THE
Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.
DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2025
VOL. 108, ISSUE 25
Professor accused of masturbating on campus no longer works at SIU Jackson Brandhorst jbrandhorst@dailyegyptian.com
Ron Ferguson, left, and Carmen Adeoye, right, look out the window of the bus on a driving tour of Memphis historical sites March 13, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. Photo by Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto
The road to Memphis: Southern Illinoisans tour Civil Rights history Lylee Gibbs Dominique Martinez-Powell @lyleegibbsphoto @d.martinezphoto
Connection weaved through the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll and into the lives of several southern Illinoisans as a local nonprofit sparked conversation and healing on the Civil Rights Movement through a journey to Memphis. That connection was felt at the dinner
table over bowed heads in prayer, in a hand of playing cards and in the exhibits of history that reached out to touch the minds viewing it. In the early morning hours of Wednesday, March 12, the morning light spilled all around a bus in a nearly empty parking lot as suitcases were loaded into its lower storage compartment. Seats were filled and the bus full of nearly 30 southern Illinois residents departed from
Marion, Illinois. The bus traveled over 200 miles south to Memphis, Tennessee, giving these travelers a chance to immerse themselves in the nation’s Civil Rights history. Connect 360, a nonprofit organization based in Marion, chartered a bus to Memphis and spent two days exploring culture and lessons from the American Civil Rights Movement and learning how that period shapes American
freedom and equality in the present day. “I want them to understand history first and foremost,” Connect 360 President Carmen Allen Adeoye said. “That’s the main thing, because you can’t really evaluate, equate and move forward unless you know what happened prior.” The executive board of Connect 360 applied for a Healing Illinois MEMPHIS | 6
Murphysboro remembers: 100 years after the Tri-State tornado Annalise Schmidt aschmidt@dailyegyptian.com
A century after the deadliest tornado in U.S. history tore through southern Illinois, the community of Murphysboro gathered to honor the lives lost and reflect on the devastation that reshaped the region. On March 18, 1925, the massive tornado carved a
219-mile path of destruction across southeast Missouri, southern Illinois and southwest Indiana, claiming 695 lives. Murphysboro was the hardesthit community, with 234 fatalities. The National Weather Service Paducah office hosted a commemoration event on March 15, 2025, bringing
together residents, historians and weather experts to mark 100 years since the Tri-State Tornado. Christine Wielgos, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at NWS Paducah, said the event was meant to both honor the past and highlight advancements in meteorology. “We’re trying to showcase the Christine Wielgos poses for a portrait on March 15, 2025 TRI-STATE | 3 in Murphysboro, Illinois. Enan Chediak | @enanchediak
An updated statement on March 17 from Southern Illinois University has confirmed that SIU School of Medicine Professor Kyle Miller is no longer employed by the university after a social media account – one commonly critical of progressive politics – posted screenshots that appear to show the professor masturbating on video in various locations on the Carbondale campus. According to the university, “Kyle Miller is no longer employed by SIU School of Medicine. SIU takes all matters related to professional conduct seriously and condemns inappropriate behavior.” The Jackson County State’s Attorney has confirmed that their investigation is still ongoing and that they cannot provide any more details on the matter at this time. Published in a thread on the social platform X, @libsoftiktok – an account run by Chaya Raichik, whose posts often aim to generate outrage from the political right – accused professor Kyle Miller of filming himself masturbating in SIU lecture halls, offices, staircases and hallways and then posting them to accounts under the social media handle @ midwest0tter. Public response to the situation has been polarizing, inciting an onslaught of social media memes, discourse about the universities federal funding and even an independent website documenting the situation. Neither SIU Chancellor Austin Lane nor System President Dan Mahony could be reached for comment about the public’s response. On Thursday, March 13 The SIUC X account responded to the @libsoftiktok thread, replying “We are aware of the situation and take all matters related to professional conduct seriously. While we cannot discuss personnel issues, we want to emphasize that we are committed to fostering a respectful workplace and VIDEOS | 3