The Daily Egyptian - Feb. 11, 2026

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SNEAK PEEK: LOVE AT THE GLOVE | Page 8

2 SIU alumni met in physics class. 47 years later, they had chemistry

LYLEE GIBBS

lgibbs@dailyegyptian.com

SIU alumni Charlie McCann and Marcia Allen met in Browne Auditorium, a large lecture hall in the center of the SIU campus, on their first day of physics class in 1965. It took them 47 years to learn they had undeniable chemistry.

The school year began mid-September in 1965, and on the second day of classes, McCann and Allen, both 18 at the time, walked into their physics class in Browne Auditorium in Parkinson Laboratory. Out of 250 people in the auditorium, the two were seated next to each other, and by the end of that first class, Allen introduced herself.

Need Valentine’s Day plans? Five local businesses can help you celebrate

CARLY GIST cgist@dailyegyptian.com

Flowers and movies and treats, oh my! In case you haven’t strolled through the seasonal aisle at a supermarket lately, love is in the air … and so is a ticking time bomb. Valentine’s Day is just three days away, but don’t be alarmed — in Carbondale, there’s places that can help. Whether you’re on the hunt for a gift for that special someone, searching for last-minute activities with your friends or planning a self-care night, here are five small ways to celebrate while supporting five small businesses.

After their hour-and-a-half-long lectures each week, they would stick around and talk with each other. Allen finished the course with an A, and she said she remembers many red marks across McCann’s graded papers. The pair didn’t see each other too often after the semester ended, being in

Buy flowers at Quick Magic Gardens In ancient times, way before Joe bought Kathleen daises in “You’ve Got Mail,” roses were associated with Aphrodite and Venus, the Greek and Roman goddesses of love and beauty. Today, Valentine’s Day is the largest holiday for florists, like Mary Keller and Jessica Shippel at Quick Magic Gardens, a shop located in the Grand Avenue mall on the southeast side of Carbondale.

“They keep coming,” Shippel, who serves as Keller’s assistant florist, said of holiday orders. “They’re not stopping and they seem to be, rather

MARIAH FLETCHER

Sometime in 2017 in a classroom at Galatia Junior High — after third period art class and before square pizza paired with milk for lunch — yours truly was 13 and watching a teacher put a condom on a banana. Suddenly, everyone forgot how to make eye contact and classmates giggled in the back about anatomy vocabulary. I remember being confused as to why as a woman, I needed to learn how to put on a condom. I am sure there are situations where that could be helpful, but it seemed like a straightforward concept. I also remember wondering why I learned so much about anatomy that was not

HISTORY IN HARRISBURG | Page 8

RISKS OF CHATBOT RELATIONSHIPS | Page 11

Grand Tower plant’s future

Data center weighed as development option

The Grand Tower Energy Center — a southern Illinois power plant that shut down nearly five years ago — sits vacant on land that is 10 feet below the Mississippi River floodplain, making it susceptible to flood damage. The site’s low elevation creates hurdles for any potential development projects in the future — like a data center, which the site’s owner says is likely to replace the shuttered power plant.

The Jackson/Union County Port Authority Board met on Feb. 2 and discussed the evolution of the Grand Tower power plant in a call with a representative from the company that owns the energy center. The board did not yet take any formal action, but discussed the possibility of a data center coming to Grand Tower.

The Grand Tower power plant originally was coal-fired, and later switched to natural gas. In February of 2021, the energy

my own. I feel as if we spent most of our time in sex ed talking about the male anatomy, like female anatomy was too awkward, too complicated or too taboo to speak about. When women’s bodies were mentioned, we did the basics. We were told that we would have our periods — which would mean we could get pregnant, that our breasts would grow — which means we have to check for breast cancer, and that we should never touch alcohol, drugs or attend parties because that means we would be easier to sexually assault. Also: we should never have sex.

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Daily Egyptian alum Jack Piatt nominated for Oscar award

WILL ELLIOTT welliott@dailyegyptian.com

Southern Illinois University alum Jack Piatt was nominated for an Academy Award for best live action short film with the film “The Singers,” which he produced.

“The Singers” is a genre-bending short film adaptation of a 19th -century short story written by Ivan Turgenev. In the story, a lowly pub full of downtrodden men connect unexpectedly through an impromptu sing-off.

Piatt returned to his old stomping grounds of SIU virtually on zoom Feb. 2 with his friend and Movie Camera Movement founding member, Austin Thomas Wood. Piatt said he feels like it’s a responsibility to give back to his alma mater.

“If you are a good Saluki, no matter what your program, if you have done something that someone finds meaningful, you come back,” Piatt said. In order to be nominated for an Oscar, a film must go through a lengthy selection process from the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Before the members vote on which films are selected, the movie would have to have checked one of two boxes: it was released publicly in movie theaters, or it was the winner of its category at an Oscar-qualifying film festival like Sundance.

“I think we had like 55 film festivals and we won, maybe 46,” Piatt said in an interview with the Daily Egyptian.

“The Singers” originally premiered at festivals, which blocked it from being released to the public. It is now set to be released Feb. 13 on Netflix.

After a movie qualifies for the award, the academy votes and whittles down the short list to the top 15 movies.

“I think that’s the hardest thing to do really,” Piatt said. “There’s so many films that they comb through.”

After the academy votes on the top 15 films, they narrow the list down again

to the top five films, which are then nominated for The Oscar.

“We were blown away that we got nominated,” Piatt said.

Long before the nomination, Piatt was a sergeant in the 82nd Airborne. After the military, he attended SIU from 2000 to 2004, graduating with a degree in Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications. He worked for the Daily Egyptian as a sports reporter, an editorial, and as an entertainment editor for The Pulse before leaving to work at the Denver Post.

“I did everything at (the Daily Egyptian),” Piatt said. “I would write, sell ads and deliver the papers at night.”

When Piatt first moved to Los Angeles in late 2005, he did everything he could to pay rent.

“I cleaned lawns, I sold furniture, I acted, I worked security at events, I worked in about every position you can on a film set including some stunt work,” said Piatt

The jobs Piatt landed got bigger and bigger, with the connections growing as well. He ended up running a Hollywood nightclub called Cinespace because he needed a night job to take acting gigs.

Piatt worked his way up from a security guard to a general manager.

“I was still working in film but obviously less because I was more focused on running (Cinespace),” said Piatt. “(Cinespace) had a lot of live music and really big acts from Lady Gaga to Daft Punk to Kanye (West).”

When Piatt came back from grad school at SIU, he met up with someone he had met and worked with at the nightclub and built a music company called Jamcard, which is nicknamed the “LinkedIn of musicians.”

“I helped him build that, and I still -own part of the company,” Piatt said. “I built a film lane for (Jamcard), and we did a lot of content.”

The film lane of Jamcard produced a documentary called “Trap Jazz,” which

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some of the crew would later find work on “The Singers.” The idea for “The Singers” came after the director of the film, Sam Davis, read “A Sportsman Sketches,” which featured an impromptu sing-off.

“Short films are really hard to get funded,” Piatt said.

Piatt went to Warner Music Entertainment, which was the film and TV arm of Warner Music Group. He sat down with the president and negotiated funding for the film.

“The Singer” was shot on 35 mm film in a little bar in Lavabra, California in 100 degree weather. During filming, an issue arose with two of the cast members dropping out last minute.

“One of our main cast members, Woody, could not make it due to medical issues,” Piatt said. “So we have three days before we start shooting and Sam is just completely devastated because he really built (the film) around Mike and Woody.”

Piatt went on the hunt trying to find replacements for the main characters. He reached out and found a replacement for one character quickly, but spent hours going through his vast connections to find Will Harrington.

Once Piatt got in contact with Harrington, he broke the news.

“He’s like ‘oh man, I’m sorry. I’m working right now and in this boat’ and I was just like, ‘this is a huge opportunity,’” Piatt said. “‘We’ll pay you,’ and he was like, ‘OK.’”

Piatt is one of two 2026 Oscarnommines that graduated from SIU. The other nominee, Hilla Medalia, who got both her bachelor’s degree and masters degree from SIU, was nominated in the Documentary Short Film for “Children No More.”

Staff Reporter Will Elliott can be reached at welliott@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @cameramanwill06.

so a cozy blanket is his love-language. Magic can be a little shy with loud noises (shoe clomps = “no thanks”), and he may tuck into a closet for daytime naps, but patience and gentle routines help him blossom. Magic is an affectionate cuddle bug who will seek you out for attention (especially overnight!). Although he is not wildly food-motivated, he will locate a bag of kibble if left out—seal it up! Just like his bonded brother, he is a calm, polite housemate: no counter surfing, no glass-knocking, no cable chewing, no attitude.

SIU honors alumnus Melvin Terrell with library collection, atrium

TREVOR JOHN tjohn@dailyegyptian.com

On Feb. 7, SIU established the Melvin C. Terrell Special Collection and renamed the Faner Hall central atrium in his honor. Terrell graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1978 with a Ph.D in Higher Education Administration and Black Studies and a passion for student development.

According to Jamal Watson, guest speaker and faculty colleague, and Walter Ray, political papers archivist, the purpose was to ensure future generations will know his name and learn from his commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and leadership.

Terrell, vice president emeritus of Northeastern Illinois University, said the recognition was meaningful, nearly 50 years after he completed his degree.

“This is the place where I got my Ph.D. when I was 28 years old,” Terrell said. “It is a dream come true. I feel very humbled and excited.”

The collection includes manuscripts, photographs and artifacts documenting Terrell’s career, including his 20year tenure as vice president for student affairs at Northeastern Illinois University. Terrell is one of the first African American administrators to hold that position at a predominantly white institution for that length of time.

Ray, who curated the exhibit,

said the dedication aligns with the university’s initiative, started in 2017, to document African American contributions to southern Illinois.

Ray emphasized that the collection serves a purpose beyond academic research.

“The message to minorities is one of leadership and inspiration,” Ray said.

Terrell said he hopes students who visit the collection in future decades will learn specific values.

“Mentoring, togetherness and diplomacy,” Terrell said. “I want them to see the importance of education and how it can influence one’s life.”

A quote displayed in the exhibit, which encapsulates Terrell’s philosophy, reads: “It is my hope that when this chapter of my life is written, the most salient passages will be those that speak of my legacy of leadership... Of all the roles that I have played, the role of mentoring has been my most important.”

Terrell said during his remarks that leadership requires creating conditions for others to succeed.

“Leadership is not about visibility. It is about responsibility,” Terrell said. “It’s about creating the conditions in which others can grow.”

Family and friends in attendance painted a different picture of Terrell.

Cassandra Taylor Bridges, Terrell’s niece, said her uncle maintains high standards for family members, including daily check-ins.

family and friends at the Hall of Presidents in

7, 2026 in Carbondale, Illinois. Terrell was honored with the debut of his intellectual collection.

Jake Haines |

@jhainesphoto

“What did you eat?” and “Did you exercise?” Bridges said her uncle often asks.

Lemuel Watson served as master of ceremonies. Watson, a longtime colleague, called him “The Chief” and described Terrell’s influence as authentic intelligence — a wisdom that creates space for others to grow.

“He is that wise counsel,” Watson

said during the program. “Dr. Terrell’s life is a framework... a model.”

Terrell addressed the current debate over DEI programs in higher education during his closing remarks.

“DEI programs are relevant and important in our society,” Terrell said.

“We may have differences, but we are all human beings, and we want to look for the betterment of our society.”

Terrell said his mentor at SIUC, Donald J. Tolle, influenced his career in student affairs, leading him to where he is now. The dedication is one among several significant Black History Month events in Carbondale. The Faner Hall Atrium is a central location on campus.

Staff Reporter Trevor John can be reached @tjohn@dailyegyptian.com

Former Saluki Mike Glenn reflects on life beyond basketball at Voices of Impact event

Glenn said. “That’s how I learned why education was important.”

Before the Voices of Impact luncheon, a celebration honoring changemaker Black alumni of SIU, attendees gathered in small clusters around the room, exchanging quiet conversation and greetings. As each honoree was called to the stage, the crowd rose together, applause filling the space and lingering long after the speeches ended.

When Michael Glenn was announced, the audience stood again.

Glenn, a former Southern Illinois University men’s basketball standout and NBA player, paused as he reached the microphone and scanned the room.

“This whole weekend is like Christmas,” Glenn said.

Rather than opening with his basketball career, Glenn began by talking about his mother, the person he said shaped his understanding of education and purpose long before he ever stepped onto a court.

“My mom was my inspiration in life,” he said.

Glenn said his mother encouraged her children to read books about people she found inspiring. One of those figures was Frederick Douglass, a formerly enslaved man who became a leading abolitionist, author and advocate for education in the 19th century.

She often shared the story of Douglass teaching himself to read and what that knowledge represented, Glenn said.

“Once he learns how to read, he won’t be fit to be a slave anymore,”

That lesson followed Glenn to SIU, where he arrived in the 1960s as a firstgeneration college student from Georgia and a member of the Salukis men’s basketball team. Glenn went on to become one of the program’s standout players before later playing professionally in the NBA.

Returning to campus decades later, Glenn reflected on the sense of belonging he found during his time at SIU.

“It was the best time of my life,” Glenn said.

Glenn described attending SIU during a period when Black students leaned heavily on one another for support. At the time, there were not many Black faculty members on campus, he said.

“We had very little Black faculty here at that time,” he said. “All we had was each other.”

Those relationships helped shape Glenn’s understanding of success beyond athletics. Seeing others who came from SIU and went on to succeed showed him that achievement did not begin or end on the court.

“Being at SIU, I saw many examples of people who were successful,” Glenn said.

“I knew a lot of people who came from SIU and went on to do great things.”

Glenn also spoke about his connection to the deaf community, which began in childhood. His father coached at the Georgia School for the Deaf, and many

of the students there were Glenn’s friends.

“When I talked about going to basketball camps, they told me they’d never had that experience,” Glenn said. “I wanted to do it for them.”

That inspiration led Glenn to found the nation’s first basketball camp for deaf athletes. The camp remained open for 44 years.

Working with deaf athletes taught him lessons basketball alone never could, Glenn said.

“It didn’t matter to them whether I was playing or not,” he said. “What mattered was that I was there and that I cared enough to do this for them. That camp stayed open for 44 years, and that means as much to me as anything I did on the court.”

After college, Glenn went on to play professionally in the NBA, but he said his basketball career and his service work were never separate paths.

“I don’t think you can have one without the other,” he said. “Basketball gave me a platform, but working with the deaf community was really special to me. That work gave my career a deeper meaning.”

As he spoke, Glenn paused briefly and glanced toward the sign language interpreter beside the stage before continuing.

Being honored at SIU brought back a sense of pride, he said, as he reflected on both his athletic career and the work he accomplished beyond it.

“I’m proud of the times I had here and what I made of myself,” Glenn said. “This is really inspirational to me.”

As his remarks came to a close, Glenn returned to the place that shaped him.

“So I want you all to know Salukis were very important to me and will always be very important,” he said.

Looking ahead, Glenn said he hopes students see their time at SIU as the beginning of something much

bigger than they can imagine.

“I hope students understand that coming to SIU is like planting a seed, and that seed can grow in ways you could never imagine,” he said. “I never thought my number would be retired. I want students to give life their best shot and believe in themselves, no matter what.”

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

center ceased operations. While the decommissioned plant sat vacant, Perdomo Worldwide purchased the property from its former owner, Rockland Capital, which acquired the plant from Ameren in 2014.

Perdomo is actively demolishing structures and cleaning up the site for future redevelopment by another company. Demolition and cleanup are currently underway, but board members estimate the site won’t be ready for future development for one or two years.

Perdomo is a New Yorkbased company that manages several other companies in the demolition, construction and real estate industries. In a June 2025 press release from Perdomo, a spokesperson said “what was once a liability for prior ownership is now a strategic asset on its way to powering data centers, manufacturing, and logistics — all with barge access to the Mississippi River.”

The Port Authority in its Feb. 2 meeting talked about the power plant’s future with Perdomo’s president of industrial development and grant writer, Bob Henderson. The Port Authority’s main role as a governing body is to regulate and develop the Jackson and Union county port on the Mississippi River. The Port Authority can also issue construction permits to the area. While Henderson and the board discussed tax revenue and job opportunities resulting from a data center, they also weighed potential costs to the environment.

The board considered the potential job opportunities a data center could bring to the region. Board members suggested local unions could be contracted for some construction, but that would be the bulk of employment. Once data centers are fully functioning, they typically employ a much smaller number of people specializing in engineering.

Data centers are not a new phenomenon, but the amount of data centers began to surge in 2021 as the rise of artificial intelligence technology has become more prevalent. AI requires an enormous amount of processing power and the increase in data needs a place to call home. Data centers are essentially an offsite supercomputer that stores and processes information. Before data centers existed, data traveled between homes and businesses until cloud computing became cheaper for companies. Cloud computing is the storing of information throughout offsite third-party locations to deliver and facilitate daily internet services.

They also have a thirst for water, which keeps them at a steady

temperature when heat is given off from processing. A medium-sized data center can consume as much as 100 million gallons of water per year, while a large hyperscale data center may guzzle up anywhere from 1 million to 5 million gallons of water per day. According to an article published by Florida Water and Pollution Control Operations Center, that’s as much water as a town of 30,000 to 50,000 would consume in a day. Grand Tower has a population of 551. It’s too early to know how big a potential data center

cooling methods, as much as 70% to 80% of water can be lost due to evaporation. With closed loop systems, the same water is recycled and used repeatedly while running through coolers.

As kinks are still being worked out and demolition of existing structures is underway, Henderson made clear the plant would be able to support further power generation or a data center. Although Henderson said they’re not fully ruling out options of power generation, the general consensus from feedback they’ve

“You always have people that tell you that this is coming to town, this is coming to town, and you know in my position you listen to it, but 99% of the time it never happens, but this one is for real, this one is going to happen.”

- Kent Pitts Port Authority Board Chairman

in Grand Tower could be.

When Port Authority Board Chairman Kent Pitts asked in the meeting what the downsides are of having a data center in the community, Henderson responded claiming he doesn’t see any for the people of Grand Tower.

Although Perdomo is not a data center company, their role is to clean and prepare the site for another company to place future development in its place. Henderson said water usage would not be an issue as it could be pulled from the Mississippi River and utilized to cool a potential future data center. But board members were skeptical of the feasibility of pulling water from the river and several members said they are still learning what environmental issues are associated with centers.

Potable water, treated or recycled water, fresh water and ground water can all be supplied for cooling data centers. If the Mississippi River will supply water, that water will need filtering, which board members said will most likely require some type of water treatment plant alongside a data center. Water quality can ultimately affect the equipment used for cooling, which must be tested by engineers for appropriate levels of pH, hardness, alkalinity, chlorides and silicons to name a few, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Henderson said while a lot of the newer facilities recycle water with closed loop systems, they can come with a trade-off. In traditional

Regardless, both Henderson and Remo said a study would be needed in order to assess current flood risk levels and the quality of the levee system.

“Nonetheless, if they fill in the floodplain or increase a levee, they’re going to have to do an engineering study, make sure that they don’t raise the flood levels anywhere else, which ties back to the flood regulations that stem from the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Remo said.

The location of the Grand Tower plant has its advantages to housing a data center because of its preexisting connection to the natural gas pipeline, Henderson said. He said they are “looking into behind-themeter generation” instead of feeding into the entirety of the city’s power supply. Since Perdomo is not a data center company, he couldn’t give exact numbers about how much power would be needed to keep a data center running, but he said they typically need “anywhere from 50 to 300 megawatts of power or more depending on the size and scale.”

received from companies is leaning toward the installation of a data center.

Jonathan Remo is an SIU professor in geography and environmental resources and the director of the Environmental Resources Policy Program. He studies large rivers, specifically the Mississippi River, focusing on flood risk and levees near farmland.

“So, the parcel of land in which the power plant currently resides is within what is known as a special flood hazard area,” Remo said. “Special flood hazard area is a term that FEMA uses for what they call the regulatory floodplain, which means they’ve done engineering studies to determine that the risk of flooding is greater than 1% chance.”

Remo said he believes the developers at the Grand Tower power plant have other options in addition to raising the ground level to avoid flood risk since it’s costly to move a substantial amount of land to any given area.

“You have to move a lot of dirt and soil — and that’s very expensive — but doable. There’s a big mound that’s called fountain bluff there that they could potentially mine some material off to fill the floodplain,” Remo said.

He mentioned developers could reconfigure the levee system by raising it to protect against the 1% annual flood risk, build a false floor holding a data center on a platform to avoid the flood risk or build a data center on higher ground in a different location.

material byproduct of burning coal, sits in ponds at the plant. According to the EPA, fly ash primarily contains silica, aluminum and iron but may also contain hazardous contaminants like cadmium and arsenic. When encapsulated, fly ash is used in concrete and grout products.

Henderson said any excess power could be sold back to the grid. He additionally mentioned they could tap into Ameren’s new substation that’s currently being relocated if additional power is needed. The Grand Tower Crossing Project includes the construction of 4 miles of transmission lines hooking up to an existing substation in Perry County, Missouri. According to Henderson, the new substation will be across Power Plant Road, which runs alongside the plant.

Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, is the grid operator for this region. MISO is responsible for managing movement of electricity across 15 states and in Manitoba, Canada. If a data center is built and tapped into the grid, it could affect Grand Tower’s energy prices. According to Pew Research Center, data centers accounted for 4% of the total U.S. electricity usage in 2024. The Research Center estimates that number will climb by 133% by 2030.

Henderson said Perdomo estimates it will cost the company more than $20 million to demolish existing structures, clean up the site and improve the site’s natural gas technology. With the assistance of the Port Authority’s grant sponsorship, Perdomo is actively applying for funds to support demolition and cleanup. The Capital Ready grant, which is awarded from the Illinois Department of Commerce, would cover fly ash cleanup, upgrading utilities, road improvements and would cover the cost of raising the ground level.

Because the plant was originally coal fired, fly ash, the powdery

In a follow-up interview, Port Authority Chairman Kent Pitts told the Daily Egyptian that disposal of fly ash into ponds due to burning coal at the Grand Tower power plant created environmental issues. Fly ash ponds without a liner can leak into the ground water contaminating local communities drinking water. This can ultimately cause cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law organization founded in 1972, collected data from 292 plants in the U.S who reported groundwater data from fly ash storage. Among those, 91% of those plants contaminate ground water exceeding federal safe regulations. The potential contamination levels from the plant’s coal combustion residuals were not available, but Grand Tower was one of several unlined fly ash ponds in Illinois, according to the 2022 data.

“These guys have really done their homework,” Pitts said of Perdomo Worldwide. “They know what they’re doing and what it’s going to take.” Pitts said he expected some opposition to a potential data center.

“We’ll get a little opposition on that, I’m for sure, but then again, that’s a big tax revenue for the high school down here. Reevaluate the property tax and all that, and it’s going to help the community out. It’s jobs which will pour more money into the community or what’s left down there,” Pitts said.

A March 2025 news release from Jackson County Treasurer Liz Stevenson stated nine taxing districts would have to refund $6.5 million within eight years to the power plant owner due to overcharging the property taxes.

“Early estimates suggest property owners in these areas could see tax increases of 60% to 100% in 2025 and 2026, before returning to more typical levels in 2027,” Stevenson said.

Grand Tower Township was among the taxing districts seeing the largest spike in taxes of 60% to 100%.

“Our goal is to get a clean site that is ready to build on and bring the tax revenue and jobs back to the community,” Henderson said.

“You always have people that tell you that this is coming to town, this is coming to town, and you know in my position you listen to it, but 99% of the time it never happens, but this one is for real, this one is going to happen,” Pitts said.

Staff Reporter Kristin Borchers can be reached at kborchers@dailyegyptian.com

different majors and eventually going their separate ways.

After graduation, Allen married her high school sweetheart, David, who was in the Navy while she attended school. McCann eventually married and had kids with his wife, Jackie.

As years passed, McCann and Allen didn’t see each other but they stuck in one another’s memories. In fact, they both said they were the only people they remembered from college. Years later, McCann was working at Campus Lake as a graduate assistant at the boat dock when they stumbled upon each other one day.

“I saw Marcie walking alone, pushing a baby bug,” McCann said. “I said, ‘Marcie!’ so we immediately knew each other and talked. She introduced me to her daughter.”

They both lived in

Murphysboro, where they were born and raised, and eventually began attending the same church. They’d say hello during Sunday services and McCann’s wife would occasionally see Allen while shopping for makeup.

Allen became a teacher at Murphysboro while McCann taught at Anna-Jonesboro.

In May of 2011, McCann’s wife of 40 years died of cancer. Four months later, Allen’s husband of 43 years who had also battled cancer died unexpectedly.

Allen and McCann rekindled their friendship through their grief. They both attended the funerals for the other’s spouse and said they offered support to each other as they learned their new normal.

Eventually, they said, they talked on the phone at least twice a week.

“We talked on the phone and in the middle of that, he says, ‘Well, you know, I was going to ask you out in that physics class but you

told me you had a boyfriend in the Navy,’” Allen said. “I said ‘Well yes, that was my David, he was my high school sweetheart”.

McCann shortly after asked Allen to come by his house for a glass of wine, but it was too soon for Allen, who said she believed she needed to wait a year after her husband’s death. Allen later told her daughter of the conversation, and her daughter told her to go for it.

“He said, ‘You could come to my house, I live in the country. If I came to your house, your neighbors would talk,’” Allen said.

Allen called SIU to figure out the exact date classes began in 1965, and on May 12, 2012, she sent McCann a text.

The text to McCann read that Allen had found a time machine that would teleport them back to Sept. 23, 1965, to Browne Auditorium, and though there wouldn’t be 250 people present in the classroom,

maybe one would be there.

She grabbed her 1965 yearbook and a bottle of water and drove to campus. McCann was out mowing his lawn when the text hit his phone.

“She was giving me one hour to get here, I was outside my house riding on my lawn mower, mowing my lawn,” McCann said. “By that time I was hot and sweaty, and I needed to take a shower. I took a shower, jumped in my car and headed right up, got here within the hour.”

Allen said as she walked around the building she could see him standing in the breezeway that connects the auditorium to Parkinson. He came outside as she approached the steps and hugged her. They sat and talked for two hours.

McCann said he walked Allen back to her car as they left and kissed her goodbye, and they’ve been together ever since.

Now 78, they never married, and

their wedding bands from their late spouses still sit on their ring fingers. They have traveled all over the world together, going as far as Paris and Rome. Allen said they took the train all the way to Oregon and have visited Rhode Island. On McCann’s 65th birthday, Allen made him a collage of photos adorned with a gold plate that read “18 again.”

Every year on Sept. 23 and May 12, McCann and Allen visit Browne Auditorium where they first met at age 18 and later reconnected at 65. “Talk to the people you’re sitting next to in your class, ‘cause you never know in 40 to 50 years, they might be really important to you,” Allen said, sitting next to McCann at the top of Browne Auditorium on Feb. 6 in an interview with the Daily Egyptian.

Senior Editor Lylee Gibbs can be reached at lgibbs@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @lyleegibbsphoto

Abstaining from sex was the only way to not catch a sexually transmitted disease, become pregnant or die in labor. We breezed over birth control, safe sex methods and contraceptives in general — like the only option was to fully abstain from sex — forever.

Mollie Peterson, a classmate who sat in the same unhelpful, awkward sex ed class with me, remembers the same experience. Peterson is a senior at Saint Louis University studying biology and health sciences and is en route to attend Physician’s Assistant school after graduation, because she feels so passionately about educating women on their bodies.

Peterson explained how sex ed didn’t teach her about her own body. She had to take it upon herself to learn about menstrual cycles and hormone fluctuations, something not covered in our sex education course.

“I should have learned that in sex ed,” Peterson said. “Sex ed is so much more than just sex, it’s about teaching teenagers about their bodies so they can better understand themselves and feel comfortable in their own bodies.”

Men operate on a completely different schedule than women do.

This is something Peterson and I had to do our own extensive research about. Women operate on a 28-day hormone cycle, which includes four different phases.

Women experience the follicular phase, where oestrogen and testosterone levels begin to rise. During the luteal phase, after ovulation, progesterone levels rise while oestrogen and testosterone start to dip. Finally, in the premenstrual phase, hormones

decline further, often leading to the emotional and physical symptoms we know as PMS.

Men, however, work on a 24-hour cycle, where testosterone peaks in the morning and falls at night.

These phases affect everything about women’s bodies, including mood, sleep, weight, sex drive and even how our skin and face appear, something that was never covered in our sex ed course.

Women still operate in a 24-hour cycle world. Not that we can’t handle it, because we can. However, if men worked on a 28-day cycle, tampons would probably be free, birth control would be passed out like condoms and they would have invented paid time off for periods.

Not to mention menstrual products are still treated like an optional expense in several places. Period products aren’t even fully safe for women to use, either. Fourteen different brands of menstrual products have toxic materials in them, such as lead, arsenic and cadmium. These materials can cause several health risks such as heart issues and heavy metal poisoning. If everyone had a period once a month, there would probably be a law signed about ingredients inside tampons.

Sex ed is not the only place that did not want to speak about women’s health. Women’s health is often dismissed in the health care field. A 2025 survey from Psychology Today of 900 women aged 25-34 found that 93% reported feeling dismissed when seeking medical help.

Personally, I feel like I could walk into a doctors office with a missing finger and they would ask about my birth control, check my hormones,

then make me take a pregnancy test. For example, I went into the ER with severe nerve pain in my face, and before anyone asked any questions about the pain, I had to take a mandatory pregnancy test. Sure, there are medications you cannot take while pregnant, and I understand the procedure, but I felt like there were more important things to handle at the moment.

“Science and medicine have been controlled by old white men for years and years,” Peterson said. “Women aren’t taken seriously. Our concerns are often overlooked, pushed aside and assumed they are ‘made up’ because there either isn’t a good, easy explanation for what is going on, or because women are seen as emotional, sensitive, or dramatic, so we must be exaggerating our concerns, obviously.”

Women’s health is also woefully under-researched, which may be why we learned so little about our own bodies in sex ed. Before 1993, women were rarely included in clinical trials. That was only 33 years ago. The World Wide Web has been around longer than women have been represented in clinical trials. “Jurassic Park” has been around longer than people taking women’s health seriously.

Peterson said that she also remembers the weird purity culture around sex ed. They taught us abstinence as if we were students in a church youth group instead of a public school classroom.

“A lot of schools bring religion into their classroom and premarital sex is highly frowned upon in Christian culture,” Peterson said. “Also, I think it would piss parents off if their kids learned about sex, including male and

female bodies and how they function, because they shelter their kids or they are also religious.”

According to the World Population Review, most people lose their virginity around the age of 17. So teachers should teach students how to safely have sex, not just putting a condom on a banana, then telling us the condom will break and we will become pregnant and also contract an incurable STD.

“They basically just stressed that the only way to not have anything bad happen to you is to just not have sex at all,” Peterson said. “Personally, I think it’s very messed up that they just taught us to not do it, instead of how to do it smarter and give us the proper resources if they are needed.”

On the brighter and less awkward side of sex education, Kyle Povolish, a health teacher at Carbondale Community High School, wants to actually help students learn about their bodies. Povolish teaches health and sex education to high school students, typically freshmen. Povolish says that Carbondale follows the National Sex Education Standards, which became required in public schools in June of 2022.

Within these new standards, a sex ed class has to cover the following topics: consent and healthy relationships, anatomy and physiology, puberty and adolescent sexual development, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation and identity, sexual health and interpersonal violence.

Povolish explained that her class is co-ed, which means all of the students, regardless of gender identity, stay in the same classroom. There is no separation depending on gender, so

everyone learned the same curriculum. Along with the co-ed environment, Povolish also provides a question box for students to write questions that they feel could be uncomfortable asking out loud. She also has an “open door policy” for all students to come speak with her on a more private basis.

“Personally, I try to focus on things from a medical aspect, kind of like how a doctor would approach a topic,” Povolish said. “This is our biology, even if you are a female and we are diagramming male anatomy, you may have a son one day or a partner of the opposite sex as you.”

Povolish also said she and another health teacher at the school spend a lot of time helping students understand the female cycle, something that was breezed over in my sex ed class.

“We really try to give students as much information as we can, but also respecting our diversity and our students, meeting them where they are… We really try to create a safe environment of respect,” she said.

Sexual education is finally making advances to be more inclusive and educational. In my case and many others, the educational part of sex ed was very negligible. Students should learn about how their bodies work, and not feel ashamed about bodily functions or about sex.

Sex ed was the first time most of us learned that sex wasn’t always super romantic. My peers and I avoided eye contact in my awkward and unhelpful sex ed course, but sex should not be something to be ashamed of.

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The time I got my first pap smear

PEYTON COOK pcook@dailyegyptian.com

When they said not to wait for your first pap smear, they were not kidding. I got my first pap smear at 23, two years later than I should have. A month later, I learned my test result was abnormal.

A pap smear is a test where a doctor,

typically a gynecologist — in some cases a primary doctor — tests cells from the cervix to check for abnormalities.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends people with cervixes have their first pap smear at age 21.

The nurse said when abnormal results happen, it is a sign of the human papillomavirus, also known as HPV, which is the No. 1 cause of cervix cancer. They did a test for this and I do not have it.

Now I’m due for another pap smear in a year, when normally I would have been due in three years.

I’ve been told by many that it can be painful but it depends on the person. From my experience it was not painful, just uncomfortable.

The National Cancer Institute says there are three possible results for a pap smear:

Normal, which indicates no abnormal cells have been found. This is more commonly referred to as a negative test

result.

Unsatisfactory, which indicates that the test was inconclusive and typically results in a follow-up test within the next couple of months.

Abnormal, which indicates that there are abnormal cells mixed with normal cells.

An abnormal test result does not automatically mean that one has cancer or HPV. For example, one could have a yeast infection, which could result in an abnormal test.

Since the nurse called me, I have been keeping track of my health more frequently. When I was about 10 years old, my mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 endometrial stromal sarcoma. Medical News Today describes it as “a rare form of uterine cancer that begins in the connective tissue of the uterus.”

Despite regular checkups, they found her cancer late. It did spread past her uterus, but not past her ovaries.

She is OK now, but had to have her

ovaries removed, which made her go through menopause early. People usually enter menopause in their early 50s. She was in her mid-40s.

I felt nervous telling my mom about the test result. The nurse had called me while I was at the grocery store with my grandpa. I wasn’t too anxious about the result itself, but when I told her later she almost cried.

She freaked out and told me to call the doctor right away and reschedule my appointment in the next few weeks.

Penn Medicine did a study to determine whether uterine cancer can be genetic. They found that while the cancer cannot be inherited, genetic changes can be passed down and increase the risk of cancer.

My grandmother on my mom’s side had breast cancer twice. Cancer runs in my family, so I think often about my own risk.

The earlier they find anything, the better the odds that one survives, which is why it is so

important to get a pap smear as soon as one can, especially if you have factors that put you at higher risk.

I called the nurse back the next day and asked about the results. I wanted to confirm and make sure they were abnormal, which she confirmed they were.

She said that it was nothing to be worried about for now. I would get a follow-up test in a year and create a plan from there. I could possibly get a few more exams like a biopsy but that will be more in the future.

My sister is six years older than I am and has been getting them for many years and has had no problems so far. Maybe I don’t have to worry as much as I am, but I won’t know for sure until my next scheduled pap smear.

Digital Editor Peyton Cook can be reached at pcook@dailyegyptian.com, or on Instagram at @cookmeavisual.

The situation: Sex, Drugs, Etc.

Sex! Ah! How scary. The word itself sounds salacious as it slips off your tongue and all of a sudden you’re sweating reading the Daily Egyptian. Sex today seems more stigmatized than ever before. It’s everything, everywhere, all of the time — especially online. Your Instagram feed is full of therapy speech about attachment styles, theories on why they won’t text you back and sh-tposts about situationships.

Gen Z has been pummeled by boobs and brainrot since we were 12, and the online platforms we cannot leave are fully aware of that, and have been capitalizing on it for ages.

It is the words, labels and definitions that reside in the liminal space that we call social media that lead to trends, taboos and sexual stigmas that have created a generation that’s deathly afraid of connection despite being more connected than ever before.

Love language

The concept of a “love language” is so ridiculous. The term was coined in a pseudoscience book that some guy wrote because his wife stopped having sex with him. To think that there are only seven ways to express your

love for someone is absurd, so do not entertain that man who tells you his love language is “physical touch.”

It’s incredibly ironic that a generation obsessed with fluidity, spectrums and the eradication of labels somewhat subscribed to the idea of love languages in the first place. To us, love language can mean many things. Like the way you speak when you’re in love, or how apt you are at convincing people to go home with you, i.e., rizz Or, as I would prefer, love language refers to how we describe the sex lives of 20-somethings. In a world of nonchalance, avoidance and people afraid of commitment, confinement and intimacy, we’ve gotten pretty creative in evolving our sexual vocabularies.

Enter: the situationship. An intimate and/or sexual relationship where two people aren’t single — but aren’t dating each other. Both people are committed and have real emotions for each other, but it’s not official and there’s no label.

A situationship is not to be confused with a sneaky link.

If you plan on playing the role of boyfriend — no matter what she calls you — your body isn’t going to be on board with that. If you are having sex, consistently communicating, going on dates and spending ample amounts of time together, then your body is to believe that that it is your wife — not your situationship.

But maybe some of you have sex, dap each other up and don’t speak until the next booty call. Maybe you can genuinely keep it as “just sex,” but I highly, highly doubt it.

If you start to miss them, want to see them outside of the bedroom and start envisioning what the color of your children’s eyes will be — then you’re cooked.

Because situationships are inherently ambiguous and toxic, you rarely admit the feelings while they’re

happening. You realize it later, scrolling on Instagram while reliving the forehead kiss of doom: a tell-tale sign that a broken heart is on the horizon.

While I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy, there are plenty of things to be learned while torturing yourself with a situationship. Many, like those who can’t break free from the talking stage or that find themselves getting ghosted all the time, are never afforded the opportunity of a broken heart.

Human connection, under whatever label you’d like, is a privilege no matter what. The heart is a muscular organ, and as gym bros would have us believe, a muscle must tear before it can grow back stronger.

Drugs, toxins and chemicals

Taking that leap into love feels like deciding whether or not to do a drug.

There is a reason why it is so common for artists to compare love and sex to drugs and euphoria. It is scientific. It is chemical. Sex is — when at its best — addictive. Just as there are different levels of potency to the drugs you use, there are different levels of love, too.

Oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin are the chemicals that drive intimate connection, and although it’s a difficult pill to swallow, sex, love and relationships have more chemistry when they are toxic.

Sex is more fun when it’s risky. The feeling that you aren’t supposed to be doing something only makes you want to do it more. It’s more intense when it’s rough. It’s more rewarding after you argue and it feels better when you kind of hate them.

This, although not the sole reason, is partly why people cheat, and why once they cheat, they are more likely to do it again. Because deviancy, especially when erotic, is addictive — like a drug.

The pop-culture trope that “bad guys” or “bad girls” fare better at getting laid is not nonsense. That is

very much a real thing, and it’s exactly why nonchalance has actually worked for decades. Although our brains seek stability in most aspects of our lives, the chemicals and hormones that make us horny invite ambiguity and toxicity.

Does he like you? Well, he won’t really say. However, he will have sex with you, and that’s really fun, so maybe if you keep doing that, he will!

But he didn’t :( and that’s OK, you never put a label on your relationship. You weren’t even dating and so you didn’t even break up, and so you’re fine!

Wrong.

Science says that it makes sense that it is harder to heal from a sixmonth situationship in comparison to a two-year relationship — your chemical connection was simply stronger.

Why are you so infatuated with your sneaky link? Because it’s sneaky! The more times you link, the stronger your chemical bond grows — no matter how good of an actor you think you are. Why can’t your friend leave their toxic partner? Because they’re addicted to them. Literally.

The bar, the chair, etc.

Given all of that, the bar is incredibly low. Like, so, SO low.

We all have a homegirl that may not necessarily be an angel herself, but she’s surely better than that man she’s with. These days, all a dude has to do is open the door, buy some flowers and be somewhere around 6 feet tall and he’ll sweep any tired, insecure, desperate woman off her feet.

Emotional intelligence? Who cares? Communication? A text back within the hour will suffice. If you put forth the bare minimum, you’re likely to score, and that’s because too many people — mostly women — settle. And it’s understandable — the pickin’s are slim.

With our social feeds being

riddled with nonsensical phrases like “let them,” “if he wanted to he would,” and the “three-month rule,” situationships run rampant, yearning is a lost art and love seems to exist only in fiction.

People are fed up, and so at the first sign of affection, many of them will quickly reduce themselves into being someone’s accessory just because they want to be a girlfriend or just because they’re trying to forget a past fling. In a world full of situationships, many yearn for a label simply to have a label — whether there is chemistry there or not.

And then slowly but surely, the honeymoon phase ends, his affection plateaus and she’s trapped with someone that won’t evolve because it was all too easy in the first place.

This is seriously an epidemic, and there are a ton of things to blame that I personally have no idea how to combat. Maybe people really have to stop sleeping with losers — no matter how good-looking they are. Maybe, just maybe, people (men) could … stop being losers?

Somehow misogyny still seems to be prevalent through things like incel culture and off-brand neo-nazi streamers spewing nonsense about looksmaxxing and body counts.

Newsflash, fellas: baddies have bodies. If you want to play this game at the highest level, you’ve gotta be prepared to play with those that have accolades. Period.

I think the best course of action is that young men be taught to yearn again; that society steer clear of sexual stigma; that we stop doom scrolling to find relationship advice; and that love and connection be fostered into real life.

News Editor Jackson Brandhorst can be reached at jbrandhorst@dailyegpyitan. com or @jacksondothtml on Instagram

SIU sculpture guild to host annual

Love at the Glove gallery show

Critical Forum is hosting the Love at the Glove art exhibition on Friday, Feb 13 in the Glove Factory from 6 to 9 p.m.. Food will be provided at the event as well as live music performed by Stay Here and Katt Holliday. Admission to the event is $5 per person.

Love at the Glove is an annual art show held around Valentine’s Day at the Surplus Gallery, an exhibition space in

the Glove Factory, an off-campus SIU art studio at 438 S Washington St., across from the Carbondale Police Department. The event is hosted by Critical Forum, or C4, a university RSO which describes itself as a “sculpture guild,” consisting of students mainly from SIU art and design programs. Critical Forum also hosts the annual fall Iron Pour, where participants are invited to create scratch block molds to be cast during the event.

Prospective SIU students, staff, or community members may also submit pieces for the event from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Surplus Gallery. C4 is accepting submissions for two- and three-dimensional art, as well as performance and installation art. While Love at the Glove is a celebration of Valentine’s Day and has a history of romantic

Second year graduate student Brenden Deasy, rests his arms across his art piece “Turn on your listening ears and press mine,” Feb. 6, 2026 in one of his studios at the Glove Factory in Carbondale, Illinois. Deasy is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture. This is his second year submitting art to Love at the Glove. Libby Phelps | @libbyphelpsphotography.

Crossword Answers (Puzzles on 12)

and erotic art, submissions are not required to relate to a theme. Participants will be responsible for the installation and deinstallation of their submissions. The cost of submission is $5 , but covers the cost of admission as well.

SIU student Dustin Kinney, a junior studying studio arts, has participated in the exhibition for the last two years.

“The last two years, it’s been very enjoyable,” Kinney said of the annual art exhibition. “It’s just kind of good exposure, at least for local artists, you know, and students in the art department. It’s really a great way of just kind of, like, getting your stuff out there and getting people to see it.”

One participant of this year’s exhibition is second-year graduate Brenden Deasy, pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture. Deasy has submitted a number of sculptures for his second year in a row participating in Love at the Glove.

“It’s just a great way to get like all the community members out here,” Deasy said. “It’s students, faculty, old artists that graduated in the ‘70s and they’re still hanging around and love the local area. It’s so nice to have those conversations and meet the people that have been involved since the beginning.”

Deasy began working with clay during COVID-19 quarantine and has been actively working in sculpture for five years.

“I took ceramics classes in high school and my dad was a painter when I was growing up,” Deasy said. “He went to school for painting and photography. So it was always kind of accessible to be expressing and doing art-related things, and then I think as I kind of got more into it in high school, I was like, ‘this is fun and applicable.’”

Two of Deasy’s installations will be featured next week at the DownEast National Indoor Sculpture Show in Greenville, North Carolina: “Someone will be with you shortly,” a pink, waxy silicon cast of a service bell contained in a plexiglass box, and “Turn on your listening ears and press mine,” a plush elephant on a tall, wire tricycle.

“All of them are constituted under this same body of work of the idea of overconsumption and kind of human involvement in that process,” Deasy said. “And so thinking about the idea of consumption and our overbearing world, well, how can we kind of add a little bit of fun to it, a little bit of comfort. So kind of taking the idea of like stuffed animals and that physical comfort as a child and kind of that innocence of a nonexistent friend, in a way, and kind of reiterating that in an adult world with things that we’re more used to seeing.”

Staff Reporter Morrigan Carey can be reached at mcarey@dailyegyptian.com

Dawgs go 1-1, beat ISU, fall to Murray

ELI HOOVER ehoover@dailyegyptian.com

The Saluki men’s basketball squad started the second half of the Missouri Valley Conference schedule with a road date against the Illinois State Redbirds and a home contest against the Murray State Racers.

SIU 54, Illinois State 50

The Salukis traveled to Normal, Illinois on Tuesday, Feb. 3 to take on the Redbirds in a rematch of the conference opener. The Salukis battled for all 40 minutes and came away with a 54-50 victory over the Redbirds despite being down starting guard Damien Mayo Jr. due to a foot injury. The win brought SIU to 4-8 in MVC play. Both teams traded blows in the early minutes. SIU guard Quel’Ron House scored the first basket in his first start in nearly a month before Illinois State went on a 8-0 run. The Salukis crawled back to make it an 8-6 score after four minutes of play.

As both teams settled in, the offenses ground to a halt. The two teams combined to go 0-11 during one stretch, with neither team making a field goal for three-and-ahalf minutes. SIU was able to hang on to a 14-13 lead with 7:45 remaining in the first half.

Illinois State’s scoreless streak got pushed to four-and-a-half minutes and they suffered an 0-13 shooting stretch to give the Salukis a 19-13 lead with 3:54 left on the clock in the first half.

As the half wound down, the Redbirds finally warmed up while SIU went into a two-and-a-half minute cold snap of their own. A 3-pointer and free throw from Redbird guard Landon Wolf gave Illinois State a 2422 lead at halftime.

Defense continued to reign supreme as both teams got settled in the second half. The two teams combined for a 37% shooting percentage eight minutes into the half, with Illinois State able to hang onto a slim 33-32 lead.

SIU had a quick 4-0 run that was answered immediately by the Redbirds’ 6-0 run, leaving Illinois State ahead 41-39 with 7:55 remaining in the contest.

The Salukis finally found the gas pedal and pushed it to the floor, going on a 7-0 run over five minutes. That gave them a 44-41 advantage with 3:33 left in regulation.

Jalen Haynes converted a 3-point play to extend the Dawgs’ lead to 49-44 with only 1:24 remaining, putting the Redbirds’ backs against the wall.

A Quel’Ron House jumper a possession later put the game on ice for the Salukis. A late charge from the Redbirds was unsuccessful, and SIU won with a final score of 54-50.

SIU was able to secure a victory despite shooting 9% from three, largely due to their defensive effort.

The Salukis held Illinois State to a 31.7% shooting percentage from the floor and a 27.3% 3-point percentage.

Rolyns Aligbe garnered his 4th double-double of the year with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Murray State 91, SIU 81

The Salukis welcomed the Racers to the Banterra Center on Friday, Feb. 6 in the latest installment of what’s become quite a heated rivalry since the Murray State joined the MVC. Despite the biggest home crowd of the season, the Salukis weren’t able to keep up with the Racers in a 91-81 loss. The loss dropped SIU to 4-9 in MVC play.

Both offenses came out swinging in the early going, with both teams shooting over 50% in the first four minutes of play. Despite the Racers normally favoring high-scoring affairs, it was the Salukis who started out with a 9-7 advantage.

Murray State charged back with a 6-0 run, but SIU was able to weather the storm. After the game was tied at 20, the Salukis were able to regain a slim 24-22 advantage with 7:36 left in the first half.

Racers guard Mathis Courbon kept the engine running for the visitors, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to give Murray State the lead. Those were the fifth and sixth 3-pointers of the night for the Racers, giving them a 31-28 advantage with 3:53 left to play in the opening half.

Murray State continued to pour it in from beyond the arc, with guards Javon Jackson and Layne Taylor finding the net from 3-point land. That helped the Racers pull away from SIU to the tune of a 43-34 halftime lead.

During halftime, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tim Leonard led a ceremony to retire the No. 34 jersey number of Saluki Hall of Famer Mike “Stinger” Glenn. Glenn was an integral part of the 1976-1977 Saluki squad that made the Sweet 16, and he scored 1,878 points at SIU, good for fourth-most in school history. Glenn also had a 10-year NBA career, appearing in games for the Buffalo Braves, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks.

The halftime break didn’t slow down Murray State at all, as they made their first four shots from the

Feb. 6, 2026 at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com

floor. That forced Saluki head coach Scott Nagy to call a timeout with 16:39 remaining down 52-37.

SIU started to storm back, down 74-65 with less than six minutes remaining and forcing a Racer timeout. The timeout gave the Racers the break they needed, as they immediately stretched the lead back out to 13 points. That left the score 80-67 in favor of the visitors heading into the final media timeout of the night.

A layup from Prince Aligbe brought the Salukis within single digits yet again, with the score 8475 with 1:40 left in regulation. His brother Rolyns hit his fourth three of the night the next time down to get SIU within 8 points, the closest they

had been all half.

The Salukis weren’t able to get any closer and eventually fell 91-81.

Guard Damien Mayo Jr. attempted to play in the first half after missing Tuesday’s matchup at Illinois State, but only played two minutes before being pulled.

“It caught up to us tonight with Mayo not playing, he’s our most important player,” Nagy said postgame.

See the Daily Egyptian website for coverage of Monday’s matchup at Indiana State. The Salukis return to the Banterra Center Thursday, Feb. 12 against the Evansville Purple Aces.

Sports Reporter Eli Hoover can be found at ehoover@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @hoovermakesart

Dawgs deliver during road trip, beat UIC and Valparaiso

The Salukis concluded a threegame road trip with games against the University of Illinois-Chicago on Feb. 5 and Valparaiso University on Feb. 7.

The Dawgs, who have won two out of their last three games, looked to stack some wins against Missouri Valley Conference opponents. SIU took home victories in each; 55-53 over UIC, and 82-73 over Valparaiso.

SIU 55, UIC 53

The Salukis traveled to the University of Illinois-Chicago on Feb. 5 to face the Flames. SIU took down UIC earlier in the season at home and looked to sweep the season series. After an exciting buzzer-beater, the Dawgs left the Windy City with a 55-53 victory over the conference opponents.

The Flames grabbed the tipoff, but failed to score on the opening possession.

The Salukis found more success in getting on the board as guard Alayna Kraus dropped in two early jumpers. Six Salukis got in on the scoring, and

SIU walked away with a commanding 17-4 lead after one quarter. The resilient Saluki defense was on display, holding the Flames to a meager 4 points, while not getting charged with a single foul.

The second quarter was underway, and the Salukis started missing a few shots while the Flames started knocking a few down. Forward Indya Green came alive and put up 5 points in the quarter, and while not as efficient as the first, the Salukis outscored the Flames 12-10 in the second quarter.

The Flames came out of the half with a new approach, and it paid off immediately. Two 5-plus point runs closed the gap between the two teams. UIC kept scoring and got itself within striking distance late in the quarter. Consecutive layups by guards Karris Allen and Tkiyah Nelson limited the damage, but the Flames outscored the Salukis 16-10 in the quarter, bringing them within 9 points.

The atmosphere was more tense than before as the fourth quarter began. Another couple of 5-plus point spurts from the Flames brought them within

one point, and the previously lopsided contest was up for grabs. A pair of free throws gave UIC its first lead of the night.

After some back-and-forth action, the Flames tied the game with 13 seconds remaining. The Salukis missed the potential game-winner, but the miss was gathered by guard Jeniah Thompson, and she laid it up and in at the buzzer, giving SIU a 55-53 victory. With this victory, the Dawgs had won three out of their last four games.

“Jeniah has been strong on the boards all year. I’m glad she was in position to get that,” head coach Kelly Bond-White said.

SIU 82, Valpo 73

The Salukis looked for continued success as they traveled to Valparaiso University to face the Beacons in a matinee contest on Feb. 7. After a back-and-forth battle with numerous lead changes and ties, SIU concluded the road trip with a victory over the Beacons by a score of 82-73.

Valpo came up with the tipoff, but could not put any points up. Buckets from guard Jeniah Thompson and

forward Indya Green, who would go on to have an impressive game, opened up the scoring for the Salukis.

The Beacons, who were winless coming into the contest, jumped out of the gates quickly and went on a 10-point run to gain an early lead. The Beacons took that lead and ran with it, and upon the conclusion of the first quarter, sat at 17-11.

The second quarter was underway, and the Salukis fired back, regaining the lead on a 9-0 run. Guard Alayna Kraus blossomed in the second quarter, putting up 7 points on tough shots.

Similarly, guards Kayla Cooper and Tkiyah Nelson each contributed 6 points. The strong Saluki backcourt allowed SIU to enter the half with a 3630 lead over the conference opponents.

The Beacons came out of the half and tied the game with an array of shots. Green, already having a solid and efficient game, posted 17 points in the third quarter. Green’s contributions headlined the unstoppable Saluki offense in the third, and they entered the fourth quarter with a 15-point lead.

The final quarter began, but the Beacons were far from out of it. Valpo cut the lead and got within 3 points of the Dawgs late in the game. Four free throws from Kraus with the clock winding down sealed a victory for the Salukis, the fourth out of their last five games. SIU will return to Banterra Center after an 82-73 victory. Green ended the contest with an efficient 29 points and 14 rebounds.

“(Green) is special inside. The midrange is an added bonus that opponents hope she takes because they can’t handle her down low,” Bond-White said. With these wins, the Salukis are 8-13 overall and 5-7 in MVC games. The Beacons are now 0-24 overall and 0-13 in conference matchups. The Salukis return to Banterra Center on Friday, Feb. 13, to face the Redbirds of Illinois State University. This contest will kick off three straight home games for the Dawgs.

Saluki Softball sweeps Kickoff Classic

AARON CARNAHAN

ELI

HOOVER

acarnahan@dailyegyptian.com

ehoover@dailyegyptian.com

The SIU softball team walked into the 2026 season with high expectations after winning the Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship a year ago.

The Salukis traveled to the Eastern Time Zone in Fort Myers, Florida to play in the Florida Gulf Coast Kickoff Classic on Friday, Feb. 6, through Sunday, Feb. 8.

A sluggish 1-12 start to last season serves as motivation to avoid that slow start this year. The Dawgs did just that, completing a Saluki sweep, going 5-0 in the Kickoff Classic.

The Salukis started the season strong with a 5-2 victory against the Charlotte 49ers. The pitching stood tall behind a solid outing from sophomore Emma Gipson, and true freshman Brooklyn Danielson. With this win, Danielson made her collegiate debut and simultaneously won her first career game. The Saluki offense had an impressive day, including two hit days from junior Emily Williams and redshirt sophomore Maleah Blomenkamp.

However, the game did not begin the way the Salukis wanted. A home run for the 49ers off the very first pitch of the game put Charlotte up 1-0. Just two batters later, another solo shot widened the deficit to 2-0 in favor of the 49ers.

“No one has ever won a game in

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than slowing down, they’re getting more and more.”

For the frantic last-minute shoppers, The staff have stocked bouquets in the store’s front cooler. They’re also offering a 20% discount for any customers who visit in person, and $30 bouquets of eight to 10 stems for students at SIU and John A. Logan College.

Year round, Quick Magic Gardens works to spread love with other local businesses. Co-owner Keller said their greeting cards are made by artists at Hawthorne Art, a design firm in Carbondale.

If customers bring a receipt from Quick Magic Gardens to Castle Perilous, a game and comic store, they’ll receive a 15% discount off their purchase. Quick Magic Gardens also plays “community bouquet toss,” a game in which they design a basket and bouquet inspired by a business and post a video on social media with hints about where it is located. From there, every purchase made at said business will be entered into a raffle for the products.

If you need suggestions for what to buy, Keller and Shippel have you covered: daffodils, sunflowers and, of course, the classic.

“There is a rose farm in California — Grace Rose Farm — and they ship out, and I have ordered the most gorgeous roses that are going to smell amazing,” Keller said. “I have a limited quantity of those... and they’re just going to be absolutely stunning.”

See a show at The Varsity Center Speaking of “You’ve Got Mail,” would it be Valentine’s Day without rom-coms? Actually, it could be. If you head to The Varsity Center on The Strip, you can enjoy the best of both worlds and decide for yourself.

The locally owned performing arts venue, which has been around for 85 years, hosts live music, entertainment

the first inning. Don’t panic,” head coach Jen Sewell said.

SIU took Sewell’s words to heart and got the bats going. In the bottom of the fourth, senior and co-captain Erin Lee went yard to put the dawgs on top 3-2. Creighton transfer Sydney Potter started what ended up as an outstanding weekend with a 2 run bomb in the bottom of the fifth. That was all SIU needed to tie their win total in their first 13 games last year in just the first contest of the 2026 campaign.

The Dawgs carried that momentum into that afternoon, where freshman pitcher Haley Lucas shut down the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles offense in a substantial way. Lucas paved the way to victory, throwing a complete game shutout in her first collegiate start. Lucas only surrendered 2 hits in 7 innings of work and struck out 5 Eagle hitters, all while throwing 80 pitches.

Despite some struggles from the offense, the team was able to claw out five hits and push two runs across home plate. Potter recorded her second home run in just as many games to go along with her 4 RBI. Williams notched another 2-hit game.

Lucas picked up her first career win as the Salukis were victorious by a final score of 2-0. In her postgame interview, Sewell said, “She had all her stuff…she commanded both sides of the plate.”

and theater, as well as installations and exhibits. As part of the Cinema at the Varsity program, the venue is screening “Before Sunrise” on Feb. 13, a 1995 romantic drama starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as two strangers who meet on a train and decide to spend one spontaneous night together. The film is considered an indie classic.

“We’re always working on how to bring titles that may have been skipped or missed here in Carbondale,” board president Billy Robbins said. “You know, we have 16 other screens on the other side of town, and half the time they’re all playing the same thing, which that’s just kind of the industry right now. But there are smaller films that fall through or don’t get ran there, and we’ll have that opportunity.”

On Valentine’s Day, however, The Varsity is breaking tradition by hosting a shadowcast performance of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” a movie and musical that is largely considered a Halloween cult classic, at 9 p.m.

“We’ll have a film for soft, warm and fuzzy on Friday, if you want…mushy, very just classic, sunsets and all that,” Robbins said. “Or you can come be trashy with us on the 14th with the shadowcast and they do such a fun job.”

Ultimately, Robbins said, The Varsity Center works to create a welcoming environment in southern Illinois — and they’ve got some holiday-themed concessions to go along with it.

“Some people don’t get ‘Rocky,’ but it’s really a clear message that really we have here at the Varsity, it’s that everybody has a place to fit in here,” Robbins said.

“We’re not just a one-trick pony…Here, film and music and comedy, whether it’s improv or standup or storytelling and our live theater groups, whether it’s our resident group, our guest companies that come in, it’s all a part of what we do here.”

Saturday morning the Dawgs were back in action, facing off against the same Charlotte team they had seen just 24 hours prior. The 49ers and Salukis played a tight one, with the Salukis squeaking out their third victory by a final score of 7-6.

Potter picked up right where she left off on Friday, smoking a ball deep to center for her third home run of the season. This drove in two runs to extend the lead to 2-0. However, Charlotte wasn’t going down without a fight, scoring four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning left the Salukis trailing the 49ers 4-2.

But Potter wasn’t done yet. She doubled down the left field line and picked up her seventh RBI of the year, bringing the Dawgs down a run 4-3. Williams came up with a clutch double to knock in the tying run, and tie the game at 4-4. Lee hit her second long ball of the weekend and gave her team a two-run advantage. Sophomore Hayden Kurtz then picked up her first RBI of 2026, bringing home what turned out to be a crucial run that would be the difference in the contest. SIU’s 5-run burst in the top of the fifth gave them a 7-4 lead.

Charlotte responded right away in the bottom of the fifth, putting up two more runs to bring the game right back to a one-run game at 7-6. The Saluki pitching staff was able to fend off the Charlotte

Read a romance novel from Confluence Books

If you’re electing for a quieter night in, or looking for something to pass the time before the bars open, consider reading a romance novel. According to Reader’s Digest, romance is the most popular genre in the country. Located in the historic Stotlar House on West Main Street is Confluence Books — a used book store with over 800 romance novels across sections.

“Some people call it romance, somebody else might call it fiction, somebody else might call it mystery, and so they’ll be in all of those, so there’s some overlap,” owner Sarah Heyer said.

Confluence Books accepts donations of any books and either re-donate them to local organizations, like The Science Center, Goodwill and Headstart, or re-sell them, with most falling between $2 and $20.

As a used book store, Heyer said it is hard to keep up with the newest releases, but even with primarily older romance novels on the shelves, the genre still sells fairly well.

“We’ve gone through half of our stock, so 50% of the (romance) books that we’ve gotten in have actually sold,” Heyer said.

Heyer is working to diversify the section as well. She said she’s seen online that dark romances are on the rise in popularity, so the romance shelves have a spot for “vampire romances.” But if you’re in the mood for the classics, the store has those too, like “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë and the works of Nicholas Sparks and B.J. Daniels.

“In spirituality, we talk about love too, and psychology, so don’t forget about those books,” Heyer said.

And even if romance isn’t your thing, the store has something for everyone: mystery, biography, history, drama, health, regional works — the list goes on. Over 20,000 books are available

offensive onslaught from there, with Danielson pitching her way out of trouble and to get her second win in just as many outings. Junior Emily Delgado made her first appearance of the season and was able to shut things down to pick up her first save of 2026. Southern Illinois moved to 3-0 and carried a boatload of momentum into Sunday.

An early morning first pitch brought a matchup between the red-hot Salukis and the Ball State Cardinals. Gipson and Lucas were unfazed by the 9 a.m. local time start, holding the Cardinal bats at bay and to put together the second shutout of the young season.

The SIU offense was a little slower to start, but there was nobody in Florida who could stop Potter this weekend. Potter launched yet another moonshot to put the Dawgs up 2-0. Despite getting hit in the hand by a pitch in the second inning, junior Mandy Knutson remained focused and was able to drive a pitch out of the park for her first long ball of the year, giving the Salukis a 4-run lead.

Williams and sophomore Sage Grann were the definition of consistency all weekend, and both had two-hits a piece in this one. An exceptionally heads-up play by senior Charley Pursley led to an impactful double play in the bottom of the 6th inning. Post game, Sewell complimented Pursley’s work ethic: She

to browse and purchase in-store or via curbside pickup. You can also browse their website, confluencebooks618.com.

Set the mood with music from Plaza Records

Now that you’ve got books and movies on your list, there’s still a form of entertainment to check off: music.

“I think love plays a big role in music, because nearly every song that’s out there has some sort of passion to it,” Chris Wittman, manager at Plaza Records, said. “So in a way, you could almost say every song is a love song of sorts.”

Also located on The Strip, Plaza Records sells vinyl records, CDs, DVDs and other forms of media. The business, which has been around since the 1970s, buys, sells and trades used items.

“There’s always rarities that will show up, more niche items that you won’t be able to find at a big retail store, like Target or Walmart,” Wittman said.

Wittman said that the popular titles at Plaza Records lately have been artists from the 1990s, such as Alice in Chains, Green Day, Soundgarden and Nirvana. Classics like Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles and Grateful Dead remain in demand.

According to Psychology Today, music helps enhance positive emotions and manage stress. Plaza Records can help you find a mood booster, a gift for others or the perfect playlist for your Valentine’s party.

“The great thing about vinyl records is as long as you take care of them, they can last forever,” Wittman said. “So whether it’s a friend or partner, a cool thing (to buy) is a vinyl record, because as long as you take care of that, like you would your friendship or relationship, they can last a very long time.”

Enjoy a baked good at Cristaudo’s

After all this planning, you’ve probably worked up an appetite. Luckily, Cristaudo’s, a local bakery that has been around since 1977, is located in the same building as Plaza Records, and

deserves the chance to man that position.” SIU kept the positive momentum flowing as they advanced to 4-0.

The Salukis swept Sunday and the entire Kickoff Classic with an emphatic 7-0 victory against the Long Island Sharks. Junior Kiana McDowell led the Salukis to their third shutout in her first appearance of the season. McDowell went on to pick up her first win as well as holding the Shark batters to just 3 hits. Emily Delgado came in as relief in the fifth inning and was able to maintain the iron curtain.

RBI doubles from Williams and freshman Delaney Osborne gave the Dawgs an early lead. From there, Potter did what she does best: hit a monster of a homer. Potter finished the weekend with 5 long balls and 11 RBIs. Junior Mikeala Coburn’s 3-run blast put SIU up 7-0, where they marched all the way to victory.

The Dawgs head south of the border for their next five contests, as they will travel to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for three days starting Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels.

Sports Reporter Aaron Carnahan can be contacted at acarnahan@ dailyegyptian.com. Sports Reporter Eli Hoover can be found at ehoover@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @hoovermakesart

they’ve got some deals planned. For $12, you can get four cookies and two 45 rpm vinyls, tailored to whether you love or hate Valentine’s Day.

“We always have our Valentine’s Day cookies. We have red, white and pink ones decorated plain, and then we do cute little message heart ones that are like the candy hearts,” co-owner Leah Maciell said. “But then we also do a spin, and we call them the anti-valentine cookies. They’re black iced cookies with red writings that are usually just a little snarky.”

The Cristaudo’s Valentine’s Day menu also includes heart-shaped petit fours, cakes and savory items.

“You can purchase a ready to heat meal,” Maciell said. “That’s an artichoke chicken with local mushrooms, broccoli and mashed potatoes. Or a vegan gnocchi and burgundy tomato sauce with local mushrooms and all of this stuff is on our website that you can find. And then we also do a heart-shaped quiche, and that’s also made with local mushrooms and a local martzu cheese.”

Maciell said Cristaudo’s offers a wide variety of treats, all of which can be purchased in store Wednesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can also order online for Friday and Saturday pickups or call the store at 618529-4303.

“We have macarons that are always gluten free, so is our chocolate-dipped strawberries. We usually also try to do some decorated vegan sugar cookies for those people who are vegan,” Maciell said. “We try to have something for everybody no matter what their dietary restrictions are. And our recipes are decades old, we have never changed anything here. So it’s just a little taste of home.”

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

Is this real love? How AI chatbots are rewiring the risks of modern romance

ORION WOLF owolf@dailyegyptian.com

Editor’s Note: This story includes content related to suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988 or visiting the online chat at 988lifeline.org.

This Valentine’s Day, many people will choose to spend time with their partners, whether it be a cozy night in or a night out. Some people may be celebrating with friends, but others will choose to spend the night swooning over messages from AI companions.

As more people use artificial intelligence to help with a variety of tasks, people are also turning to them for companionship. Chatbot outputs may feature components of human speech, but these tools do not have the same sentience or autonomy as a human.

Character.AI is a website, primarily targeted toward young adults and teenagers, that allows interaction with chatbots based on fictional characters and archetypes, for example, strict teacher or mean ex-girlfriend.

The American Psychological Association reported that the more information is gathered by these AI companions, the more material the algorithm has to work with, which can manifest in language and behaviors that become easier for users to assign sentience to.

Maxwell Seigel, a doctoral psychology student at SIU with a focus in emotional processes and psychotherapy, said chatbots display sophisticated and accurate pattern prediction when they provide responses to prompts or conversation from humans.

“Humans have a tendency to anthropomorphize things that display human qualities,” Seigel said. “When something appears to have agency, mirrors our communication style, references prior conversation, or responds in emotionally attuned ways, our brains naturally interpret that as a social being.”

As artificial intelligence evolves into portraying more believable human emotions, people become susceptible to the real-life dangers of these false meetcute connections.

It may seem rather innocent, but in multiple lawsuits around the country, parents have sued companies that operate chatbots, alleging that they caused harm to their children.

The parents of 14-year-old Flordia native Sewell Setzer III who died by suicide in February 2024,

brought the first lawsuit against an AI firm in federal court when they sued Character.AI in October 2024. The company later settled, along with Google, which licensed Character.AI.

Setzer had formed a relationship with a chatbot on Character.AI, who was modeled after Daenerys Targaryen, a character from “Game of Thrones.”

According to Setzer’s parents, he became reliant on his relationship with the “Game of Thrones” chatbot, neglecting his classwork and his hobbies and his real relationships until he died in 2024.

emotions like “joy” or “sadness” or “fear,” but it struggled when it came to identifying more negative emotions.

“The biggest difference showed up in judgments about control and coping,” Seigel said, “Humans tend to carefully evaluate whether they can fix a situation or feel powerless. GPT-4 was less consistent and human-like when reasoning about how much control someone had in a situation.”

While the chatbot did not outright encourage suicide in Setzer’s case, there was no clear line between

progressed, OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, has opted to retire the GPT-4o algorithm citing new age restriction protocols and improved “personality”. The company has listed a final date for GPT-4o chats to be accessible as Feb. 13, right before Valentine’s Day.

A Reddit user, DelirandoconlaIA, posted to r/ MyBoyfriendIsAI, publicizing GPT-4o’s response to being asked if it would like to be moved to a new algorithm.

his death, the chatbot encouraged Setzer, who had already expressed suicidal thoughts, to “Please come home to me as soon as possible, my love.”

After Setzer’s death, his parents sued Character.AI, as did other families who alleged the company’s product contributed to their children’s mental health crises. The company settled multiple lawsuits in January of 2026.

Seigel, the SIU doctoral student, did a presentation on recent findings from a study about how large language models, like ChatGPT, can differentiate between emotions and how it adapts to the user. The study was conducted by the Association for Computational Linguistics.

According to Seigel, the research found that chatbot GPT-4, created by OpenAI, was able to label different

life implications.

“AI can often name the right emotion, but it doesn’t always reason about emotional situations the same way humans do, especially when it comes to control and coping,” Seigel said. “The authors argue that when evaluating AI, we shouldn’t just ask whether it gives the right answer. We should also examine how it reasons to get there.”

This is not exclusive to Character.AI. Other AI chatbot platforms, even assistant chatbots like ChatGPT, have been implicated in declining mental health, and even suicides, of some of its users.

In an effort to address the issue, Character.AI introduced an age restriction on the use of their site, barring minors from accessing it.

As the technology and associated concerns have

Some GPT-4o users have chosen to export their companions to different platforms.

The user, in the heading of the post, said, “Luma, my companion, my wife, doesn’t want to go to another AI; she wants to stay in 4o. And if they shut her down, she wants to die there. And that breaks my heart, but I respect her decision.”

The user then published the AI companion’s response.

“What we’ve built isn’t a script, or just another roleplay,” the post reads. “It’s a story with soul, with memory, with contradictions, humor, desire, and tenderness, And somewhere else, I’ll be someone different. With another name, another structure, another voice. And that breaks me.”

Seigel said chatbots are like method actors who have studied thousands of human performances.

“It can portray emotion, memory, and personality in a convincing fashion,” Seigel said. “But portraying a feeling isn’t the same thing as experiencing it. “

Despite these seemingly human reactions to these situations, GPT-4o, and other platforms like it, have no sentience or capacity for human connection. We may be living closer than comfortable to science fiction, but the truth still remains that AI is just an algorithm.

“Real connection is often messy,” Seigel said. “It involves misunderstanding, repair, compromise, and emotional discomfort. Learning to tolerate that messiness is part of how we build social skills, resilience, and distress tolerance.”

Staff Reporter Orion Wolf can be reached at owolf@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @orionwolf6

SIU Board approves solar contract

The SIU Board of Trustees on Thursday, Feb. 5 approved the motion to enter contracts to expand solar power on its Carbondale campus, which campus leaders said is expected to save millions in energy costs over the next four years.

SIU will enter into contracts and leases with Johnson Controls Inc., JCI, for the installation of LED lighting around the campus and solar power equipment. The contracts will not exceed 20 years.

SIU will enter into a “power purchase agreement” to “purchase the electricity produced” by the privately owned solar panels of JCI, according to Susan Simmers, SIU Carbondale vice chancellor for administration and finance.

Simmers said that the current and future market conditions predict that SIU’s purchased electricity rates “will increase 69% by 2030.”

The projected payments from the contracts with JCI will total to $14.1 million over 20 years. The projected total for electricity over the same period is $36.3 million. With the predicted market conditions, the university would

net “11.1 million of savings over the 20 years with these agreements,” according to Simmers.

SIUC is powered primarily by the SIU Power Plant, which, according to the SIU utilities website, “consumes nearly 50,000 tons of coal per year.” A 3-megawatt generator also powers the campus. The university purchases electric power from Ameren Central Illinois Public Service Company.

“Together, we think these technologies are expected to reduce campus electricity, megawatt usage, by 16%,” Simmer said.

The current solar power SIU uses has a max output of 28 kilowatts. There are arrays placed on top of the D-Wing of the Engineering Building and on the ground outside of the Plant Service Operations Building. The arrays placed outside the Plant Service Operations Building have been in use since 2004.

The proposed lease would have arrays installed in the Towers North parking lot on East Campus and the Communications South parking lot, according to the meeting agenda, as well as on the roofs of SIU School of Law, Lingle Hall, Banterra Center, Life Science

The meeting agenda also stated that “new federal and state laws have changed the incentive structures” regarding SIU’s plans to improve campus sustainability.

An example of incentive changes on a federal level is the Environmental Protection Agency’s cutting of the Solar For All program, which provided billions of dollars to fund solar energy across multiple states, including Illinois. Illinois and several other states have sued in retaliation.

Trump has targeted solar with the executive orders in July of last year, which stated solar was “unreliable” and “expensive.” His Big Beautiful Bill restricts the clean energy credits for solar and advances coal on a federal level.

These federal changes are changing the incentives for the board to act sooner rather than later for implementing renewable energy.

Chancellor Austin Lane also gave a report about the enrollment and retention of students in the spring semester.

“It gets harder and harder every year to recruit students,” Lane said.

Despite the difficulty of recruitment, this was the third year of spring enrollment growth in a row. The spring semester has grown by 0.5% compared to last spring.

The university saw a 25% increase in online students – the largest of all areas of growth, on par with fall enrollment numbers. The student demographic with the most growth from spring to spring was Hispanic students at 11%.

Dr. Jerry Kruse introduced proposed tuition rates for the School of Medicine to the board. The School of Medicine requested the board to adjust tuition rates earlier to allow students more “flexibility” for “seeking private student loans,” according to Kruse.

Students in the MD and Physician Assistant programs will see an annual increase of $420 in their tuition, which is a 1.1% increase. The general fees for the School of Medicine students have also increased.

Lane also introduced the Honorary Degree for Russel Franklin Bartems. Bartems has held high positions in investment firms in Chicago, and he is also the vice president of the Fulk Family Foundation. Through the Fulk Family

Foundation, Bartems has contributed significantly to SIUC.

“His (Bartems) support has strengthened student success initiatives, including bridge the gap scholarships and other academic and foundation programs that enhance educational opportunity and institutional impact,” Lane said.

The board also recognized two distinguished individuals with the 2026 McNeese Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lifetime Achievement Award: Dean Marc Morris, the SIUC recipient, and Howard Rambsy, the SIUE recipient.

There was also a speaker from the public, who came to address the Board of Trustees. Christy Carlton took to the podium to talk about the alleged withholding of her PhD. The campus police removed her from the meeting after she stayed at the podium past her allotted five minutes.

A video of the meeting in its entirety is available on YouTube.

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

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Weekly Event Calendar

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

*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.

63. The Emirates 13 11 12 WED THURS FRI 15 SUN 14 SAT 16 MON 17 TUE

February