The Daily Egyptian - May 6, 2026

THE Daily Egyptian

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Insi DE | How an SIU student parries punches at Pharaoh Boxing Club

Williams sets RBI record

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

Chick-fil-A to leave Student Center

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.

Contact Us

Email: editor@dailyegyptian.com

Editor-in-Chief: Carly Gist cgist@dailyegyptian.com

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Design Chief: David Starr-Fleming dstarrfleming@dailyegyptian.com

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Ad Chief: Samantha Barnhill sbarnhill@dailyegyptian.com

Senior Editor: Lylee Gibbs lgibbs@dailyegyptian.com

Digital Editor: Peyton Cook pcook@dailyegyptian.com

Faculty Managing Editor: Alee Quick aquick@dailyegyptian.com

Business Manager: Amy Dion businessmanager@dailyegyptian.com

About Us

Published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale on a weekly basis in print, and every day on dailyegyptian.com. Fall and spring semester editions run every Wednesday. Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale, Carterville, and Springfield communities.

Mission Statement

The Daily Egyptian, the student-run news organization of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is committed to being a trusted source of news, information, commentary and public discourse, while helping readers understand the issues affecting their lives.

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The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale and functions as a laboratory for the School of Journalism in exchange for the room and utilities in the Communications Building. The Daily Egyptian is a non-profit organization that survives primarily off of its advertising revenue. Offices are in the Communications Building, room 1259, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Ill., 62901.

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@2026 The Daily Egyptian. All rights reserved. All content is property of the Daily Egyptian and may not be reproduced or transmitted without consent. The Daily Egyptian is a member of the Illinois College Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Advisers Inc. and the College Business and Advertising Managers Inc.

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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

Thank you. To everybody. For everything.

ELI HOOVER ehoover@dailyegyptian.com

When I found out I was going to get to write a column saying goodbye, I had no idea how I would even begin to write such a thing. There is far too much to say than will ever fit in this paper.

Then I got inspiration from possibly the weirdest place I’ve ever gotten inspiration: Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax.” It’s a movie my family has watched on a screen in the back of the family van so many times on vacation that my dad can quote despite having never technically seen it.

At the end of both the book and the movie, when Ted asks The Once-ler what can be done, he simply replies, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.”

That quote came to mind because I am so ridiculously lucky to be surrounded by co-workers here at the Daily Egyptian that care a whole awful lot about SIU and the surrounding communities.

Over the last couple months, fellow reporter Brayden Guy and photographer Daylin Williams have been following the story of controversy surrounding the village of Cambria police chief. They’ve received threats from their reporting, but they’ve continued anyway because they think our zThank you Brayden and Daylin.

News editor Jackson Brandhorst and senior editor Lylee Gibbs knocked on doors in Du Quoin in mid-February to track down a story about six men getting arrested by ICE agents. Then, weeks later, they worked to uncover information regarding a sexual abuse scandal of a Carterville assistant football coach. They did this knowing there could be blowback, especially regarding the ICE story, but did it anyway to make sure our readers knew what was going on in their communities.

Thank you Jackson and Lylee.

Editor-in-chief Carly Gist has put herself in the thick of it multiple times for a story. She traveled all the way to Bloomington, Indiana back in October to give the Indiana Daily Student’s fight with University of Indiana administration more attention. And more recently, she uncovered an internal struggle over SIU Provost Sheryl Tucker stepping down.

Thank you Carly.

I could give examples for just about everyone on staff here at the Daily Egyptian. From Kristin Borchers’ reporting on the rise of Risepoint, to Mariah Fletcher’s indepth look at how the McLeod Theater renovations are affecting theater students, to Noah Petschke and Riley Sembler driving nearly an hour each way in the snow to cover Jamisen Green breaking the Harrisburg High School girl’s basketball all-time career scoring record, everyone has a story they went above and beyond for. Thank you Kristin, Mariah, Noah, Riley, and every other reporter and photographer.

It doesn’t stop at the students either. Professors Molly Parker and Julia Rendleman have contributed to reporting and spent countless hours and late nights helping us through assignments, both for classes and the DE, making sure we are the best writers and photographers we possibly can be. Thank you Molly and Julia.

I couldn’t talk about helpful SIU employees without mentioning Daily Egyptian faculty editor Alee Quick. She trusted me to help shape our sports coverage here at the DE despite not joining until this past August. She has gone through every article I’ve written over the past year and has always had at least one piece of advice for me afterward. There is no way I am as good of a journalist I am today without her. Thank you Alee.

I am so incredibly proud of our sports coverage this year at the DE. None of that happens without Nick Pfannkuche, Noah

Petschke, Aaron Carnahan, Leo Castro and Will Elliott.

Noah and I are the only ones that were here the whole year, and there is no one else I would have rather gone through this year with.

Nick did an amazing job leading our football coverage in the fall, his final semester here at SIU.

Aaron came in late in the spring semester, but his growth while covering Saluki softball in that short time has been incredible.

Leo jumped in during the spring crossover season to finish out our coverage of a much improved women’s basketball team and never skipped a beat.

While Will only wrote one sports article for us, I am still incredibly thankful that he was able to step to the plate during such a busy weekend. Thank you Nick, Noah, Aaron, Leo and Will.

None of what I write gets to newsstands without our amazing design team. Each one of the five members of our design team at one point or another had to deal with either making my vague idea for a graphic the incredible final design it became, or sat there in the office waiting for me to turn in a game story that was way past the weekly deadline so they could finish putting together that week’s paper. Thank you David Starr-Fleming, Yasmin MartinezPowell, James Jamason, Dena Rendleman and AJ Sullivan.

I have had the pleasure of writing

at least one article about nine different Saluki sports throughout the year. None of that coverage happens without the sports information directors here at SIU granting me access, and the coaches and athletes of those sports taking time out of their busy schedules to sit down or sit on the phone with me. Thank you SIDs, coaches and athletes.

Lastly, none of this happens without you reading this. I could write 1,000 words a day but it wouldn’t matter if no one wanted to read it. You read the articles, commented and shared the posts on social media, messaged me with ideas and gave feedback when necessary. You are a huge part of what we do here at the DE. Thank you, dear reader.

I realize this is supposed to be my goodbye, and I’m over 900 words in with only one mention of myself. The truth of the matter is, I’m not who I am without any of the people I’ve mentioned. Thanking them is far more important than anything I could say about myself.

For now, I say au revoir, because I have no doubt I will see everyone again.

For the time being, you can find Sports Reporter Eli Hoover at ehoover@ dailyegyptian.com. You can always find him on Instagram @hoovermakesart

Hangar 9 to close for summer renovations

Hangar 9 will temporarily close beginning May 30, as the venue moves into the second phase of renovations, according to a recent announcement from co-owner Scott Moller.

The closure is part of a two-phase revitalization effort under new ownership, with the venue expected to reopen in August of the fall semester.

“We are scheduling our remodel during the summer, when the fewest students are in town,” Moller said in

an email to the Daily Egyptian. “We believe it will be exciting for students to return next semester and experience a new and improved Hangar 9.”

Hangar 9, a longtime staple on Carbondale’s Avenue strip, closed at the end of 2024 after 47 years of operation before being acquired by Southern Illinois University alumni

Andrew Perlmutter and Moller.

Phase 1 renovations have already begun and have focused on expanding capacity, enlarging the dance floor and redesigning the existing outdoor beer

according to past DE reporting.

“The biggest difference has been the known restaurants closing down — first Subway and now Chick-fil-A,” Zumbahlen said.

“The options are dwindling. That has definitely reduced foot traffic in the Student Center and changed the overall atmosphere.”

Turner said the closure could affect how often she visits the Student Center.

“Now that Chick-fil-A is leaving, I probably won’t be going to the Student Center as often,” she said.

Epplin said a replacement is already planned. The Student Center will open the 1869 Grille, a new dining concept named for the year SIU was chartered. The restaurant has been in development for several years and was originally expected to open earlier but faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic,

The restaurant is expected to serve classic menu items such as hamburgers, fries, chicken tenders and grilled sandwiches, with an emphasis on affordability.

“I think having a well-known, indemand fast food chain like Chickfil-A is more appealing to students than what the new place will likely be,” she said. “It might help bring people in, but it probably won’t fully replace that same feeling.”

Other students, however, are less concerned about the change.

“I don’t think it will affect how much I come to the Student Center,” junior Dylan Chausse said. “The new place they’re opening actually seems like it might be better.”

Students will have an opportunity to preview the new concept during a taste test scheduled for Tuesday, May 5 at noon on the first floor of the Student Center, where feedback will help shape the final menu.

garden. The space will reopen as “The Dawg Park.”

Phase 2, scheduled for summer 2026, will include a full interior redesign with a new bar, upgraded stage, advanced lighting and sound systems and expanded food and drink options.

The venue currently does not offer food service, making it one of the more notable additions planned for the renovation.

Students returning in the fall can expect noticeable changes to the venue, particularly in outdoor space and service.

In addition, Epplin said the Student Center and University Housing have partnered with a foodservice consultant to plan future dining options and expand meal offerings for students.

“Students will notice an upgraded beer garden that truly reflects SIU,” Moller said. “We are going all-in on Saluki pride.”

Moller said improvements will also address past concerns about wait times.

“We are increasing the number of serving stations so customers won’t have to wait as long, something we know has been an issue,” he said.

No events were scheduled during the summer closure, so none will need to be relocated.

The closure follows a series of final

“I’ve always liked running into people there while they’re grabbing food or just hanging out,” Zumbahlen said. “It made the space feel more active, and I do think fewer people will go there now.”

performances scheduled through midMay, marking the venue’s last shows before construction begins.

Hangar 9 first opened in 1978 and has long been a central part of Carbondale’s nightlife and live music scene. With renovations focused on improving service and expanding space, the venue’s next chapter is aimed at addressing past concerns while bringing students back for the fall semester.

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

Staff Reporter Yahri Edmond can be reached at yedmond@dailyegyptian.com.

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

The gift SIU gave me — time to grow

LYLEE GIBBS lgibbs@dailyegyptian.com

This digital age that we have cultivated demands immediacy — we scroll, think and live rapidly. We have lost the art of living in the moment, and we throw time around like there is an abundance of it. Time will rush past you if you aren’t careful. I know because I wasn’t, and May came stumbling in, unannounced, while my mind was still in August.

In my photojournalism classes, I spent many days listening to the phrase “give yourself the gift of time” as it echoed through the minds of the peers who would soon enough become my friends. Go early, stay late and give ourselves time to make good images for our portfolios. So I did just that. I spent all day in a tractor photographing a farmer, and arrived early to football games to photograph the team huddle in the locker room before the game even began.

However, I also gave myself the gift of time to grow, experience and prosper into the person I am today.

Let’s start by going back in time to four years ago when my feet first hit the floor of the Communications Building. I had zero intention of doing anything news related. I figured I would fly through the whole college thing on the notion that I would become a sports photographer. A month into freshman year, I was on staff at the Daily Egyptian begrudgingly doing news and hoping a sports photo assignment had my name on it. Eventually, I led a desk of photographers as sports photo

editor, and then the entire staff of photographers as photo editor. Then, I was granted the title of editor-in-chief of the DE. Through all of this, somewhere in the mix, I became a photojournalist.

Did I ever expect that I was going to work in news? No. But humans are easily influenced creatures, and being surrounded by good, passionate people will do that to you. Somewhere out there exists a clipping of me in my hometown newspaper from when I won a photo essay contest in first grade … So in hindsight, it should have been obvious when I decided I wanted this to define my entire life.

In the spring of my sophomore year, our professor (and this year’s teacher of the year!) Julia Rendleman told us we’d be spending an entire weekend documenting Alto Pass and Cobden for SIU’s annual Weekend Workshop — a program she revived from the ashes.

Through the pit in my stomach and my white knuckles trembling on my steering wheel, that weekend changed my life. I think it shaped me to the very person I am today. To be in one space, for over 48 hours, with dozens of people who are all passionate about visual storytelling is extremely moving — it is this transformative experience that one might spend the rest of their life trying to feel again.

That weekend is when I knew I wanted to be a photojournalist, and that weekend made me a finalist in College Photographer of the Year — which was a surreal moment, too.

Following the Weekend Workshop, time marched on and the inevitable soul-searching experience that college forces you to endure finally hit me. This journalist thing is pretty life-changing.

There is a very intimate and retrospective nature to journalism that I have grown to understand and cherish. Getting a firsthand look at people, their lives and the things that make them human. Getting the privilege to tell their stories. Journalists even get a front row seat to history, as they say.

This job, standing behind a camera, is a privilege and the greatest gift life has given me.

I traveled to South America for

the first time when I went to report in Peru as a Pulitzer Center fellow last June. I saw parts of the world I hadn’t ever imagined seeing and spent time in the home of a family as they hummed me a soft song from church on a guitar, though we couldn’t speak the same language.

Despite being a life-long Illinois resident, I visited Chicago for the first time because of SIU and the journalism school. I had never been to Washington D.C., and now I’ve been twice.

Outside of the classroom, I worked closely with Julia and professor Molly Parker for a year and a half on an environment story about the climate and resilience of agriculture. That experience taught me a lot of things, and is one of the best bodies of work I am walking away with. Julia has taught me to be the best photojournalist I could be today, and I wouldn’t have had the learning experience that I did without her contagious passion for photojournalism. Molly and her classes have made me a better writer, which has always been a daunting task for me, so I am beyond thankful. They both changed my life and this program in wonderful ways.

The beginning of my junior year began my tenure as editor-in-chief, which spanned into my senior year. And with that came the introduction of our astonishing faculty editor Alee Quick. I learned how to lead, how to manage and how to produce a newspaper. Many late nights of my life were spent trying to figure this all out. We managed to turn this newspaper into a leading source of news for the region to help revive this vast news desert. Alee makes us all at the DE a little better than we were the day before, and for that we owe her the utmost praise and respect. Thank you for being here.

I have much gratitude for the entire DE staff who let me guide them. Thank you all for listening to me, and teaching me more than you could have ever imagined.

The summer before my senior year, I interned at the St. Louis Public Radio where nearly every day I photographed the kind-hearted people of St. Louis under the

guidance of SIU alum Brian Munoz, who taught me well. I stood in the midst of events like Black rodeos and the Savannah Bananas baseball game at Busch Stadium. It felt really surreal to stand in the Cardinals’ photo well as a lifelong fan of the birds. I am forever thankful to Brian and the entire STLPR staff who welcomed me in and gave me the best summer I could have asked for.

I learned through these experiences how important news is to a functioning democracy — and how vital our role is as young journalists to keep it going.

More time was spent in the Communications Building than it was at my own home, and I have taken more photos than I can even count. All that time and button pushing gave me some level of knowledge that I will take with me wherever I go.

I am not the same person I was as a freshman, and I won’t be the same person even a year from now, but I’ve learned that is the beautiful thing about time and life. We are constantly evolving.

The friends I found made these four years the best I could have asked for. And I am privileged to have too many people to name one by one here, so I won’t. But just know you all changed my life. My dear family who went a lot of time not hearing from me at all because I got a little too busy — thank you for believing in me.

I can’t write about my college experience without talking about my grandma, Victoria, who gave me my first ever DSLR camera. She passed away over this past Christmas break, and the last thing we ever spoke about was me telling her to mark May 9 on her calendar for my graduation. She had a kind spirit and I would wish for nothing else than for her to be here, but I know I made her proud.

The time spent here at SIU has prepared me well, and at the end of May I will leave my breathtaking southern Illinois home behind for the bluegrass state where I am thrilled to be the 2026 Project 306.36 Tim Dillon Visual Storytelling grant recipient for Boyd’s Station in Harrison County, Kentucky.

I am leaving with work published in publications like ProPublica, Reuters, Capitol News Illinois and NPR — all before I even received my diploma. What a top-notch education I have been lucky enough to experience. But out of all the things I was taught in and out of the classroom, the best thing I learned is that there is an abundance of love here.

My time at SIU was never about the physicality of my degree — because love was never found in my good grades or whether I made the dean’s list or not.

Love is heard in the laughter that comes from the living room in my college apartment. And it’s felt sitting in my favorite classes surrounded by my newfound best friends. It is found in the busy DE newsroom late at night putting together this very newspaper. It’s found on a warm Carbondale evening watching my friends converse over a cigarette.

Love has always been in my photos and bylines that appeared in this paper for the last four years.

Though I grew up 20 miles up the road, I dreaded leaving high school and my home for an experience unknown to me because I was afraid I wouldn’t love it. Now, Carbondale has become a home full of love and I am dreading leaving it, too.

This place has sometimes begged for me to hate it — hate its cracked walls and its warped bulletin boards. But, even if I tried to hate it here, the warmth of the people and opportunities that occupy this space have always beckoned me back.

Time heals all, and love brings us back home, eventually.

My time here has been eye-openingly beautiful and everything I could have asked for. To anyone reading this who still has time here — I hope you are in tune with the moments before you. I am forever indebted to this place and the people.

“The world owes us nothing, and we owe each other the world,” - Ani Di Franco.

Senior editor Lylee Gibbs can be reached at lyleegibbs@gmail.com or on Instagram @lyleegibbsphoto

added two more runs by reaching on an error by the Flames. Grann picked up two RBIs on the error with sophomore Sarah Cook and grad student Brooklyn Pritchett scoring on the play.

Senior second baseman Erin Lee kept the scoring going with an RBI single to score Grann. Blomenkamp followed Lee with an RBI sac fly to left field to score junior centerfielder Mikaela Coburn. After that four-run fifth inning, the Salukis led 6-1.

Freshman pitcher Hailey Lucas started the game in the circle for Southern Illinois. Lucas pitched two and one-third innings, allowing three hits and one earned run.

Junior pitcher Emily Delgado relieved Lucas in the third inning. Delgado pitched four and twothirds innings, surrendering four hits and three runs, only two of which were earned.

The Flames came up short on a late rally, and the Salukis won the second game by a final of 6-4. Delgado was the winning pitcher and improved to 10-4 on the year.

MAY 2: SIU 11, UIC 6

Both offenses started the game off scoring. Sophomore first baseman Hayden Kurtz singled to shallow right field to score junior catcher Sydney Potter and Blomankamp. In the bottom of the first, the Flames hit a three-run home run and took the lead 3-2 after an inning. In the top of the second, Blomenkamp hit an RBI infield

single to score Coburn. Coburn showed some great base-running awareness by coming around to score. UIC went back in front by a run after some errors by SIU. UIC was up 4-3 after two innings.

The Salukis exploded in the top of the third for five runs in the half inning. Coburn crushed an RBI triple to left field that scored freshman Delaney Osborne. Senior co-captain Hailey Wilkerson smoked a double off the wall in a pinch-hit appearance to score Coburn.

Williams followed with her record-setting three RBI double that scored Wilkerson, Stewart and Blomenkamp. The Flames picked up a single run in the bottom of the third, but the Dawgs had an 8-5 advantage after three innings.

UIC scored one more in the

bottom of the fifth. Southern Illinois responded with a two-RBI double down the right field line by Lee. Coburn followed that with a double down the left field line to score Lee.

Coburn went 3-4, just a home run short of hitting for the cycle.

Coburn scored two runs, drove in two runs, and made a diving catch in right-center field in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Lucas was the starter for the Salukis. Lucas pitched two and onethird innings, allowing six hits and five runs, four of which were earned.

Danielson entered in the third to relieve Lucas.

Danielson pitched three innings and surrendered three hits and one earned run. Danielson was relieved by Delgado in the sixth inning.

Delgado pitched the remaining

inning and two-thirds and shut down the Flames, not allowing a hit.

The Salukis won the game by a final score of 11-6. With these wins, the Dawgs move to 33-15 overall and 21-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference. UIC falls to 21-32-1 overall and 10-18 in MVC play.

The regular season has concluded and the Salukis will be the No. 2 seed in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament which takes place May 5-9 at Charlotte West Stadium. The Salukis will await the winner of Murray State versus Evansville. Southern Illinois will face the winner of that matchup on May 7, with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.

Knock Out: Inside Pharaoh Boxing Club

RILEY SEMBLER

rsembler@dailyegyptian.com

Directly on the Carbondale Strip sits a building with a history dating back to the mid-1930s. The Yellow Cab building was recently renovated into a gym owned by So Ill Syndicate. Within the walls of the gym, Pharaoh Boxing Club operates. Jacob Crawford, an exercise science student at SIU, boxes under head coach Willy Martinez.

Crawford has been boxing for about 2 ½ years and coaches all age groups throughout the week at the SIU Student Recreational Center and at So Ill Syndicate.

“It’s just one of those things that you just kind of fall into,” he said.

In his sophomore through senior year of high school, he wrestled, which he said gave him the cardio base he has now.

Crawford trains multiple times a week to prepare to compete against other boxers. Recently, he fought in the St. Louis Golden Gloves and placed second.

“It’s a pretty big deal to me. I ended up getting second in the tournament, and you know that’s how things go,” Crawford said.

He explained that boxing is the most natural thing for him and he’s a fighter at heart.

“I was never really particularly talented at anything, and then as soon as I got into boxing, it was kind of like, oh, I get it, you know? And I didn’t really have to do all the mental gymnastics that I feel like I’ve had to do in previous sports,” he said.

He said this boxing group is his support group, and he couldn’t ask for a better group of people to be around. He also said they keep him accountable and come to support him when he’s not feeling his best.

“It’s honestly a very gratifying feeling to come to a place every day that feels like family. And it’s like a brotherhood and sisterhood,” Crawford said. Crawford will be competing again May 16.

This story was produced for JRNL-412 Intermediate Photojournalism.

Staff photographer Riley Sembler can be reached at rsembler@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @riley_sembler

RIGHT: Jacob Crawford, a SIU student and local boxer, poses for a portrait April 21, 2026 at So Ill Syndicate Gym in Carbondale, Illinois. Riley Sembler | @riley_sembler

The Project Upward Bound (PUB) Program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is an educational assistance program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. It is designed to assist qualifying high school students in developing the skills and motivation necessary for successful completion of post-secondary education or training. Services are provided to participants throughout the academic year and during six weeks in the summer Summer Teaching Positions Available Foreign Language (Spanish or Japanese)

college standing, leadership skills Overnight Monitor: Must remain alert and awake to monitor students from 10pm-6am

To ensure full consideration, materials must be submitted by May 8th.

Email Ms. Dominick at erica dominick@siu.edu or call (618) 453-3354

College of Agricultural, Life, and Physical Sciences

TO TEAGAN HINDS

And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself.

- Elle Woods

You are truly a legend! Couldn’t be more proud of you!

- Mom

College of Arts and Media

Hey Ethan Eisenberg YOU ROCK!

You have made us proud every step of the way. Congratulations on your latest achievement. We can’t wait to see what you do next.

- Love, Mom and Dad

College of Business and Analytics

TO TRINITY STROISCH

You did it! I’m beyond proud of the woman you have become. You have proven over and over just how amazing you are. Congratulations sweetie!

- Love, Mom

MESSAGES FOR THE CLASS OF 2026

TO TRENT MINAGLIA

You’re about to attend a ceremony that you so well deserve. You’ve worked so hard to get to the finish line. So excited to see you succeed at the next level.

- Love, Mom and Dad

Congratulations on your graduation, Carter!

All the hard work pays off today! What an impactful experience over the last four years that you’ll remember forever. We love you and are so proud of you!

- Love Mom, Dad, and Sawyer

College of Engineering, Computing, Technology, and Mathematics

To Nick McKenna

We are so incredibly proud of all you’ve achieved. We’re happy your hard work and patience has earned you highest honors. It’s well deserved. Can’t wait to see where life takes you. Way to go!

- Mom, Dad, Taylor, Skittles

Congrats, Thomas AnhKhoa Xuan Nguyen!

Congratulations to our incredible son on earning your Bachelor of Aviation! What a landmark achievement! Your dedication, discipline, and passion for flight carried you from runway to wings. You logged the hours, trusted your instruments, and followed your heading. As they say, “The sky is not the limit—your mind is.” We are so proud and can’t wait to watch you soar, climb, and captain your future.

- Love Mom & Dad

Congrats, Billy Nolan!

Billy - We are so incredibly proud of all you have accomplished. Congrats on your graduation!! We love you!!

- Dad, Mom and Ryan

College of Health and Human Sciences

TO OLIVIA VONDRAK

Congratulations Pip!!!! We are so proud of you! Get ready for the next chapter of your journey!! We love you!

- Mom and Dad

TO MICHAEL PATANO

You did it! We’re so proud of you and everything you’ve accomplished. We love you! Now, time to celebrate!

- Love, Mom and Jenna

TO XAVIAN BUDAY

We are so very proud of all you achieved these four years. You’re a blessed young man of many talents. We pray for you a life filled with all you want it to be.

- We love you, Grandma & Papa

To Meena Garcia CONGRATULATIONS!

We are so proud of you. All of your hard work, and all of that Red Bull, has paid off. You are amazing and going places. You are so special.

- Mum, Father, Grandma, & Stef

To Ally Whitener

Congratulations Ally! We are so proud of you and all you have accomplished. All the hard work has finally paid off. We love you!

- Mom and Dad

TO COLIN KOZIOL

You did it! What an accomplishment. We are beyond proud of you! All of that hard work paid off. You are going to be the best teacher! We love you so much.

- Love Mom Dad and Henry

Congrats,

Liam McNicholas!

Liam, we are so proud of all the hard work you’ve put in over the past four years. Graduating from SIU is such an incredible achievement, and you’ve truly earned it. We can’t wait to see where this next chapter takes you—your future is so bright!

Love, your family

Congrats ,Kasha Neilly!

Congratulations Kasha on obtaining a Bachelor in Dietetics. As a student from an island nation, you overcame every hurdle - rigorous nutrition labs and and coursework, fueling athletic performances to reach this milestone. You now join Saluki alumni prepared to advance health for individuals and athletics worldwide. We are so proud of you. May you continue to overcome hurdles as a future RD, making a global impact. Go Dawgs!

With love, your family

Congrats, Xavian Buday!

Good luck in the next scene!

You have walked in many roles in your life. An actor, a builder, a traveler, a musician, a performer, a filmmaker, a writer, a college student, stage left, stage right, and now it’s time to exit stage forward into your next chapter. As you step off into the unknown we have no doubt you will find your best path into your future life role. We love you and we are so very proud of all your hard work and accomplishments.

Love Mom & Dad

Congratulations Sammy!

Congratulations Sammy! It’s been such a joy to watch you learn and grow developing the gifts God has blessed you with. From birth you have a spark for trying to make others happy and making everyone in the room feel they have a friend. We are sure God is about to do incredible things with your life. We are so proud of the capable, compassionate, amazing person you’ve grown into. Getting to be your parents is the greatest joy of our lives. We love you. Go be amazing!

Love, mom & dad

Congrats, Abby Harris!

We’re so proud of you and love you so much!

Love Momma, Gma, Gpa, Brett, Courtney, Squish, Aunt Carrie, Uncle Lee, Cylee, Jeff, and Connie!

Congrats, Jacob!

Your whole family is so proud of you! We are so excited to celebrate your biggest accomplishment yet. While it hasn’t been the easiest path, you not only persevered — you flourished. I know Mike and our grandparents are proudly looking down and cheering you on too. I’m so glad you chose to be a Saluki too and enjoyed everything SIU and the ‘Dale had to offer. We can’t wait to see what you do next and cheer you on for your masters. Once a Saluki, always a Saluki!

From your brother, Sean

Congrats, Ava Strokosch!

Congratulations Ava. We are so proud of the amazing person you are. Keep making the world a better place with your sweet smile, amazing wit and contagious laugh. You will do great things. Remember to stay humble, because Ava Flava, you have boogers in your soul.

Love, Dad

Congrats, Matt and Caitlyn!

Congratulations, Matt and Caitlyn!

We are so proud of you both.

Thank You DE Business Team

To our graduates moving on, those of you in sales learned how to keep going after every ‘no’ and turn persistence into progress. That resilience will take you far in life. We’re proud of you and excited for what’s next—may your future be full of more ‘yeses’! Thank you, Samantha Barnhill, Matt Holliday, and Trinity Stroisch.

Ritesh Dommaraju, thank you for your reliability and hard work getting the papers where they need to be, your consistency kept things running smoothly, and that doesn’t go unnoticed. We wish you the best possible future.

You will all be missed! – Amy and Richard

SIU’s Tedrick Welcome Center opens with a focus on recruitment and community

TAY ACREE

More than 600 people registered to attend the grand opening of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Tedrick Welcome Center on Friday, May 1, filling the new facility as university leaders, donors and community members gathered to celebrate the building’s debut.

The 44,000-square-foot facility, located at the main entrance to campus along U.S. Highway 51, will serve as the starting point for prospective student visits while also housing the SIU Foundation and providing space for alumni and community events.

Chancellor Austin Lane said the center is meant to reshape first impressions of SIU — and ultimately help boost recruitment.

“This is where our students will come in and get acclimated to what it means to be a Saluki,” Lane said during the ceremony. “This is the building we

want them to be in.”

The project was funded entirely through the SIU Foundation, with no state appropriations or tuition dollars used, according to SIU Foundation CEO Matt Kupec. The building was completed in roughly 20 months and finished under budget.

University officials did not specify what portion of the project the Tedrick gift covered. A public records request for the total cost is pending.

Kupec said the idea grew out of a need for new office space for the SIU Foundation but quickly expanded into something larger.

“Why are we just going to build offices?” Kupec said. “We need to think bigger — a welcome center that the whole university would benefit from.”

The building includes interactive displays, flexible event spaces and technology designed to personalize visits for prospective students. Kupec said the goal is to create an engaging

experience from the moment visitors walk through the doors.

“Think about that first impression,” Kupec said. “If you’re a junior high or high school student and you walk in and see your name on the screen — that matters.”

The space includes interactive displays and digital boards that personalize visits, along with murals lining the walls and a featured alumni wall highlighting SIU graduates.

Roger Tedrick, whose family’s $6 million lead gift helped fund the project, said improving student recruitment played a major role in the decision to support the center.

Tedrick said the previous welcome center, located across U.S. Highway 51, was difficult for visitors to access.

“Student enrollment has always been important to us,” Tedrick said. “The welcome center we had before was hard to get to, and this university is important.”

Tedrick, a Carbondale native, said his connection to SIU spans back decades.

“I grew up just a block away from here,” he said. “My parents moved here so we could have a better education, and SIU helped shape our family.”

Tedrick said the new center represents an investment in the university’s future.

“I knew this university could use a change,” he said. “I love giving back to the place that made me.”

He added that the building is intended to leave a lasting impression on prospective students.

“I hope they realize this is a great university to get a great education,” Tedrick said.

University leaders emphasized the center’s role in addressing enrollment challenges by improving how SIU presents itself to visitors.

“If you go across the street, that’s where we serve students — admissions, financial aid,” Lane said, referring to SIU’s building across U.S. Highway 51 that currently houses admissions and financial aid. “But we didn’t have that

welcoming atmosphere. That’s why this building is so critical.”

The location was also chosen strategically.

More than 13,000 cars pass the site daily, Kupec said, giving the university a visible presence at one of its busiest entrances.

“This has become the face of the university,” said J. Phil Gilbert, chair of the SIU Board of Trustees.

Beyond recruitment, the center is designed to function as a gathering place for alumni, donors and the broader community, with both public and private events expected to be held in the space.

“This really feels like the people’s house,” Kupec said. “It’s open, it’s welcoming, and it’s for everyone.”

As visitors moved through the space following the ribbon cutting, officials pointed to the building as both a symbol of progress and a tool for the future.

“This is just the beginning,” Lane said.

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

Student Center reveals fourth-floor lounge

Bright colors and open lounge space replaced the typical maroon and grey of the SIU Student Center as students, faculty and alumni gathered April 30 for a ribbon-cutting and dedication of the new England Student Center Lounge.

The fourth-floor space, once home to the studentrun WIDB radio station, has been transferred into a student-centered hub designed for studying, collaboration and connection.

The project began as a student-led idea aimed at creating a space for students, especially commuters, to spend time between classes.

“This space was first presented to me as an idea that would meet the needs of primarily commuter students,” said Brian Flath, director of development for student affairs.

Student leaders said the lounge reflects what students have been asking for.

“Today is much more than just opening a room,” Undergraduate Student Government President Lydia Phelps said. “It is the realization of an idea that started with students simply asking for a place to belong.”

The redesigned space stands out from the rest of the Student Center, featuring vibrant colors, curved seating and flexible layouts that allow students to use the space in different ways. The area includes study rooms, a kitchenette, a podcast and music recording space and a lactation room.

“Every part of this lounge was designed intentionally with the student experience in mind,” Phelps said.

This event included remarks from university leaders, student representatives and the England family before the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Former USG President Penny Bordewick became emotional during her remarks, pausing as she thanked the England family for their support in bringing the project to life.

For the England family, the effort to support the lounge is deeply personal.

“SIU has changed our lives, and for that, we’re deeply grateful,” Bob England said.

In an interview following the event, the Englands said their decision to give back was rooted in the connections they built as students.

“The students are what made the difference,” Pat England said. “I worked at another university and saw how brilliant students are and how hard they work to make their ideas happen. I have always had a heart for students and so has Bob.”

“There’s more to going to a university than the academic part,” she added. “You make connections, and we have friends from over 50 years ago we met here that are still in our lives.”

They said they hope the new space gives current students a similar experience.

“My hope is that this will be a space for respite, a space for collaboration and a space for fun,” Pat England said. “And if those things

happen, then it’s a win.”

As the ribbon was cut and attendees explored the space, the Englands said they hope students feel comfortable making it their own.

“I hope they feel comfortable to come in, sit down and do what they need to do, “ Pat England said.

The lounge is named in honor of the Englands, whose $250,000 gift helped bring the project to life and will support students for years to come.

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

Salukis can’t shred the Sycamores, drop series 2-1 to Indiana State

After dropping their eighth consecutive midweek matchup, the Dawgs shifted their focus to a three-game series on May 1-3 versus the Indiana State Sycamores. The Salukis looked to move up in the Missouri Valley Conference standings against a tough opponent. SIU nabbed the second game of the series, but the high-powered Sycamores’ offense propelled ISU to a 2-1 series victory.

MAY 1: ISU 8, SIU 5

Pitcher Andrew Evans got the start for SIU on Friday evening. The righty got out of the first inning with no damage.

Left fielder Kristian Sprawling led off the game for the Salukis with an opposite-field home run, putting the Dawgs up early.

An ISU triple and RBI single tied the game in the top of the fourth inning.

ISU added another run in the fifth inning with an RBI sacrifice fly, giving the opponents a 2-1 lead.

A hit by pitch, walk and bunt single loaded the bases for the Salukis in the bottom of the fifth. RBI groundouts from right fielder Kye Watson and centerfielder Julio Guerrero put SIU back on top.

Pitcher Jack MacIntosh came in and struck out two en route to a scoreless sixth inning.

baseman Jaden Flores hit back-to-back sacrifice flies, and the corner infielders upped the SIU lead to 5-2 after six.

A messy top of the eighth inning led the Sycamores to bat around the order and put up a crooked six runs. The offensive surge gave ISU a late 8-5 lead.

The tying run was up to bat in the bottom of the ninth, but the Salukis failed to tie the game. The Sycamores took the first game 8-5.

MAY 2: SIU 2, ISU 1

Left-handed pitcher Troy Shepard got the nod for SIU in Game 2. The dominant southpaw sent the Sycamores down in order in the first.

Sprawling, after tallying four hits on Friday, knocked a leadoff single into right field. The speedy outfielder stole second base, but the Dawgs failed to cash in the runner.

A strikeout and two popouts made for a quick top of the second inning.

The Sycamores’ pitching was dominant as well, sending down the Salukis without surrendering any early runs.

The Sycamores broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning with an RBI sacrifice fly, but the Dawgs answered right back with a run-scoring double play in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Flores flashed the leather to keep the Sycamores from taking a lead in the sixth inning. The third baseman knocked down a scorched groundball and fired it across the

diamond to end the top of the sixth.

With a runner on second base, shortstop Tim Simay blooped a ball into shallow centerfield and second baseman Gabe Petrucelli sprinted home, and the Dawgs took a 2-1 lead.

Meade Johnson took over for Shepard in the top of the eighth inning. The new arm sent down all six batters he faced, four via the strikeout, and the Salukis evened up the series with a 2-1 victory.

MAY 3: ISU 14, SIU 3

Looking to snag a series victory, the Salukis sent out pitcher Charlie Miller to face the Sycamores on Sunday. The Dawgs let up four runs in the first inning after some defensive blunders and a barrage of ISU hits.

The third inning had a very similar outcome to the first. An error and four hits plated four runs for the Sycamores, putting the away team up 8-0.

Pitcher Dylan Petrey came in and tossed 4.2 innings of one-run ball.

Sprawling, continuing his dominant weekend, mashed a home run over the left field wall. The two-run shot cut the lead down to 8-2 in the fourth inning.

Petrucelli added another run in the bottom of the sixth with an infield single.

A solo home run in the top of the seventh inning gave ISU a 9-3 lead.

A five-run top of the ninth inning for the Sycamores put the game out of reach, and the

Sycamores finished the game with a 14-3 win. With this series loss, SIU falls to 1828 overall and 9-9 in conference play. The Sycamores improve to 26-21 and 12-6 in MVC games. Coverage for the Salukis game on May 5 versus the Knights of Bellarmine University can be found on the Daily Egyptian website.

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

Feb. 24, 2026 in

| @photosbydaylin

Terry Maddox drills screws into the horizontal stabilizer on a plane April 10, 2026 at the Southern Illinois Airport in Murphysboro, Illinois. These are simi-private jets which sit in the desert of New Mexico before being flown to Crucial MRO to be worked on. Riley Sembler | @riley_sembler

John Medwedeff and Michael Lanham fit together the pieces of a wall sculpture April 10, 2026 at Medwedeff’s studio in Murphysboro, Illinois. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com

Ben Pennino demonstrates a single person cross cut March 22, 2026 at the lumberjack demonstration during the Maple Syrup Festival at the Touch Of Nature Educational Center. Jake Haines | @jhainesphoto

SEMESTER IN PHOTOS

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Reno Sweeney (Olivia Manning) attempts to woo Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (Harrison Gilbert) in hopes to ruin his engagement March 22, 2026 during a dress rehearsal of“Anything Goes”at the Shryock Auditorium in Carbondale, Illinois. Soph Levinson| @hpos.artz

Joan Listen (73) laughs with personal assistant, Melka Hunde April 16, 2026 in Listen’s living room. Hunde has worked with Listen for 7 years and have formed a close family-like bond. Emily Brinkman | erb_photo_

The Nature Conservancy fire fellow Piper Morris walks through a thick cloud of smoke as she and other members of TNC begin a burn unit March 25, 2026 at Giant City Lodge in Makanda, Illinois. Lylee Gibbs | @lyleegibbsphoto

Ricardo de la Cruz prunes apple trees at Mileur Orchard April 11, 2026 in Murphysboro, Illinois. Carly Gist | @gistofthestory

ACROSS

1- Ballpark figures

5- “Money, money, money” singers

9- Used a bench

12- ___ Alto, Calif.

13- Auto options

15- Landers and others

16- Run-down part of a city

17- Spokes

18- Alcove

19- Singers of “Bad Liars” and “Believer”

22- Prefix with cellular

23- Ugly spot

24- A black key, 2 words

28- Very smart people

50- Fairy tale mattress lump

52- They sang “Jesus Is Just Alright”

34- Habit-forming medicine

35- Sound

36- Society page word

37- Phil Collins and Eric Clapton sang in them, 3 words

42- Significant period

43- Bowie’s model wife

44- Goes with Spumanti

45- Arranges a performance for love

48- Soups

49- Business degree, abbr.

60- River of Normandy

61- Pole position

62- Sounds of relief

64- Stopped working for good, for short

65- Sentence dividing symbol

66- Rolls around the edge in golf

67- Volcano output

68- Game of chance

69- TV reception problem

Good economic indicators 2- W. African republic 3- Deep purple colored fruit 4- Biological body

5- Wearing ___ (smiling broadly), 2 words

6- Skullcap

7- Summoned

8- Uninteresting

9- The act of acting stuck-up

10- By and by 11- Sounds of disapproval

14- Male aristocrat address

15- Rolling Stones ballad

20- Prepare to be totally remodeled

21- Ancient Mexican 24- Noses (out)

25- Bordeaux bro 26- Period of the moon’s revolution, 2 words

27- Epoch

29- Frivolous

30- Oui’s opposite 31- Basic version, abbr.

32- “Swell!”

33- Tractor trailers

38- Egyptian desert

39- Introduction, in a way- 2 words

40- Miserable

41- Bollywood star Aishwarya

46- Receded

47- Perfect, 2 words

48- ___-jongg

51- Prefix with graphic

52- Spanish-speaking animated explorer

53- Metallurgist’s materials

54- Bailout key on a computer

55- Tome

56- Reign

57- Elephant flappers

58- Game delayer

59- Obnoxious person

63- Opposite NNE

Sudoku #10

*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.