The Daily Egyptian - January 21, 2026

THE Daily Egyptian

Speakers urge civic action during annual MLK breakfast

Southern Illinois University Student Center Ballrooms were packed early in the morning on Jan. 19 for the 44th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast, where speakers called for active civic engagement and education on social justice issues.

The purpose of the event was to honor and

remember the struggles and challenges faced during the Civil Rights Movement and to celebrate King while supporting education and funding scholarships.

Richard Jones, vice president of the local Alpha Phi Alpha chapter, welcomed the attendees, stating the purpose of the breakfast was to acknowledge historical struggles and to foster

SalukiTech urges caution following financial fraud

peyTon cook carly gisT pcook@dailyegypTian com cgisT@dailyegypTian com

On the morning of Jan. 3, SIU doctorate student Genesis Atencio noticed multiple hard pulls on her husband’s credit score, an authorization that occurs when one applies for new credit. Atencio said they hadn’t applied for any credit in around four years, but looking into their report, an account had been opened with Synchrony Bank.

A few days later, Atencio was hanging out with a friend and fellow student, who mentioned a similar situation: someone had used her information to open a OnePay Walmart credit card with Synchrony Bank.

“I was like, hold on a minute, because OnePay looks familiar,” Atencio said. “I think I’ve gotten emails from OnePay. So I look through my own emails from my SIU Outlook account, and lo and behold, there it is, like four or five different emails that I’ve gotten over the course of a handful of months.”

A credit card in her name was approved on Jan. 8.

“I get probably three emails to my SIU account that say, hey, welcome to Walmart,” she said.

Atencio was one of 16 individuals who reported this incident to SalukiTech, according to SIU Chief Information Officer Wil Clark. However, the number could be higher. Multiple Daily Egyptian employees received similar emails, and many SIU students took to social media to warn others, including some who have recently graduated.

“Cybercriminals are always trying to find new ways to steal people’s money or identity, and attempted fraud and other hazards to information security are a constant threat,” Clark said. “Every institution and organization in the U.S. must address ongoing cybersecurity issues. We have no insight into what may be occurring at other institutions.”

SIU last reported a security breach in June 2023. The university uses a third party software called MOVEIt, which typically allows for secured, managed file transfers. In late May 2023, MOVEIt

Immigration lawyer talks ICE, civil rights at Simmons Law School

mariah FleTcher mFleTcher@dailyegypTian

Since President Donald Trump took office last year for his second term, a federal effort to increase deportations and minimize immigration into the United States has led to an onslaught of legal battles, protests and political violence. Whether it concerns visa status or Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity, the constitutionality of recent

federal action is being highly contested across the country.

In light of this national discourse, a crowd of around 80 students, community members and professors gathered at SIU Simmons Law School on Wednesday, Jan. 14 for a lecture regarding ICE, immigration and new policies under the Trump administration.

Ohio State University’s César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández

presented a lecture titled “Immigration Law in Turbulent Times” in which he describes recent events involving immigration through a legal lens. His lecture highlighted the increase in ICE raids across the country, clashes between civilians and agents that have led to shootings — like the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this month — lawsuits, mass protests, the recent addition of 75 new countries

to the U.S. visa ban list and the overall confusion concerning the legality of federal deportation practices. Hernández’s teaching and writing details the intersectionality of criminal and immigration law and his lecture at SIU focused on the constantly evolving legal landscape that surrounds immigration enforcement techniques. Attendees were able to speak with Hernández beforehand and ask

questions after his lecture. In his lecture, Hernández spoke about Trump’s campaign, and how he specifically pledged to evoke a deportation operation similar to President Eisenhower’s 1954 militarystyle campaign aimed at ending undocumented immigration by deporting hundreds of thousands of Mexicans through mass raids and arrests

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Pay attention to Julie Fortier

When Donald Trump was elected to the presidency for a second term, my wife and I had great concerns for where our beloved nation would be heading. Sadly, it has gone in an ominous direction that is even worse than we could have imagined. What could we do? We began protesting one year ago, January 2025, and we are still protesting today. That is 35 protests so far. I have traveled as far as Washington, D.C., in support of veterans, and to our Illinois capital to protest Kristi Noem being there. In our area of southern Illinois, we are most concerned that U.S. Rep. Mike Bost not be re-elected. He is one of the many Republicans who consistently supports what Donald Trump wants, including attempting to change election laws. That is exactly what Mike Bost is attempting right now — to change the Illinois mail-in ballot procedures. He is supposed to be representing southern Illinoisans, not meddling with election laws.

I decided to do all I could to bring Julie Fortier’s name to our southern Illinois towns. Julie is the Democratic candidate for U.S. representative, 12th District, running against Mike Bost. Julie is from O’Fallon. She is an Air Force veteran, was involved in school volunteer work while she and her husband raised their two children, and is now a research scientist focused on multiple myelomas. Julie is knowledgeable and is eager to represent each one of us.

So the question was, how can I bring Julie’s name to neighbors in southern Illinois towns? At the beginning of December, I started walking our communities with a sign to introduce Julie. I have enjoyed talking to people I have met along the way. So far I have walked in 25 southern Illinois towns. I will continue walking, even meeting some of you along the way. I strongly support Julie, and hope that you will also. Please help this good candidate get elected. We will all benefit.

Raise awareness of elections

Talk about dedication to democracy?! For the past several weeks, David Ambler has been walking through towns in southern Illinois encouraging folks to learn, think and vote for candidates who could make a positive difference in our area. Local, county and state elections are a vital pathway to our government leaders. Please follow David’s example, and take action to restore true democracy to this country.

“My motivation is to get good caring people into office,” he said. “People that support everyone in southern Illinois. Individuals that care about the issues such as health care, justice, democracy, inclusion and fiscal responsibility.”

Have an opinion you’d like to share with the Daily Egyptian’s audience? Email editor@dailyegyptian.com to submit a letter to the editor.

CORRECTIONS

The story titled “Booby’s hosts Open Mic Comedy Night” in the Jan. 14 edition of the Daily Egyptian spelled Dan Alcorn’s last name incorrectly.

Submissions

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

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Carbondale Starbucks employees back to work after ending December strike

OriOn WOlf OWOlf@dailyegyptian cOm

The Carbondale Starbucks is now open and members of the staff are returning to work after their strike ended on Dec. 26, 2025.

The store joined a national strike on Dec. 4 for fair pay, fair hours and balanced staffing. Carbondale is home to one of the only unionized Starbucks stores in southern Illinois, the only other one being located in O’Fallon.

Since November of 2025, Starbucks union workers have been striking against their company. Union stores across the country in over 100 cities have joined the picket line since Nov. 13, when the strike first began. The company has come under fire many times for allegedly making the lives of workers more difficult.

One such instance of this was settled in New York City, where Starbucks agreed to pay out over $38 million because the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection found repeated and frequent violations of the Fair Workweek Law

FRAUD

CONTINUED FROM 1

had a security breach that leaked nearly 70 million individuals’ information worldwide, including those in the SIU system. Clark said the university cannot be certain if the two events are connected.

“Our current investigation does not indicate a new breach of SIU data,” he said. “It would be irresponsible to speculate on what may have occurred outside the university.”

In an email to the DE, Clark said SIU security professionals use advanced tools to detect vulnerabilities

since 2021, which guaranteed workers the right to consistent scheduling in New York City.

While Carbondale is certainly not New York City, the issues faced there remain the same for workers across the country.

This strike comes after Starbucks withdrew from contract negotiations with the union after six months without compromise over pay, hours and understaffing issues.

As the strike has dragged on into the new year with no sign of resolution, many unionized Starbucks workers have been faced with a difficult choice between their livelihoods and their determination for fairer treatment.

While some workers across the country have decided to go back to work for Starbucks, other workers have resorted to second jobs.

Sophie O’Rourke, a worker at the Carbondale location, is a mother of two young children who said she has lost the ability to reliably transport herself from her home to work. She was looking for a second job to support her family, but then her van broke down. She has had to

and manage potential threats. In investigating the case, they observed messages regarding OnePay that had been delivered to SIU email accounts.

“Within the SIU email system, 372 OnePay email messages matched patterns reported in the 16 cases … Out of an abundance of caution we sent the following notice to 1,547 SIU email addresses because they had one or more email messages containing the keyword OnePay in their inbox,” he said, referring to a message SalukiTech sent with recommendations for data security.

The notice said if you have been affected to take the following steps:

Starbucks employees on strike gather in front of the Main Street Starbucks location Dec. 8, 2025 in Carbondale, Illinois. The strike has since ended at the Carbondale Starbucks staff are back at work. Orion Wolf | @orionwolf6

rely on coworkers and family to get through this.

“The strike has been crazy hard on everyone,” O’Rourke said. “But there’s a different kind of panic when you can’t pay your rent for two months

1. Contact OnePay/Synchrony

Bank

2. Report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft site

3. Place a fraud alert with all three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian

4. Use a free credit lock/freeze and alert tools offered by the agencies

5. File a police report

because of something like this.”

The workers’ hope for a renewed contract lies now on the national front, where the strike continues.

“It’s not that we just don’t want to work,” she said. “We all love our jobs,

“If anyone suspects phishing or other attempts at fraud, we encourage them to report it to us either through the ‘Report Message’ functionality in Outlook or by emailing security@ siu.edu,” Clark said. “If they are a victim of fraud they should report it to law enforcement.”

Puzzle Anwers (Puzzles on 12)

One DE employee who was impacted called Walmart OnePay to report identity theft and received an email the next morning that their account had been closed. A few days later, they received a letter in the mail from Synchrony notifying them that the account has also been closed.

The employee also filed a report to social security at ssa.gov/fraud/.

The Daily Egyptian reached out to Walmart and Synchrony but received no response by print deadline.

Clark said his department encourages the “campus community to take cybersecurity training seriously and

we want to work, we need to work.

But we also need to be paid fairly.”

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

follow best practices to minimize their risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime.”

“Good practices include strong passwords unique to each account, being vigilant when responding to unsolicited email and reporting suspicious activity,” Clark said. “The Federal Trade Commission outlines steps individuals can take to protect their identity on its website, https://ftc.gov/idtheft.”

Digital Editor Peyton Cook can be reached at pcook@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @cookmeavisual. Editorin-Chief Carly Gist can be reached at cgist@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @gistofthestory.

Trevor John TJohn@dailyegypTian com

What to expect from pop culture in 2026

A Bad Bunny Superbowl, the BTS Reunion, Grand Theft Auto VI (finally) and more

From the Super Bowl halftime show sparking conservative protest to the most anticipated video game in history facing yet another delay, 2026 is bringing musical comebacks and blockbusters that will dominate pop culture conversations.

The NFL’s decision to have Bad Bunny headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California has prompted conservative youth organization Turning Point USA to announce a rival event.

TPUSA announced it will host an “All-American Halftime Show” as counter-programming. The organization has described the event as a response to the NFL selecting Bad Bunny as the performer, but has not released details about performers, venue or broadcast plans of their own.

Bad Bunny’s genre is Spanish reggaeton and Latin trap. He is an American citizen from Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory. According to NFL and Apple Music announcements, Bad Bunny is the first Latino and Spanish-language solo headliner for a Super Bowl halftime show.

The halftime show announcement has generated chatter on social media and in political commentary about what it means to be an American.

Pop star Ariana Grande announced the Eternal Sunshine Tour, starting June 6, at the Oakland Arena in California. The tour marks her return to major touring after a six-year hiatus.

Big Hit Music announced a 2026 comeback of K-pop group BTS with a new album scheduled for March 20 and a world tour beginning in April. All seven members have completed military service in South Korea and are reuniting as a group.

Director Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey” is scheduled for release on July 17. Universal Pictures has reported a production budget of approximately $250 million.

According to industry reports and IMDb listings, the movie cast entails iconic A-listers, including Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Zendaya as Athena, Charlize Theron as Circe, Robert Pattinson as Antinous and Jon Bernthal as Menelaus. Additional cast members include Lupita Nyong’o and Elliot Page, although their character assignments have not been publicly confirmed.

The story follows Odysseus’ journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. The 2004 film “Troy,” starring Brad Pitt, Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom, loosely depicts events from “The Iliad,” Homer’s epic poem about the Trojan War that precedes “The Odyssey.”

Apple TV+ announced that Season 2 of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” will premiere on Feb. 27, running for 10 episodes through May 1. The trailer introduces a Titan X. Fan speculation on TikTok, YouTube and Reddit suggests Titan X could be an extra-dimensional variant of Titan Shimo, the frost-breathing Titan from “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” though Legendary Entertainment has not confirmed the character’s identity.

Rockstar Games has delayed “Grand Theft Auto VI” to Nov. 19, 2026, marking the second postponement from an initial fall 2025 target. Gamers will be taken back to Vice City, the fictional Miami-inspired setting last featured in 2002’s “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.”

The delays have become a source of frustration and humor on social media.

“Me finding out we’re getting World War III before GTA 6” was a widespread post after the U.S. military strike on Iran in June 2025.

The game will feature two protagonists, including a female lead for the first time in the series. New mechanics include dynamic character fitness that changes based on diet and exercise, realistic weapon degradation, and more than 700 enterable interiors, according to trailers and developer updates.

In-game police response includes a six-tier wanted

system with tactics ranging from traffic stops at one star to lethal force and K9 units at higher levels. The game builds on technology from “Red Dead Redemption 2” with enhanced physics and weather systems.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted across the U.S., Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. Multiple U.S. cities will host matches. Chicago dropped out of the bidding before final selection in June 2022 due to FIFA’s financial demands and lack of negotiable terms, as confirmed by city officials like the Chicago Sports Commission.

Social media posts and advocacy groups have reported fans canceling or reselling tickets over concerns about immigration enforcement policies. Posts citing 17,000 overnight cancellations have circulated on social media, though FIFA has neither released official nor confirmed the cancellation numbers.

Immigration advocacy groups United We Dream and Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Service have expressed concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity during the tournament.

News Reporter Trevor John can be reached at tjohn@dailyegyptian.com

fellowship within the community.

Carbondale Mayor Carolin Harvey addressed the “fierce urgency of now” by urging the community to act against “bullies” and hold elected officials accountable through direct communication.

“The fierce urgency of now means that we need to act,” Harvey said. She challenged the audience to use their phones and emails to contact elected officials rather than remaining silent.

She said that such passivity eventually leaves everyone vulnerable.

“Do we let our elected officials sit back and do nothing?” Harvey said. “If we continue to keep quiet, eventually it comes down to ‘they called for me, and nobody said anything.’”

Melissa McCutchen, second vice president of the Carbondale NAACP, said in her address that the holiday requires action.

“Today’s celebration honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a legacy that calls for us not just to remember, but to act; not just to dream, but to build,” McCutchen said.

Keynote speaker Everick Turner, a retired warden of the Illinois Department of Corrections, urged the audience to examine whether society is living up to its stated values.

Turner identified a fundamental

disconnect between what America claims to stand for and its actual actions.

“We’re doing some things that are quote-unquote ‘superficial and addressing symptoms,’ but we’re not addressing the sources and the root of the problem,” Turner said.

Turner used the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – a story about a king’s decree to worship an idol – to illustrate the importance of maintaining principles even in the face of opposition.

Turner warned against what he called gradualism, the belief that progress happens automatically over time.

In an interview after the event, Turner said social injustice requires active intervention.

“As long as hate is like a cancer, if you don’t address it, it doesn’t go away. It only gets worse,” Turner said. “The urgent action is to educate themselves on what we actually stand for, and to compare whether or not we’re actually doing the things that we stand for.”

The Carbondale branch of the NAACP honored the winners of the King Essay Contest by allowing them the opportunity to stand on stage and read excerpts from their winning works. Julihanna Felton of Thomas School wrote about organizing a blanket drive for people experiencing

homelessness in Carbondale.

“Dr. King would say, ‘Fear not. I care. Let’s make a plan to give them a home,’” Felton wrote.

Eli Bramlett, second-place winner from Lewis School, wrote about King’s response to encountering segregation at a young age.

“He did with his mouth, and he taught me strength comes from the heart and not the fists,” Bramlett wrote of King’s philosophy of nonviolent activism.

The Black Graduate Greek Council of Carbondale won the 2025 Black History Scholar Bowl and received a traveling trophy. The City of Carbondale Civic Agents finished second, with the team members receiving silver medallions, and Dr. Pamela Smoot’s class at SIU finished third.

Other notable attendees included Jackson County State’s Attorney Marsha Cascio-Hale and Police Chief Anthony Copeland.

SIU gospel choir Joyful Noise performed. Pastor Paulette Sherwood gave the benediction.

Turner said in the interview that he believes positive change is possible.

“Love overpowers hate,” Turner said. “And it’s going to win.”

News Reporter Trevor John can be reached at tjohn@dailyegyptian.com

Local punk bands shake up a Thursday night at Hangar 9

Local punk bands Pleasure Petrol, King John and The Jesters, Thee Ultraviolettes and Spillway joined forces on Thursday, Jan. 15 for a night of loud, high-energy music at

The night was filled with eccentric music and the crowd moshing and jumping all night.

Pleasure Petrol is a popular band known around the punk scene since 2013. With other older punk bands moving out of Carbonale, the founders of Pleasure Petrol, Evan Neuman and Marcus Lappin, stayed and formed the band to then play house shows. A few months later they found a bass player, Dylan Frost, who now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. The band’s current lineup is Neuman, Grant Kentala, Brandon Gill and Everett Gariepy.

The original band name was Hans Predator but was later changed to Pleasure Petrol when Neuman and other bandmates were playing around with the melody of an old song and came up with the new name.

Neuman described their music as garage, face rock inspired by bands like Hopland, Lemmy from Motorhead and The Stooges.

“Talent (is) always admired and appreciated,” Neuman said. “But like, you don’t need to be the best to be in this kind of band.”

He described the feeling of playing music as euphoric.

“You kind of lose a sense of time, and you kind of just — I don’t know — (are) like, ‘what just happened?’ (when) you come out of it.”

Pleasure Petrol is always making music and you can look forward to their next performances on Feb. 18 and 28.

King John and The Jesters are another local band that joined the lineup at Hangar. The band started when Vaughn Perry was looking to start a band and met Sam Bakos in a journalism class. Perry and Bakos got to talking about music and later met their bassist, Jude Primeau, through a friend. They then played their first show late November 2024 at house venue the Birdhouse.

“I personally always wanted to join one (a band). I loved listening to music growing up, I’ve been playing the drums for like 12 years now. I love music,” Bakos said.

When performing, they said it feels like nothing is real. They don’t think about it and just do it. They perform a new song each show.

“We try to mix it up, keep people on their toes,” Bakos said.

Their next show is Jan. 31 at the Birdhouse.

Another band to take to the stage Thursday were Thee Ultraviolets. Evan Hall and Berget Borowitz have known each other for awhile and have been playing together in another band when they decided they wanted something different.

“We just — we’ve all been playing music. We just love doing it,” Hall said. “There’s such a good scene here in Carbondale, everything is so welcoming, like, it’s so easy to do, you just kind of fall into it, and then you don’t ever want to stop.”

The biggest inspiration for the band are bands like Spacemen 3 and Les Rallizes Dénudés, along with ‘60s girl groups like The Ronettes and The Shangri-Las.

Thee Ultraviolets did a live session in Carbondale with a group called Emporium, which is now on YouTube.

In a year, Thee Ultraviolets want to be touring and have a seven-inch vinyl record out. Texas and Louisiana are some places they hope to stop by on their tour.

“We really love playing the South, and every time we go south, we find more and more people who are really into the style of music that we’re doing with this band now,” Hall said.

The writing process for the band consists of Hall playing an acoustic guitar in the bedroom, playing around with different sounds until he finds the right sound. Music usually comes first, then Hall takes it to the basement until he finds the melody, and then the lyrics come together.

Future events for the band include shows throughout 2026 but coming up are their shows at Cristaudo’s on Jan. 31 and later on Feb. 28 at Lost Cross.

Well-known local act Spillway also joined the night with their emo punk music. The band got to experience their two-year anniversary of their first-ever performance at the same place where it all started for them. That night was the night they decided to officially become a band. At the time, the band called themselves Plateaus.

“To be able to perform at Hangar after two years means a lot,” Spillway said to the DE through the band’s Instagram account. “It feels amazing to be able to come back and share our growth and experience with the community, something we thought may not happen after the Hangar 9’s closing in 2024.”

Photo Editor Emily Brinkman can be reached at ebrinkman@dailyegyptian.com

Southern Grit shows a taste of country music with a twist

Emily Brinkman EBrinkman@dailyEgyptian.com

Southern Grit, a local band, took to the stage at Hangar 9 on Jan. 16 for a night of live country music with a touch of rock and soul.

JaRon Roberts formed the band five years ago with different bandmates after he opened for another band, Slaughter. The band later progressed with Shannon Arview, Landen Billington and Jared Craig joining. They have now been together for almost three years.

The band describes its genre as country with a bit of rock ‘n’ roll. They said they were driven to the genre by their love for country music.

“I’ve always liked country music, so that’s….fun to play, it’s not even a job for me but I will say it’s fun to do songs that people wouldn’t normally think a country band would do,” Roberts said. “It’s kind of a curve on it. Keeps the show lively,” Roberts said.

The band says they thrive off energy from the crowd. If the audience is having a good time, so is Southern Grit.

“I feel like if you get up there and you’re prepared and other people are enjoying it and you’re enjoying it, you’re not really thinking about it, you’re just doing it,” Arview said.

While Southern Grit mostly perform covers, they said they want to eventually put out an extended play (EP) to see where it goes. They are currently learning about 20 more songs to cover.

Southern Grit’s next show is at Just Add Water in Marion on Feb. 7.

Photo Editor Emily Brinkman can be reached at ebrinkman@dailyegyptian.com

Salukis win one, lose one during home game stretch

Noah Petschke NPetschke@dailyegyPtiaN com

The Salukis hosted the Racers of Murray State University on Thursday, Jan. 15 and the Flames of the University of Illinois-Chicago on Sunday, Jan. 18. SIU looked to come away with some success during the five-game homestand. They ended up dropping the first game but walking away victorious in the second.

Murray State 87, SIU 74

The Salukis faced off against the strong Murray State Racers, who were riding a 12-game win streak heading into Thursday’s action. The Dawgs put up a strong fight against the talented Racers, but their efforts were not enough and dropped the contest by a score of 87-74.

The first quarter of the game was played very well by both teams, limiting the fouls and turnovers and shooting the ball efficiently. Forward Indya Green started her impressive night with 10 points and seven rebounds in the first quarter alone.

Although Green was shooting lights-out, the rest of the Saluki offense faltered in the scoring category. The offensive struggles by SIU allowed the Racers to get an 11-point lead heading into the second quarter.

The Racers increased their lead by as much as 15 points during the second quarter, but the Salukis kept their heads in the game. The tough perimeter defense held Murray State to just 10% on 3-point attempts. SIU would go on a 9-0 run to get them

back within striking distance and entered the half down 44-37.

The Racers’ offense ignited to begin the second half and extended their lead even further. The Salukis continued playing ethical basketball by limiting turnovers, but the opposing offense was too strong to catch.

The fourth quarter was no different for the Racers as they continued to pile on the points and establish an untouchable lead. Green finished the game with a double-double where she notched 18 points and 12 rebounds in the loss. The Racers exited the arena with an 87-74 win over SIU.

SIU 63, UIC 58

Looking to bounce back after Thursday’s loss, the Salukis hosted the UIC Flames on Jan. 18. They found some success in a hard-fought game and beat the Flames 63-58.

Although UIC won the tipoff, the Salukis were the first to tally points with a Tkiyah Nelson jumper. The first quarter, similar to the rest of the game, was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams scoring efficiently. The Flames found their footing and led 14-12 after the first.

The second quarter was underway, and the action picked up right where it left off. Indya Green, continuing her impressive stretch of games, kicked off a 10-0 Saluki run by pushing across six quick points. SIU locked down on defense and limited the success of the UIC offense during the

second quarter. The success during the quarter allowed the Salukis to enter the half up 28-24.

The second half began, and UIC found themselves in foul trouble early. Although the SIU offense stayed strong, the Flames were not far behind and kept it close. Guard Kynnedi Davis came up with a crucial 6 points and two assists to keep the offense moving. The Salukis finished the third quarter with a 1-point advantage, and the Banterra Center crowd was in for a nailbiter.

Both teams attacked the basket and scored with impressive efficiency. Green’s dazzling game was still going strong as she notched her 20th point and 15th rebound. The Salukis defended the

ball exceptionally and held the Flames to just 16 points in the quarter. The exciting and gritty game concluded with the Dawgs on top, 63-58.

After these games, the Salukis stand at 5-12 overall and have a 2-6 record in MVC games. The Flames sit at 8-10 overall with a 3-4 record in conference play. The Dawgs take to the court next on Thursday, Jan. 22, where they will host the Sycamores of Indiana State University at the Banterra Center.

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

SIU Men’s Basketball Recap

Dawgs drop two home games

Eli HoovEr EHoovEr@dailyEgyptian com

After a week off from gameplay, the Salukis men’s basketball squad made its way back home for two contests over three days.

Drake 76, SIU 73 (OT)

The Salukis came into the Banterra Center on Wednesday, Jan. 14 to take on the Drake Bulldogs. Despite being able to flex a 17-point lead early in the second half, the Salukis dropped their third overtime decision of the year 76-73. The loss dropped SIU to 2-5 in Missouri Valley Conference play.

Offense was a struggle for both teams coming out of the gate, going a combined 4-17 from the floor and 1-8 from three in the first four minutes of action. Drake guard Eli Shetlar’s 3-pointer gave them an early 5-4 lead.

The Salukis found their stride as the first half went on, forcing a Drake timeout with 9:48 left in the half after tying the game at 14-14. Three minutes later, the game was still knotted, this time at 19 apiece.

The hot streak continued for SIU, going on a 4-4 stretch from the floor while doubling up the Bulldogs during a three-minute stretch. That gave the Salukis a 2924 lead at the final media timeout of the first half.

The home crowd had plenty of reason to celebrate as the first half came to a close, with the Salukis going on a 12-2 run before heading into the locker room.

That gave SIU a 37-26 lead at halftime, the largest lead to that point for either squad.

SIU stretched their lead out to 17 at one point early on in the half, but Drake was able to whittle it down little by little. They brought it down to a 45-33 deficit with 15:35 left in the game.

While the tide turned for the Salukis, it turned for the Bulldogs

just as fast. Drake kept SIU without a field goal for over three minutes to bring the game back within single digits, with the score showing a 49-43 advantage for the Salukis with 11:43 remaining.

SIU stretched their lead to nine heading into the final media timeout. The Bulldogs then blitzed the Salukis with a 9-0 run, much of that helped by the Salukis regularly missing free throws. That brought the game to a 64-64 tie with 1:30 left on the clock.

Drake guard Jalen Quinn brought the Bulldogs in front 6665 on a layup with 33 seconds left, their first lead of the second half. Guard Damien Mayo Jr. could not come up with the answer for the Salukis, missing a 3-pointer, forcing guard Drew Steffe to foul Drake guard Owen Larson with 7.3 seconds left on the clock. Larson went on to split the free throws, giving Drake a 67-65 advantage.

SIU guard Quel’Ron House looked to repeat his buzzer-beating heroics at Belmont, and did to some extent, making two free throws to tie the game at 67-67 with 2.7 seconds left. Quinn’s final floater clanged off the front iron, sending the Salukis to their third overtime game of the season.

The two squads went blowfor-blow as overtime wound on. A contested layup from House brought the Salukis out in front 73-72 with 1:49 left.

House got a steal with 38 seconds remaining and instead of holding on to the ball and forcing Drake to play defense or foul, decided to stay aggressive and shoot a fastbreak layup that missed. Quinn went down the floor and made a layup with 20.8 to go, giving Drake a 74-73 lead.

A Quinn steal with 3.9 seconds to go forced SIU to foul him, and Quinn made both to give Drake a

76-73 cushion, giving SIU one last chance to tie the game and send it to double overtime.

Steffe had a chance at the overtime buzzer to tie the contest and send the game into double overtime, but his fadeaway three found nothing but air. The victory marked Drake’s seventh in a row against SIU.

Steffe wasn’t the only Saluki to struggle from the 3-point line, as the team as a whole shot 3-26 from beyond the arc, resulting in a lowly 11.5% performance. Missed free throws were also a point of contention on the night, as a 10-16 mark in the second half helped the Bulldogs climb back in the contest.

Belmont 73, SIU 68

The Salukis looked to wash the bad taste of the Drake loss out of their mouths with a Saturday, Jan. 17 home contest against the Belmont Bruins. They went into the matchup without starting guard Quel’Ron House and reserve guard Isaiah Stafford. They fell short in a 73-68 loss, which dropped them to 2-6 in MVC play.

When asked postgame why House suddenly appeared on the injury report Saturday afternoon despite not being on it Friday night, Salukis head coach Scott Nagy didn’t have an answer.

“That’s more between him and the trainer. I really don’t know,” he said.

The absences of both House and Stafford could be felt right away for the Salukis. They quickly found themselves in a 5-0 hole before crawling their way back to a 10-7 deficit five minutes in.

SIU continued the hot

streak, scoring on four straight possessions. A fastbreak layup from guard Jalen Haynes brought the Banterra Center crowd to their feet and forced a Belmont timeout with the Salukis ahead 14-12 with 12:17 left in the first half.

Both offenses slowed immensely as the game went on, with the Bruins going nearly three-and-ahalf minutes without scoring. The Salukis’ own offensive struggles meant they couldn’t capitalize, but they still held a slim 24-22 lead heading into the final media timeout of the first half.

That lead would soon disappear out of thin air. The Salukis didn’t score for the last 5:24 of the half, while the Bruins were able to put through 12 points in the same time span. That left Belmont with a 3224 halftime lead and momentum heading into the locker room.

SIU came out cold to start the second half, at one point not making a field goal for three straight minutes of gameplay.

The Salukis were able to make enough free throws and get enough stops on the defensive end to narrow the lead to 40-35 with 15:32 remaining.

The Salukis continued to take advantage of Belmont’s cold streak, continuing to inch closer.

A 3-pointer from guard Damien Mayo Jr. with 11:04 left in the game brought the score to 46-44 Bruins, their shortest lead since the first half.

At that point, the Salukis took off on both the offensive and the defensive ends, at one point going on a 12-0 run. Guard Drew Steffe carried the team on

his shoulders, scoring 10 straight points to give SIU a 54-50 lead with 7:13 left in regulation.

The good times continued to roll for SIU when guard Jalen Haynes scored three times in four possessions to keep the home crowd raucous and the Bruins on their heels. The Salukis took a 62-57 lead into the final media timeout of the contest.

An immediate 7-0 run for Belmont allowed them to retake the lead 64-62 with less than two minutes left. The run forced Nagy to burn a timeout to get everyone back on the same page.

A late barrage of 3-pointers from SIU wasn’t enough to battle the handful of free throws from the Bruins, and the Salukis ended up on the losing end of a 73-68 final score.

“That’s twice that we’ve been up five at the under-4 timeout and come out and lose. I mean we just gotta finish games,” Steffe said postgame.

Steffe and Haynes both posted career highs in the loss, with 24 and 22 points respectively. Neither Steffe nor Nagy said they wanted to focus on that postgame.

“We expect Drew to play like that more often,” Nagy said

“I’d rather have zero points and get a win than lose with 24,” Steffe said.

The now 8-11 Salukis take to the road on Wednesday, Jan. 21 to take on the Valparaiso Beacons at 7 p.m.

throughout southwestern America.

Hernández detailed the non-fatal shooting of Marimar Martinez, a Chicago woman whose SUV allegedly struck an ICE agent’s vehicle in October of 2025, after which the agent fired five shots, striking Martinez multiple times.

Martinez’s vehicle was “boxed in” by ICE vehicles during the time of the shooting, and is among many of the contentious incidents in which ICE agents have used lethal force while conducting raids.

“The head of the FBI called her (Martinez), a domestic terrorist,” Hernández said.

She was later charged with assaulting and impeding federal officers, but the government’s account was challenged with conflicting evidence, including body-camera footage and text messages from an agent. Federal prosecutors then dismissed these charges citing prejudice, which means the case cannot be reopened because of a weak or flawed case.

Hernández then spoke about the fatal shooting of Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in January 2026 while in her vehicle as she engaged with agents during a neighborhood raid in Minneapolis.

“Good did not open the door. She did not exit the car. She continued driving it. First backwards, then forwards, then to the right. Then

“We struggle to agree on whether the days are dominated by light or by darkness. We struggle to agree on whether the political storm in which we find ourselves is one of rejuvenation or one of decay.”

- César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández Immigration lawyer

Supreme Court ruling found it constitutional for police to “stop and frisk” without probable cause if they have reasonable suspicion that someone was involved in a crime.

Hernández said that Terry v. Ohio ties directly into a “turbulent time” on the west coast, with hundreds of ICE agents in the Los Angeles area.

A district court in California recently responded to a lawsuit, Vasquez v. Noem (2025), that was brought by a group of people who were stopped and questioned by ICE agents. The plaintiffs believe they were racially profiled.

Hernández explained that the lawsuit, if successful, would prohibit ICE from racially profiling based on skin color, native language, accents, location

Hernández noted that Brett Kavanaugh, a U.S. Supreme Court justice, is of the opinion that immigrants “often work in certain kinds of jobs, such as day labor, landscaping, agriculture, and construction, that do not require paperwork and are therefore especially attractive to illegal immigrants; and that many of those illegally in the Los Angeles area come from Mexico or Central America and do not speak much English.”

Kavanaugh was appointed in 2018, and has since written multiple court opinions about whether or not factors like race and ethnicity could be considered in immigration stops under the Fourth Amendment.

“How would an agent know that someone does not speak

“I think it’s really important for them (law students) to hear the importance of conversation and the continued dialogue, and valuing the rule of law as a way to prevent violence.”

- Sheila Simon SIU Law Professor, Former Illinois Lieutenant Governor

an agent, phone in one hand, shot her with a gun that he held in the other.” Hernández said. “The script repeats: Good is dead, and high level government officials say she is a domestic terrorist.”

Hernández also talked about the role that court case Terry v. Ohio plays during ICE raids. The 1968

or work/profession. A federal judge from California then agreed and issued an order restricting these tactics of profiling because it was a violation of the Fourth Amendment. The Supreme Court later paused the judge’s ruling, allowing ICE to continue those tactics.

much English? How would an agent go about racially or ethnically categorizing a person?”

Hernández asked, referring to Kavanaugh’s remarks regarding the Supreme Court’s hearing of Noem v. Vasquez. “Kavanaugh did not explain how agents were supposed to figure out those factors.”

Hernández explained that he and a friend, “just two brownskin Latinos speaking Spanish” were having coffee.

“If we said one word to each other in English, it is one more than I can recall. If an immigration agent happened to be nearby, would they hear my conversation, not in English, and then decide that it must be because I cannot speak English?” Hernández asked.

“What type of work would they decide I do? Would they assume that I am a tenured, full professor who holds an endowed chair at one of the country’s premier public universities?”

Hernández also spoke about the contingency surrounding the 14th Amendment, which states that people born of naturalized citizenship in the U.S. are citizens of the U.S. and that no state can enforce a law that can abridge the privileges and immunities of citizenship. Upon Trump’s second term, he challenged the interpretation of the 14th Amendment and what it means to be a “natural-born citizen” through an executive order. Trump argues that birthright citizenship should not automatically apply to children born to undocumented immigrants or parents without permanent legal status.

Hernández said that if this case is constitutionalized, “It will leave many of us without the U.S. citizenship we thought was woven into our legal DNA.”

In September 2025, the Supreme Court decided to hear the case. The court will likely not have a decision until mid-2026.

He closed his lecture with sobering remarks.

“We struggle to agree about whether what we see is real,” Hernández said. “We struggle

to agree on whether the days are dominated by light or by darkness. We struggle to agree on whether the political storm in which we find ourselves is one of rejuvenation or one of decay.”

Hernández is currently the Gregory H. Williams Chair of Civil Rights and Liberties at Ohio State. Hernández has earned recognition as one of the top 10 most cited immigration law scholars in the U.S. Among being a scholar and author, Hernández is a former member of the ABA Commission on Immigration. Simmons Law School Dean Hannah Brenner Johnson explained the importance of these lectures and continued conversations. She said the lecture was created in honor of the school’s founding dean, Hiram Lesar, whose work revolved around civil rights and public policy.

“I think at this particular point in our nation’s history, immigration is a very, very hot-button issue. So, it was very timely to bring a scholar in to talk about some of the constitutional issues that have arisen, and to also bring humanity to the problem as well,” Johnson said.

Attendee Sheila Simon, former lieutenant governor of Illinois and Simmons Law School professor, offered her perspective on Hernández’s lecture in an interview with the DE.

“I think it’s really important for them (law students) to hear the importance of conversation and the continued dialogue, and valuing the rule of law as a way to prevent violence,” Simon said.

Staff Reporter Mariah Fletcher can be reached at mfletcher@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @mariahonrecord

Frigid fun: Students brave cold for Polar Bear party

Shivering students and loud music filled West College Street on Saturday, Jan. 17 as the annual Polar Bear day party rang in the new semester in below-freezing temperatures.

Polar Bear, the annual spring-semester kick-off party, takes place each January on the weekend following the first week of classes. Students bundled in their warmest coats, scarves, gloves and carried around gallon-sized drinks. Borgs — gallon water jugs filled with a mix of alcohol, water and often electrolytes — was the drink of choice by many students and are typically stamped with fun, creative names.

The event was held at Sigma Chi and Phi Kappa Tau fraternity houses, within walking distance of one another, which allowed students to move back and forth between the two parties. A giant tent was set up outside of the Sigma Chi house with several large heaters to give students an opportunity to keep warm through the frigid weather.

Polar Bear began 25 years ago in the early 2000s and began as a way for Pinch Penny Pub, a former college bar that has since closed, to sell Corona beers in the winter time. It then branched out years later to include a summer counterpart, Solar Bear, that takes place in the fall semester and since then, both weekends have become a standing tradition. The parties now are hosted by SIU sororities and fraternities rather than college bars. This year’s party offered grilled foods, heaters and several games for students to keep warm.

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

Across 1. Pistols

5. Police heavy brigade

9. Unexpected turn of events

14. Long song for one in an opera

15. Cairo/Pittsburgh river

16. Totaled

17. Of the present month (Abbr.)

18. Traditional knowledge

19. Cosmetics mogul Elizabeth

20. Monk’s title

21. Job-discrimination watchdog (Abbr.)

22. Plumping

23. Moonshine maker

25. Liable

48. Batter essential

51. Fashion reminiscent of the past

27. Journey’s end forecast

28. Swedish aircraft maker

30. Astonish

32. Take for granted

34. Hearth

38. Radiation absorber

39. “I shall not find myself so --- die” (Antony, in “Julius Caesar”)

41. One up on a deuce

42. Catholic

44. Accuse

46. Wide river mouth

47. Flying toy

53. “What happens in --stays in ---”

56. Short stops

58. Decree

60. Web site ID

61. The first Mrs. Trump

62. Singer --- Simone

63. Split

64. Well mannered

65. International trade org.

66. Stripe

67. Breaks

68. Raised

69. E.g. Levin, Gershwin and others

Down

1. Short attacks

2. Ripley’s slogan finishers

3. Firing

4. Posed

5. Only

6. Cry of exultation

7. Battle group main feature

8. The very end of a golf club

9. Swing in a circus 10. Skin blemish

11. Self-published author

12. Surgically implanted tube

13. A k a the Friendly Islands

21. Gunslinger actor Jack

22. Duck ---, medieval child’s game

24. Exalted

26. Leave out

29. Fab Four

31. Personal assets

32. Top-fermented beer

33. Moderately dry

35. Unorthodox

36. Angular meas.

37. Peeper

40. British Prime Minister when the Constitution was signed

43. Food grasses

45. Honey factory

48. Sagas

49. Singer-songwriter --DeGraw

50. Yellow tropical fruit with pink pulp

52. Token amount

54. Center of an amphitheater

55. Snow vehicles

57. Saucy girl

59. “Shane” star Alan ---

62. Toff

63. G-men

Answers on page 3

Weekly Event Calendar

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

Hangar 9

Carbondale

Dollar night, 8 p.m. South Park Trivia, 8 p.m.

PK’s (21+)

Little Nashville Marion Trivia, 6 p.m. Little Nashville Marion Chris Chamness, 6 p.m.

Carbondale

Gary Robert & Community, Slime Bettys, JC & The Family Band, 10 p.m.

Booby’s Carbondale

January Metal Night: Shoved into Traffic, Shatterfall and GlassCutter, 10 p.m.

Hangar 9 Carbondale

*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.

Hawthorne Art Carbondale Figure Drawing Club, 2 p.m.

Hangar 9 Carbondale 90’s Kidz, 8 p.m. No events listed.

PK’s Carbondale Bad Crime (MKE)/ Obsess Tact (MKE)/ Stay Here, 10 p.m.

Alto Vineyards Alto Pass

Sip, Savor, Support–Whiskey tasting night, 7 p.m.

David Graham and The Eskimo Brothers with Carter and Connelley, 7 p.m.

PK’s Carbondale

Maysa and Liv’s Mac Miller Night birthday celebration with video dj ShastaVision, 10 p.m.

Starview Cobden Jessey Adams, 4 p.m.

Alto Vineyards Alto Pass

Todd Pierson, 2 p.m.

Little Nashville Marion

Open Mic Night: Tom Harness, 6 p.m.

Email editor@dailyegyptian.com.

Hangar 9 Carbondale Karaoke, Free - 8 p.m.

PK’s