on a large scale as an independent film.”

“Normal” is based on a story by screenwriter Derek Kolstad — creator of the “John Wick” franchise — and Odenkirk. The pair, who previously worked together on “Nobody” and “Nobody 2,” brought the script to Berlin’s 2024 European Film Market with director Ben Wheatley attached and Odenkirk set to star. After numerous offers and a loan from the bank, Odenkirk said the team began filming in Winnipeg, Canada — the same place they shot the “Nobody” movies. The film premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 7 — right before Odenkirk’s visit to Carbondale, where he hosted several workshops for SIU students.

The McLeod Theater renovation is part of a larger project to overhaul the campus’ Communications Building, which was built in 1964 and houses the School of Communication Studies and the College of Arts and Media, which includes the schools of Theater and Dance, Journalism and Advertising, Media Arts, Architecture, Art and Design and Music, as well as WSIU, Carbondale’s NPR affiliate.

With a mix of students, faculty and community members filling the room, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin stood at the front of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute on Tuesday, March 31 taking questions as elections, global conflict and immigration quickly took center stage.

Durbin raised concerns about election integrity, U.S. involvement in global conflicts and immigration policies during his visit to Southern Illinois University, pointing to issues that he said directly impact college students.

John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, introduced Durbin, highlighting his long career in public service and his connection to the late Sen. Paul Simon. Durbin is amid his final year in the U.S. senate, and will vacate his seat — and position as the Democratic Whip — come November.

Shaw said Durbin’s visits to

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced in January 2020 that state funding would support construction of a new

Carbondale have been a consistent part of his 29 years in office.

“It’s always a pleasure when he comes back to the Paul Simon Institute,” Shaw said. “It’s always a terrific moment.”

Speaking to a packed audience, Durbin focused less on formal remarks and more on answering questions, often circling back to how decisions made in Washington affect young people.

When asked what students should be paying attention to right now, Durbin pointed to the upcoming November election, specifically concerns about voting access.

“The November election and the efforts to make it more difficult for people to vote,” he said.

He pointed to broader concerns about election interference and efforts to influence upcoming midterms, including proposed changes to district maps and voting access that could affect who is able to participate.

When asked about young voters,

Contact Us

Email: editor@dailyegyptian.com

Editor-in-Chief: Carly Gist cgist@dailyegyptian.com

News Editor: Jackson Brandhorst jbrandhorst@dailyegyptian.com

Design Chief: David Starr-Fleming dstarrfleming@dailyegyptian.com

Photo Editor: Emily Brinkman ebrinkman@dailyegyptian.com

Ad Chief: Samantha Barnhill sbarnhill@dailyegyptian.com

Senior Editor: Lylee Gibbs lgibbs@dailyegyptian.com

Digital Editor: Peyton Cook pcook@dailyegyptian.com

Faculty Managing Editor: Alee Quick aquick@dailyegyptian.com

Business Manager: Amy Dion businessmanager@dailyegyptian.com

About Us

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

Mission Statement

The Daily Egyptian, the student-run news organization of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is committed to being a trusted source of news, information, commentary and public discourse, while helping readers understand the issues affecting their lives.

Publishing Information

The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale and functions as a laboratory for the School of Journalism in exchange for the room and utilities in the Communications Building. The Daily Egyptian is a non-profit organization that survives primarily off of its advertising revenue. Offices are in the Communications Building, room 1259, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Ill., 62901.

Copyright Information

@2026 The Daily Egyptian. All rights reserved. All content is property of the Daily Egyptian and may not be reproduced or transmitted without consent. The Daily Egyptian is a member of the Illinois College Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Advisers Inc. and the College Business and Advertising Managers Inc.

DURBIN

Durbin said they are not always fully represented in Washington, but emphasized that engagement from students themselves is key.

“They can always be better represented,” he said. “I encourage them to meet the candidates and to ask them the hard questions.”

Throughout the event, Durbin returned to the idea that students have a role in shaping what happens next, especially during a time when political decisions feel more immediate.

Durbin also raised concerns about immigration policies, particularly how they are affecting international students.

“For many of the college students from foreign countries, it’s personal,” he said. “They’re facing deportation and uncertainty as to their status in the United States now and their future.”

That uncertainty, he said, is something many students are dealing with in real time.

On a broader level, Durbin criticized what he described as a lack of congressional oversight when it comes to the war in Iran, saying lawmakers have not been as involved as they should be.

“We have yet to have one public hearing about this war in Washington,” he said. “That should be our priority.”

Earlier in the discussion, Durbin expanded on that concern, pointing to recent military action taken without congressional approval and warning about the long-term consequences of entering conflicts without

clear planning.

Later, reflecting on his own path into politics, Durbin spoke about Simon’s influence.

“You’re lucky if you can find someone who is a mentor … who cares about you personally,” Durbin said.

He said Simon encouraged him to keep going even after multiple losses, something that ultimately shaped his career.

As the event wrapped up, Durbin’s message to the audience stayed consistent — stay informed, stay involved and don’t hesitate to speak up.

“Ask the hard questions,” he said.

Staff Reporter Tay Acree can be reached at tacree@dailyegyptian.com

CORRECTIONS

In the April 1, 2026 edition of the Daily Egyptian, incorrect cutlines ran with two photos in the story titled “Saluki Softball comes up just short as Bruins take series 2-1.” The cutline intended for the photo on Page 7 was mistakenly paired with the top right photo on Page 6, and the Page 7 photo ran with an incorrect caption. The correct pairings can be found online.

Submissions

Letters and guest columns must be submitted with author’s contact information, preferably via email. Phone numbers are required to verify authorship, but will not be published. Students must include their year and major. Faculty must include rank and department. Others include hometown. Submissions should be sent to editor@dailyegyptian.com

Communications Building, but delays during the pandemic and rising construction costs meant the project was scaled back to a renovation.

According to a February 2025 email from SIU Director of Facilities and Energy Management Mark Owens, construction contracts were expected to be bid for the Communications Building renovation by November 2025 and the contractor was expected to mobilize the following February or March. As of April 2026, no bids have been awarded and construction has not started. Yet McLeod Theater had to be vacated this past December.

The construction of the theater — which opened in 1970 — is not a total renovation. They will be taking out and replacing the seats, making it easier for people to navigate the theater, according to administration at the School of Theater and Dance. The removed seats will be put up for sale as a piece of history to the community, with proceeds going to the School of Theater and Dance.

Owens confirmed in a March 31 email to the Daily Egyptian that a bid for construction has not been awarded yet. Owens said the design is in the final stages and is administered through the Illinois Capital Development Board.

“At this time, a construction bid has not yet been awarded,” Owens wrote to the DE. “The project is anticipated to move into the bidding phase later this year, with (the Capital Development Board) overseeing that process.”

CDB was not available for comment regarding what renovations will happen inside McLeod Theater or the Communications Building.

McLeod closure impacts students, teachers in School of Theater and Dance While the theater is closed, professors and students said the school had to move classes and performances from McLeod into different theaters — like Shryock Auditorium in the center of campus and the Christian H. Moe Laboratory Theater, which is a black-box theater down the hall from McLeod in the Communications Building.

Susan Steinfeldt, the director of undergraduate studies for the School of Theater and Dance as well as a professor who teaches voice, acting, movement, speech and dialects, said the temporary closure of McLeod affects students and professors alike.

Steinfeldt said that McLeod has several uses to students within the department. It works as a classroom and theater, and serves students in scenic design, lighting design, costume, dance and theater. Performances for theater and dance students act as the students’ labs.

“Our faculty, especially our scenic design faculty, have been very involved with the architects and talking about what needs to happen,” Steinfeldt said. “We had to be a part of it because the architects don’t know theaters, so they are looking at it as a classroom. It’s like no, no, no. We’re a production company.”

Steinfelt said the curriculum for lighting students has been affected. She also said that it is difficult for the costume department because all of their storage is now in another building across campus, in the School of Music’s Altgeld Hall.

She said they had to ask for help transporting costumes across the university.

Steinfeldt also said that the information about the university accepting bid offers with contractors has not been clearly communicated among the professors.

“I do not know and we have not been

communicated with if they have accepted a bid or when the groundbreaking will start,” she said.

Steinfeldt explained that she was under the impression that February or late January would be when the construction started.

James Reifinger, director of the School of Theater and Dance, said a date for construction has not been set yet, but they are looking at late fall of 2026. Reifinger said that the drawings are elaborate, and the process won’t be quick because it has to be approved on multiple levels.

“Unfortunately, the School of Theater and Dance is the first phase and the last phase,” Reifinger said of the Communications Building project. “It’s going to affect us the entire duration, where that might not be the case for other academic units, but in the end we are going to have great facilities.”

Reifinger said his department is unique because they can’t just move to another classroom. The school had to find venues, and there are not many in the area.

“One of the odd things about our school is that we can’t just move to another classroom,” Reifinger said. “I don’t think that was on the front end of planning. It didn’t occur that we needed specialized places.”

When using theaters such as Shryock — which holds 1,200 people — the department has to train ushers because of safety concerns with using the larger theater, which can also cost money.

Darryl Clark, associate professor at the School of Theater and Dance, said the school is growing out of its space, with small dressing rooms, theater seats that are not accessible and costume areas that are full.

“The backstage areas are desperately in need of renovation so that the people can use it to put on their face and get their costumes on,” Clark said. “The costume closets and the shops for making costumes are way, way behind the time. It has to be brought up right now.”

Clark said he was ill-informed about whether or not the university has accepted a bid to start construction, considering they have already moved away from McLeod.

Clark said if the school provided bigger theaters, it would make them “pretty competitive” with other universities in the area. He said he believes it would make SIU an easier transition from surrounding junior colleges.

Since performances have been moved to The Moe, the small black-box theater that holds about 100 people, there has been difficulty for choreographers and directors like Clark.

“There is nothing wrong with The Moe, but it is a smaller space,” Clark said. “It makes things like group dances a little harder. It is not impossible, and our class has had many things to adapt to, so we will do it, and it will be good.”

Several theater students said the only form of communication regarding McLeod’s closure came from their professors, relaying the small amount of information they knew or could disclose back to students about why classes and performances were moved out of McLeod.

Students have also expressed concerns over the size of the Moe. Van Leonard, a senior in the School of Theater and Dance, said the small capacity of the theater requires them to have more nights than usual for shows, which could be exhausting for performers and crew.

Leonard said he has multiple concerns about the construction at McLeod. He said he was looking forward to having his Senior Showcase in the theater, and was

very disappointed when the theater was shuttered amid a lack of communication between the university and students.

“As the year went on, as the theater was closed, we learned that the university had not even submitted the bid to a contractor yet,” Leonard said. “At the same time, we were moving ourselves out of the space. A vacant theater for no reason.”

The Senior Showcase is an event in which seniors perform one final time for SIU students and present the skills they have developed during their education. The showcase has since been moved to the Moe. Leonard said he and other students hoped the showcase could be held at The Varsity Center in Carbondale if it could not take place at McLeod, because the downtown venue offers more space, but the idea was then shut down by the department because they would not pay to rent The Varsity.

Leonard said that if the seniors wanted to use that space, the money would have to come from their own pockets.

He said he had concerns about moving the showcase to The Moe, because there is little room for people outside the theater community to enjoy it.

Gaige Lage, a senior theater student, said the School of Theater and Dance has allowed for Lage, his classmates and professors to explore many different opportunities in the arts, and McLeod had been a vital part of their experience.

“We use these spaces for everything: classes, rehearsals, student work, student productions,” Lage said. “RSOs use the space. We have so many things we have to use these spaces for.”

Lage said the students were excited about the renovation, but did not expect to be kicked out of the theater for so long, and so suddenly.

He said he believes the school is growing out of its space.

“We already don’t have enough space,” Lage said. “We use McLeod to paint things, to build things. If there is not a show going on in there or if they are not preparing for a show, they are using it for extra space.”

Lage said he was pleased they moved their spring production of “Anything Goes” to Shryock, because of the experience of working in new places. But he said unanswered questions are worrying theater students.

“It’s not necessarily that I’m sad that I am not in McLeod for my senior year, it’s the uncertainty for the future of the program that makes me nervous,” Lage said.

Amid construction confusion, school has also faced budget cuts

Steinfeldt said there are possible financial impacts of McLeod’s closure to the School of Theater and Dance. She said the school is reliant on McLeod box office sales.

“It is deeply impacting our program,” she said.

According to Steinfeldt, the school is unable to do one of their biggest recruiting events this year, Drama Days, during which high school students come to SIU to tour the school. Steinfeldt said they are unable to do the event because they have nowhere to place the hundreds of students that participate.

The school is now doing workshops for recruiting high school students, which, according to Steinfeldt, is much less efficient than Drama Days.

“It’s been very difficult for us because the recruiting money is nonexistent now, too,” Steinfeldt said, referring to budget cuts the program has seen previously.

Because of the cuts, professors have had to take recruiting events upon themselves.

Faculty members have expressed concerns that this will eventually affect enrollment in the School of Theater and Dance.

“The professors are paying with their own gas money,” Steinfeldt said. “I’m making a two-hour trip next week to meet with some students for an hour as a recruiting event. I’m concerned that the longer we are out of the space, the harder it will be to continue to grow revenue.”

Funding also was completely pulled for the showcase the seniors do in New York City.

When Leonoard was first starting in SIU’s theater program, the students were told that when they were seniors, they would be able to attend a free workshop program in New York City. The workshop directly followed graduation, and the school had paid for this, excluding a flight and food, for all graduating seniors in the theater and dance program. Now, because of the budget cuts, seniors have to pay for the trip without help from the university, Steinfelt said.

“The School of Theater has been unable to assist fiscally because of severe budget cuts,” Steinfelt said.

The workshop in New York City gives the students an introduction to the theater industry.

“Budget cuts have really impacted our department because the department has no money to get us to New York,” Leonard said. “When auditioning for this program, this is a thing that is advertised as being paid for. All we would have to pay for is

a way to get there and food, which is a lot less money.”

The students are planning to write letters to university leadership to encourage them to help support this workshop.

Theater professors and students are trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel amid budget cuts and temporary closures but still want clear communication and answers from the university.

“It is not impossible to come back from those things, the school will not fall into the abyss,” Leonard said. “I think the important thing is to put pressure on the people with the money and say, ‘Hey, think about the student; think about the education.’”

According to St. Louis Public Radio, SIU’s School of Theater and Dance previously received about $75,000 in state funding, but state funding for the school was reduced to $0 for fiscal year 2025 and remained at that level for fiscal year 2026. That state funding had been covering show production, recruitment, retention and student jobs. Staff and faculty salaries are paid through a different budget line.

Since 2020, several universities have lost funding for their theater programs. Schools like Jacksonville University cut 40 faculty members and cut funding for theater and music programs within the university.

Reifinger said it was “unclear right now” if the department could see financial impacts from the temporary closure of McLeod.

Lage said that although the future of McLeod remains uncertain, the arts will persist — at SIU and elsewhere.

“Art creates a community — a bond,” Lage said. “It creates a love. It’s an interest that humans have and it takes a specific kind of human to love, appreciate and be within the arts. Theater is a space for people who feel like they don’t belong. If we are having unanswered questions about something like a renovation on our building, it just makes the future look uncertain.”

“I think anyone in the arts at any school is constantly nervous that it will go away,” Lage said. “You see it every day. Theater has always been here, and it will always be here. It will never go away. It will adapt, it will change. Live theater is not going to die.”

Staff Reporter Mariah Fletcher can be reached at mfletcher@dailyegyptian.com

SIU to host Mid-America ASCE Student Symposium for first time in a decade

yedmond@dailyegyptian.com

Southern Illinois University Carbondale will host the MidAmerica Student Symposium for the American Society of Civil Engineers from April 9-11, welcoming approximately 450 engineering students from 14 to 16 universities across the region.

The event marks a significant return for SIU, which has not hosted the regional competition since 2016. The symposium brings together civil engineering students to compete in hands-on, real-world challenges such as the steel bridge and concrete canoe competitions, with winners advancing to nationallevel contests.

Cordelia Lemons, president of SIU’s ASCE chapter and the symposium’s student host lead, said organizing the large-scale event has been both challenging and rewarding.

“I think it kind of shows the resilience of our school and our

NORMAL

CONTINUED FROM 1

It’s been a successful year for SIU College of Arts and Media alumni, Odenkirk included.

Hilla Medalia and Jack Piatt were nominated for Academy Awards, with Piatt taking home the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film in March. In 2025, Odenkirk earned a Tony nomination for his Broadway debut and premiered “Nobody 2.” In addition to collaborating on the story and acting in “Normal,” Odenkirk was one of the film’s producers.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Egyptian and River Region News after the screening, Odenkirk said that SIU was important to him, as it gave him the space to try a variety of activities and sharpen his skills.

“I was able to do all this stuff and not feel like the bigger world was chasing me,” he said. “I could think about what I was doing and have a good time and relax a little bit, and I really needed that. I needed a lot of growth, and this was a place I could do it.”

Soon after the premiere of “Normal” in Toronto, Magnolia Pictures acquired the film rights for distribution in the U.S.

“It’s a risky thing to do what we did,” Odenkirk said of making an independent film. “But all of these artistic endeavors — making a music album, making a band, writing a book, making a movie, certainly, these are risky things, you know? And it may not work out, as good as the script might be.”

“Normal,” however, surpassed their expectations, he said.

“You have to get a little luck when you’re making movies and artistic things,” Odenkirk said.

chapter,” Lemons said. “We are one of the smaller schools in our region, but we have the strength and the support and resources to put on an event like this.”

As host lead, Lemons oversaw logistics including venues, scheduling, volunteers and coordination with faculty and regional teams. She said the process required extensive planning and teamwork across the department.

“It takes a team,” she said.

“It feels like a miracle that we made it, but that would kind of undermine all of the hard work that everyone has put in.”

The symposium spans three days, each focused on different competitions and activities.

Thursday will feature smaller, locally organized events such as concrete bowling, concrete cornhole and a new GeoWall competition. Friday highlights include the concrete canoe races and surveying competitions,

while Saturday is dedicated entirely to the steel bridge event.

For Wayne Tinsman, captain of SIU’s concrete canoe team, the competition represents a yearlong effort in design, construction and teamwork.

“We spent this whole year designing and building a concrete canoe for the race,” Tinsman said. “It’s basically a mockup of a realworld scenario where a client gives us requirements, and we have to design something to meet those specs.”

Despite its name, the concrete canoe is engineered to float using lightweight and recycled materials.

“We use lighter aggregates. A lot of it is actually sustainable stuff,” Tinsman said. “By the time the canoe is done, it’s about 300 pounds, but the materials help it stay buoyant.”

Tinsman noted that one of the biggest challenges for SIU’s team is its small size compared to

larger programs.

“Other schools have upwards of 20 to 40 people,” he said. “Right now, we’re a very small group, so the design part is definitely the hardest because it’s a big demand on all of us.”

In addition to technical skills like structural design and material engineering, the symposium emphasizes professional development. Students gain experience in public speaking, leadership and networking with industry professionals who serve as judges.

The steel bridge competition, another major highlight, requires students to design and assemble a scale model bridge under time and safety constraints.

Dayton Gaughan, SIU’s steel bridge captain, emphasized the importance of teamwork and precision in the event, where even small mistakes can impact performance.

“I’m excited, first of all. We put a whole lot of blood and sweat

“And in our case, I think the greatest luck that we had was the director, Ben Wheatley.”

In a room packed with nearly 400 people, audience members were reactive and in sync. They laughed at the movie’s jokes, gasped at the bloodshed and cheered for the mayhem. While the story was written with a theatrical audience in mind, Odenkirk credits Wheatley’s direction for eliciting the strong reactions.

“If you saw the movie tonight with that audience, the difference between seeing it in that room and watching it at home — I mean you might still like it at home and have a great time, but not as good as that…People know

that the theater is a different experience than the one they get at home,” Odenkirk said, pointing to the recent blockbuster success of “Weapons” and “Project Hail Mary.” “The challenge is, I wish movie tickets didn’t cost as much as they do. Now why is that? There’s probably a lot of real reasons that are genuine. It’s a shame, because it is very expensive compared to you going ‘Well, I already pay for Netflix, I already pay for Hulu.’”

Lucas Sommers, a senior in cinema at SIU, was also at the screening. Sommers said he enjoyed the action sequences and tone of “Normal,” which he said differs from Kolstad’s scripts for

into this, and getting to see it tested on competition day will be really exciting,” Gaughan said.

When asked to describe the ASCE event, Andy Ochiabutor, SIU’s surveying captain and vice president of the National Society of Black Engineers, said the experience it provides is foundational.

“This is a step forward. This is the framework and grounds that most people in this competition will be basing their careers off of,” he said.

As SIU prepares to host teams from across the Mid-America region, the symposium stands as both a competition and a showcase of student innovation.

“It is a showcase of the hard work and dedication and skills that students, particularly engineering students, possess,” Lemons said.

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

perspectives and then to actually be able to meet them, it’s always a lot of fun.”

“Normal” releases in theaters April 17. Odenkirk told the DE and River Region that he wants audience members to have a fun time watching. He had a fun time filming himself, so much so that he decided to keep the sheriff badge his charactzer wears.

the “John Wick” franchise.

“I think ‘John Wick’ can get a little too serious sometimes, so I think they were really good about keeping it light and surprising in ‘Normal,’” Sommers said. “A lot of twists and turns. I think it was choreographed really well. Just a lot of fun, surprising stuff.”

Sommers and Lockhart met Odenkirk after the event. Kolstad also attended the screening and participated in the discussion with Odenkirk.

“It’s just always a lot of fun to be around people who have found work in the same industry that you’re trying to kind of break into,” Sommers said.

“Just hearing them and their

“When you make a movie, they make multiple versions of every prop in case you lose it or break it,” Odenkirk said. “And so this movie was ending and I love this character, Ulysses, and they were like, do you want anything? They always offer you your clothes or whatever, and I don’t really keep stuff. I’ve got something from the Spielberg movie I made, I’ve got a couple of ties from ‘Better Call Saul.’ I just don’t — I kind of move on. I mean, one of the reasons I became an actor is I like the next thing I’m doing. I’m more excited about ‘this was great, now what else?’ … But I kept these. I got like four sheriff badges, so I figured some people would enjoy them. I hope they don’t wear them around town because you could get in trouble with the police.”

During the public discussion with Kolstad, Odenkirk said that the movie was initially called “The Interim,” but after various discussions about the piece, they ultimately decided to change it.

“For movie audiences, a town called Normal, just, they’re like, ‘Wow, okay, that’s not normal’... That’s a great thing to walk into the theater knowing,” he said. “So we’re here because we borrowed your town name.”

Editor-in-Chief Carly Gist can be reached at cgist@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @gistofthestory

Through the lens:

A look at photojournalists covering ICE

PEYTON COOK pcook@dailyegyptian.com

Editor’s note: This story was originally published with Gateway Journalism Review.

On a fall morning, freelance photojournalist Kenn Cook Jr. arrived at a protest outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in suburban Chicago.

As the crowd grew louder after Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth were denied entry in hopes of seeing what was going on inside the facility, Cook looked up at federal agents who stood on the roof, watching. An American flag moved in the wind beside them. He raised his camera and took a photo.

Weeks later, in Memphis, Cook documented a different kind of aftermath. Residents, shaken by immigration raids, weighed whether to speak publicly.

One woman let him into her home to photograph what was left behind after ICE agents took her husband away.

Since last fall, as immigration enforcement has intensified in cities across the country, photojournalists say the conditions for documenting those moments have shifted, with tighter access to detention facilities, increased surveillance, more aggressive tactics and growing uncertainty about how to safely do their jobs.

For Cook, that has made safety a collective effort among photographers working in the field.

“A lot of photojournalists are very supportive of one another and sharing resources and tips to stay safe,” Cook said.

In December 2025, a surge of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis drew photographers from across the country, turning the city into a focal point for documenting enforcement activity. By January 2026, thousands of community members and neighbors came together in downtown Minneapolis to protest ICE, bearing the arctic temperatures.

On Jan. 7, 2026, Renée Good was shot in Minneapolis after a confrontation with an ICE agent. Then, weeks later on Jan. 24, 2026, Alex Pretti was shot less than two miles from where Good was.

For photographers on the ground, the scale and speed of those operations changed how they worked.

“There were thousands of agents in the street, so the strategy had to be a lot more, like, how do we find these people? How do we document what’s going on? How do we pick what’s important? How do we stay safe?” Minnesota Star Tribune photojournalist Alex Kormann said. The scale of the operation forced photographers to rethink how they worked in real time. But beyond logistics, some said the coverage felt emotionally familiar.

“The overall impression that I had from the start is that it just felt like it was really similar to all of the other really tragic events that Minnesota has gone through in the past year,” Zach Spindler-Krage, a freelance photojournalist, said.

Spindler-Krage also covered the aftermath of the June 2025 assassination of Minnesota House speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, John Hortman. Additionally, Spindler-Krage was one of the first photographers to arrive at the Church of the Annunciation after a mass shooting in August 2025.

“You get to these vigils and they all feel just eerily similar,” Spindler-Krage said. “It’s just like this profound sense of sadness and mourning.”

After an ICE agent shot and killed Reneé Good in Minnesota, it didn’t seem like there would be a stop to the raids, Spindler-Krage said.

When covering conflict, an important value to Cook is to remain unbiased.

“I am making the images that really tell the story,” Cook said. “I am telling it objectively so that people are getting the truth when they see this.”

As immigration enforcement intensified, that work drew photographers from across the country, turning cities like Minneapolis into a national focal point.

“At the peak of the immigration (enforcement) here, there were hundreds of photographers,” Kormann said.

The influx of national media can complicate coverage, particularly for local journalists who must continue reporting in those communities after the widespread attention fades.

“Local journalists have to be very intentional about their reporting because they’re going to continue to be reporting on those communities long after all of the national media attention goes away,” Spindler-Krage said.

That responsibility also shapes what photographers are looking for in the field and how difficult it can be to capture it.

Editors often look for what photographers call a “decisive moment,” a single image that conveys the height of action or emotion. But in immigration enforcement, those moments are fleeting and often scattered across a wide area.

“A lot of the time, I will be driving around in my car for eight hours a day, 120 miles, just all around Minneapolis,” Kormann said.

“And I will see and be photographing ICE for a combined total of, like, five minutes, maybe 10 minutes.”

For Kormann, those few minutes are the ones that matter.

“Above all, I would be really compassionate towards the folks you’re photographing,” he said. “Because remember, you’re photographing potentially the worst day of their lives.”

From Dawgs to Divas: Alt.News 26:46 hosts first drag race fundraiser at SIU

SOPH LEVINSON slevinson@dailyegyptian.com

Alt.News 26:46, an alternative news group that covers unique and creative stories, took over Ballroom B of the SIU Student Center on March 30, 2026 to host the first ever Alt.News 26:46 Drag Race. CoExecutive Producers Sam Bakos and Kaylin Williams, who helped lead the event, provided the community with a fun time raising money for the RSO.

Clarice Leona was the main queen and announcer of the event, which was inspired by “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” a hit reality TV series that has been airing since 2009. She said she planned the event to be an alternative take on the celebrated tv series.

“As an alternative person, I think ‘(RuPaul’s) Drag Race,’ specifically Season 4 of ‘American Drag Race,’ was the first time I really saw someone on TV I could relate to,” Leona said.

Two teams, each with three Alt. News members, competed at the event. One team had queen Elly Gay Clampette played by Dahlia Dahl, and the other team had queen Eden Dream played by Dylan Copple. All acts were judged by SIU faculty member Andrea Snow.

Dahl said her persona was inspired by the character Elly May Clampette from “The Beverly Hillbilles.” To keep in theme with the Southernstyle sitcom, Dahl lip-sang “The Giver” by pop star and drag queen Chappell Roan. The song choice was also a tribute to her late partner, she said.

“‘The Giver’ was absolutely, not even close, my late wife’s favorite song,” she said, adding that her partner had listened to the song on loop, even right up to before they passed.

Copple said their persona was inspired by The Donner Party, a historical event in which a group of American pioneers were trapped in the Sierra Nevada mountains during the winter with a lack of natural resources, which resulted in the pioneers turning toward extreme measures like cannibalism before receiving help.

Copple’s costume included fake snow in their hair, blue contour and black finger tips to resemble frostbite.

Copple chose “The Devil In Camp,” a song by the band American Murder Song that was inspired by the same event, for their lip-sync performance.

Copple said their team wanted to find something gothic to fit the

alternative theme of the drag race.

“Whenever I heard the song, I could imagine the choreography a lot easier than other songs,” Copple said, adding that they were also happy “to do some body contortion stuff.”

The southern belle Elly Gay

Clampette took home the golden rhinestone heel trophy. Snow said that Dahl’s ability to jump in heels was so astonishing, she had to give her first place.

“If I had to do it all again, I wouldn’t change a thing,” she said.

Staff Photographer Soph Levinson can be reached at slevinson@dailyegyptian. com or hpos.artz on Instagram

In the end, these SIU dawgs turned into some divas, and Dahl sashayed away with an unforgettable memory.

Meet Margaret Howell Kruse, the new Carbondale Farmers Market Manager

BRAYDEN GUY

bguy@dailyegyptian.com

The Carbondale Farmers Market, a community event hosted every Saturday either rain or shine at the Westown Mall Parking Lot for 51 years, is now under new management. On March 20, Margaret Howell Kruse took the reins as the new market manager.

The market manager is a position that deals with the “dayto-day running of the market,” which includes keeping up with the different vendors, making sure everyone pays their dues and “checking the weather,” Kruse said.

“I want to try and allow as many new people to come set up and sell,” Kruse said. “Keeping it diverse, so customers keep wanting to come back to see what is new, and also giving all the different vendors opportunities to showcase their products.”

Kruse is not only the market manager, but also a vendor herself. Her family runs the Bison Bluff Farms business that is based out of Cobden, Illinois. They sell bison meat products as well as “bone items such as skulls, and decorative jaw bones and vertebrae.” They have been vendors since 2018. While Kruse spoke with the Daily Egyptian, her daughter managed their stand.

Kruse said all market committee positions, like market manager and president, are filled and governed by vendors.

“This market has been run by vendors from the start, so it is not run by a city or anything else like that,” she said. “Everyone on our executive committee is a vendor.”

There are only 28 spaces open for seasonal vendors, and daily vendors cannot be voted to become seasonal until a slot is available. Seasonal vendors are guaranteed space for the market, while daily vendors get to come to the market if there are openings, according to the president and market manager.

President Kurt Sweitzer said he was excited for Kruse to take over as market manager.

“She is a young gal with a lot of new ideas and a lot of energy,” he said.

Kruse said she was working to improve the market and its exposure.

“We updated our website thanks to AlterEgo Marketing, which is a local business,” she said. “We actually have an application now, so daily vendors can apply online.”

There is an application Google form on their website, farmersmarketcarbondale.com, for any business interested in becoming a daily vendor. Vendors are to “grow/ produce” their own products, “in accordance with the Jackson County Health Department,” according to the market website. There is also a $30 fee for the vendor’s 10 feet of provided space, and the market “requires liability insurance” of $300,000 or greater.”

Kruse started in 2018 as a daily vendor, but in 2019, Bison Bluff Farms became a seasonal vendor. That same year, she was voted in to become the secretary of the Farmers Market. Kruse became the vice president in 2025 and has been operating the market’s Facebook page.

Kruse said only some of the

positions pay, and that the market manager is a paid position.

Sweitzer said the market’s 28 seasonal vendors vote, but the daily vendors do not get to vote.

Kruse said that typically, the seasonal vendors take up the parking lot space to only allow for six daily vendors, but there is more room this year.

“We have 28 seasonal vendors, but they are not all 20-foot, so we actually have nine spaces guaranteed for daily vendors this year,” Kruse said.

To become a seasonal vendor, daily vendors need to have come to the market five times in a year, attend an annual market meeting,

Puzzle

Answers (puzzles on 12)

and present their business.

“Seasonal vendors get voted in because their product is seen as unique and integral to the market,” Kruse said.

Becky Bass is a seasonal vendor with Bass Farms. She sells fresh strawberries and hanging flower pots. Her business has been in the market since 1982.

“I’m thrilled to death with Margaret,” Bass said. “She is a really nice gal, and I think she will do a great job.”

Bass could only think of one change she would make to the market.

“We could use a porta-potty, cause you never know. I’m sure the

business over there gets tired of us running in,” Bass said, gesturing to the Shell gas station behind her. Sylvan Christenson of Subculture Laboratories, a daily vendor that sells rare house plants, also had high praise for Kruse.

“She has been really helpful,” Christenson said. “When we started here last year, she helped us get used to the expectations and understand what it is like to be a vendor here. Seeing her move into the new role is great. She is super organized, and we are stoked to see her do the work.”

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

SIU starting pitching shines in 2-1 series victory over Illinois State

117 pitches, matching his seasonhigh.

After a month and a half of SIU Baseball, the Salukis played their first home Missouri Valley Conference series of the season at Itchy Jones Stadium. The three-game slate from April 3-5 featured a matchup against the Illinois State University Redbirds. Dominant pitching performances and strong run production propelled the Salukis to a 2-1 series victory over the Redbirds.

APRIL 3: SIU 4, ISU 3

Pitcher Andrew Evans got the start for the Salukis. The hulking right-hander, who has been dominant all year, sent down the Redbirds in just eight pitches to begin the game.

The Dawgs found offensive success in the second inning, started by a single and a walk with one out. Centerfielder Jackson Dibble and first baseman Kaleb Hall executed a double steal, putting runners in prime scoring position. Shortstop Henry Kufa drove in Hall with a single up the middle, and Dibble crossed home due to an error on the play.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Redbirds cashed in their first run of the game on a walk followed by a passed ball and a wild pitch.

Right fielder Kye Watson laced a double down the left field line to kick off the bottom of the fifth inning. After a groundout that put Watson on third, third baseman Cecil Lofton drove in the run with an RBI sacrifice fly, and the Dawgs were up 3-1.

After an eight-pitch at-bat in the eighth inning, Andrew Evans sent down his last batter of the night with his eleventh strikeout of the night, marking a career high. He concluded his night after throwing an astonishing

“I felt great out there,” Evans said. “Everything was working for me.”

Following Evans’ emphatic finish, Lofton came up and drilled a ball over the right field fence, taking the outfielder’s glove with it. The much-needed insurance run put the Salukis on top 4-1 going into the ninth inning.

Despite a shaky top of the ninth inning for pitcher Jack MacIntosh, the fiery closer shut down the Redbirds before they could potentially tie, and the Salukis took a 4-3 victory.

APRIL 4: SIU 9, ISU 1

Looking to complete their first MVC series victory, the Salukis sent out Troy Shepard to face the Redbirds for game two. The crafty pitcher made it to the third inning before surrendering a hit, and the baserunner was left stranded.

The Salukis could not tally a hit until the bottom of the fourth inning, where designated hitter Tim Simay knocked one through the left side for a single.

The Redbirds scored the first run of the game on a long home run in the top of the fifth inning.

Left fielder Kaleb Hall came through with a single to begin SIU’s half of the sixth inning.

Kufa stepped up and drilled a ball over the left field wall, and the Salukis were up 2-1. This home run was Kufa’s first as a Saluki.

After adding another run on an ISU error, Watson and catcher Mason Schwalbach each drew RBI walks, upping the SIU lead to 5-1 after six innings.

After two more runs on an error and a wild pitch, Lofton came up and knocked in another run via sacrifice fly, and the Dawgs took

a commanding 9-1 lead.

The score remained the same for the rest of the contest, and the Salukis secured a series victory in the second game.

APRIL 5: ISU 10, SIU 4

The Salukis gave pitcher Meade Johnson the ball to begin the final game of the series against the Redbirds on Sunday. Johnson ran into some early trouble, surrendering two runs on a pair of ISU doubles in the first inning.

The Dawgs got a baserunner on in each of the first three innings, but could not drive them home.

The Redbirds extended their lead to 6-0 in the top of the fourth inning with a pair of RBI singles and a two-run homer.

Simay drew a walk for the Salukis, and second baseman Gabe Petrucelli singled to begin the bottom of the fourth inning. Facing two outs, Kufa came up clutch once more with a tworun double lined into the leftcenterfield gap.

The Redbirds’ offense continued to click in the fifth inning, putting up an impressive four runs on six hits.

Neither team could push across any runs until the bottom of the seventh inning, when Saluki left fielder Kristian Sprawling notched an RBI single.

Bryce Habuda pinch hit for Flores in the bottom of the ninth, and singled through the

right side, giving the Salukis their fourth run of the game. The opportunity for more runs was squandered, and the Salukis dropped the third game of the series 10-4. With this series victory, the Salukis improve to 12-18 overall and 3-3 in conference. The Redbirds fall to 20-12 overall and 5-4 in MVC games. Coverage of the Salukis final game of this homestand against the Redhawks of Southeast Missouri State University on April 7 can be found on the Daily Egyptian website.

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

Saluki Softball sweeps Indiana State

Offense was the highlight of SIU’s three game road series against Missouri Valley Conference opponent Indiana State as the Salukis swept the Sycamores.

The three games were moved to Sunday, April 5 and Monday, April 6 due to poor weather in the Terre Haute area. Junior designated player Emily Williams led the way with two grand slams, three total home runs, five hits and 10 RBIs against the Sycamores. The Salukis outscored the Sycamores 29-8 and totaled 37 hits as a team across the series.

APRIL 5: SIU 6, ISU 1

The Salukis struck first in the top of the first inning when sophomore left fielder Sage Grann hit her first collegiate career home run to right field. After some confusion, the umpires got together and confirmed Grann’s solo home run. Grann was a tough out all series, going 6-10 with three walks and eight runs scored.

The Dawgs tacked on three more runs in the top of the third when junior catcher Sydney Potter smoked a ball over the wall in left field for a three-run homer.

The Dawgs added a run in the top of the fifth with a Williams solo home run and another run in the top of the sixth with a Potter RBI double. The Salukis took a 6-0 advantage into the bottom of the sixth.

Freshman pitcher Brooklyn Danielson pitched all seven innings in the circle for the Salukis. In her seven innings of work, Danielson surrendered seven hits, one run and struck out three Sycamores.

Danielson threw 132 pitches and was the winning pitcher in the contest. Danielson is now 7-1 on the season. Southern Illinois took Game 1 of the doubleheader 6-1.

APRIL 5: SIU 10, ISU 4

The strong offensive output continued for Southern Illinois in game two. The Saluki offense put up six runs in the top of the second inning. Co-captain and senior second baseman Erin Lee laid down a sac bunt to score junior third baseman Amanda Knutson. Redshirt sophomore right fielder Maleah Blomenkamp singled down the left field line to score junior center fielder Mikaela Coburn. Williams crushed a ball well over the left center wall for her first of two grand slams in Terre Haute. The Dawgs led 6-0 after an inning and a half.

Freshman pitcher Hailey Lucas was the only pitcher for SIU in the second game. Lucas allowed 10 hits, four runs and struck out four Sycamores throwing 106 pitches.

The Sycamores cut into the Saluki lead in the bottom of the second with an RBI double. Indiana State struck again the next inning on an RBI single that cut the Salukis advantage to four.

SIU responded in the top of the fourth, Grann singled down the left field line to score Lee. Grann advanced to second on the throw home and would later come around to score when Williams singled up the middle.

The Salukis retained a six run lead heading into the fourth up 8-2.

The Sycamores scored two more runs in the bottom of the fourth off an RBI double. However, the Salukis would continue to score runs and outpace Indiana State.

After the Sycamores scored two and left the score at 8-4, the Salukis scored two more in the top of the fifth. Sophomore first baseman Hayden Kurtz singled to right center and Knutson scored. Blomenkamp would drive in another run on a single to center.

Lucas held the Sycamores scoreless for the remainder of

the game. Lucas was the winning pitcher and her record moved to 5-6 on the season. The Salukis were victorious 10-4.

APRIL 6: SIU 13, ISU 3

The Dawgs came out and scored first once more as they looked to sweep the series. Potter went to the opposite field when she launched a moonshot over the right field wall. Potter now has 16 home runs on the season, putting her just one away from tying the Southern Illinois single season record set at 17 home runs. Potter also has 42 RBIs on the season.

The Salukis squeezed out another run when Blomenkamp picked up an RBI on a fielder’s choice.

The score was 3-0 heading into the top of the sixth. The Salukis would score six runs in the sixth inning and another four runs in the seventh inning. Blomenkamp hit a 2 RBI single in the fifth, which was followed by senior cocaptain Hailey Wilkerson hitting an RBI double off the wall to score Blomenkamp. Knutson singled to score Grann and Kurtz followed with a two RBI single to put the Dawgs up 9-0.

The Sycamores responded with three runs in the bottom of the

sixth to prevent the run rule from coming into effect.

In the top of the seventh Williams put the game completely out of reach when she demolished her second grand slam of the series. The Williams grand slam put the Dawgs well ahead by a score of 13-3.

Junior pitcher Emily Delgado was the starting pitcher for the Salukis. Delgado pitched six and two-third innings and allowed seven hits and three runs while striking out six hitters. Delgado was awarded the victory and her record moved to 6-3 on the season. Sophomore pitcher Emma Gipson pitched the final part of the seventh inning and held Indiana State scoreless to secure the win for SIU.

The Salukis completed the sweep of the Sycamores. SIU moves to 2113 overall and 10-4 in MVC play. Indiana State falls to 18-19 and 6-8 in the MVC.

SIU returns home to Charlotte West Stadium to face-off against the Evansville Purple Aces for a double header on April 7. See the Daily Egyptian website for coverage.

Sports Reporter Aaron Carnahan can be reached at acarnahan@dailyegyptian.com

Rural Health Careers Virtual Panel Discussion

ACROSS

1- Opt out in bridge, 2 words

6- Fall times, abbr.

10- Sch. groups, abbr.

14- Made the fire again

15- Kind of surgery

16- Lessen, as difficulties

17- Get up

18- King of the road

19- Be sore

20- Astronomical discovery of the 1960s

22- Gatorade, e.g.

24- It may start with “Starters”

outs, briefly

49- Berlioz’s “Les nuits d’___”

26- “What have we here?!”

27- Sandcastle equipment

31- Truck fuel

34- Steamed up

37- The Pointer Sisters’ “___ Excited”, 2 words

38- Bothered, 2 words

39- Relative of an ostrich

40- Relating to a religious text

43- San _____ prison

45- “Monk” carrier

46- Goodbye in Paris

48- Alpha rhythm read-

50- Kitchen appliances

52- Gait between walk and canter

53- Director Jacquet of “March of the Penguins”

55- Band leader Miller

57- Wit

61- Brooklyn neighbor

66- Explosives

67- Flatten, in a way

69- Certain student

70- Notion, in Normandy

71- Broccoli relative

72- Stretch of land

73- Put up

74- Skye for one 75- Yellow parts

DOWN

1- Mideast hot spot 2- SA country

3- Others, in Latin 4- Snake sound 5- Cook, as clams

6- Exclamation of surprise

7- Lawn game

8- House of Dana perfume

9- Gin flavoring 10- Fuzzy fruit

11- Part of a dashboard

12- African American tennis star

13- Palmist, e.g.

21- Suggestion by a sommelier, perhaps 23- “The Beautiful Country” star, Nick

25- B-complex vitamin

27- Arouse one’s interest

28- Not to be missed, 2 words

29- Biblical people

30- Hawaii’s Mauna ___

32- “Rocky II” or “Rocky III”

33- ___ de cologne

35- Friend in “Once upon a Time in Mexico”

36- Actress who plays Spiderman’s love, Kirsten

41- DEA agents

42- Boise’s state, abbr. 44- Spiker’s barrier

47- Chinese appetizer

51- Et ___ (footnote abbr.)

54- Defeat

56- Bats

57- Little swab

58- Efface

59- Kind of torch on “Survivor”

60- Gaslight or Colonial

62- Mark’s replacement

63- List ender

64- Dracula’s target

65- Match parts

68- Born, in Bordeaux

Event Calendar

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

PAGE

*To play Sudoku, fill a 9x9 grid with digits 1 through 9 so that each row, each column, and each 3x3 subgrid contains each number exactly once.

Want to see your event here?

Email editor@dailyegyptian.com.