Semester in Photos Fall 2011

Clockwise, starting from top left: Steve Matzker, Lynnette Oostmeyer, Genna Ord, Sarah Gardner, Nathan Hoefert, Pat Sutphin and Isaac Smith.

Holiday season means busy time for florists

De McKinnes, of DeSoto, fills a bucket with water Tuesday at Jerry’s Flower Shoppe in Carbondale. McKinnes said the shop gets busy during the holiday season and has winter plants such as poinsettias everywhere.  The boutique was opened in 1964 and has since been at the same location and ownership.

You can’t save face by censoring others

When I took over as editor of the Daily Egyptian in the summer of 2011, I could not have imagined the First Amendment lessons that lay ahead – the university’s stonewalling DE reporters, its refusal to turn over the memo detailing the new media access “policy,” the strike called by tenured professors to protect academic freedom or the university shutting down a Facebook page because of comments critical of…

Old National Guard armory to get new owner

The future of Carbondale’s old National Guard Armory could affect the city’s rehabilitation of the northwest neighborhood.

The Illinois Department of Military Affairs is selling the facility, and it   will be open to visits Dec. 20 and Jan. 5 and 10.

It will be open to sealed bids between those dates, said Jim Lund, facilities officer for the Illinois National Guard. He said he has already received several calls from…

Letter from the fall 2011 editor

The managing editor and I had high hopes for the first paper of the semester. We introduced “The Grind,” dedicated a page to presenting the editorial board and wrote a “Words of wisdom” editorial to help guide new students through their first semester.

We incorporated graphics, challenged the design and pressed the advertising department into jumping the paper up to 20 pages. When it was time to print, technical errors…

Text message alert system saves lives at universities

As school shootings increase, more universities are looking to increase the effectiveness of emergency notification systems, including the one at SIUC.

Russ Thomas, a SIUC police officer, said the Virginia Tech students benefitted from emergency text alerts during the Dec. 8 shooting, when the gunman, Ross Truett Ashley, shot campus police officer Deriek Crouse during a routine traffic stop. Thomas said social networking sites contributed to the system’s effectiveness, and…

SIUC freshman dies at hospital

An SIUC student died Tuesday after being diagnosed with pneumonia.

Brittany Coffee, a freshman from Chicago, died Monday morning at the Memorial Hospital of Carbondale.

Reverend Bob Gray, SIUC police chaplain, said Coffee was pronounced dead at 8:05 a.m. Tuesday. Sievers said she had been admitted to the hospital on Sunday.

Katherine Sermersheim, associate dean of students in Student Life and Intercultural Relations, said the student’s family was notified of the death….

Not just fun in the sun for SIU

The Salukis’ trip to Hawaii during Christmas break will be strictly business as they compete in the ESPN Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.

The three-day tournament starts Dec. 22 and offers a field of three NCAA tournament  teams from the 2010-11 season: Clemson University, Xavier University and Kansas State. It will also give the Saluki men’s basketball team its first test against a school from a BCS conference in Kansas…

State still owes university millions

The state still owes the university $52 million for the current fiscal year, SIU President Glenn Poshard said Tuesday.

Poshard told the SIU Board of Trustees Wednesday the state had paid the final $22 million appropriations for fiscal year 2011, but six months into fiscal year 2012, both the Carbondale and Edwardsville campuses are already owed $67 million of the $219 million in yearly appropriations.

He said getting the money for…

No tears at Christmas time

Two-year-old Allison Dyer, of Murphysboro, visits with Santa Claus Tuesday at the University Mall. Allison’s mother, Denise Dyer, said her daughter handled the visit much better this year. “This is her third time, but last year was all tears,” Dyer said. Max Luttrell, of Murphysboro, said this is his third year being…

University Housing to get new look

The university’s housing plan will include new residence halls on the east side of campus within the next 10 years.

Chancellor Rita Cheng proposed the updated plan at the SIU Board of Trustees meeting Dec. 8, which includes demolition of the Brush Towers after construction of dormitories nearby, renovation of Thompson Point, and rebuilding Greek Row and graduate housing.

“I think it is widely recognized that our housing is aging, and…

Win or lose, seniors roll with it

With the sounds of pins clashing and hands clapping, one thing is clear at S.I. Bowl: Senior league is in session.

S.I. Bowl hosts a variety of different leagues for men, women, youth and seniors, but Tuesday afternoons are reserved for the senior warriors. The senior warriors, a league of ten teams with three to four players each, is open to anyone older than 55.

This year, two teams, High Ball…

Daily Bark Poll 12/14/11

What should the MLB do with the NL MVP Award if Braun’s failed drug test appeal is denied?

Gossip website targets SIU students

Maggie Weinstein had never heard of a website called The Dirty until her friends said her photo and negative personal information about her had been posted on the site.

The website, TheDirty.com, asks viewers to anonymously submit gossip about people of the  community. According to the website’s mission statement, “The content that is published contains rumors, speculation, assumptions, opinions, and factual information.”

Weinstein said the description of her contained offensive language…

City officials address Carbondale’s challenges, accomplishments

Mayor Joel Fritzler and city officials spoke about the issues facing Carbondale as well as its recent accomplishments at Tuesday’s State of the City Address.

“The last seven months have been a very interesting experience,” Fritzler said.

The address was part of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon and was held at the Civic Center.

After some opening remarks, Fritzler let other city officials speak for most of the address.

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Faculty Senate approves committee to study NTTF titles

Faculty Senate members will consider the addition and change of the promotion lines and titles of non-tenure track faculty.

The senate approved a resolution to study promotional lines and title of Non-Tenure Track Faculty at its meeting Tuesday. Senators will recommend faculty who will serve on a committee to conduct the study and bring recommendations back to the senate.

The SIU Board of Trustees and NTTF Association requested the Faculty Senate…

2011 is a year to forget for Saluki Athletics

The stage was set for a Saluki resurgence in the 2011-12 season. Football came off a year when they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002, men’s basketball wrapped up a passable 2010 non-conference schedule after an abysmal 2009-10 season, and the baseball team had to recover from the death of head coach Dan Callahan.

Instead, 2011 soured quickly.

Men’s basketball faltered in conference and made little noise in…

Daily Bark Poll 12/13/11

Did Albert Pujuols make the right decision leaving the St. Louis Cardinals?

SIU police investigate attempted robberies

Since two attempted robberies and aggravated batteries have occurred at the university within the last month, officers in the Department of Public Safety are encouraging students to be safe when walking on campus.

Safety alerts were posted on the Department of Public Safety’s website Nov. 16 and Dec. 5 after attempted strong-arm robberies —  where no weapons were used  —  and aggravated battery incidents were reported Nov. 13 and Dec….

Holiday shopping could lead to poor credit scores for students

While the holiday season invites shoppers to take advantage of their credit cards, credit scores may be impacted.

Increased holiday shopping can affect a credit card user’s rating. For students who are working to establish credit, financial experts advise consumers to consider what they can repay before making a purchase.

Finance department chair Mark Peterson said consumers should understand how credit scores are calculated in order to understand the impact extra…