THE
Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.
DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2026
Online DE 1 of 3 schools joining Student Media Sustainability Project
VOL. 109, ISSUE 32
InsiDE
Semester in photos, page 11
InsiDE | How an SIU student parries punches at Pharaoh Boxing Club
PHOTOS AND STORY ON PAGE 5 Jacob Crawford takes a punch while sparring April 25, 2026 at So Ill Syndicate Gym in Carbondale, Illinois. Riley Sembler | @riley_sembler
SIU SOFTBALL RECAP
STUDENTS REACT
Williams sets RBI record
Chick-fil-A to leave Student Center
AARON CARNAHAN acarnahan@dailyegyptian.com
With the Chicago skyline off in the distance, junior designated player Emily Williams stepped into the box for the final game against the Flames. With two outs and the bases loaded, Williams made school history when she drove in three runs off a double. The bases were cleared, and with those three RBIs, Williams is now the singleseason RBI record holder at Southern Illinois with 58 RBIs. The Salukis traveled up to the Windy City for a weekend series on May 1 and 2 against the Flames of the University of Illinois Chicago, where they would sweep the Flames 3-0 to end the regular season. MAY 1: SIU 2, UIC 1 Freshman pitcher Brooklyn Danielson was the Saluki starting
pitcher in the circle. Danielson threw a complete game, pitching seven innings, allowing three hits and an unearned run. Danielson threw 97 pitches, picked up three strikeouts and was the winning pitcher in the contest. Danielson is 10-1 on the season. In the bottom of the second inning, sophomore left fielder Sage Grann left her feet and made a sliding catch in shallow left field to steal a Flames hit. The Saluki bats scored the first run in the top of the third inning when junior third baseman Amanda Knutson cranked an RBI double to deep left center field. Freshman shortstop Jordan Stewart scored on the Knutson double. Williams followed with an RBI double down the left field line to score Knutson from second base. Just like that, the
Salukis led the Flames 2-0. The Flames would capitalize on an SIU error and score one run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Saluki advantage in half. Behind Danielson’s pitching, the Dawgs were victorious by a final score of 2-1. MAY 1: SIU 6, UIC 4 A solo shot for the Flames in the bottom of the second gave UIC a 1-0 advantage after two innings. The Saluki offense responded in the top of the third when Williams sent a ball soaring over the right-center wall. Williams and redshirt sophomore right fielder Moleah Blomenkamp scored on the moonshot. The Dawgs were now ahead 2-1. In the top of the fifth, Grann added two more runs by reaching on an error by the Flames. Grann RECORD | 4
YAHRI EDMOND TAY ACREE yedmond@dailyegyptian.com tacree@dailyegyptian.com
The Chick-fil-A inside the Student Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will officially close May 29, according to Student Center Director Kent Epplin. After serving the campus since opening in 2009, the restaurant’s departure follows a broader decision by Chick-fil-A to move away from its licensing program across campus locations, Epplin said in an email to the Daily Egyptian. In the email, Epplin said the company noted that the decision does not
reflect on SIU and expressed appreciation for the university’s management of the brand. For many students, the closure marks the loss of another familiar dining option. Along with the earlier departure of Subway last year and Steak ‘n Shake in 2019, Chick-fil-A helped anchor daily routines between classes, meetings and quick meals. “I mostly come for Chickfil-A,” freshman Katelynn Turner said. “I’ll study sometimes, but usually after I eat.” “Places like Chick-fil-A brought people in — even nonstudents,” law student Jenna Zumbahlen said. “It gave people a reason to come to the Student
Center even if they weren’t already planning to be there.” Zumbahlen said if she ever forgot her lunch, she would run over from the law school to grab Chick-fil-A. She said restaurants like Chick-fil-A brought more people into the Student Center and helped create a more active environment. Beyond the loss of a popular restaurant, some students say the Student Center has grown quieter in recent years. Once a central gathering space, the building now offers fewer reasons for students to linger outside of studying or passing through. CHICK-FIL-A | 3