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Choate workers rally against cuts, page 9

VOL. 110, ISSUE 2

University continues ‘strategic hiring,’ page 10

SIU Foundation pays $2.2M to cancel MOU MOU was for new dorms on grounds of Greek Row BRAYDEN GUY News Editor Southern Illinois University administrators and trustees donned Saluki-branded hard hats as the bucket of an excavator tore through the old student housing of Greek Row on Aug. 6, 2025. Cheers erupted as plumes of dust filled the air and the long-vacant buildings dissolved into rubble. The

celebration, hosted by the SIU Foundation, marked the end of an era for a historic piece of Carbondale’s campus. In its place, officials promised modernized housing that would eliminate a festering eyesore and help boost enrollment. But a year later, the project has ground to a halt: Eight of the 14 buildings are still standing, filled with water and

trash. The SIU Foundation paid $2.2 million to walk away from an agreement with a Georgia-based real estate developer for the new housing, and the future of the project remains in limbo. ‘From the ashes’ Greek Row, formerly known as Small Group Housing, was constructed in 1959, a boom era at SIU Carbondale, the VILLAGE | 4

Items float in the water at the downstairs level outside of an old Greek Row building July 21, 2026 at SIU in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

Stix to reopen under new name, new vibe

Stix Bar and Billiards sits on 517 S. Illinois Ave. under construction Aug. 11, 2026 in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual JACKSON BRANDHORST Staff Reporter The building formerly home to Stix on The Strip is reopening under the same ownership with a new name, a new look and a much different atmosphere. Joshua Edwards, who also owns Levels Nightclub and another college bar in Columbus, Ohio, confirmed that he is rebranding the former Carbondale staple as The Park. Renovations are already underway, and Edwards said the transformation will be extensive.

“It’s going to be The Park,” Edwards said. “We’re doing a face-lift on the inside — it’s been pretty much completely gutted. The outside, over the next week and a half, should see a huge face-lift. All the windows are coming down, garage doors are going in. We’re trying to open it up a little bit and get some new lighting on the outside.” The concept, Edwards said, will lean heavily into a sports-bar atmosphere, with gaming, televisions and lounge spaces throughout. Edwards confirmed that the

bar will still have its iconic four-sided island bar layout. “We are definitely going for a sports bar vibe,” Edwards said. “It’s definitely not going to be another Levels.” “The place will be lined with TVs,” he said. “But there will also be chill areas. The focus will be on sports and giving a huge face-lift to the city on the main strip.” The Carbondale City Council approved the liquor license on Aug. 11 for The Park LLC at 517 S. Illinois Ave., and council member Nathan Colombo

said that he is excited to see the space return to use and appreciates Edwards’ efforts as a Carbondale business owner. Stix closed in 2019 shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic as Edwards shifted his attention toward reopening Levels. The bar returned in 2022 but closed again the following year. Its latest vacancy left one of The Strip’s most recognizable nightlife spaces dark at a time when Carbondale’s downtown bar scene had already STIX | 3

Former SIU professor pleads guilty to reckless conduct JACKSON BRANDHORST Staff Reporter The former Southern Illinois University professor accused last year of posting videos of himself masturbating in several places on campus pleaded guilty Aug. 5 to a charge of reckless conduct after admitting he recorded himself doing so in a lecture hall hallway and

posted it online. Kyle Miller, a 35-yearold former professor at the SIU School of Medicine, was the subject of a March 2025 social media exposé led by extreme right-wing online influencer Chaya Raichik, who operates the popular Libs of TikTok account. The

thread targeted Miller for sexual content Raichik alleged he was posting under the social media handle @Midwest0tter. The Libs of TikTok thread garnered more than 3 million views on Twitter/X, singling Miller out and directing national attention toward the university. Raichik alleged that Miller

had filmed himself masturbating in SIU lecture halls, offices, stairwells and hallways and posted the videos across several social media platforms. The thread included screenshots showing a man, who Raichik alleged to be Miller, in various states of undress in recognizable areas of the SIU campus. The thread came amid an PROFESSOR | 3

Carbondale City Council bans public camping JACKSON BRANDHORST two years, with each day Staff Reporter counted as a separate offense. The Carbondale City Loos proposed that the Council on Aug. 11 banned council remove language in the camping and sleeping on ordinance that states that the city public property within city could pursue the incarceration of limits following months individuals who have violated the of debate among residents ordinance and not paid the fines. and elected officials about His amendment was passed, homeless encampments and however it did not technically how the city handles them. solve the issue at hand. In a nearly four-hour Loos said that violating meeting, councilmembers the ordinance itself is not a Brian Stanfield, Adam misdemeanor, and said that he Loos and Dawn Roberts, takes issue with the idea that alongside Mayor Carolin someone could be arrested Harvey, voted in favor of the for it. However, Carbondale ordinance, which had been City Attorney Jamie Snyder revised following its original clarified that actually, the city introduction in March. could still arrest someone Councilmembers Nathan for it if they avoid paying Colombo and Nancy Maxwell the fines or fail to appear in voted no. Councilmember court whether that language Clare Killman was absent. remains within the city code The ordinance prohibits or not. Snyder said the city is sleeping or camping on unlikely to do so in instances public property, including of homelessness. sidewalks, streets, alleys, parks, “When an individual gets a benches, bridges and other ticket, if they fail to show up, city-owned property at any one of the options is default time. Notably, the ordinance judgment being entered prohibits sleeping separately against them for the amount from its definition of “public of the fine,” Snyder said. camping,” meaning a person “When they’re an unhoused does not necessarily need to individual or have no means have a tent, bedding or other to pay the fines, we typically possessions to violate it. vacate those fines as being The city defines a campsite uncollectible.” as any outdoor space used In a rare instance of as a temporary place to live interjection following several where bedding, a stove or a comments from the public fire is present. A tent is not and back and forth between necessarily required to be council members, Harvey considered camping, and took time to express her the definition can include a support for the ordinance, vehicle. It also restricts sleeping addressing concerns from the in vehicles overnight, however, community while clarifying the original ordinance that the camping prohibition language was changed to only applies to public spaces. reflect that it does not apply “This ordinance is only for to commercial truck drivers in public property,” Harvey said. some instances. “If I want to take my daughter The city generally must or son to Evergreen Park, give 48 hours of notice why should I have to be by before removing a campsite, someone who lives in the park unless officials determine it in an encampment?” is blocking access, creating Harvey said that there unsanitary conditions, are still several resources obstructing a public right- available to unhoused people of-way or posing a health or in Carbondale, and that the safety risk. city is continuing to work Fines for violating the on the issue of homelessness, ordinance increase from $25 something that she says is very for the first violation to as near and dear to her heart. much as $750 for a sixth or Several members of the subsequent violation within CAMPING | 3

Page 2 | News

Wednesday, August 19, 2026 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

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Molly Schuyler nears the finish line for beating the 28-inch pizza challenge July 17, 2026 in Pizza Villa in Anna, Illinois. Brayden Guy | bguy@dailyegyptian.com

Molly Schuyler vs. the 28-inch Pizza Villa challenge BRAYDEN GUY News Editor

A petite woman stands over a 28-inch pepperoni pizza; looking down, she can almost see her reflection in the grease. Molly Schuyler, a 5-foot-5 woman with dark hair, bright blue eyeshadow and several piercings in each ear, was almost dwarfed by the giant pizza in front of her. A crowd had filled the Pizza Villa restaurant in Anna, Illinois, on July 17 to witness Schuyler take on a challenge usually attempted by teams of men twice her size: She was going to eat an entire 28-inch pizza, by herself, in 45 minutes or less. Schuyler is a mother, bartender, competitive eater and content creator from Washington, D.C. Schuyler hadn’t been in the southern Illinois area for three or four years. She flew into Chicago and drove six hours south to Pizza Villa. She didn’t have a game plan and was fatigued from the travel. “I haven’t even seen the pizza yet, honestly. I don’t know what I am getting, and I’m exhausted,” Schuyler said as she prepared for the challenge. Despite her modesty, Schuyler dipped her toes into competitive eating in 2012 and has been competing ever since. “I had been working at an Applebee’s back in 2012 and someone bet me I couldn’t eat a sandwich,” she said. “It was a five-pound burger, and it was fun. It kinda became a little game to see if I could do more. Then it became a career that paid more than working at Applebee’s, so it really worked out,” Schuyler said. Her favorite food? “Anything that doesn’t have to be chewed. I can swallow most things whole,” she said. Since 2012, she has also been posting to her YouTube channel Molly Schuyler MOM VS FOOD - EAT LIKE A GIRL! that has nearly 300,000 subscribers. She even has her own Wikipedia page. When she isn’t competing and doing challenges, Schuyler works as a bartender and helps with rental properties. “All I do is work … It sounds boring, but you know what, someday I’ll own the world, I guess,” she said. Schuyler is the mother to four kids and seven cats. Many in attendance were regular customers of Pizza Villa, but many were also familiar with Schuyler. Seth and Joyce, who declined to give their last names, were eagerly waiting to see Molly take on the challenge. The two follow and cover the competitive eating scene. Seth

is the founder of Food Challenge News, a news site that produces articles, interviews and podcasts about the competitive eating scene, and Joyce, Seth’s mother, helps produce the podcast and supports her son. Seth said there was also an eating challenge in Mount Vernon, Illinois, at a restaurant called La Fuente; they hold the massive burrito challenge. But there are not many food challenges locally. The interview with Seth, however, was cut short when the cook brought out the 28-inch circle of golden glory. People gathered around to take pictures of the pizza. Eyes widened at the size of the pie, and there was a buzz among all in attendance, and everyone was asking the same question: Do you think she can do it? Schuyler set up her camera, and shortly after, the challenge began. She had five red transparent Coca-Cola cups full of ice water and determination. Her pace was quick; Schuyler would shovel one or two pieces into her mouth and drink some water. Although her pace did slightly slow at the halfway mark, she kept a consistent speed all the way to a clean plate, or clean a super-sized pizza box, in this case. While she might not have seemed confident during her interview, Schuyler crushed the pepperoni pie in 11 minutes and 42 seconds. She won more than just bragging rights; her prize was a $1,000 check from the First State Bank of Dongola. “I was expecting her to get it, but not anything like that,” Pizza Villa owner Josh Stegle said. Stegle and his sister Jodie Dillow run the family pizza business. They said the only other victory over the challenge was a local three-man team called The Roaches, and Schuyler was the fourth pro to tackle the challenge. Stegle said the challenge is attempted around 12 to 14 times a week. “We’ve probably done over 60 challenges so far,” he said. They plan to continue the challenge for anyone who wants to step up to the plate, and victors could get a prize. “Since then, the pot is actually up to $700 from local people wanting to see it continue, if they beat their (The Roaches’) time,” Stegle said. For a more casual eating experience, Pizza Villa also offers regular-sized pizzas, calzones and sandwiches. News Editor Brayden Guy can be reached at bguy@dailyegyptian.com

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A crowd gathers as Schuyler prepares to crush the 28-inch pizza in the Pizza Villa restaurant. Brayden Guy | bguy@dailyegyptian.com

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

CAMPING

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Carbondale community were present at the meeting, and many took time during public comments to speak out against the ordinance. “This regulation seems like a grievous misstep and an overreaction,” Carbondale resident Elijah KeeferMcGee said to the council. “I can understand that it is perhaps annoying to have beautiful, historic buildings and structures defecated by people living there, but until everybody in Carbondale is housed, punishing them for being unhoused seems foolish.” Roberts said that public spaces belong to everyone, and that they should remain available for public use, arguing that when part of a public space is taken over for private use — like camping — it is no longer available to everyone. She said that unauthorized camping is not good public policy, while acknowledging that the ordinance will, in practice, have greater consequences for people experiencing homelessness. Roberts also referenced a situation in the past in which the city removed an encampment and its residents

elected to remain on the streets rather than moving into a shelter. “Every person in that encampment who wanted to go to a shelter was placed,” Roberts said. “There were people who didn’t want to, and there’s not much we can do. That’s their choice.” Outdoor encampments, Roberts said, should not be the city’s solution to homelessness. Maxwell made clear that she believed that this ordinance wasn’t the solution to homelessness either, and that she stood vehemently against it. “I’m hearing about how we can stop it,” Maxwell said. “But I’m not hearing about how we solve it. My vote is no because I think we can do better than this.” Earlier this year, Carbondale was expected to receive $2 million in federal funding to help develop a new homeless shelter, potentially by renovating a multi-occupant residential facility at 306 W. Mill St. that could be donated to the city. The Carbondale Warming Center and Good Samaritan House were also discussing a possible consolidation of their services as part of that effort, although city officials

PROFESSOR CONTINUED FROM 1

onslaught of targeted social media campaigns from Raichik, who has posted multiple different exposés centered around sexual conduct from educators across the country, especially those who identify as LGBTQ+. It is unclear how she obtained the screenshots, or how she traced them to Miller. Raichik could not be reached for comment when the Daily Egyptian attempted to connect with her last year. Miller also did not respond to requests for comment after his arrest last year and after his plea hearing.

STIX

CONTINUED FROM 1

contracted considerably. The Park will occupy a space between nightclub and neighborhood sports bar, giving The Strip another gathering place while expanding beyond the latenight atmosphere associated with Levels. Levels has long carried a reputation for rowdiness, though incidents connected to the nightclub have declined over the past year and have largely been isolated to its parking lot. Edwards and several Carbondale officials described their relationship as strong at the Aug. 11 meeting, with officials saying he is willing to communicate and work through problems involving his businesses. According to Edwards, The Park is expected to open no later than the end of September. Staff Reporter Jackson Brandhorst can be reached via email at jbrandhorst@ dailyegyptian.com and on Instagram @jacksondothtml

Kyle Miller Former SIU Professor

Miller was arrested March 17, 2025, after an investigation by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office just days after the Libs of TikTok thread was posted. Following his arrest, Miller was fired from SIU and released from jail on March 19 under the condition that he was not allowed back on campus.

News | Page 3 said at the time that the project remained dependent on federal approval and had no definitive timeline. Free parking? The city also discussed the idea of free parking in downtown Carbondale, something that Colombo has been advocating for for years. City staff said that downtown parking is being reevaluated for the first time since 2020, and that they are questioning whether paid parking remains the best approach as the city works to address what officials described as limited parking availability downtown. Colombo proposed eliminating paid parking throughout downtown, with the exception of the SIMMS and Amtrak lots. Loos agreed, arguing that the original justification for paid downtown parking was largely tied to SIU students occupying those spaces when enrollment was much higher. “That’s not really a problem we have anymore,” Loos said. Loos also suggested that, at the very least, the city should end paid parking on Saturdays, noting that the city employee who checks parking meters doesn’t even work that day. He also said the city should stop ticketing

parked vehicles just for having expired registration. Roberts was more hesitant to eliminate parking restrictions altogether, arguing that completely free

downtown businesses have previously supported eliminating parking fees. Chamber President Brian Croft said the city’s Economic Development Committee

parking could allow people to leave vehicles in front of downtown businesses all day. After touring downtown parking areas, Roberts said there are relatively few spaces available and suggested allowing free parking for two hours instead. That idea was echoed by former City Council member Lee Froneberger, who pointed to Paducah, Kentucky, as an example of a city that uses two-hour parking limits. Froneberger also argued that Carbondale may still need revenue from paid parking to maintain its lots, but representatives from the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce said that

surveyed businesses in 2023 and presented its findings to the council in 2024, recommending free parking downtown. “I’m grateful you’re willing to have this discussion,” Croft said. Dylan Chambers, a member of the chamber’s board, said he had concerns about overnight parking but acknowledged that customers generally do not like paying to park. Abe Traverso, owner of Booby’s, also supported free parking but said that spaces immediately in front of storefronts should have time limits to prevent vehicles from occupying

Miller was originally charged with two counts of public indecency for sexual conduct and lewd exposure, both Class A misdemeanors. He pleaded not guilty, and a jury trial was initially scheduled for October 2025. At the request of Miller and his defense attorney, Christian Baril, the trial was postponed until December, then removed from the jury trial docket as the case returned to casemanagement proceedings, according to court records obtained by the Daily Egyptian. Nearly six months later, prosecutors made Miller a plea offer in

which the two original public indecency charges would be amended to two counts of reckless conduct. Reckless conduct is also a Class A misdemeanor, but is not classified as a sex offense under Illinois law. Public indecency charges, however, are classified as a sex offense, and could require sex-offender registration upon a third or subsequent conviction. On Aug. 5, 2026, Miller entered a negotiated guilty plea to only the first count of reckless conduct. By doing so, he admitted to “endangering the safety of another person, by any means lawful or unlawful, in that he

recklessly performed an act of sexual conduct and recorded himself masturbating in a hallway located in Pulliam Hall on the Campus of Southern Illinois University,” according to an amended information sheet detailing the charge to which Miller pleaded guilty. The amended charge does not identify any person whose safety was endangered or explain how Miller’s conduct endangered anyone. It also does not establish that Miller admitted to Raichik’s broader allegations involving other campus buildings and locations, nor does it

“This regulation seems like a grievous misstep and an overreaction.” - Elijah Keefer-Mcgee Carbondale Resident

them for extended periods. Traverso said the addition of the SIMMS parking lot has helped, but described the city’s parking kiosks as sometimes confusing or unreliable. “I pay for people’s tickets sometimes because I don’t want to lose business,” Traverso said. Stanfield said that the city could also look beyond traditional public parking lots. The largest lot downtown, the First Mid Bank lot, has roughly 100 spaces, according to Stanfield. He said that those spaces will almost never be occupied entirely by bank patrons at one time, and suggested that the city pursue agreements with local businesses downtown so that their lots could be used after business hours. The discussion also touched on the city’s broader push to make downtown more walkable. Colombo said that effort is expected to continue, and both he and Roberts dream of a downtown with no cars, designed entirely around pedestrians. Staff Reporter Jackson Brandhorst can be reached via email at jbrandhorst@ dailyegyptian.com and on Instagram @jacksondothtml identify Miller as being the operator of social media accounts under the name @Midwest0tter. The plea only applies to one instance in Pulliam Hall. The second reckless conduct charge was dismissed. Jackson County Judge Steven Bost ordered Miller to pay $1,000 in total fines and court costs. An SIU spokesperson has clarified that Miller is no longer banned from campus. Staff Reporter Jackson Brandhorst can be reached via email at jbrandhorst@ dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @jacksondothtml

More southern Illinois counties become news deserts MORRIGAN CAREY Staff Reporter

A restructuring of Arlington Heights-based Paddock Publications taking place in early June has led to the shutdown of at least 13 of the 20 local newspapers owned by their subsidiaries, the majority of which served communities in southern and central Illinois, including the Marion Republican and the Harrisburg Register. The Local News Initiative, housed at Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University, conducts a yearly report that assesses the state of local news across the United States. Its 2025 report identified nine counties in Illinois that are news deserts, or areas without a professional, locally based news source. According to the Local News Initiative, the Golden Prairie News, the

Ramsey News-Journal, the McLeansboro Gazette, the Vienna Times, the Blue Mound Leader, Northwestern News, the Girard Gazette, the Virden Recorder, the Nokomis Free Press-Progress, Monday’s Pub and the Gallatin Democrat have ceased operations in addition to the Marion Republican and Harrisburg Register. With Paddock Publications’ newspaper shutdowns, Gallatin, Hamilton, Johnson, Pulaski and Saline counties are now news deserts, bringing the total of counties in the state without a local news outlet to 14, 12 of which are in southern Illinois. According to the Heartland Newsfeed, readers were given notice of the closures in their respective final publications via a frontpage notice at the beginning of June. According to these notices, subscribers of the now-defunct newspapers will instead be receiving a surviving

Paddock newspaper from a neighboring county. Out of Paddock’s Southern Illinois publications, only the Carbondale Times, Anna Gazette-Democrat and Franklin County Gazette remain open. This restructuring lines up with the sale of Paddock Publication’s flagship newspaper, the Daily Herald, to the Chicago Tribune. According to Dirks, Van Essen & April, a consulting firm specializing in media organization sales that represented Paddock in the sale of the Daily Herald to Tribune Publishing, Paddock will focus its efforts on existing downstate newspapers and Times Square Publications, a “niche publishing division” within Paddock. Paddock Publications released a public statement declaring interest in selling the Daily Herald as required by the Illinois Strengthening Community

Media Act, which requires a 120-day notice before the sale of a news service in order for local stakeholders to make an offer. This law does not apply to the closure of a news service and was not filed in the case of Paddock’s downstate holdings. The Daily Egyptian reached out to the editors of each defunct publication, the office of Paddock Publications and the Southern Illinois Local Media Group, Paddock’s publishing subsidiary, but they did not respond. Jeff Egbert, publisher of the Perry County WeeklyPress, the only newspaper in Du Quoin after Paddock closed the Du Quoin Call in 2022, expressed his sadness at the current batch of newspaper closures. “I always hate seeing another newspaper go away,” Egbert said. “It really is one of the pillars of a

community and until you’ve lost it, you don’t realize what it is you are losing.” Egbert shared his thoughts on what can be done in these news desert counties to bring back local media. “What it’s going to take is someone local to start a publication, which is hard,” Egbert said. “It takes thick skin, there’s a lot of pressure to cover only good things, only nice things, but I would encourage anyone who wants to help their community to do it.” He later added, “If anyone needs advice or help starting a newspaper, give me a call. They can reach out to me at the Perry County Weekly-Press.” Egbert’s office at the Perry County Weekly Press can be reached at 618-357-6397. Staff Reporter Morrigan Carey can be reached at mcarey@dailyegyptian.com

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year the university conferred its first doctoral degree and saw renowned architect R. Buckminster Fuller join the ranks of its faculty. But the buildings had fallen into severe disrepair over the decades, as had much of the campus’ housing stock. Because the buildings were too expensive to bring up to code, Greek Row, located on the west end of campus near the Simmons Law School, has been mostly vacant since 2012. In a July 10, 2025, SIU Board of Trustees meeting, SIU Foundation CEO Matt Kupec outlined a proposal for the new Saluki Village — a dorm complex with 898 beds, a community building and four to five housing developments specifically for fraternities and sororities, scheduled to open in August 2027. It was to be paid for by the SIU Foundation, a nonprofit fundraising entity that is separate from the university, intended to raise funds from private donors to support student scholarships and special university initiatives. “From the ashes of old Greek Row will rise the new Saluki Village,” Kupec told the board at the time. In August 2025, the demolition contractor, Impact Strategies LLC, made an Instagram post about the demolition, featuring a picture of Kupec, Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane and System President Daniel Mahony with a destroyed building behind them. The blog post of this event announced that the second phase of the demolition would begin in December to destroy the other eight buildings — if it was approved by the board. But shortly after Phase 1 ended in October, demolition quietly stalled. Excavators, construction

Wednesday, August 19, 2026 fencing and the contractor vanished from the site. The board never heard about Saluki Village again. Administrators and foundation officials stopped publicly talking about it altogether. SIU’s top administrators all insisted that it made sense to halt the project while the university completed a facilities master plan that the SIU Board of Trustees is expected to consider for approval this December. But when it came to why the demolition was left unfinished, or why the SIU Foundation canceled its pre-development agreement and lost $2.2 million in the process, getting answers proved elusive. University officials said those answers could only come from SIU Foundation CEO Kupec. Kupec said some of the lost funds could be recovered, but didn’t detail how. He stressed that none of the money expended came from state dollars or tuition — only from private donations made to the SIU Foundation. So, what happened? University and foundation officials offered few details when asked why the project was delayed, repeating variations of a similar statement: Leaders decided to halt Saluki Village development until the university’s facilities master plan is complete. Freedom of Information Act requests seeking correspondence about the project were denied on the grounds that they were too burdensome; narrowed requests returned no responsive records at all, according to SIU’s FOIA officer. The SIU Board of Trustees on July 29, 2025, signed and approved an agreement for the demolition of Greek Row, according to documents obtained through FOIA.

Illustrated by James Jamason | @XTOMIC_COMIC

Broken glass, debris and beer bottles are left as remnants within this abandoned building in Greek Row. April 22, 2026 on SIU West Campus in Carbondale, Illinois. Soph Levinson | @hpos.artz

The document breaks the demolition down into Stage 1 and Stage 2. The first stage would demolish six buildings by Oct. 1, 2025, and the second would demolish the remaining eight “as soon as practical provided that the Foundation will commence Stage 2 Work, but no later than 30 days, following financing issued and accepted by the Foundation.” The SIU Foundation entered an agreement with Impact Strategies, a construction company based out of St. Louis. The foundation paid Impact $3.6 million for the first phase of the demolition of Greek Row. That resulted in tearing down six of 14 buildings between August and October 2025. But Stage 2 never started. Brian Hayden of Hayden Wrecking, the subcontractor of Impact Strategies that did the demolition work, said they had demolished the

six buildings and had completed their contract and were unaware of a Stage 2. Impact Strategies did not return multiple requests for comment. Kupec said in a recent interview that Stage 2 of the Greek Row demolition had never begun and Saluki Village was no longer set for an August 2027 delivery. In a July 29 email, SIU Board of Trustees Chairman Phil Gilbert also confirmed that demolition had not advanced. “Stage 2 demolition has not moved forward at this point, especially in light of the fact that we are waiting on the final campus master plan that will provide a roadmap toward future student housing needs and options,” Gilbert wrote. Even before the buildings came down, the foundation entered into a memorandum of understanding with RISE, a real estate development company out of Georgia, on Aug. 8, 2025, for pre-development costs that included designing and planning the new buildings. But then it abruptly canceled the MOU less than three months later — yet still had to pay the company $2.2 million for backing out. According to Kupec, it is unclear if that money will be recovered. “Yes, I’m gonna call it $2 million we did for pre-development cost. That includes planning for potentially what it might look like, numbers of beds,” Kupec said. “That could be recovered depending on where we are. It might not be, but that is still up in the air. We also paid money for the demolition for those five and a half buildings.” Kupec said the money spent on demolition and cancelling the MOU were all foundation funds.

“No tuition fees or state appropriations,” he said. The project did not fall through, Kupec stressed in a follow-up interview. He said the MOU was canceled because housing plans were being evaluated in accordance with the pending campus master plan, echoing the explanations provided by other top administrators. The campus master plan Saluki Village is a part of the campus master plan that will be presented to the Board of Trustees in December, which itself is a part of the Strategic 2030 plan. Both of these plans focus on improving academic buildings, student housing and campus infrastructure, among many other things. Administrators said the original Saluki Village project stalled because leaders wanted to address student housing as part of a holistic facilities plan. “The Saluki Village project, as proposed, would have impacted our on-campus housing portfolio and associated university bond financing and covenants. As a result, the campus was asked to develop a housing plan that considered the entire portfolio, to help ensure the approach was financially sound and feasible for the University to pursue,” Gilbert wrote. “The campus has since leveraged the campus master plan process to help finalize their proposal.” In his email, Gilbert wrote that the MOU with RISE was not a university agreement and therefore the Board of Trustees did not need to approve it. “The SIU Foundation is a separate entity and can enter into an MOU without the approval of the board of trustees. They are responsible for

their own agreements. The foundation cannot obligate the university in its agreements,” Gilbert wrote. Gilbert wrote that he was not aware of anyone from the Board of Trustees or administration advising the SIU Foundation to cancel the MOU. According to Gilbert, canceling the MOU was the Foundation’s apparent solution. “I think it may have become clear to the Foundation this was a logical step especially as review continued and the campus transitioned to developing a more comprehensive housing plan as part of the larger campus master plan,” Gilbert wrote. Meanwhile, the future of Saluki Village is unclear. According to Kupec and other university officials, the project may shed the early conceptual designs and renderings for a completely new look or retain some of the original concepts. Director of Facilities and Energy Management Mark Owens wrote in an email that student housing is a core consideration of the campus master plan and the university recognizes its housing facilities are aging and require attention. Though the eight Greek Row buildings that still stand are in derelict condition, they are not a hazard because of restricted access to the inside of the buildings, Owens said. “Because access is restricted, they do not present a hazard to students, employees, or the public during normal campus activities,” he wrote. “The University continues to evaluate the planning and timing for demolitionera at SIU Carbondale, the of the remaining buildings.” News Editor Brayden Guy can be reached at bguy@dailyegyptian.com

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

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Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Welcome bac

Students move in and attend festi

Saylor Barry and Anita Barry grab items out of the car to bring into Neely hall Aug. 11, 2026 in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

Linda Barnette watches her grandchild’s belongings while they get the Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

James Ben sr. (left) and James Ben jr. (right) unload belongings on the curb for their family member Aug. 11, 2026 by Mae Smith in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

SIU students group together and dance to the “Cupid Shuffle” dur Shryock Auditorium in Carbondale, Illinois. Riley Sembler | @riley_

Jerry Moreno grabs a mango flavored snow cone from Tropical Sno Aug. 13, 2026 at Light up the Lake by campus lake in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

John and Dawn Maluck bring items to their son Sam Maluck for move in Aug. 11, 2026 at Neely hall in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

Amber Armstrong (right) talk to Bibek Ban (left) and his son Avyaan Aug. 13, 2026 at Light up the Lake in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

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ck dawgs!

ivities before classes begin

SIU students gather to bowl during Dawgs Nite Out Aug. 15, 2026 at the SIU Student Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Riley Sembler | @riley_sembler

e key to their dorm Aug. 11, 2026 at Neely hall in Carbondale,

A SIU student grabs a bowling ball to bowl during ‘Dawgs Nite Out’ Aug. 16, 2026 at the SIU student center in Carbondale Illinois. Riley Sembler | @riley_semble

ring the Chancellor’s Welcome Fest Aug. 16, 2026 in front of _sembler

Triston Garner roasts a marshmallow over a fire Aug. 13, 2026 at Light up the Lake in Carbondale, Illinois. Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual

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Wednesday, August 19, 2026

New Bucky Fuller book announced Fuller Futures Festival group has announced work on a new coffee-table style book, full of collected pictures of and testimonials about late environmental philosopher, author, architect and SIU professor R. Buckminster Fuller and his impact on the Carbondale community. Cary O’Dell, SIU alumnus and co-author of 2020’s “Bucky’s Dome”, said he wished to share what the group has collected from the Fuller estate as well as acquaintances and admirers of the late professor, including restoration efforts on the R. Buckminster Fuller and Anne Hewlett Dome Home on the newly

renamed Buckminster Fuller Way, or West Cherry Street. Fuller’s fame stems from his environmental philosophy and integration of geodesic dome structures into his architecture, like the Montreal Biosphère. He coined the term “spaceship Earth” to describe his environmental views, seeing Earth as a complex machine that has to be thoroughly maintained and that humanity must work together like a spaceship’s crew toward a common good. Locally, Fuller was a driving force in the first SIU Cardboard Regatta and designed or inspired several local structures. Despite Fuller’s death in 1983, O’Dell claims that an abundance of people came

forward to share their stories about how Fuller impacted their lives following restoration efforts on the Fuller Dome Home in 2022. “Since working on the home, we’ve heard so many stories from people about how Bucky influenced their lives,” O’Dell said. “Either when he was there, because they attended the class taught by him or one of his lectures, after they came to SIU because Bucky Fuller was once there or they were drawn to the Bucky philosophy, so they came down.” The book is expected to be published in 2027, and is set to include not just the testimonials, but also a large number of photos,

recovered and restored from the Fuller estate, taken by others, or of projects inspired by Fuller’s work. O’Dell shared how he first became aware of Fuller’s impact on Carbondale after he enrolled. “I always knew of Buckminster Fuller, and I knew he had taught at SIU,” O’Dell said. “Although I was surprised to find out that he was affiliated with

the university as long as he did. I thought he was always probably there for a summer or something, but to find out that he lived there and taught there for just over a decade, and then spent the last two years at SIU, was very interesting to me. This was really his home and his base for such a long time, and the ironic thing is, when I was a student, I didn’t know that Bucky Dome was there. At that time, that was

still in private hands and it was still behind this big fence.” He continued, “They really adopted him, as indeed they should have, because he lived there almost as long as he lived anyplace else, and we are going to document all the stuff that is still happening in the city today.” Staff Reporter Morrigan Carey can be reached at mcarey@dailyegyptian.com

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Choate employees, local officials rally against layoffs and service cuts JACKSON BRANDHORST Staff Reporter

Union leaders, lawmakers and political candidates gathered alongside dozens of employees from Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center on Aug. 4 to rally against the state’s plan to make dramatic cuts to staff and services at the downstate mental health facility. One after another, they took the microphone in the back of a bright green pickup truck as signs and chants of “Save Choate” echoed through the streets of downtown Anna. The Illinois Department of Human Services announced the changes in a July 23 letter to Choate staff. The plan includes eliminating the staterun facility’s entire general residential program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and laying off about 250 of its more than 500 employees by March 2027. “Shame on IDHS,” Ona “Tina” Rivero Winfield, president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 141 told the crowd. “They sent us the memo — but where are they now?” AFSCME — the union that represents the majority of Choate staff — organized an Aug. 4 rally to condemn the decision from IDHS, asking that it be reversed. Choate currently serves 58 people across its general and forensic developmental disabilities programs and another 75 mental health patients. The state-run mental health hospital employs roughly 524 people across its Anna campus, and is one of the region’s largest employers. ‘When we fight, we win’ Winfield said that this is just the beginning of many rallies, vowing that AFSCME will continue to host them until the decision is reversed. Accompanying Winfield in the back of the pickup was Jason Woolard, president of the Southern Illinois Central Labor Council, who warned that the ramifications of this decision would reach far beyond the facility. “We cannot allow for this to happen at this facility,” Woolard said. “The residual impacts are going to be dramatic.” Many who gathered worried about what would become of their jobs. Koda Leslie, a mental health technician who has worked at Choate for about a year and a half, said that he expects to be among those laid off because of his lack of seniority. “I felt distraught,” Leslie said of hearing the news. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do. People like me that don’t have a lot of seniority, we’re pretty much not gonna have a job. I expect to get laid off for sure. Me and my whole class, we’re at the bottom of the totem pole, but even some people that have been out there for longer than me are still going to lose their jobs.” Leslie spent much of the afternoon at the front of the crowd, holding a microphone, playing music and leading chants through a loudspeaker.

“I’m a loud guy, I guess. And I make music myself, so ... I just like getting out there and showing my support,” Leslie said. “I’m fighting for my job.” He said that he hopes the weekly demonstrations continue to garner attention until the state changes course. “Man, I just hope to see everybody coming out and supporting us next Tuesday, and every Tuesday after that,” Leslie said. “I’m hoping to see things change and that all of us get to keep our jobs.” Sylvester “King Mo” Morse, a participant at the rally, is not a Choate employee, but lives in Anna and has multiple personal ties to the facility. “My sister worked there, and my aunt worked there for 19 years,” Morse said, but that’s not his only connection to Choate. “When I was a kid, they said I was a problem, so they sent me to Choate to a school that used to help problem kids,” Morse said. “It helped me a lot. It made me become better and helped me get along with people. I believe that they’re just way more than Choate Mental Health. They used to help troubled kids around here from different schools. That was great for me because I was going down the wrong road and they showed me that people do care for me, and that they will help us out. “Just keep Choate open,” he added. “Keep it working and keep these people working for years to come, because it’s been here for a long time. It’s got history with this community. People need these jobs around here.” Eddie Caumiant, AFSCME Council 31’s southern Illinois regional director, told demonstrators to make their opposition impossible for state leaders to miss. “If the governor flies over in his helicopter, we want him to see us fighting him,” Caumiant said. “When we fight, we win.” ‘We need Choate’ Gov. JB Pritzker recently defended the IDHS decision during a July 28 news conference and bill signing, saying the staffing cuts follow the relocation of residents from Choate’s general developmental disabilities program. The downsizing of Choate’s developmental disabilities population followed reporting by Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica outlining the severe mistreatment of patients by staff and a culture of coverup that had persisted for years, despite state and federal regulators repeatedly citing problems and calling for improvements. “Remember, the reason there are staff reductions is because we have literally moved the developmentally disabled residents there to better facilities,” Pritzker said. “At some point, you don’t need staff when there is nobody at that facility.” However, Choate employees and local officials argued the state should expand — not reduce — mental health services in southern Illinois, where they said jails, courts and treatment providers are already struggling to find beds for people in crisis.

IDHS plans to “phase down” all 75 civil mental health beds at Choate while adding beds at Madden Mental Health Center in Chicago. The agency said the shift, which is scheduled to be completed by March 2027, reflects that the “need for mental health beds is greater in northern Illinois.” Jackson County Assistant State’s Attorney Travis Fleming, who handles mental health cases, told Capitol News Illinois that people are already waiting in the county jail for placement in the state’s forensic mental health system. “We do have individuals waiting for transport for fitness sitting in our jail currently,” Fleming said. Fitness restoration is a process for defendants who, because of mental illness, do not understand the legal proceedings against them or cannot work with their attorneys. Treatment is intended to help them understand the judicial process so they can participate in their own defense. Homer “Chip” Markel, the democratic candidate for Illinois House District 118, aimed his remarks directly toward Pritzker. “Governor ... you should stand up and reverse the decision of IDHS,” Markel said. State Sen. Paul Jacobs, a Republican from Pomona who represents Illinois’ 59th District, said that the demand for mental health treatment is not limited to Chicago or northern Illinois. “We are in mental health crises across the state,” Jacobs said. “We need Choate.” Union County State’s Attorney Tyler Tripp said that his office repeatedly encounters the lack of available treatment space. “Illinois is in a mental health crisis, and what I always hear in my office is that we have no more room here,” Tripp said. Tripp said that hundreds of forensic patients across Illinois are waiting in jails for appropriate treatment in a state mental health facility. “There are hundreds of people sitting in jail with their mental health declining,” Tripp said. “State operations like Choate should not just remain open — they should be expanded. “Any loss of a member of staff or any patient is unacceptable,” he added. Tripp rejected the IDHS explanation that demand is greater in the northern part of the state. “The need for mental health beds is greater than we can currently handle across the entire state — not just northern Illinois,” he said. Republican state Rep. Scott Doody, an Anna resident who represents Illinois’ 118th District, has repeatedly condemned the reductions at Choate, and did so again while addressing the crowd. “I’m here today to support you all,” Doody said. “Employees and patients aren’t just numbers published on a spreadsheet.” SIU reports remain unpublished IDHS said in its original letter that the changes at Choate are a result of the “success” of the state’s threeyear plan, which aimed to repurpose the facility over three

Dozens of Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center employees listen to Union County State’s Attorney Tyler Tripp as he addresses the crowd Aug. 4 to protest the Illinois Department of Human Services’ plan to lay off 250 workers and significantly downsize the state-run mental health hospital in Anna, Illinois. Jackson Brandhorst | @jacksondothtml years in partnership with the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. As part of that partnership, SIU evaluated how Choate’s campus, workforce and programs could be repurposed. Its initial recommendations included preserving and retraining existing employees, retaining and potentially expanding civil mental health services, adding forensic psychiatric care and converting unused space for step-down treatment, crisis services, housing and other community programs. The first phase of SIU’s Choate Transformation Report, published July 14, 2023, said that two additional phases were planned. Phase 2, which was due Dec. 31, 2023, was expected to make recommendations concerning the safety of both people receiving care and Choate employees. Phase 3 was expected to make recommendations concerning Illinois’ statewide systems of care for people with developmental disabilities and serious mental illness over the following two to three years. Neither Phase 2 nor Phase 3 appear to have been made public. SIU School of Medicine’s 2020-25 Strategic Plan Progress Report, published July 3, 2025, said that the university supported the “Choate Project” and worked with IDHS’ Division of Developmental Disabilities to advance workforce and care improvements. An October 2024 IDHS announcement said the decision to add as many as 25 mental health beds at Choate was “informed by recommendations” from SIU. The agency said SIU continued to shape the transformation through campus repurposing recommendations, staff training initiatives and assessments of safety, patient care and workforce needs, but it did not attach the underlying reports, assessments or recommendations. IDHS’ 2026-2030 Strategic Planning Roadmap, released in May, also describes the Choate initiative as a three-year partnership with SIU. It lists four objectives: reducing the developmental disabilities population by 123, increasing mental health bed capacity, implementing safety enhancements and expanding support for community living. Jacobs defended SIU’s role

in the process and said the school’s work did not call for the cuts IDHS announced. “SIU is not at fault for this,” Jacobs said. “In fact, their report was very thorough and clear.” Winfield told the dozens of people lining the streets of downtown Anna that workers agreed to participate in SIU’s evaluation because they believed it could strengthen Choate. “There is power in numbers,” Winfield said. “Three years ago they had us at the bargaining table telling us that they were going to repurpose Choate. We agreed to let SIU come in and evaluate the facility — and they actually made some great recommendations. They said that we should be expanding mental health services. They said that there is a need for us — and I’m here to tell you all that there absolutely is. We plan on being out here every Tuesday wearing green to save our Choate workers. Choate has done the work.” Culture of cruelty The IDHS decision to reduce operations at Choate comes after decades of documented issues at the southern Illinois facility, including resident abuse, neglect, criminal investigations and repeated failures by employees and administrators to report or stop misconduct. Markel addressed the abuse and neglect that drove the original transformation plan, arguing that workers should not bear responsibility for longstanding failures in facility leadership. “If allegations of abuse have been going on for so long — it’s the administration’s fault,” Markel said. A 2022 investigation by Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica found that residents had been beaten, sexually assaulted, humiliated and dangerously neglected at Choate for roughly a decade. At least 26 employees have been arrested on felony charges connected to their work at the facility while they were entrenched in a “code of silence” in which workers withheld information, coordinated their accounts or protected colleagues accused of abuse. In March 2023, Pritzker announced a three-year “transformation” plan that would move about 123 residents — roughly half of Choate’s population at the time — into community placements, family homes or

other state-operated facilities. The state also promised stronger oversight, additional training, cameras in common areas and a partnership with the SIU School of Medicine to help determine how Choate’s remaining programs should operate. Officials said at the time that the plan was not a closure and did not include layoffs. In February 2024, a newly installed security camera recorded an employee throwing a resident to the floor and punching him. The incident went unreported for 11 days and was discovered only after an anonymous letter prompted investigators to review the footage. Choate’s general developmental disabilities population has since fallen from 199 residents at the beginning of the transformation to 16. IDHS now characterizes the elimination of those units and the phaseout of Choate’s civil mental health beds as the completion of that plan — though the layoffs mark a departure from the state’s original assurance that the restructuring would not cost employees their jobs. AFSCME said the administration assured the union during the recent legislative session that its proposed fiscal year 2027 budget would not include layoffs. AFSCME responded to the announcement in a news release with comments from Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch, who said that IDHS should have consulted with the union to develop a more rational plan that would be more fair to Choate’s employees and the individuals in their care. “Had we been aware of the planned layoffs, we certainly would have opposed the budget as introduced,” Lynch said. “The AFSCME collective bargaining agreement with the State of Illinois includes well-defined rights for employees slated for layoff and AFSCME intends to ensure that all such requirements are fully met if the department continues down this irresponsible path.” Staff Reporter Jackson Brandhorst can be reached via email at jbrandhorst@ dailyegyptian.com and on Instagram @jacksondothtml

Page 10 | News

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Bonuses approved for Lane, Mahony; student welcome area announced in SIMMS Lane said the University will be moving forward with ‘strategic hiring’ BRAYDEN GUY News Editor

The SIU Board of Trustees in its July 9 meeting unanimously approved incentive bonuses for Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane and System President Daniel Mahony. Mahony will receive $115,000 on top of his base salary, while Lane will get $65,000. According to their employment contracts, the bonuses are awarded annually if the two accomplish a series of goals determined at the start of the academic year. For the 2025-2026 academic year, one of Lane’s goals included keeping a hiring chill in place, according to a document the Daily Egyptian obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. When asked in a news conference following the meeting if the hiring chill would continue, Lane said the university is using “strategic hiring.” “Even though we announced a hiring chill, and that’s our fault, we still have hired over 300 people this year. That’s not really a hiring chill at all,” Lane said. Lane said they have a document that lays out how many faculty, administrative professional and civil service positions have been filled this academic year, but they have been strategic hires. “It’s not automatic anymore where a position becomes available and we just rehire,” Lane said. “We actually do an analysis of the position. We find out what the return on investment is in terms of what needs to occur in that position. In some cases we found that we don’t need it anymore, or we repurposed it for something else.” Lane said strategic hiring would most likely be the university’s standard moving forward. “It’s something we will probably always do, just in good business sense, to make sure we are efficient in all areas that we are working on,” he said. In an interview with the DE before the board meeting, Mahony said he understands the hiring chill impacts staff and

faculty, but he believes it is the best option. “Anything you have to do financially to reduce cost is going to have some impact on people,” Mahony said. “Of all the options we have available, the best one often is to slow down hiring so you’re not impacting current people as much, and you can continue to address immediate needs and deal with the increase of cost.” Mahony said the hiring chill is a common strategy to tackle financial challenges. The chill will make leaders scrutinize hiring more closely and only move forward with faculty and staff positions that they think are most critical. “It doesn’t mean you stop hiring completely,” Mahony said. “It just means you’re probably reducing the amount of additional salary expense you take on in order to deal with those financial challenges.” SIU Board of Trustees Chair Phil Gilbert also said in an email before the meeting that Lane had achieved his goals. “We are very fortunate to have his leadership in Carbondale. And that of Chancellor Minor in Edwardsville,” he wrote in the email. SIU Edwardsville Chancellor Charles Minor, unlike Lane, does not have an incentive bonus built into his contract. The DE asked Minor if he thought this was unfair. “No, I don’t have a comment,” Minor said. “I leave it to the president of the board to decide how things inside of the contract should occur or what adjustments need to be made. My focus is on leading the university and doing the best job I can.” Mahony said the board was working on Minor’s contract and should have a plan soon. Minor’s current contract expires on Sept. 30, 2029. Lane also presented on SIU enrollment, SIU Foundation fundraising and a new welcome center in the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station, the new train and bus station in downtown Carbondale. In a report to the board, Lane said there were over 14,000 applications for Fall

Illustrated by James Jamason | @XTOMIC_COMIC

of 2026 and the new student orientations saw 150 more students virtually and 350 more students in person than last year. Lane said they would not know the official number for fall enrollment until 10 days into the semester. Another of Lane’s goals was to increase online-only enrollment at SIU. The 2026 spring semester saw a 25% increase in online enrollment. Part of the increase in online enrollment is from the university’s contract with Risepoint, a for-profit company that recruits students. Mahony said before the meeting that Risepoint did help in increasing online enrollment, but he did not have the exact numbers. “Because Risepoint students are SIU students, they are seen the same way,” Mahony said. “I can tell you online enrollment was up 25% in the fall, but I can’t tell you what percentage came from which type of admissions process.” Risepoint brought in 350 students this spring semester, according to DE reporting in April. Gilbert wrote in an email before the meeting that Risepoint played a positive role in departments that chose to use the company’s recruitment. “Chancellor Lane and his team continue to work very hard to grow enrollment. Increasing the number of online students has been an important part of that,” Gilbert wrote. “We discussed Risepoint at our last Board meeting and it appears that partnership has played a positive role in helping those departments that want to grow online student enrollment.” In the DE’s previous reporting about Risepoint, members of the Faculty Association voiced concerns about Lane’s bonus incentive. “My very big worry is that the reason he (Lane) is so enthusiastic about this (Risepoint) has nothing to do with whether or not he thinks it’s a good program and everything to do with the fact that it helps him make his bonus,” Illinois Education Association UniServ Director Rachel Tollett said in an April 6

Austin Lane

Dan Mahony

Phil Gilbert

Chancellor

SIU System President

SIU Board of Trustees Chair

Faculty Association meeting. In previous reporting by the DE, SIU faculty members pointed to an investigation by the nonprofit Protect Borrowers, which accused the company of high-pressure sales tactics that take advantage of lowincome students. Lane announced the SIU-Illinois Department of Transportation Grant, a $45 million, 10-year agreement to fund research and development of a new Roadside Ecology Center. Roadside ecology is the study of roads and traffic. The Flying Salukis were recognized in Lane’s report. The team has won the national championship 10 times now, with their most recent victory in May of this year. Lane also announced the Saluki Line, a welcome area that will be built in the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station. In the press conference, Lane said the city of Carbondale was allowing the university to use two sections of the station free of charge. One section will be a welcoming area where students board the train. Lane said this section will be around 500-600 square feet to accommodate monitors, branding and to welcome those who get on or off the train. The second section will be a workspace focused on research, small business development and meetings. Executive Director of Research Park Lynn Lindberg will operate this section. “We want our students to feel at home,” Lane said in the meeting. “And when they’re leaving we want to make sure they get a taste of their university

as they go home.” Lane said the SIU Foundation’s fiscal year 2026 was the most successful year of fundraising with a 40% increase from last year. The foundation awarded $6.9 million in scholarships to 2,200 students and raised $470 million of the $500 million goal for the Imagine 2030 Campaign, according to Lane’s report. Finally, Lane gave a progress report on the Imagine 2030 plan, a plan built on the strategic pillars of student success; diversity, equity and inclusion; branding; research and sustainability. The plan has made progress toward these goals by becoming a Research 1 school, being deemed an opportunity university, increasing spring retention by 3%, and a 6% growth in both underrepresented students and freshmen from southern Illinois, Lane said.

He also said there was a 23% increase in online students 5 and a 161% increase in online graduate enrollment in Fall 2025. SIU became an R1 university in February of 2025. The title of R1 is given to schools that spend over $50 million on research and produce 70 research doctorates in a year. The opportunity designation is given to “institutions that exceed the thresholds for higher access and higher earnings,” according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The board recognized the retirement of SIU School of Medicine Dean, Provost and CEO Jerry Kruse. Kruse will be succeeded by Dr. Ian Martin; Martin begins his job at SIU on Sept. 1. News Editor Brayden Guy can be reached at bguy@dailyegyptian.com

SIU elects new School of Medicine dean MORRIGAN CAREY News Reporter

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees has approved Dr. Ian Martin as the next provost and dean of its School of Medicine as well as CEO of the school’s faculty practice, SIU Medicine, the system announced in a May news release. Martin will succeed Jerry Cruse, who is retiring after 10 years in the position and 43 years at the SIU School of Medicine. Martin earned degrees from Duke University, the Medical College of PennsylvaniaHahnemann School of Medicine and the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, completing his residency training in emergency medicine and general internal medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center and R. Adams Crowley Shock Trauma Center, according to the release. Martin distinguished himself during the search process due to his “commitment to missiondriven healthcare,” the release states. Martin’s previous colleagues and stakeholders during the search provided statements highlighting his strengths, including experience in community and global health initiatives. Martin previously served on the faculty of medicine schools at Duke University, University of North Carolina and West Virginia University, and currently serves at the Medical College of Wisconsin as an eminent scholar, professor and system chair for the Department

Ian Martin

Dean of the School of Medicine

of Emergency Medicine, according to the release. He is also immediate past president of the Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine and past president of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. As CEO of SIU Medicine, Martin will oversee more than 600 clinicians throughout central and southern Illinois. “I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the next provost, dean and CEO of SIU Medicine,” Martin said in the release. “I want to thank Chancellor (Austin) Lane, the search committee, the faculty, staff, students and community partners for placing their trust and confidence in me. SIU School of Medicine has a remarkable legacy of innovation in medical education, excellence in patient care, impactful research and service to the people of central and southern Illinois.” News Reporter Morrigan Carey can be reached at mcarey@dailyegyptian.com

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

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"Bravo" by Allen Vaughan 1

Across

1. Pueblo brick 6. Atlanta-based channel 9. Cross a stream on foot 13. Bounded along 14. Buckets 16. Essential mineral 17. Shiraz native 18. Ace, on the links 20. Stories 21. Neptune's realm 22. Total 23. Cast a ballot 25. There's ___ in numbers 27. Infamous gangster 30. ___ fall in love . . . 32. Elliptical 33. "I cannot tell ___" 35. School assignment 39. "Blue" or "White" river 40. Vital organ 42. Sharpen 43. Happening 45. Remove from a manuscript 46. Greek letter 47. Pandemonium 49. Pennant 51. Entered 54. Clique 55. Physicians' org. 56. 1996 Madonna musical 59. Fern reproductive body 63. Corrida competition, where the circled entries may be heard 65. Bob Marley's "No ___, No Cry" 66. Atlas section 67. Handed-down history 68. African antelope 69. Spring 70. Curtain holder 71. Pays for an apartment

Down

21 23

44 47 52

Answers on page 8

35 41

*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.

29 33

9 15

68 70

1. Came to rest 2. Nickelodeon's "___ the Explorer" 3. Iridescent stone 4. Compassion 5. The Wizard of Menlo Park 6. California border lake 7. Coalition 8. Shoe bottom 9. Take home the gold 10. Became an issue 11. Treat for Homer 12. Adversary 15. Make fun of 19. Absurd 24. Shade of blue 26. Angler's need 27. Highway marker 28. Tel ___, Israel 29. Whitish 30. Some spouses 31. Command to a dog 34. Resort island near Venice

36. Any day now 37. Some chips, maybe 38. Calendar span 41. Musical McEntire 44. Burglar 48. Blacksmith's block 50. Give a response 51. Scheming group 52. Entertain 53. Obama daughter 54. Like some private communities 57. Borodin's "Prince ___" 58. "Comin' ___ the Rye" 60. Arabian Peninsula country 61. Deliver a tirade 62. Brings to a close 64. Drink like a dog

2026 Saluki Football Schedule

• LOCAL, ORGANIC, FAIR TRADE • WELLNESS • BULK • GROCERY • DELI • FRESH PRODUCE • CRAFT BEER & WINE •

Neighborhood Co-op Grocery Open daily 8am - 9pm

DISCOVER LOCAL! • Local • Organic • Fair Trade • Gluten-free • Vegan • Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner + Daily Deli Specials • Snacks and Grab-n-Go • Pizza • Functional Foods • Bulk • Bakery • Wellness • Produce • Grocery • Deli In the Murdale Shopping Center 1815 West Main Street, Carbondale

www.neighborhood.coop 618 - 529 - 3533

Date

Time

Opponent

Location

Aug. 27 (Thu)

6 p.m.

Away

West Florida

Pensacola, FL

Sep. 3 (Thu)

6 p.m.

Away

Samford

Birmingham, AL

Sep. 12 (Sat)

6 p.m.

Home

SEMO

Saluki Stadium

Sep. 19 (Sat)

1 p.m.

Away

Illinois

Urbana-Champaign, IL

Sep. 26 (Sat)

6 p.m.

Away

Murray State

Murray, KY

Oct. 3 (Sat)

4 p.m.

Home

Youngstown State

Saluki Stadium

Oct. 10 (Sat)

1 p.m.

Away

South Dakota

Vermillion, SD

Oct. 17 (Sat)

TBD

Home

Illinois State

Saluki Stadium

Oct. 24 (Sat)

1 p.m.

Home

Northern Iowa

Saluki Stadium

Nov. 7 (Sat)

6 p.m.

Away

Indiana State

Terre Haute, IN

Nov. 14 (Sat)

1 p.m.

Home

South Dakota State

Saluki Stadium

Nov. 21 (Sat)

1 p.m.

Away

North Dakota

Grand Forks, ND

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

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