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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2026

VOL. 110, ISSUE 1

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Wednesday, August 12, 2026

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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.

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Meet your SIU administrators

GUS BODE Campus Legend

Hello, Salukis. I’ve missed you. To those of you who are new around here, welcome to Carbondale. To those of you returning, check out the new train station. They’re calling it “the jewel of the Midwest.” Lol. What you are reading is the Daily Egyptian, the student-run newspaper here at Southern Illinois University. My name is Gus Bode, and I exist within the pages of this publication and also within the liminal space between life and death. I am in a constant state of abstruseness. Google that. Anyway, there are a lot of people with a lot of fancy titles on this campus, and it is not entirely clear to everybody what each of them does. SO, I figured I would try my best at creating a list of all of them should you ever need to inquire about their services. You can look them up and email them at any time or, for a more exciting adventure, visit their office on campus SIU System President: Daniel Mahony Mahony became the 10th System President of SIU in March 2020. As president, Mahony leads the SIU System, which includes SIU Carbondale, Edwardsville and the School of Medicine in Springfield. That’s right — there are three SIUs. Mahony is a figure seen around campus during events like graduation ceremonies, but he is mostly seen at the Board of Trustees meetings and other system-wide events. He is the top Dawg, and carries with him the most responsibility for the entirety of the SIU system — not just Carbondale. SIU Carbondale Chancellor: Austin A. Lane My man Chancellor Lane is a warm, friendly face that many new students are probably already familiar with. Appointed in July 2020, Lane is the ninth chancellor of SIU Carbondale. As chancellor, Lane reports to President Mahony about the administration of the Carbondale campus. Lane also works to recruit students with tours to high schools and other states and raises money through philanthropic events. When he’s not at a Saluki Takeover Tour, you’re likely to find him on campus greeting students. He’s even been known to give students a ride across campus in his golf cart. SIU Board of Trustees The SIU Board of Trustees includes: Chairman Phil Gibert, Vice Chairman Ed Hightower, Secretary Sara Salger, SIU Edwardsville Student Trustee Moayad Abuzaneh, Trustee Deborah Barnett, Trustee Edgar Curtis, SIU Carbondale Student Trustee Zuzanna Gaik, Trustee John Simmons and Trustee Toni Williams. The Board of Trustees consists of one elected student from each SIU Carbondale and Edwardsville and the other members are appointed by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. The board’s purpose is to manage and operate the SIU System. THIS IS DEMOCRACY. Chief of Staff: Executive Director Institutional Effectiveness, Planning & Research: David G. Shirley As Chief of Staff, Shirley is an adviser to Chancellor Lane. Shirley is also responsible for collecting data to assist the university in its decision-making and presenting data to federal and state institutions. Pretty much, he’s the data Dawg. Interim Co-Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs: Marc Morris Morris has been with the university since 2004, when he began as an instructor in accounting. As the interim co-provost, Morris deals with recruiting and supporting students, reaching out to the community and hiring faculty. He is also dean of the College of Business and Analytics. “Academic affairs” is an example of several different literary devices. Interim Co-Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs: Bob Morgan On top of being the other co-provost, Morgan is also currently the dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. As the interim co-provost, Morgan deals with recruiting and supporting students, reaching out to the community and hiring faculty. Vice Chancellor for Administration and

Finance: Susan Simmers Simmers has worked in university finance at multiple schools, such as Montana State and the University of Northern Colorado. She oversees campus operations and deals with budgets and other fiscal matters. I’ve asked her several times for financial advice but she is not allowed to do that. Also, I am an illustration and do not have any possessions. Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate School Dean: Costas Tsatsoulis As Vice Chancellor for Research, Tsatsoulis is responsible for securing grant money for the university’s research and research spending. We are an R1 University. It’s kind of a big deal. Shoutout to Tsatsoulis for that. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs: Jeff Burgin Burgin is focused on student success and accommodations. Offices like University Housing, the Student Center and the Recreational Sports and Services Center report to the vice chancellor for student affairs. All of those places are pretty awesome. At least that’s what I’ve heard. I’ve never actually been because I am a simulacrum. Dean and Provost of the School of Medicine: Ian Martin Replacing the now-retired Jerry Kruse, Dr. Martin begins his SIU career as Dean, Provost and CEO of the School of Medicine on Sept. 1. He has an extensive background in medical academia. Chief Communications and Marketing Officer: Jeff Harmon Harmon’s responsibilities as chief communications and marketing officer are to represent the university’s image and be the middleman between the public and administration. He and I are best friends. Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations: Matt Kupec Kupec is most notably known as the CEO of the SIU Foundation. The foundation is 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. Alumni are often the biggest donors to the foundation and the university. Did you know that Saul from “Better Call Saul” went to SIU? Pretty sick. Director, Intercollegiate Athletics: Tim Leonard Having over 30 years of experience in athletic administration, Leonard is the 16th director of intercollegiate athletics. As director, he is focused on budget management, staff supervision and strategic planning for Saluki sports teams. Hypothetically, if I were able to participate in basketball, I’d average like 40 points a game. @GreyDawg you can’t guard me. Vice Chancellor for Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Paul Frazier As Vice Chancellor for Anti-Racism and DEI, Frazier is a professional in diversity recruitment and diversity training. He also serves on several committees and boards in the Carbondale Community. Gus thinks diversity is vital to the success of all things ever. Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management: Wendell Williams Experienced in higher education, Williams’ responsibilities are to grow enrollment by creating strategic plans. The offices of registrar, admissions and financial aid report to him. Last year enrollment dropped by 5 (FIVE) students. Which isn’t that big of a deal. We’ll bounce back. Vice Chancellor for Human Resources: Nick Wortman Wortman is focused on improving communication and ensuring diversity, equity and inclusion among other responsibilities. He leads the Human Resources department. Director, Information Technology and Chief Information Officer: Wil Clark Appointed to be the permanent Chief Information Officer in 2022, Clark heads the IT department and advises the university on the implementation of technology. Director, Department of Public Safety: Ben Newman Newman is the Chief of Police at the SIU Police Department, not to be confused with Carbondale Chief of Police Anthony Copeland. As director and chief, Newman is in charge of preventing and responding to crime, keeping the university safe and educating the community on safety. He is friends with Spider-Man. Senior System Counsel: Deb Nelson Nelson represents the SIU System in legal matters such as labor, employment and many other cases. Nelson has also served as the Carbondale City Attorney.

News | Page 3

Wednesday, August 12, 2026 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: CARBONDALE CITY COUNCIL

Taking precautionary action against data centers, burying time capsules and more MORRIGAN CAREY Staff Reporter

The Carbondale City Council remained busy over the summer while students were gone. Here are some of the things you may have missed. June 22: Carbondale hosts inaugural concert on Robbie Stokes Memorial Stage Earlier this year, the city finished construction on the New Era Events Plaza featuring the Robbie Stokes Memorial Stage. It’s an outdoor concert venue between Consume and The Cellar that will serve as the home to Sunset and Off The Rails concerts and more. As part of the 47th annual Summer Sunset Concert Series, Carbondale hosted an opening concert on the new stage. The concert featured The

Way Down Wanderers and southern Illinois musician and songwriter Jeremy Todd. The venue is named after Carbondale music legend Robbie Stokes, best known for his work as lead guitarist in Devil’s Kitchen, and for his live sound business, Robco Audio. Stokes died at age 89 on May 14, 2023, and the City Council voted to rename the stage in his honor on Feb. 24, 2026. June 23: Carbondale council passes moratorium on potential data center development Following Illinois lawmakers’ decision to postpone the general assembly’s vote on the POWER Act, an Illinois bill designed to regulate the construction of AI data centers,

the Carbondale City Council passed a moratorium on data center projects in Carbondale as a precautionary measure. The moratorium pauses the progress of any current or prospective data center projects for at least a year. While there are no planned or proposed data center projects in Carbondale, residents spoke at the City Council meeting in support of this moratorium “You don’t want to wait because there are ways in which these developers seem to be moving to avoid communities having benefits,” Jane Cogie, a Carbondale resident, said. Additionally, this meeting saw amendments to city ordinance related to animal health and pet care, now including a clause that no more than three dogs or five cats can

be kept in a single-family home. The council also approved the honorary renaming for part of West Cherry Street to Buckminster Fuller Way in honor of the onetime Carbondale resident and SIU professor R. Buckminster Fuller, best known for his environmental philosophy and the popularization of the geodesic dome. His “dome home” – an actual geodesic designed house that he lived in during his tenure here – sits at the intersection of Cherry and Forest streets. A visitors center and museum is currently being constructed across from it. July 2: Carbondale buries 100-year time capsule As part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration, the city buried a time capsule filled with

items representing modern life in Carbondale in 2026. City officials, SIU officials, local schools, businesses and community organizations all contributed items to the capsule, which is scheduled to be opened 100 years from now, on July 2, 2126. When those future Carbondaliens pop it open, they will find photographs, newspapers, school yearbooks, written histories and other items selected to represent the community during America’s 250th anniversary.

official grand opening of the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station, SIMMS, at 2 p.m. inside the building. While the building itself has been open in various capacities since May of last year, this event marks the end of all construction on the project. Most recently, construction crews finished the parking lot on July 21, complete with 76 total parking spaces and four charging stations for electric vehicles. This grand opening has been a long time coming, with the initial $14 million grant being awarded in 2019 with the site being under construction since 2022.

COMING UP Aug. 28: SIMMS to host grand opening after seven years of work Staff Reporter Morrigan On Aug. 28, 2026, the city Carey can be reached at of Carbondale will host the mcarey@dailyegyptian.com

COLUMN

Save Carbondale, close Levels JACKSON BRANDHORST News Reporter

Jackson Brandhorst, by Yasmin Martinez-Powell

On most nights, I could throw a rock from Traxx to Hangar and not be worried about it hitting a car, let alone a person. Two miles down the road, however, there’s a parking lot that’s often so full that sometimes you have to walk sideways through it just to get to where you’re going. Unfortunately, where you’re going is Levels. Now, look, I would like to preface this very clearly: The Levels ownership is hardly to be blamed for what it has become. Levels is a product of several different environmental factors — the largest of which is the fact that it is not close enough to the rest of the bars and businesses in Carbondale. Carbondale simply does not have enough people going out right now to sustain two separate nightlife ecosystems. The people who choose to go to Levels are unlikely to explore The Strip, and the people who choose to walk The Strip are unlikely to visit Levels. That’s not good for business. Now, imagine a world where all of those people are on The Strip together, walking to and from each of the different bars. Imagine they’re doing that AND the owners and bartenders at Levels don’t lose any money. AND all the other bars are making money, too. AND everyone is having a much better time. It’s possible. It is very, very possible. It’s no secret that Carbondale isn’t what it used to be. Enrollment is nothing like it once was. Businesses struggle to stay open. The housing market is a s---show. Whatever. I’m tired of hearing about it. “Back in my day, we used to flip cars and light things on fire up and down The Strip!”

Old heads will say. Cool, grandpa. Sounds awesome, but we can’t do that anymore. Not only is it frowned upon, but we’re under constant surveillance and we do not have as many people here as you did. Which is exactly why, despite how full that damn parking lot is, Levels has got to go. When we bring those numbers back — which I truly believe we are on the cusp of doing — Levels can return. But for now, we have some kinks to work out. Despite Boomer belief, our current climate both in Carbondale and the rest of the world is not the fault of Gen Z. We just spawned here. We’re working with what we’ve got, and business owners holding onto nostalgia and old people constantly reminiscing isn’t helping. Evolve. Help or get out of the way. People talk about the history of this place like it was a constant Project X party. They acknowledge why Carbondale had so much appeal while never admitting that it was also part of the problem. It was not unreasonable for the Carbondale government and SIU administration of the ‘70s to have responded to heathenry with, “Hey, we’re going to have to cancel Halloween because you guys are going to kill someone.” Carbondale is complex. You can’t point to one thing as being the cause of Carbondale’s devolution. But the city is starting to get its aura back (hello, Carbondalien music fest this weekend). It’s not nearly as rough as it was 10 years ago. But to really bring Carbondale back, we don’t need it to be what it was in the past. We need to learn from and be inspired by its history and move forward through community. Not through isolation, but through togetherness and collectivism. Ask enough people why Carbondale isn’t what it used to be and eventually you will hear the same thing: The nightlife, live music and parties are a shell of what they once were. And, to be fair, Carbondale is not alone in that. This is a generational trend nationwide. Young people are not partying as much as they used to. We are isolated. Should the city have

completely veered away from its rowdy reputation? No. That was its appeal. But people got too crazy back then and ruined it for the rest of us. Or, did they Ironically, the key to revitalizing this place lies within that same rambunctious, youthful energy from the ‘70s found almost exclusively in the Levels parking lot. It just needs to be moved. Moved to an environment that is slightly safer, cleaner and in walking distance of more options. My proposal is this: Close Levels, reopen Stix and revitalize The Strip. Levels is 50 kagillion square feet wide, so it feels like there’s only ever 20 people in there even when there’s 200. But that’s like, its thing. Levels: the biggest dance floor in southern Illinois. It’s too big. Way too damn big. We do not have the student nor townie population to sustain that place. At least not to the point where it’s enjoyable. A nightclub — which is what Levels is supposed to be — is appealing because it’s lit. And what makes it lit is when it’s deep. And it’s only truly deep like three times a year. But even then, it’s gross. Infamously nasty. Somehow, there can be both not enough and too many people in Levels at the same time. It blows my mind. The floors are coated in a mysterious concoction of liquid, the air reeks of musty weed and vomit, and the bathrooms are unkempt. I mean, we all remember the girl that went live on Facebook from the Levels john with swamp ass because there was no toilet paper, right? (Insane to take a dump at Levels, btw.) The themed nights are absolutely bonkers. Foam party? Slime party? Pajama party? I get that much of the Levels marketing is geared toward the younger crowd, but what if it wasn’t? There’s no real smoking section anymore. Half the time you can’t go out there because it’s closed. There’s not a single outside aspect to the entire place aside from the clusterf--- of a parking lot. The Saluki Bar has lost all of its appeal and people just go smoke in the bathroom. Which is so hilarious. Like yeah, bro, enjoy the piss fumes. The place is a petri dish for misdemeanors. There’s a fight every other weekend

and bouncers are constantly throwing people out. Deadass, the Levels parking lot is the closest thing we have to the raucous atmosphere that was Carbondale in the ‘70s. And it’s an absolute nightmare. I mean, it’s straight bumper cars out there. There are potholes, people park like idiots and almost EVERYONE drives home. Why?! Because they have to. Very few people walk home — or anywhere else. And that is my largest quarrel. Levels is too far away from the Strip. My solution? Close it. Close Levels. Would it be wasting a building? Maybe, but that’s the Carbondale brand, baby. Has the city figured out what to do with that $2 million they got for a homeless shelter? No? Boom. Got a great spot for you. And where would all of the Levels faithful go should it close down? Hmm, if only there were a normal-sized bar space in a convenient location like, I don’t know, THE STRIP that’s owned by the SAME PEOPLE WHO OWN LEVELS. Imagine. Just imagine. All of those people who go to Levels now walking up and down the Strip going to Traxx, Hangar, Booby’s, PK’s and The Cellar after they leave Stix. That’s right. Stix. Stix closed in 2019 right before COVID and made way for the reopening of Levels. It then reopened in 2022 and closed down again in 2024. But it’s time. It’s time for Stix to be back. Its closure left a massive hole downtown. And for what? So people could go to Levels and Don Taco? When a group of people decides that they’re going to Levels, that’s typically it — they’re just going to Levels. It’s a 20-minute walk everywhere else. Over time, that physical isolation has started producing social isolation. That’s called social fragmentation. It’s also in-group formation and spatial segregation. Bars. Shoutout to sociology. This has literally begun to create an entirely new demographic of people who strictly go to Levels. That’s not good. We need shared public spaces. We need walkable cities. One club pulling a subset of people out of the broader nightlife ecosystem forces them to interact mostly with each other rather than circulating

through a communal environment. Whether it’s a bar, a neighborhood, an online community or an algorithmic feed — they start developing their own norms, identities and assumptions about everyone outside of them. The in-group gets stronger while interaction with the out-group gets weaker. Nightlife in Carbondale has always worked as a third place where different groups of people collided with each other. If you go to Levels with your Levels friends, stand in the Levels parking lot, party with the same Levels people and then go home, you never have to walk past PK’s, hear whatever band is playing at Hangar, run into somebody outside Traxx or drunkenly decide that, actually, f–- it, everybody’s going to Cellar. And that matters more than people think. Cities work when people are forced to bump into one another. Nightlife especially works that way. Bars, restaurants, sidewalks and music venues are social mixing chambers. A melting pot. Levels does the opposite. It takes one of the largest concentrations of young people in Carbondale on a Friday night and physically removes them from everybody else. And it’s all the same type of people. Where’s the diversity? Where’s the weird? On The Strip. Levels is a microcosm of something much bigger happening in American culture: We increasingly sort ourselves into spaces filled with people who already look like us, think like us, listen to the same music as us and do the same things as us. Then we wonder why nobody feels connected to anything anymore. Carbondale does not have enough people to be doing that to ourselves. Closing Levels would help combat that. Again, I’m not advocating for the closure of a local business. I’m advocating for that business to be moved. And I’m not saying it’s the owner’s fault — it’s not. The Levels atmosphere and reputation transcends their control. I wouldn’t even be saying this if the people that own Levels weren’t the same people that own Stix. I sincerely believe this would be a good business decision for them AND everyone else.

Disperse all of those people who go to Levels up and down The Strip on a Friday night. Have them eat at Sam’s and Changos. Have them wander into another bar because the line at Stix is too long. Have them hear a band playing somewhere else and walk toward it. Revitalize the nightlife. Show them Carbondale. Show them live music. Show them community. Show them Stix. It can still be the same club vibe. They can dance there and then they can go dance at Hangar, too. Plus, it won’t be so hard to keep up. It won’t be hard to clean and it will actually feel packed when 100 people are in there — and that’s fun. That’s all we need. All of the other bar gimmicks don’t work. We don’t care. It’s about the people. Serve them drinks and make sure they feel safe. That’s it. The domino effect that closing Levels and reopening Stix would have would be potent. Believe it or not, there is still a remnant of a scene here. Despite enrollment being low, it’s not at zero. There are very good musicians in this town. There are people who want to go out and party. This city may be dying — but it is not dead. You know, there actually seems to be some movement going on in that old building we used to call Stix. I’ve driven by recently and there appears to be some construction happening. A little birdie also told me that there are rumblings of a Stix return, but efforts to reach owner Josh Edwards were unsuccessful. If it’s true — if Stix really is coming back — Levels will need to go. I cannot see them both being prosperous at the same time. But that’s not even the main point. The main point is to bring young people back to The Strip. We don’t need some grand, revolutionary plan that will magically give us 10,000 more students in four years, but we could, at the very least, get the ones we do have all in one spot. I’ll talk about Greek life another time. Close Levels. Open Stix. Staff Reporter Jackson Brandhorst can be reached via email at jbrandhorst@ dailyegyptian.com and on Instagram @jacksondothtml

Page 4 | News

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

FiddleRick and Cash Johnson: A ballad of two Carbondale lovebirds CALI ROY JRNL 316

FiddleRick and Cash Johnson have been making music in Carbondale since their college years in the 1980s and ‘90s. If you haven’t seen them around the Makanda Boardwalk or performing at Tres Hombres, then turn on the radio and listen to them on WDBX. They’re often referred to as local legends, a modern-day Johnny and June, and have been playing it cool since 1968. Catherine “Cash” Johnson, 57, was born Sept. 4, 1968, in New Hampshire, where she would spend the first 10 years of her life. She recalls the magnificent East Coast shoreline and all the fond memories she made with her cousins. She then moved around to many different states due to her dad’s job, eventually settling into a quaint Chicago suburb. Growing up in Chicago, she remembers her time spent in the performing arts. “I was always taking dance and vocal lessons, and I was in theater,” she said. “I got a guitar in high school, took a couple lessons, but it wasn’t really until college that I started to, I don’t know, find my voice.” After high school, she spent two years at Loyola University Chicago before transferring to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale to finish up her degree in anthropology. It’s here where she would not only go on to find her voice, but also find a home, and meet people she’d know for a lifetime. Richard “FiddleRick” (or, more casually, just “Rick”) Johnson, 58, was born Feb. 22, 1968, in Redbank, New Jersey. Similar to Cash’s story, his family uprooted from New Jersey in 1971 due to his dad’s occupation,

in an instrument and continuously incorporate music education into their lives, until they become high-standard musicians. According to Rick, the Suzuki Method is the foundation of his musical abilities. “I actually shook his (Shinichi Sazuki’s) hand once, at this summer music camp, with my mom,” he said. “They flew in Shinichi Suzuki on the final day of camp, and I sat very close to him, and I shook his hand.” But as Rick got older, he moved his violin from a strict 45-degree angle to a slightly less strict 45-degree angle and started playing the fiddle. Though the two instruments are physically the same, Rick noted some discrepancies between a fiddler and a violinist. “If you’re wearing slacks and a nice shirt, and drinking white wine, that’s a violin,” he said. “But if you’re wearing blue jeans and drinking whiskey, then it’s a fiddle.” After going away for only a semester, Rick, like Cash, returned to Carbondale to pursue his degree in anthropology at SIU. However, Rick and Cash wouldn’t meet because they had the same major. The story goes, coyly: “I was actually dating somebody from SIU when I transferred,” Cash said. “Then I met this big group of people, and Rick, and it kind of changed my life.” The story, less coyly, goes: “So I was living in this house on Hester Street, and there was this gentleman, Phillip, a real Deadhead, on the scene,” Rick said. “He said, ‘My girlfriend, Cash, is coming down from Chicago next weekend,’ and this bell went off in my head. Something just rattled in my head.” Later that evening, Rick and his friends, along with

Rick and Cash at their wedding on Sept. 25, 1999.

but Rick’s family skipped all the other states and came straight to Carbondale. He, like Cash, also grew up with an interest in the arts. “I grew up learning ‘Suzuki style,’” he said. “I’m kind of classically trained.” The Suzuki Method is a teaching approach created by Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki in the mid1940s, aimed at developing a child’s musical skills in a way similar to how they would be taught a language. By starting as young as three years old, parents can slowly immerse their children

Philip and Cash, went out to Inspiration Point to hang out and have fun. “I see a woman, or a young girl, I guess, from afar, and I’m like, ‘geez, who’s that?’” he said. “Then it occurred to me.” After that night, Rick was convinced the stars would eventually align for them. “I remember I had a big birthday party, and everyone would kind of just come up and go and blah blah, and Cash was there,” he said. “The evening went on, and at midnight, Cash is still sitting next to me.

Cash and Rick partying with friends during their time at SIU in 1988. Provided by Cash and Rick Johnson Then at 2 o’clock, Cash is still next to me. Then, in the morning, she’s still next to me. We went out and had fun all the next day. She was still next to me, and the day after that, and… I was enticed from the beginning, and then somehow, over time, Philip vanished, and I remained. Thank God.” But this wouldn’t be the last time Rick and Cash had to find their way to each other. Eventually, they decided to split up, and as Rick describes it, they tried to “run away from each other.” Cash moved back up to Chicago, and Rick went down south to New Orleans to pursue his own music career, where he’d go on to make quite a name for himself. A few years after they broke up, in 1995, Cash went down to New Orleans to visit for Jazz Fest, and the rest was history. “I convinced him to move up to Chicago,” Cash said. “So I picked him up and moved him in at the end of ‘95.” (Rick remembers him being the one convincing her to move to Chicago together, but that isn’t a hill he wanted to die on.) Finally, in 1999, Rick and Cash said “I do,” and have been married now for 27 years. But by 1999, they had grown tired of Chicago and decided to use their honeymoon as an opportunity to find a place to settle down. “I didn’t really know it, but we were always looking for a place like Carbondale,” Cash said. “Good university, a lot of culture and a lot of music.” They went out East, then South, then over to Austin, Texas, then back to Chicago, then down to New Orleans until 2001, when they finally realized the place they’d been looking for was Carbondale all along. “We wanted to start a family,” Cash said. After years away, Rick and Cash were finally back in Carbondale to settle down. Immediately upon returning to town, Rick started playing with a rock ‘n’ roll/bluegrass band called Broken Grass, and Cash became pregnant with their first child and only son, Maxwell Stewart Marley, in 2003, and after a few years, she had her second child and only daughter, Sadie

Fox Fitzgerald, in 2006. Cash then decided her path was to return to school for a second degree and pursue teaching. “I wanted to have the same schedule as my kids,” she said. Rick toured from 2000 to 2004 with his band, and while it was fun for a while, with a newborn at home, life on the road wasn’t sustainable

I’ve pursued an art form that isn’t the same as theirs, I feel a mutual respect between us now. They’ve always been in my corner supporting me through this early stage in my career, and I know they’ll continue to be there every step of the way.” As their kids got older, both Rick and Cash continued to follow their passions. Rick, as

all my stuff. In my other bands, I was singing covers, right? I was singing other people’s songs. Then, I went to the studio with Josh Brown, and he helped with my overall sound.” As it stands, Rick and Cash plan to keep playing with their bands, keep writing new material, and, for Cash, finally start recording her

“If you’re wearing slacks and a nice shirt, and drinking white wine, that’s a violin,” he said. “But if you’re wearing blue jeans and drinking whiskey, then it’s a fiddle.” - Richard Johnson Local Musician

for his new role as a dad. So, in 2004, Rick got off tour to spend more time with Max, and eventually with Sadie. “I was growing up with them,” he said. “I had a great time with Maxwell,” Rick said. “Max would stand at the keyboard and play the piano. And I mean, Sadie … We would walk right down the road to Schnucks and drop quarters in those little tattoo things. It was the best.” As children of musicians, Sadie and Max grew up in a uniquely music-oriented household, receiving many songs written about them and sometimes even an album feature. Rick and Cash’s artistry rubbed off on their two kids, with Max a recent graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts and Sadie a sophomore studying Journalism at Loyola University Chicago. “My parents have always supported my brother and I with what we want to do,” Sadie said. “With their musical careers, they understand how important it is to do what you love and find a passion. Regardless of what we do with our lives, I know I will always have their support.” “The benefit of my parents both being musicians meant there was always music around the house … There was never a silent moment,” Max, now 22 and a filmmaker, added. “Their creativity and self-expression wore off on me, and while

always, played his music and continued booking shows in the area. Eventually, he would find his bandmates of many years to come and form FiddleRick & The Collective (previously FiddleRick & The Bourbon Boys). Cash continued to sing a little, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, she realized she wanted to get back into performing and finally start taking her music seriously. Until then, Rick had been the one heavily pursuing his music career, while Cash had put hers on the back burner to raise the kids. But now, with her kids being in high school, she felt it was the right time to finally put herself first. “I put an ad on a musicians’ website,” she said. “Someone reached out to me and said, ‘Hey, I think we might be what you’re looking for.’ It was a bunch of guys up in Royalton looking for a lead singer. It was kind of my opportunity to be independent, aside from FiddleRick’s own reputation. It was really important to me that I got established with my own voice — my own music.” As all things change and shift, Cash has continued to play and record with different people and join different bands, even playing with Rick from time to time. Seemingly, she’s found her voice with her new band; Cash & Company. “This is the best experience of my career,” she said. “It’s

music and uploading it. However, now that their kids have grown up and gone to college, Rick and Cash have started to dream bigger. “Eventually, I don’t know, I think we want to get some RV and go around the country with our instruments, hopping couches, staying with people we know and just trying to play along the way,” Cash said. “I mean, the goal, of course, is just to do something with Rick.” Throughout their lives, whether at a party or on stage, Rick and Cash have continued to go back to one another. They connected first through friends, then through their love and now through their music together. The road was bumpy and unsure at times, as it always is and surely will continue to be, but regardless of any tribulations, things have always fallen into place for the two. But more than their growth together, throughout the years they flourished independently in their artistry, knowing that their final performances will be with one another. “Nothing necessarily happened in the way you thought it would,” Cash said. “But I have no regrets, and I feel like … I feel like I’m right where I need to be.” This story was published in collaboration with JRNL 316: Daily News Reporting. Cali Roy can be reached at cali.roy@siu.edu.

Entertainment and Culture| Page 5

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Southern Illinois: an outdoor ‘playground’ KRISTIN BORCHERS Staff Reporter

As the new school year rounds the corner, cool evenings and mornings create a hospitable environment for outdoor recreation in southern Illinois. While incoming students attend the Saluki Startup, in the days leading up to the start of class, areas beyond campus house too many outdoor spots to choose from, but some notable locations are in a closeby radius, easily accessible for Carbondale’s new arrivals. Eleven minutes away from campus by car, Giant City State Park is notable for its large rock formations and houses eight trails. The Post Oak Trail is Americans with Disabilities Act compatible while other trails like the Nature Trail and Devil’s Standtable offer a more rocky road. Jennifer Randolph, the park’s natural resources coordinator, said they have trails from one-third of a mile all the way to 12 miles. Russel said as long as you stay along the marked trails, the park is very easy to navigate and super user friendly. ”For people who are new to the area, I would highly recommend the Giant City Nature Trail. That’s where you’ll see a lot of our iconic rock formations,” Randolph said. “A lot of people ask why we’re called Giant City State Park, but anybody who’s walked through the Nature Trail, that gives you a better idea of why we are called giant.” Around 300,000 years ago glaciers passed through Illinois reaching as far as Carbondale, which caused flattening of the land leaving behind rich soil for farming. Below Carbondale lies the untouched rock formations, reaching well beyond Giant City deeper into the Shawnee National Forest.

Popular locations include Garden of the Gods and Bell Smith Springs. Randolph said what’s really interesting about southern Illinois is you’ll run into a plethora of rock formations, while a large portion of the state is mostly full of corn and plains. She recommends hikers stop by the Visitor Center, wear insect repellent, do a little back-ground research on terrain and check out their website to scope out rails ahead of time. At Giant City Lodge, students can dine on their famous fried chicken after working up an appetite posthike. The lodge is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., though it does close for the winter months beginning in December. Just outside of the park, lies Touch of Nature Outdoor Education center that includes 12 miles of trails accessible for hikers and bikers. Beyond trails, Touch of Nature hosts a variety of community events like their annual Little Grassy Get Down on Oct. 9, 10 and 11th, where people can gather to listen to local acoustic Americana music. They also offer courses, such as their leave no trace program where workshop goes can learn how to best minimize their impact on the nature that lies around them. Beyond Giant City and Touch of Nature, Randolph recommends checking out local spots at Green Earth, which seeks to preserve natural locations around Carbondale. From the Brush Hill Preserve to the Oakland Preserve, these 20 acre sites offer a protected area to take a break into nature. Most trails at Green Earth are about a mile in length. In the fall, Green Earth hosts their annual Pumpkin Glow at the Oakland

Preston Clark approaches his father, Nathaniel after catching a small blue gill on campus lake on August 13th 2026 while Nathaniel’s other two children Adeyln and Spencer converse in the background. Nathaniel said he and his family come to campus lake often to fish, sometimes catching up to 14 fish. Kristin Borchers | @kborchers@dailyegyptian.com Preserve where people walk through a trail lit by over 750 carved pumpkins. This event will be on Oct. 22, 23 and 24 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. The trail is relatively flat and can accommodate wheelchairs. Campus Lake, situated on SIU’s west campus, has a 2-mile paved loop trail. Students can take a break from their busy class schedules and utilize the lake to fish and hike. There are many spots along the trailhead to take in the nature preserves and sit on benches. Along Campus Lake in Becker Pavilion, boats, kayaks and canoes can be rented from 1 to 5 p.m. on

Puzzle Answers

Saturdays until Sept. 26, weather permitting. Sunrise Yoga is offered at the pavilion seasonally through SIU’s Group Fitness Program. SIU Student Recreation Center also has an outdoor rental service called Base Camp where students can rent camping equipment for affordable prices.

Students, faculty, staff and community members can access a variety of outdoor equipment from tents to cooking equipment and rock climbing gear through the Student Recreation Center for a day or weeks. Rentals are through appointment only, and rental fees can be paid with

cash or card. “For anyone who loves the outdoors, southern Illinois is an absolute playground. We have so many different ecosystems here,” Randolph said. Staff Reporter Kristin Borchers can be reached at kborchers@dailyegyptian.com

“For people who are new to the area, I would highly recommend the Giant City Nature Trail. That’s where you’ll see a lot of our iconic rock formations.” - Jennifer Randolph the park’s natural resources coordinator

Page 6 | News

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Gus Bode’s Restaurant Guide GUS BODE Campus Legend

Hey, Gus Bode here. I’ve lived in Carbondale my entire life. I’ve seen several different businesses come and go from this town. Some good. Some bad. As of late, it’s getting pretty hard to keep track of all the different places you can go grab a bite to eat in this town. Because the food scene here is so volatile, it seems like we’ve got a new sub shop and food truck every other week. I’m not complaining, I love trying new things, but for someone who’s new around here, the options may get overwhelming. Plus, the last thing I’d want is for someone new in town not to know where all the good spots are. That being said, I’ve taken the liberty of creating a comprehensive list of every single food spot I could think of. I’ve organized it to indicate how far away each spot is from campus, how expensive it is, what type of stuff they serve and if it’s open late. Plus, I’ve indicated which spots are my favorite. Forewarning, there are a lot of restaurants here, so if someone ever tells you that there’s nothing good to eat in Carbondale, show them this Gus Bode Restaurant Guide. *The miles between the restaurants and campus are calculated by the distance from the Student Center * Delyte’s | $, GF, V, Breakfast, Sweets, Coffee 0 miles from campus! Morris Library Blend Tea and Crepe Lounge | $, GF, V 0.5 miles from campus, 719 S University Ave, Carbondale, IL 62901 Blend Tea and Crepe Lounge is a teahouse that offers many different flavored hot, iced and boba teas as well as sweet and savory crepes. I would recommend a nice, simple Nutella crepe with strawberry and banana with an iced honeydew milk tea. There are no menu options for coffee lovers, but staff would be happy to point out which teas are caffeinated. Blend has a warm, pleasant exterior with both small tables and a windowfacing couch space, perfect for talking with friends or studying. Harbaugh’s | $$ GF, V 0.5 miles from campus

Carbondale, IL 62901 Four guys from Chicago came together in 1975 to open a pizza place called Quatros. Their deep-pan style is like a combination of Detroit-style pizza and Chicago deep-dish style. The crust is pretty thick with toppings and sauce under the cheese. The spot is very close to campus and a popular spot among students and locals. My favorite pizza is “The Quatro” which features four different types of cheese, which is elevated further if you ask to add minced garlic on it. Lost Forest | $, Coffee 0.8 miles from campus Don Taco | $, GF, V, Lunch, Open Late 0.9 miles from campus Common Grounds | $, Sweets, Coffee 0.9 miles from campus Chili Jilly’s | $, GF, Sweets 0.9 miles from campus Munch Station | $, Lunch, Open Late 0.9 miles from campus, 600 E Grand Ave, Carbondale, IL 62901 Munch Station is a Mediterranean restaurant that serves not just gyros and shawarma bowls, but also burgers and loaded fries. Gus recommends their chicken Philly, which is the perfect blend of savory and crispy without being too dry. Munch Station also serves some pastries such as baklavas or lemon cakes as well as some novelty sodas like pineapple Fanta. Booby’s Bar and Sandwiches | $, GF, Lunch, Dinner, Alcohol 1 mile from campus Big Chill | $, GF, Sweets 1 mile from campus Pagliai’s Pizza | $$, GF 1 mile from campus, 509 S Illinois Ave, Carbondale, IL 62901 Opened in 1968, Pagliai’s, more commonly known as Pag’s, offers wood-fired pizza with both thick and thin options. The restaurant features lots of seating and a window to watch every step of the pizza-making process. In the back, they also have rooms for larger parties. I really like the Big Red pizza with the ability to add meat on one half. Their dessert options are delicious, specifically the tiramisu.

Underground Public House | $$$$, GF, V, Bombay Olive | $$, GF, Alcohol V 0.5 miles from campus 1 mile from campus

Quatro’s Deep Pan Italian Village | $$, GF Pizza | $$, GF 1 mile from campus, 0.7 miles from campus, 405 S Washington St, 218 W Freeman St, Carbondale, IL 62901

More commonly known as IV’s, Italian Village opened in 1960 and is popular for their thincrust pizzas. The sauce is slightly sweet, blending well with savory toppings. The restaurant features a salad bar, garlic bread, pastas and sandwiches. Each weekday besides Tuesdays, they have a deal on alcoholic drinks, with the margaritas on Mondays being a personal favorite. For meat eaters, they have a cheeseburger pizza that is really good. There is lots of room to meet with a large group or small group of people.

Carbondale’s downtown scene, Cristuado’s is your all-in-one breakfast, coffee, lunch and study spot. Located just one block north of the Amtrak station, this vibrant, artsy cafe is home to local art displayed and for sale. I recommend the pulled pork biscuits and gravy or the pink iced sugar cookies. There is something for everyone, whether you’re vegan, vegetarian or a meatlover. If you hear a little music or even a full-blown concert happening, don’t be alarmed. Cristuado’s is connected directly to Plaza Records. If I get bored, you Sal’s Bistro | $$, GF, V, can often find me perusing Lunch, Dinner through vinyls and CDs, 1 mile from campus often landing in their inhouse selection of local Chango’s | $$, GF, V, music from the bustling Open Late, Lunch, Dinner Carbondale scene. 1 mile from campus Thai Taste | $$$, GF, V, Aban Kitchen | $$, GF, Dinner V, Dinner 1.2 miles from campus 1.1 miles from campus, 114 S Illinois Ave, New Kahala | $$$, GF, Carbondale, IL 62901 V, Lunch, Dinner Aban Kitchen is a 1.2 miles from campus, Middle Eastern restaurant 600 E Grand Ave, that offers popular regional Carbondale, IL 62901 specialties like shwarma, New Kahala offers a kabob and falafel. I variety of Chinese dishes, especially recommend the including fried rice, lo shakshuka, which is also mein, egg drop soup a great vegetarian option. and combination dinner Other vegetarian options plates. The restaurant also include foule, fassolia, offers vegetarian options falafel and the vegetable and generous portions soup. The baklava, a that make it a popular pistachio-filled pastry, is to choice for both dinedie for. in and takeout. I would Pictures from around recommend the orange the world hang on the chicken with fried rice and wall and the walls are an order of crab Rangoon painted a smooth amber. as a side. Aside from the main room The restaurant has a with booths, Aban also quiet, relaxed dining room has a room with low floor with comfortable booths seating fit with mattresses and quick service. It’s and cushions. an easy choice for lunch between classes or a casual PK’s Bar | $$, GF, V, dinner with friends. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Alcohol Mary Lou’s | $$, GF, 1.1 miles from campus Breakfast, Lunch, Coffee, Sweets Sam’s Cafe | $$, GF, 1.3 miles from campus V, Open late, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Branch Cafe & Market 1.1 miles from campus | $$, GF, V 1.3 miles from campus, Doña Camila | $, GF, 100 E Jackson St, V, Lunch, Dinner Carbondale, IL 62901 1.2 miles from campus, Branch Cafe & 100 W Jackson St, Market, formerly known Carbondale, IL 62901 as Longbranch and If you’re looking for a colloquially known as delicious burrito that’s “The Branch,” is a locally cheap, this Mexican sourced breakfast and grocery store has got you brunch spot that offers covered. In the back, halal meals on an everbehind the aisles of soft changing and experimental drinks, candy, snacks and menu. They make other items, is a hole in drinks, egg dishes, salads, the wall with a chalkboard pastries and sandwiches. menu where you can order. The atmosphere at The The menu contains such Branch is renowned for its items as burritos, street inclusivity and beauty. The tacos, tortas, gorditas and Branch offers both indoor tamales. and outdoor seating amid colorful flowers and bright Cristaudos | $$, GF, V, table tops. Breakfast, Lunch, Coffee, The back of the Sweets restaurant serves as a 1.2 miles from campus, holistic market that offers 209 S. Illinois Ave, groceries, oils, kitchen Carbondale, IL 62901 supplies, art, clothing and Nestled in the heart of more. It’s a perfect spot

for a date, a study session great spot for a date night or a place to take your or dinner with friends. parents. They also have live Neighborhood Co-op | music from local artists on $$, GF, V Sundays. 2.3 miles from campus, 1815 W Main St, Buckwater | $$, GF, V, Carbondale, IL 62901 Dinner, Alcohol The Co-op is both a 1.3 miles from campus grocery store and a food spot. Think Wholefoods Tres Hombres | $$, GF, but local. They have a V, Lunch, Dinner, Alcohol hot bar with all kinds 1.4 miles from campus of stuff, from game fish to pizza. They also serve Wadeyy Wings | $$, coffee, pastries, salads and GF, Lunch, Dinner sandwiches. It’s a great 1.4 miles from campus place to study and to try something new. I can Global Gourmet | $$$, guarantee that you will GF, V, Dinner, Alcohol find something you’ve 1.4 miles from campus never had before. Flame Bar and Grill Hunan | $$, GF, V | $$$$, GF, V, Dinner, 2.5 miles from Alcohol campus, 710 E Main St, 1.5 miles from campus Carbondale, IL 62901 Hunan is a fine Asian Don Luna | $$, GF, V, cuisine restaurant with Lunch, Dinner standout appetizers and 1.8 miles from campus great sweet, spicy and savory meal options. Carbondeli’s | $$, V, I would recommend Lunch Szechwan green beans or 2 miles from campus crab Rangoon to start, then getting some orange Yamato Steak House | chicken for the main $$, GF, V, Dinner, Alcohol course. 2.1 miles from campus Hunan has a relaxed, friendly dining Sunny Street Cafe | $$, atmosphere, great for a GF, V, Breakfast, Sweets, nicer dinner for a family Coffee weekend or a celebration 2.2 miles from campus after finals. Los Posas | $, GF, V, El Paisano | $$, GF, V, Lunch, Dinner Lunch, Dinner, Alcohol 2.2 miles from campus 2.5 miles from campus Tequilas | $$, GF, V, Sergio’s | $$, GF, V, Lunch, Dinner, Alcohol Lunch, Dinner, Alcohol 2.2 miles from campus 2.6 miles from campus Dale’s Burger Shack | $$, V 2.3 miles from campus, 1709 W Main St, Carbondale, IL 62901 Dale’s Burger Shack is a grill in the Murdale Shopping Center best known for its eponymous burgers, but also serves great hot sandwiches. No matter what you order, I recommend their regular fries, which are incredibly thin and crispy. Their Philly Cheesesteak is incredible, but not something you want to order unless you’re expecting leftovers. For St. Louis natives, Dale’s is also one of a handful of local restaurants serving bottled Fitz’s Root Beer products, so go ahead and grab a black cherry soda while you’re there. Pita Alley | $$, V 2.3 miles from campus, 1711 W Main St, Carbondale, IL 62901 Pita Alley is a Mediterranean restaurant in Murdale that serves traditional dishes from Greece, Turkey, Italy and more. They work with local farmers and suppliers to source local ingredients for a blend of authentic yet homegrown flavor. Their menu features a variety of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. It’s a

Don Sol | $$, GF, V, Lunch, Dinner, Alcohol 3.2 miles from campus Cool Spoons | $$, Sweets 3.2 miles from campus Yummy Buffet | $$, GF, V, Lunch, Dinner, Sweets 4.6 miles from campus V

Midland Inn | $$, GF,

5.1 miles from campus, 7570 Old Hwy 13, Murphysboro, IL 62966 Somewhat hidden on Old Highway 13 between Carbondale and Murphysboro is the Midland Inn. Midland is a homey smalltown restaurant with a menu that is way too large. I recommend the Southwestern wrap, Caesar wrap or any of the fried fish entrees. Vegetarians and vegans beware! Other than salads, some appetizers and cheese pizza, there are not a lot of options here. Midland has a great patio for outside seating and is a perfect spot to sit and chat with friends in the cool fall and spring weather. Midland is a great spot to get a drink, as long as you have a ride home :). I recommend the raspberry mojito.

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

News | Page 7

Illustrated by Dena Rendleman | @dena.rendleman

7 Brew Coffee | 2.4 miles from campus Sergio’s Mexican Restaurant | 2.6 miles from campus Smoothie King | 2.8 miles from campus

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Wednesday, August 12, 2026

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Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Entertainment and Culture | Page 9

Off the Rails Concert Series brings local music to Carbondale’s new downtown stage YAHRI EDMOND Staff Reporter

Carbondale’s Off the Rails Concert Series is returning this fall with a new home, a lineup of local and regional musicians, and a focus on community. The season kicks off Aug. 15 with the Carbondalien Music Festival, featuring six southern Illinois acts performing on the Robbie Stokes Memorial Stage in the New Era Events Plaza. Among the performers are The Hornworms, a community marching band made up of more than 20 musicians who describe themselves as a “ragtag cast of characters.” Band organizer Betsy Brink says festivals like Carbondalien give local artists a chance to showcase their creativity on a larger stage while bringing people together through music. The free concert series continues through October with performances by Marcella Simien & Family Soul Band, Didjits, Acumen, Hot Like Mars, MoonShroom, the Kyle Tuttle Band and more. Organizers encourage residents and returning SIU students to attend, support local musicians and experience Carbondale’s growing live music scene. The sixth annual series

begins Aug. 15 with the Carbondalien Music Festival from 3 to 9 p.m. at the Robbie Stokes Memorial Stage in the New Era Events Plaza, 200 S. Washington St. The opening festival will feature six southern Illinois acts: The Hornworms, City of Soul, Tawl Paul & Slappin’ Henry Blue, Tr!cks, Stay Here and the Southern Illinois Soul Jazz Coalition. Tourism and Special Events Coordinator Dena Haun said the opening festival was created to celebrate the region’s thriving music scene. “It’s our sixth annual event in which we host different concerts that are free, family-friendly, and feature food trucks and vendors in our downtown area at the Robbie Stokes Memorial Stage,” Haun said. Unlike the remaining concerts in the series, which typically feature two performers each evening, Carbondalien is designed as a showcase for local musicians, Haun said. “It’s called the Carbondalien Music Festival as a way to showcase all of our incredible local talent,” Haun said. “Each band gets a 45-minute set so that we can feature different varieties and different genres of local musicians.” This year’s concert series is also the first Off the

Rails to take place at the newly completed Robbie Stokes Memorial Stage. The permanent venue debuted earlier this summer as the first phase of the New Era Events Plaza project. Haun said the city plans to begin bidding on the second phase of construction, which is expected to include permanent restrooms, a box office and fencing that would allow the venue to host larger ticketed events while continuing its free community concerts. “We’ll still host our free concert series as a community amenity,” Haun said. “But the hope is to transition so there can be bigger acts that come through.” Among the performers opening the season are The Hornworms, a community marching band that has become a recognizable part of Carbondale’s arts scene since forming just over a year ago. For organizer Betsy Brink, performing at Carbondalien represents an opportunity to reach audiences beyond the band’s usual performances. “It gives us really something to work towards and really put our best foot forward,” Brink said. “We’re putting together props and costumes, so it is a really big deal. Otherwise, we’re really just playing at the same bars. Bars are great, but it’s

really cool to play on that big stage.” The Hornworms include roughly 23 musicians whose experience ranges from longtime performers to people picking up marching band instruments again after years away. They also have a handmade mascot worm they cart around, who they call “Hornby.” “We’re kind of a ragtag cast of characters,” Brink said. “Some people play their instruments regularly, while others are just getting back into playing a marching band instrument.” Their set list mixes traditional marching band music with unexpected favorites like the cantina theme from “Star Wars”, reflecting the group’s playful personality. “It’s just people happy to play music together in Carbondale,” Brink said. Brink said festivals like Carbondalien are important because they highlight local musicians while helping strengthen the area’s arts community. “It does mean a lot to us,” she said. “It gets us really excited.” She also encouraged Southern Illinois University students interested in performing to get involved. “Join us,” Brink said. “Get a hold of me. We need more band members.” Beyond the music, Haun

said the concert series is intended to bring people downtown while supporting local businesses, food vendors and nonprofit organizations. “First and foremost, we just want people to get involved,” Haun said. “We want this to be a familyfriendly environment where our entire southern Illinois region can come together for an evening of fun and entertainment while amplifying our entrepreneurs, vendors, businesses and nonprofits.” Food trucks, artisans and nonprofit organizations will be present throughout the season, and vendor applications remain open through Carbondale Main Street. Because the events take place within the Downtown Entertainment District, guests may purchase beverages from participating businesses and carry them in approved nonglass containers throughout the venue. Haun hopes the concerts also encourage residents to discover everything happening downtown. “We just want to amplify people’s ability to know that there’s always something going on in Carbondale,” she said. Following Carbondalien, the Off the Rails Concert Series continues Aug. 29 with Marcella Simien & Family Soul Band. The

schedule also includes the Lost Cross 40th Anniversary Concert featuring Didjits and Acumen on Sept. 4, Hemp, Hops & Shrooms on Sept. 19 featuring Hot Like Mars and MoonShroom, and the Oct. 2 finale during SIU Family Weekend with the Kyle Tuttle Band and special guest Chris Housman. The city also plans to announce the entertainment lineup for the annual SIU Homecoming Music Street Festival, scheduled for Oct. 16 on Illinois Avenue. All Off the Rails concerts are free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, support local vendors and help keep the venue clean by practicing Leave No Trace principles. Reporter Yahri Edmond can be reached at yedmond@ dailyegyptian.com and on Instagram @yahri.edmond 2026 Off the Rails Concert Schedule: Saturday, August 29 // 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Features: Marcella Simien & Family Soul Band Friday, September 4 // Lost Cross 40th Anniversary // 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Saturday, September 19 // Hemp, Hops & Shrooms // 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM Friday, October 2 // SIU Family Weekend // 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

COLUMN

Carbondale’s music scene from past to present CALI ROY JRNL 316

The year is 1990, and Carbondale is booming. Southern Illinois University enrollment is at an all-time high, and on a Friday night, there is no better place to be. The night would start in a friend’s basement, and take you from bar to bar until the sun on Saturday morning started to peek through the windows. Then you’d do it all again the next night. “That was before you had anything to worry about,” said Cash Johnson, lead singer of Cash & Company, and SIU class of 1991. “Anything other than what you were gonna do that night.” If you ask Carbondale natives, the 1970s through the ‘90s are considered the heyday of the city’s music scene. Bars like Hangar 9, Pinch Penny Pub, Copper Dragon, PK’s and Booby’s Beer Garden were all in full swing, and students and beer-lovers packed the houses every weekend. The city had gained a reputation for its local charm and talent, and had been known to host not only up-and-coming artists, but also big-time names. Elvis Presley, Elton John, Bob Dylan, The Talking Heads, Johnny & June Carter Cash, KISS and nearly a dozen more famous musicians have passed through Carbondale, selling out stadiums and sneakily performing in bars. While artists like Elvis and Cher could draw crowds, the smaller musicians fed the city’s soul. Tawl Paul, Hoopla, Jim Skinner Blues Review and

Massive Funk are just a few of the small names that, if you weren’t around to see them, you’d likely never know. But these were the performances people remember; looking back on the best days of their lives, crowded in bars with their friends and singing along to the band that was likely more drunk than they were. “You would go down to the Strip, and it was just, like, swarming with people,” said Rick Johnson, a Carbondale native and lead singer for FiddleRick & The Collective. “Just youngsters…kids, everywhere. Boom, out to the bar, to the restaurant, to the whatever — swarming the streets.” The city was alive with multiple genres, offering a little something for everyone. “Carbondale was a full-on, raging live music and party experience,” journalist and Carbondale history buff Craig Wilson said. “There were more bands than you could possibly take in, and parties were going strong, especially on the weekends but also during the week.” There was an undeniable energy in the air of the city, and it was noticeable to everyone, even those just passing through. These would go on to be the years the city reminisces about, giving locals the ammo to say, “When I went to SIU…” The city has, undeniably, undergone many changes in its music scene. An incident that many blame is the crackdown on partying and alcohol taken by the university

in the ‘90s and early 2000s. Prior to this, Halloween weekend had become one of the biggest parties of the year, with hundreds coming into Carbondale with one mission only: get as drunk as possible. This led to many riots, arrests, and the destruction of the city, prompting the university to eventually shut down the entire holiday, effectively ending the iconic SIU Halloween Weekend. Despite this being just one weekend out of the year, many ultimately blame the school and the city’s response to partying as the downfall of the city’s party scene. “Carbondale got the reputation that you could come here and get f----- up and sometimes cause real damage, then just leave,” Wilson said. “The city and SIU had to crack down, and in many ways I don’t blame them, as their hand was forced, but they also overstepped.” “They [The City of Carbondale] passed encroachment laws so you couldn’t even stand on the Strip and eat an ice cream sandwich from Dairy Queen and passed ridiculous noise ordinances that killed the beer gardens,” Adam Fletcher, Murphysboro native and singer/bassist for The Copyrights, said. “There was a real puritanical turn in the mid’90s into the early 2000s, where they were trying to, I don’t know, clean up the image and whatnot, but I guess it worked.” The university’s and city’s efforts to push back against drunken citizens, no doubt, led to a decline in both tourism and enrollment, damaging the

mystique behind the city’s once rowdy music scene. But is it really fair to say that it was the death of music in Carbondale altogether? The Halloween street festival returned last year, and the city even shut down the Strip for the celebration. Although this most recent Halloween was more tame than the parties of 30 years ago. There seems to be a fatigue of nostalgia across this city. Everyone loves to look back on their Golden Days and swear that when they were younger, everything was more fun, more alive, more than it is today. Did the Carbondale music scene really die, or are things simply different? For many, the Carbondale music scene has never stopped being fun. “I mean, we went out Monday through Sunday, there was never a dead night on the Strip,” Kayla Raney, class of 2005, said. “We’d go to Sidetracks, and well, we’d go to Pinch if it was warm and Copper Dragon if it was cold. Every single night.” Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Wiz Khalifa, and many others performed throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Notoriously, Kendrick Lamar made an appearance in 2011 at Hangar 9 while on Adult Swim’s Block Party Tour. Surely, those who graduated in 2015 feel similarly to those who graduated in 2000, and those in 1990, and those in 1980, and so on: This is the time to be alive. Students still go out every weekend, albeit to different bars than in the past. People still pack

the Banterra Center stadium when famous artists come to town. Bars are constantly booking bands to perform. The landscape has changed, and maybe things have died down a bit, but to say things will never be what they once were is a bit melodramatic. Everyone yearns for what they once had, and, in turn, it makes the younger generation feel they’re missing out on something that, in reality, they already have. “I had a realization one day when I was in Target in like 2022 because I kept being like, ‘Damn, I wish it was the ‘80s,’ but then I just all of a sudden decided…It lowkey is? Like, I can live like it’s the ‘80s if I want,” Jack Hopkins, 26, Carbondale resident and member of Parallel Play, said. “We all have free will. Get out there and do the s--- you wanna do. It’s all there, and it’s all still happening.” Lost Cross, one of the longeststanding punk houses in the United States, has been going strong and constantly pulling crowds since the ‘80s. PK’s, Booby’s, Hangar 9, and many other bars have remained in business for decades, becoming weekend homes to many bands and bar-goers. There have also been many citizen efforts over the years to keep the party going, such as the construction of the Robbie Stokes Memorial Stage, the tradition of Sunset Concerts, and many different music festivals throughout the years. The city and university themselves have also taken several actions reversing some of their previous rulings on noise,

drinking, and age restrictions on seeing live music. Plus, constantly, new bars and businesses are opening, all for the same goal: bringing people together to dance, sing, and have a good time. “There’s always music at Buckwater, Tres, PK’s, Booby’s, Lost Forest Café, you know,” Johnson said. “It’s all just evolving. The style of music is different, and the people, it’s just a generational thing.” “It’s [the Carbondale music scene] stable. It’s not diminishing anymore,” Chris Walczak, musician, professor, and organizer of SIU’s Outside the Box festival, said. “The people who like to come out and do things are, and the people who come to concerts are, and so we’re still putting on these concerts and we always will.” Any notion that Carbondale is no longer “hip” or “bumping” is a false pretense being spread by an epidemic of nostalgia. No city or school efforts can truly destroy the youthful desire to get drunk and party. The bars’ business will always be booming, and there will always be a stage just waiting for someone to perform on it. The year is 2026: It’s a Friday night in Carbondale, and for many, there is nowhere better to be. “Those were the days,” Jennifer McSparin, a Carbondale resident, said. “But for you, these are the days.” This column was published in collaboration with JRNL 316: Daily News Reporting. Cali Roy can be reached at cali.roy@siu.edu

Page 10 | News

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Traditions Challenge celebrates SIU, Carbondale culture BRAYDEN GUY News Editor

Moving into an established community as a new student can be daunting. Carbondale and SIU have many locales, events and idiosyncrasies steeped in tradition. The SIU Alumni Association, however, has created a fun challenge to encourage new and returning students to engage with the community and reward their efforts. Beginning in 2025, the Saluki Traditions Challenge is a comprehensive list of 80 challenges that range from learning and singing the words to the Alma Mater and SIU Fight Song to hiking at Garden of the Gods — a hiking trail 59.4 miles from campus. The list of challenges is broken into three categories: Campus Activities, Sporting Events and Explore the Area. Explore the Area features not only Carbondale businesses and traditions, such as Polar Bear and Quatros, but also famous southern Illinois spots like the Kinkaid Spillway. Alumni Services Coordinator Maggie Stacey said the challenges were intentionally made to encourage students to buddy

up and travel outside of campus to bond and make memories. “You get everything moved into your dorm and the first couple of nights or weeks on campus you’re like ‘OK, what do we do?’” Stacey said. “They can pull up the Traditions Challenge list and then work together like ‘Oh my roommate has a car. What if we go and check out that water tower at Giant City together?’” When she was studying at SIU as an undergraduate in her senior year, Stacey participated in the traditions challenges with her friends in the Student Alumni Council. “It was kind of a big thing for all of us to go around after our meetings, and we would do some of the traditions together,” she said. To participate in the challenge, students can go to the website at the URL: siualumni.com/students/ saluki-traditions-challenge. php and create a OneDrive folder with their name and dawgtag and upload labeled pictures of each challenge they complete. Prizes are awarded for 20, 40 and 60 challenges completed. The first prize for completing 20 challenges is a T-shirt,

40 gets you a water bottle and completing 60 awards a medallion that will be shown off at graduation. According to Stacey, there is no secret completion prize for doing all 80 challenges. Stacey said that about 25 students had participated in Spring 2025. One of those students who completed 60 challenges within a year and donned their medallion at graduation was Alek Abell. “That was definitely one of the sweetest parts of this whole challenge was getting to wear that medallion on graduation night,” Abell said. The medallion is golden and that SIU maroon with the old logo of the Salukis’ face, its mouth open in a snarl-like smile. Abell speed-ran through the 60 challenges intended to span over a student’s four years at the university in just a few months. “I completed it basically in a couple of months,” Abell said. “It was pretty challenging. A lot of the stuff I found I did on an everyday basis, but I just never stopped to take a picture of it.” Abell said he enjoyed the hiking challenges at Giant City and Garden of the Gods the most.

Alek Abell dons his medallion for completing 60 of the SIU Alumni Traditions Challenges in May 2025. Photo provided by the SIU Alumni Association. “I’m a big sports guy, so I love sitting in the Dawg Pound, that kind of opened up more areas for me to go hiking, kayaking and stuff like that,” he said. Abell graduated last May with a degree in biological sciences and is now applying to dental school. This fall, the Alumni Association is planning to hold a traditions challenge competition between student organizations and Greek life.

The winner will add a new tradition to the list of challenges. Stacey said the competition will be done on a grading system to ensure fairness. “A percentage of your points come from the amount of members doing the challenges, and the other percentage comes from the amount of challenges that are completed,” she said. “You don’t want one RSO that has 40 members automatically winning over an RSO that

only has five members.” Besides challenges being added by the victors, Stacey said that over time some new traditions that emerge might be added to the list. There are two tradition challenge celebrations every year with a fall deadline of Dec. 2 and a spring deadline of March 31. News Editor Brayden Guy can be reached at bguy@dailyegyptian.com

SIU launches center to preserve Southern Illinois’ Black history YAHRI EDMOND Staff Reporter

Southern Illinois University has established a regional African American Heritage Center aimed at preserving and promoting the history of Black communities across southern Illinois. The Southern Illinois African American Heritage Center, located on the sixth floor of Morris Library, recently received temporary approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education to establish the center, and the university plans to seek permanent approval after four years. The center will serve the 30 southernmost counties in Illinois, including the Metro East, and is expected to connect researchers, students and community members with historical resources, oral histories, family records and heritage sites throughout the region. According to a news release by SIU, the center’s steering committee recently visited Brooklyn for its induction as an historic waypoint on Route 66. Anne-Marie HamiltonBrehm, associate dean of Library Affairs at SIU and a member of the center’s project steering committee, said the center grew out of years of work to uncover and preserve Black history that has often been overlooked or left out of traditional historical records. “Elevating stories that have been silenced or put aside is important to me,” HamiltonBrehm said. “I like to stand up for the stories that matter.” The center’s proposal grew from the Special Collections Research Center’s “Reclaiming the African American Heritage of Southern Illinois” project, an initiative that began several years ago involving HamiltonBrehm, SIU history professor

Pamela Smoot, political papers archivist Walter Ray and community members. The project originally focused on helping communities, churches and families preserve their own histories. As researchers began working with communities, they discovered a larger need to connect individual projects and create a central location for research and education. Hamilton-Brehm said the center became necessary because the people working on the project had other university responsibilities and could not complete every project themselves. “We just realized that it would really be better to have a dedicated center, eventually with a director and its own staff, who could serve as a hub of research and heritage tourism for southern Illinois,” Hamilton-Brehm said. The center’s organizers hope to use the space to connect people with historical sites throughout southern Illinois while also encouraging communities to preserve their own records. Plans for the center’s first four years include historical presentations, community events, family history preservation workshops, oral history projects, collecting regional family records, engagement with K-12 schools and access to books and documents related to African American history in the region. Hamilton-Brehm said the center is also interested in digitizing family histories. Families can provide photographs, documents and other materials to be digitized and returned to them. The center is also accepting potential donations of historical materials from families and

communities and funding. “Everyone’s history and family history is valuable,” Hamilton-Brehm said. Pamela Smoot, a co-founder of the center, said one of the center’s primary goals is to document the history of individual Black communities and the people and institutions that helped build them. “People matter. The institutions matter,” Smoot said. Smoot said oral histories are particularly important because they can fill gaps left by written records. She also said southern Illinois is home to a larger number of notable African Americans than many people in the region realize. Among them are Madame C.J. Walker, who built a successful Black hair care and cosmetics company; Oscar Micheaux, one of the first major Black filmmakers; Archibald Moseley, a Tuskegee Airman, Congressional Gold Medal recipient and ordained minister; Charles Neblett, a civil rights activist and one of the original Freedom Singers; and Eurma C. Hayes, a longtime Carbondale community activist whose legacy is honored through the Eurma C. Hayes Center. As part of a graduate oral history courseSmoot taught several years ago, students interviewed members of southern Illinois communities about their histories. One student documented the history of Hopewell Baptist Church in Carbondale, which Smoot said had no written history. Other oral history projects examined communities and experiences that may not be fully represented in traditional historical accounts. Smoot said gathering these stories can help communities establish a more accurate record of their past.

“We can help gather information and explain how these people actually settled in Carbondale, Illinois, for example,” Smoot said. “It’s important to gather up all the history so that we can keep the story straight, tell the story and be able to keep the story straight in terms of facts.” The need to document southern Illinois’ Black history is especially important because much of the state’s African American history is commonly associated with Chicago, Smoot said. Southern Illinois, however, has its own history of Black settlement, activism and community development. Hamilton-Brehm pointed to the region’s history before and after Illinois became a state in 1818. She said free Black people and formerly enslaved people established communities in southern Illinois before the Civil War, with some communities playing roles in the Underground Railroad. She cited Miller Grove, where archaeological research has uncovered lead type that researchers believe could indicate the printing of abolitionist materials in addition to the community’s role in the Underground Railroad. Hamilton-Brehm also pointed to Brooklyn, Illinois, which was founded in 1829 by formerly enslaved and free Black people. The community’s church was used as part of the Underground Railroad and includes a trap door beneath the altar that was used to hide people escaping slavery. Hamilton-Brehm said stories like these demonstrate why southern Illinois’ African American history deserves greater attention. “I think there’s so much to learn about and so much for

us all to be proud of when we learn the real history of the place where we live,” Hamilton-Brehm said. The center also hopes to document the experiences of Black families and communities whose stories have been lost, minimized or excluded from historical records. Hamilton-Brehm cited the example of Stephen Bostic, a successful Black farmer who lived south of Murphysboro and established a settlement with family and friends. Bostic paid to have his portrait included in the 1907 Jackson County Atlas, but Hamilton-Brehm said his photograph was separated from those of other farmers because of his race. For Smoot, preserving local history is especially important for younger generations. She said African American history should extend beyond nationally recognized civil rights figures and events to include the history of the communities where people live. “Everybody needs to know where they came from and how they got there,” Smoot said. Smoot said she hopes the center will eventually become part of campus tours for prospective students and serve as a place where students from southern Illinois can learn about the history of their own communities. She also envisions students visiting the center for Black history lessons focused on individual counties and communities throughout the region. Hamilton-Brehm said the center will begin hosting presentations and events this fall. Organizers also plan to develop a speaker series and create opportunities for students to use the space for

study groups. The center will be open to students and community members, with books available for visitors to read and check out when the library is open. The university is also working to raise money to support the center. Once fully operational, organizers may consider developing a satellite office in St. Clair County, potentially at SIU Edwardsville’s East St. Louis campus, to focus on projects in the Metro East. For Hamilton-Brehm, the center represents more than an effort to preserve historical documents. She said it is an opportunity to bring together communities, researchers and students while highlighting stories that can inspire future generations. “I’m proud of this project, but everybody who has worked on this project is excited and proud,” Hamilton-Brehm said. “We’re really just getting started here, but I’m excited for the future.” Smoot said the center’s creation was a collaborative effort that required support from university administrators, faculty, staff and community members. “We couldn’t do this without each other,” Smoot said. “We can achieve more. And this center is an example of that.” Community members interested in contributing family records or historical materials can contact SIU’s Special Collections Research Center or call (618) 453-2516 to discuss preservation, digitization or potential donations. Staff Reporter Yahri Edmond can be reached at yedmond@dailyegyptian.com

culture | Page 11

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

The lore behind Booby’s sandwiches JACKSON BRANDHORST News Reporter

Not quiet, not tucked away and not hiding from the tall talk of a small town, Booby’s Bar and Sandwiches sits stoutly in the middle of Carbondale’s iconic Strip — the same place it’s been since 1972. A staple of the city’s inclusive, diverse atmosphere, Booby’s serves more than just sandwiches and cocktails. For many, the bar at 406 S. Illinois Ave. has served as a safe space for members of the LGTBQ+ community, students at Southern Illinois University, local artists and anyone else willing to brave the disarming smile of Booby’s owner, Abe Traverso. Although a few things have changed over the decades — like the addition of an outdoor beer garden and a couple of new menu items — according to those who were there when the Booby’s brand was originally built, that smile, that local comfort and that welcoming environment has always been a part of the Booby’s ambience. The original inspiration Bob Feld opened Booby’s in the waning months of 1972 shortly after finishing his degree from Roosevelt University. After being inspired by a sub shop that he briefly worked at near his home on the south side of Chicago, Feld and four of his friends — with the financial backing of his car salesman father — teamed up to open what was then a Kosher-style deli on Carbondale’s busiest street. With no competing delis in the surrounding area, Booby’s slowly but surely became a hot commodity for college students seeking fresh, handmade subs on the go. A fairly new concept at the time, having your food prepared in front of you and being out the door in minutes paved the way for Feld to tap into a market that would eventually inspire multinational sandwich chain Jimmy John’s, which now has its own Carbondale location just down the street. The similarities between the two menus, said current owner Abe Traverso, made total sense when Jimmy John’s founder Jimmy John Liautaud revealed his inspiration for the chain during a podcast episode with Theo Von in early 2024. “Even the names of the sandwiches are similar,” Traverso said. “Not just the style.” Those names, like the Jimmy Cubano, the Billy Club and Club Lulu, ring familiar in the ears of those that have ordered a Bruce or Robyn Special from Booby’s — something neither Bruce nor Robyn themselves have ever done. Meet Bruce and Robyn Original members of Feld’s first Booby’s staff, Bruce Levine and Robyn Duenow are the inspiration behind the two flagship sandwiches on the Booby’s menu — despite having never tried them. “Neither one of us have eaten our sandwiches,” the two told the Daily Egyptian during an early June visit to Carbondale. “One day the menu came out, and I was like ‘What? The Robyn Special? I hate pastrami!’” Robyn said. “Yeah. I don’t eat ham,” Bruce added. Both originally from Chicago’s southside — like Feld — Bruce and Robyn had been friends long before Booby’s came to be. Bruce met Feld first and then introduced him to Robyn, and the three of them would go on to form a core group of friends that would eventually

make up the Booby’s staff. For Robyn, however, her relationship with Feld would transcend that of a friend. Robyn and Feld got married in 1974. They had two children, both born at Carbondale Memorial Hospital, and were together until Feld sold Booby’s 10 years later. “We were all very close friends,” Bruce said. “Before doing business and working together, we were all having fun and being young. There was an awful lot of freedom living in Carbondale back then — and we took advantage of that.” Bruce — now living in Chicago working as a baseball analyst for WSCRAM and 670thescore.com — reflected fondly on his time as an SIU student and as an integral part of building an establishment that serves as a microcosm for the city’s progressive, punk history. “We were here finding our way when the country was starting to find its own way as well,” Bruce said. “In my first quarter here, I was a part of the Kent State riots where thousands of students went on the president’s lawn and got the university shut down. It was a powerful period. If you can imagine, up and down Illinois Avenue, state police with gas masks on were gassing students. It was quite a volatile time.” Robyn was an art major while at SIU, and her mark can be seen left on the paint strokes and design choices along the walls of the sandwich shop bar, but it can also be seen in the legacy that remains at Booby’s — one that both she and Bruce helped establish. “It was a bastion for students,” Robyn said. “For liberal students that were against the war in Vietnam, or the oligarchy, or fascism.” Unbeknownst to Traverso, who became the owner of Booby’s in 2023, he continued to foster and develop a similar space as Feld did all those years ago. ‘Welcome back Booby’s!’ “When they were telling me all the different stuff that Bob would do in order to make sure that his staff and his customers were okay, it sounded very similar to what I do,” Traverso said. “It seemed very serendipitous. Making sure everyone feels supported. That everyone’s good. What do you need? How can I help, ya know?” Traverso said that he had no idea about the history and the lore that surrounded Booby’s until after he began operating it with his new team. “The truth is, I wasn’t going to reopen Booby’s,” Traverso said. “I had a different name planned and everything. It was going to be a similar concept — but not the same.” The story goes, as Traverso tells it, that during a bad day at his old job, a friend of his pitched the idea of him buying Booby’s. At the time, the business had been closed for over 10 years, and in the interim, the building had been briefly turned into the Bike Surgeon, a bike repair shop. Initially, Traverso was hesitant, but he reluctantly decided to take a walk through the building, and although he didn’t expect it all to come to fruition, he filled out a liquor license application that same day. The kicker, and the most pivotal, fortuitous part of the story, is that Traverso had written down Booby’s as the name of the business on the application. “I wanted them to know

the location,” he said. “They interviewed me publicly during a meeting at city hall and then they voted ‘yes’ to give me a liquor license. After the vote, I went to go sit back down and I heard somebody yell ‘Welcome back Booby’s!’ When I turned around to see who said that, people began hooting and hollering and cheering and clapping. The entire inside of city hall was standing up and cheering on Booby’s, and all I could think about was, ‘Oh my God I didn’t even know if I was gonna do Booby’s.’” The weekend after, Traverso walked into Harbaugh’s Cafe to a surprising amount of congratulations. After picking up a copy of the Carbondale Times, he saw why. “It said that ‘Abe Traverso was reopening Booby’s with the original menu,’” he said. “Then I looked on Facebook and see that somebody had taken a picture of the paper, and that it had already gone viral. I looked at my wife, Heather, and said, ‘What the hell is going on?’ And she’s like, ‘Well, you’re opening Booby’s.’ So, Carbondale decided I was reopening Booby’s. And then I got to work.” The stars aligned After reopening the iconic location during Carbondale’s second total solar eclipse in 2024, Traverso began to hear from customers what exactly it was that made this place so special. “I learned all the lore after reopening,” Traverso said. “Tons of people come in here all the time and tell me that they met their spouse here, or kids will come in and tell me that if it wasn’t for Booby’s, then they wouldn’t have been born.” In a town where nostalgia runs rampant and stories about its riveting past instill envy in those living in its present, those that were there when the stories were written are often eager to reminisce. “They would close the streets down for Halloween,” Robyn said, referring to SIU’s renowned reputation as one of America’s top party schools during the 1970s and ‘80s. “There was also a time when there was streaking — we had like 70 naked people waiting in line sometimes.” Carbondale’s legacy lives within its free-spirited nature, and the people and businesses of the early ‘70s — like Booby’s — played a massive role in molding its radical reputation. When an establishment develops that kind of mythos, especially in a town full of divinity, rumors about its heritage quickly spread. For Traverso, dispelling misinformation is no new concept, so when he was finally able to learn how exactly Booby’s got its name, he couldn’t wait to share the story. “Its a lot more simple than all the folklore,” Traverso said. “Here’s how it works: The guy named Bobby (Feld) who opened it — they called him Booby. He was Jewish, it was nicknamed from like, Boobela, a Yiddish term. And that’s that.” So no, it wasn’t because someone wrote the name down wrong, or because his nephew couldn’t pronounce Bobby or because boobs could be seen on the Strip during Halloween. Booby’s became Booby’s because Booby’s was Bob and Booby’s remains Booby’s because Booby’s is Carbondale. “I got really lucky with how the stars aligned,” Traverso said. “It was an iconic Carbondale establishment, and once it got going again and gaining

Bruce Levine and Robyn Duenow pose with old photos June 8, 2026 at Booby’s Bar and Sandwiches in Carbondale, Illinois. The two stopped by with a group of friends who had worked together when the business originally opened in the early ’70s to reminisce and check out the changes that have taken place over time. Jackson Brandhorst | @jacksondothtml momentum, all I had to do was and they continue to be Open Monday through keep fanning the flames.” pillars of Traverso’s mantra Wednesday from 11 a.m. to Traverso credits nearly all going forward. 9 p.m. and Thursday through of the business’ success to the “I encourage all of my people Saturday from 11 to 2 a.m., Carbondale community and here to just do what they’re best Booby’s serves submarine the team that surrounds him. at,” Traverso said. “I don’t get in sandwiches, drinks and a slice of He emphasized that listening to the way of them. If someone has Carbondale history. his staff and ensuring that they a great idea, we do it.” “This city has shown up, have what they need is vital to its Bruce and Robyn described and my expectations have been resurgence on the Strip. Traverso as a kind and exceeded,” Traverso said. “We Bruce, Robyn and another compassionate leader and said keep this place intentionally former employee, Billy Rogers, that they were happy with inclusive. Anyone can come all said that what Traverso has how Booby’s has turned out here. People from all walks of done to the business that they all these years later. life can come feel comfortable helped build is incredibly on par “Abe has done a fabulous job and accepted in this small little with Feld’s original vibe. of not only revitalizing a really place in the middle of town.” “Bob somehow got us good place where people can Booby’s can be found on healthcare while we were come get really good food, but Instagram and Facebook @ working here,” Rogers by also paying respect to the boobys_carbondale and online said. “That was unheard of history of it,” Bruce said. at boobyscarbondale.com. in the ‘70s.” “I love the changes as Fostering friendships — well,” Robyn added. “I love News Reporter Jackson not just managing employees that there’s music here now. Brandhorst can be reached at — and building community And the quality of the food is jbrandhorst@dailyegyptian. were foundational to the superior to what we had. It’s all com and on Instagram original Booby’s concept, very, very impressive.” @jacksondothtml

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Page 12 | Puzzles

Weekly PUZZLE PAGE

"Best sellers" by Myles Mellor 1

Across

1. Blue 4. Accomplished 7. Leisurely walk 12. Supporting 13. ___ fixe (obsession) 15. Snowy night description 16. Personals, perhaps 17. 'N___ band 18. Pay no heed to 19. Last words in the title of a tome about a young magician 22. M.I.T. grad, abbr. 23. Fraction of thrice 24. Spire 28. Bridge term, 2 words 33. Thriller/horror film based on deadly sins 35. Apartment 36. It features vampires and werewolves, 3 words 42. Barrier 43. Lab checker 44. Off base, perhaps- 2 words 48. Representative 52. Cosmonaut, Dennis 54. "Me neither", 2 words 55. It's about a girl who disappears, 4 words 61. Tastelessly affected, 2 words 62. "Joy of Cooking" author Rombauer 63. Hard throw, in baseball 64. Demagogue 65. Vichyssoise ingredient 66. Versatile truck, informally 67. Aired again 68. Vane direction 69. Quart divs., abbr.

Down

1. Dark suit 2. Eager 3. A spoonful of medicine, e.g.

7 14

15 18

Answers on page 5

33 36

*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.

35 39

52 55

66 68

4. Good-looker 5. Pastoral poem 6. Declare untrue 7. Winnie-the-Pooh's best friend 8. Year in Caesar's reign 9. Pack away 10. Goofs up 11. "___ como va, mi ritmo" Santana 14. Sound in a cave 15. Roger follower 20. Railroad support 21. Raggedy___ doll 25. Long bench with a back 26. CXII halved 27. Electric fish 29. ____ yards, in the NFL 30. Spanish article 31. Cold war jet 32. Harper Valley ___ 34. Nothing 36. Duet necessity

54 58

37. A dynasty in China 38. Pipe joint 39. Receive 40. Horse food 41. Little food measuring tool, abbr. 45. When a memorable movie gunfight occurs, 2 words 46. Sun protection 47. Biblical suffix 49. Enclose, 2 words 50. Desert Storm reporter 51. Feudal subjects 53. Coup d'___ (quick glance) 55. Went like the dickens 56. Icy coating 57. Singer James 58. St. Paul's architect 59. "Absolutely!" 60. Drink with sushi 61. Craggy peak

Dena Rendleman | @dena.rendleman

2026 Saluki Football Schedule 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

James Jamason | @XTOMIC_COMIC

WEekly Event Calendar

August

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

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