THE
Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.
DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2025
VOL. 109, ISSUE 9
InsiDE | An Unofficial Preview, page 3 | Who’s Better - SIU or SIUE?, page 6 Salukis fall in Fargo, page 10 Opinion
‘Life of a Showgirl’ by Taylor Swift reminded me of my dining hall
University Baptist Church to close after final service YAHRI EDMOND YEDMOND@DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
After decades of service to the Carbondale community, University Baptist Church will close its doors following a final service at 10:45 a.m. on Oct. 26. The decision to close comes
after a steady decline in attendance following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to church members. The congregation collectively agreed that it was time to conclude regular services while ensuring the building’s legacy of community care continues. The historic building, once a
schoolhouse before becoming a church, is expected to be taken over by Good Samaritan Ministries. The nonprofit plans to maintain and operate the food and clothing pantry currently housed in the church, continuing to serve those in need in the area.
Members and community residents are invited to attend the final service to celebrate the church’s history and lasting impact on Carbondale. Staff reporter Yahri Edmond can be reached at yedmond@dailyegyptian.com
WILL ELLIOTT WELLIOTT@DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
Editor’s Note: This story contains graphic language … and some strong opinions. Pop music giant Taylor Swift released her 12th studio album, “Life of a Showgirl,” on Oct. 3, 2025, shattering streaming and chart records. As a music producer for fun and for hire, I am here to review this album, not only so you don’t have to, but also to inform and dive deeper into the current music landscape. Grab your popcorn, people, ‘cause this is a show you will probably forget. “The Fate of Ophelia” | 5/10 Taylor may have been saved from “The Fate of Ophelia,” but she is not safe from the fate of me calling her lyrics corny and sub-par. This song gets worse and worse with every listen. I originally thought that this was a good track, but honestly, this is just so basic and lifeless. Yeah, it gets me moving and grooving, but it got so stale so quickly. The piano and the drums sound incredible, while Taylor’s voice during the first verse sounds like she is recording herself in a can of Chef Boyardee. It also contains corny lyrics that sound like it was written for little children, which I get — that’s part of her audience — but at the same time, children can understand complex lyrics. The music video is also good, with lots of cool post-production tricks and set design. Overall wish this was written differently. “Elizabeth Taylor” | 7/10 “Elizabeth Taylor” to me feels like “Reputation” and “Midnights” fused into one song. The song grabs a lot of music tropes from the last song, like the drums and the hard piano hits. What I love about this song, though, is the bass, ‘cause it just tickles my brain. This song is incredibly cinematic, but it falls into the trap of being easily forgettable. I also do not like the MIDI strings on this song. Like, come on, you are one of the richest artists and didn’t choose to use real strings. Yet, I would suffer through those weak MIDI strings and OK lyrics to hear that Section C part of the song from 2:12-2:35. That one part single-handedly saved the song from being ranked a six. Nice song, should have committed more to it. SHOWGIRL | 11
SIU alumna Brooke Yandle, owner of Hawthorne Art LLC stands next to her painting Oct. 9, 2025 at Hawthorne Art in Carbondale, Illinois.“I think that I just personally needed financial freedom. Like, I just don’t like working a nine to five,” Yandle said.“But as a commercial artist, like, being able to own my work and be like, I created that, that’s my business and I made all the money from that. Like, it feels really good, as opposed to even when I was doing creative jobs, where I was using my skills. If the work didn’t belong to me, it was less meaningful and it was harder for me to enjoy it.” Peyton Cook | @cookmeavisual
Hawthorne Art gives Carbondale cityscape a new hue KRISTIN BORCHERS KBORCHERS@DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
During the peak of COVID-19 in 2020, Brooke Yandle made her arrival to Carbondale in pursuit of a master’s in oil painting at SIU. She never anticipated owning her own art shop; she said she had no expectations and was merely happy to be in Illinois. Post-graduate school, she received her first grant from the city to create a mural while teaching at John A. Logan College. Yandle is now embarking
into unknown territory on an artistic business adventure. Originally from Tennessee, Yandle said she came “to the great state of Illinois” to find refuge in the “blue shade.” Just before she arrived in Carbondale, she was working at a factory and living in her sister’s spare bedroom. Five years later, she officially opened Hawthorne’s doors on Sept. 25. This art store does not fit into binary terms, though. Yandle has multiple missions and works
with different artists to offer a safe space to create. The sky is the limit when it comes to the services and opportunities Hawthorne offers. Yandle described Hawthorne Art as “if you took Hobby Lobby, but like a moral Hobby Lobby and then mixed it with an event center and a woodshop and then just saw what happened.” She first acquired the space from a local blacksmith who was no longer utilizing the space and now rents it to Yandle. “Every month’s sort of like, I start
at zero and I have to survive,” she said. But she explained that even if she no longer has the building once the year is up, Hawthorne will continue to endure, even if it’s in her car or on a streetcorner. Her entire vision of Hawthorne is to provide individuals with artistic solutions for a multitude of creative avenues. The space offers consignment for local artists to stage their work to sell. She’s invited locals to stop by and create for free. Beginning artists HAWTHORNE | 4
How one woman and her volunteers keep dirt out of the ‘Dale MORRIGAN CAREY MCAREY@DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
Vicki Short began picking up trash during the COVID-19 pandemic. For her, it was a way to get out, exercise and leave a positive impact on the community amid social distancing and isolation. Even after restrictions were lifted and risk of infection tapered off, she continued to pick up litter for the next five years. In June 2024, she founded Don’t Dirty the Dale, a one-woman operation to help get Carbondale involved in its beautification. Don’t Dirty the Dale is a volunteer operation focused on anti-littering and general beautification of Carbondale.
Organizations will partner with Short to pick up and dispose of trash around the city. Since the group’s formation in 2024, Short and her volunteers have picked up over 1,500 pounds of litter across Carbondale. “I definitely think that we’re making a big impact in the community,” Short said. “Clearly you can see areas where we’ve had participants out picking up litter, and we hear from other business owners and other community members and students that have just shared that they’ve noticed a difference.” Don’t Dirty the Dale receives significant community support from local businesses
and organizations as well as SIU student groups and Greek organizations. Businesses such as Carbondeli’s and the Kroger Starbucks regularly donate manpower to cleanup efforts. Carbondeli’s owner Alexander Schmidgall and Pinch Penny Liquors owner Gregg Karayiannis are frequent supporters and volunteers with Short. Other businesses help in other ways, such as Newby’s Pizza and Pagliai’s, who regularly supply volunteer groups with complimentary pizzas. Last weekend on Friday, Oct. 10-11, the Student Alumni Council and Phi Beta Sigma members each donated time to clean up the areas around Shawnee
Health and Illinois Avenue respectively. “They’re great people, and they’re standing up for something that I think is awesome,” Student Alumni Council president Sydney Bailey said. “Who wouldn’t want to keep our community clean? And that overall keeps it a welcoming environment.” According to Bailey, last weekend was between her 10th and 15th time volunteering with Don’t Dirty the Dale. One standout volunteer group according to Short was the SIU Women’s Basketball team and Coach Kelly Bond-White, who picked up over 250 pounds of litter while CLEANUP | 2