Carbondale area home to several groups of protesters

While the numerous protests in Carbondale may be reflective of the national mood, some students question what they accomplish and others believe in the power of protest.

“This year has been a year of protests for our nation,” said Derek Martin, a professor of sociology.

In Carbondale, protests include those of the Peace Coalition of Southern Illinois, Occupy Carbondale and the local carpentry unions. The Peace Coalition has protested weekly since…

On-campus theft increases as semester ends

Campus police report the majority of on-campus thefts during the last few weeks of the semester, but student awareness can prevent some.

“The number one thing is to be alert,” said Russ Thomas, a campus police officer and safety expert. “Don’t be paranoid, but use good judgment. Be responsible and be careful what environment you get yourself into.”

[caption id=”attachment_63442″ align=”alignright” width=”300″ caption=”Sergeant John Allen, SIU campus police officer, sits in…

Salukis get recognition for 2011 season

A high note came after a down season for nine Saluki football players as the Missouri Valley Football Conference acknowledged player performance with its annual awards.

SIU was represented by three players as first-team, three second-team and three honorable mention All-Conference to cap off the season.

[caption id=”attachment_63439″ align=”alignright” width=”300″ caption=”Junior running back Steve Strother celebrates with senior offensive lineman George Danilkowicz Nov. 12 during the SIU football game against Eastern…

Spring Monetary Award Program funding restored

The Illinois State Legislature approved the restoration of funds for the Monetary Award Program Monday after it was cut from the budget last year.

Legislators cut $33 million from MAP funds last year to help cover the budget deficit. MAP grants are a taxpayer-supported aid that is awarded to eligible students who demonstrate financial need for higher education. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the group that administers funds, was awarded…

“It” is not over

“It” Is Not Over

Dear editor:

The Faculty Association strike is indeed over; however, the cultural climate that instigated the strike in the first place is still present.  It is pervasive.  And it needs to change. 

According to SIUC’s mission statement, the university is committed to enhancing our community’s “quality of life through the exercise of academic skills and application of problem-solving techniques.”  Faculty, graduate assistants and civil service employees actualize this…

Chicago Farmer spills the beans

Born Cody Diekhoff in Delavan, Chicago Farmer emerged onto Illinois’ music scene in 2003. Farmer’s sound is deeply rooted in traditional American Folk and reminiscent of iconic artists such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young. His lyrics are narrative vignettes of rural towns, dirt roads, green pastures and blue-collar workers.

The singer-songwriter sat down with The Grind before his performance tonight at Hangar 9 to discuss musical influences, upcoming releases…

A peek around the Valley

It’s hard to draw conclusions about the season from just four SIU games, but checking opponents’ performances against other teams could be an early indicator of where the team may stand.

The good news: Saluki basketball got its first season win Friday 73-57 against Chicago State. The bad news: Creighton (5-0) also beat Chicago State 61-95, which is a much wider margin. SIU should be happy about its first win,…

Campus Habitat packs bags; new management steps in

Campus Habitat has left behind three of its Carbondale properties, including two that have been the subject of an extended battle with the city over safety violations.

The New York-based landlord handed the deeds to 600 W. Freeman St., 820 W. Freeman St. and 716 University Ave. over to their lenders earlier this month, acting City Manager Kevin Baity said.

U.S. Bank now holds the deed to 820 W. Freeman St.,…

Committee looks closer at state-funding measures

The way universities are paid by the state may be affected by input from SIU faculty and administrators.

After Jan. 1, 2012, universities will receive state funding based on numbers of enrollment, retention, and graduation rates thanks to legislation signed into law in August.

The Illinois Board of Higher Education Steering Committee is designing new measurements for how much money universities receive from the state. The committee members met Wednesday at…

Public view of natives’ identity not reality

How Americans view native people may affect how they see themselves.

As a part of Native American Heritage Month, Cornel Pewewardy, director of Indigenous Nation Studies at Portland State University, spoke in the Student Center Monday on how the public perceives native people. Through educating leaders in schools, Pewewardy said false identities of indigenous people may be reduced.

“Too many people have the idea that we are only in the past,…

Salukis to take on vengeful Redhawks

The Saluki swimmers enter enemy waters as they again face the Redhawks and a field of competition.

The Salukis will face a mix of small and larger sized school including the University of Cincinnati, Denison University, Emory University, and Wright State at the Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center for the Miami of Ohio Invitational. The three-day event starts Thursday and will be the second time this season the Saluki men…

Saluki streak ends after a tough loss to the Huskies

The Salukis were unable to continue into a three-game winning streak with a loss to Northern Illinois University’s Huskies Tuesday.

SIU (2-3), led by junior guard Teri Oliver with 18 points, six rebounds and three steals, fell short 50-53 to the Huskies (3-3) in DeKalb after a big jump shot by Huskie’s guard Alicia Johnson changed the game.

The game remained close during the first half up until the end, and…

SIU Director of Government Affairs to serve as Senate chief of staff

After seven years as the executive director of governmental and public affairs at SIU, Dave Gross is going back to the Illinois Senate.

Gross will begin his role Jan. 1 as chief of staff to Senate President John Cullerton, replacing Andy Manar who Gross said will be running for an elected office.

Gross said because he started his career in the Senate and worked there for 20 years, he looks forward…

Authors write final words in month-long challenge

Mariah Timms has given herself 30 days to finish a 50,000-word novel. Down to the last 48 hours of her month-long literary journey, Timms sits in her dorm room and looks over what she has already written and wonders where her story is going.

“If I knew what my novel was about, I would tell you,” she said.

Timms, a sophomore from…

University needs to live up to self-proclaimed sustainability standard

Dear Editor:

When I chose to attend Southern Illinois University, I did so on the assumption that SIU would maintain a respectable commitment to sustainability. The university brags about sustainable efforts initiatives on the website and through events such as the Green Fair.

In the year and a half since my enrollment, I have been sorely disappointed in the university’s commitment to certain issues, one of which with real and dangerous…

Similarities between SIU strike and Occupy movement

james anderson graduate student in mass communication and media arts

Police raided the Occupy Wall Street encampment in New York’s Zuccotti Park Nov. 15, destroying a 5,000-volume library, blocking media coverage, busting demonstrators with batons, firing tear gas into the crowd and forcibly arresting around 70 people, with credentialed journalists included.

This was only one day before Occupy Oakland in California was raided, resulting in the arrest of 30 protesters and the resignation…

University College dean to tackle student retention

Almost a semester after the University College was fully implemented, Mark Amos was named Associate Provost and Dean for the student support model.

The model was first established with the restructuring of the division of Student Affairs in December to pull together units and services on campus to enhance student success and offer support during their first year. The model, used by other universities across the country such as Illinois…

Sophomore seeks life beyond the court

Genetics assisted the childhood dreams of pursuing a basketball career, but maturity allowed Cici Shannon to realize that there is a life outside of the 94 feet of hardwood.

“I was always the taller kid growing up, and both my parents are tall too,” said SIU center Shannon with a laugh. “When I moved to the suburbs, all of the kids in the neighborhood played basketball for the park district,…

New coaches give Big Ten a different look for 2012

Unemployment is on the rise for Big Ten football coaches.

Only two days after the end of the regular season, it was announced at least three new head coaches will be implemented before the start of the 2012 season. Exiting stage left is Illinois coach Ron Zook, Ohio State’s Luke Fickell and the well-known Joe Paterno from Penn State.

To add to the conference’s turmoil, all three of these schools are…

Through rain, sleet or snow, mailman delivers to doorsteps

Steve Higgerson, a United States Postal Service worker from Carterville, delivers mail Monday along Oakland Avenue.  Higgerson has worked for the USPS for the past 27 years and said a lot has changed since he started.  According to a Nov. 15 article from Reuters, the USPS lost $5.1 billion in revenue for…