THE
Daily Egyptian
INSIDE: Gus Bode speaks on AI
SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916. DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2025
Salukis sprint past Skyhawks, page 4 |
VOL. 109, ISSUE 5
Illinois bans AI in therapy, page 8 |
Pulitzer winner visits SIU, page 3
Southern Illinoisans react to the death of Charlie Kirk MARIAH FLETCHER MFLETCHER@DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
Clouds hung over the Marion Square on Sunday evening as hundreds of people gathered to remember the life of Charlie Kirk with a candlelight vigil and a church service that included pop-up baptisms, prayer and commemoration. The vigil drew a large crowd of mourners, some holding American flags and wearing red hats, others dressed in black to grieve. Attendees alternated between quiet moments of prayer and public displays of faith while the baptisms were performed at the center of the square. Kirk was the co-founder of Turning Point USA and a prominent figure for the modern Republican movement. Kirk would visit college campuses across the country in promotion of TPUSA and free speech, encouraging debate from university students. He was shot and killed while doing so on Sept. 10 of this year while speaking at Utah Valley University. His assassination is one of the
increasing number of attacks on political figures, like that of Democratic state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, last summer’s attempt on President Donald Trump and the 2023 attempt on Nancy and Paul Pelosi. Kirk self-identified as a Conservative and an evangelical Christian and acknowledged his role as a polarizing figure in American politics, and up until his very last moments, stood staunchly behind his beliefs on even the most hotbutton issues. One of the most controversial topics that Kirk would speak on was gun control. Kirk stated that he believed that it’s “worth it” to have “some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights.” Kirk also stated that he thinks the United States made a “huge mistake” when passing the Civil Rights Act, that Martin Luther King Jr. was “awful” and “not a good person,” that “abortion is murder,” that “trans women are not KIRK | 7
Bob Odenkirk hands his brother, Bill Odenkirk, a microphone Sept. 12, 2025 during a press conference prior to a public event at The Varsity Center in Carbondale, Illinois. Carly Gist | @gistofthestory
From $30 to ‘30 Rock’
Odenkirks talk past, present and ‘Futurama’ CARLY GIST CGIST@DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM WILL ELLIOTT ELLIOTT@DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
Before he was Saul Goodman, Bob Odenkirk was the breakout star of Tasty Paste.
SIU School of Journalism and Advertising named for alumna Charlotte Thompson Suhler ORION WOLF OWOLF@DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
The School of Journalism and Advertising at Southern Illinois University has a new name. On Tuesday, Sept. 9, the school was honored with the namesake of Charlotte Thompson Suhler, making it the first school on the SIU campus to be named after a woman, while also making it the first school within the College of Arts and Media to be named after an alumni. SIU’s communications building was jam-packed with journalism students, faculty and alumni—the past generations and the next—all gathered in the lobby of the building to celebrate this occasion alongside Suhler’s friends and family. SIU System President, Daniel F. Mahony chose one word to describe Suhler; “impact.” Suhler attended SIU from 1961 to 1965, many years before the advent of digital media. She worked with the Daily Egyptian during her time at SIU, which
remains one of the only printed school newspapers in Illinois, and Suhler said that is very important to her. “I’m a huge advocate for local newspapers,” she said. “People don’t know the amount of information they lose on a weekly and daily basis if they lose physical news.” Suhler went on to work on the SIU Foundation board and founded the Fund For Women and Girls, a non-profit organization on the East Coast that helps women wherever they might be. In her career, she’s worked with the likes of Gloria Steinem and Tom Wolfe. She helped connect Steinem to Betty Harris, a publisher in the industry, which allowed Steinem to publish Ms. Magazine. “At a time when journalism is having a tough time being trusted, she’s like the cavalry coming in and having our backs,” said SoJA Director Jan Thompson. “The fact SUHLER | 3
Most people haven’t heard of it, probably because it never aired. At least not outside of his home in Naperville, Illinois, where his production equipment consisted of his mother’s typewriter and a $30
ODENKIRK | 6
OPINION
Why is SIU using AI when our syllabi say that students can’t? DAILY EGYPTIAN EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR@DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
Hey ChatGPT, can you write us an article about SIU’s position on the use of AI? *There was an error generating this response.*
Charlotte Thompson Suhler holds a miniature Gus Bode ahead of the unveiling of the renaming of the School of Journalism and Advertising Sept. 9, 2025 at the Communications Building in Carbondale, Illinois. Riley Sembler | @riley_sembler
Panasonic cassette recorder he’d purchased at a K-mart. Then 11 years old, Bob was already a huge fan of comedy troupes like those on “Saturday Night Live” and Monty
Oh. Guess we’ll have to be journalists and do it on our own… On Tuesday, Sept. 9, staff members of the Daily Egyptian gathered in the hallway outside of the School of Journalism and Advertising for a dedication ceremony hosted by the SIU Foundation. With every chair filled by faculty, students and SIU officials, we stood in the back, watching as the school was officially named after Charlotte Thompson Suhler, a trailblazer for women’s rights and an SIU alumna. SIU System President Dan Mahony said naming ceremonies are “extraordinarily rare” — he’s
only ever attended three. But this one was extra special, because the School of Journalism and Advertising became the first school at SIU to be named after a woman. Excitement buzzed through the room in waves of chatter, guests relished in the honor and then a hush fell over the crowd when SOJA Director Jan Thompson took to the podium to give remarks. Thompson Suhler sat in the front row, next to Chancellor Austin Lane and Mahony. After Thompson’s speech, Mahony introduced Thomas Suhler and her legacy — with a twist. “We decided to do something entirely different and have ChatGPT give us a bio on Charlotte,” Mahony said. “And I find that whole concept terrifying, but her bio is really incredibly impressive, and ChatGPT was clearly impressed as well. And I will say they gave me this task because AI | 10