Daily Egyptian A&E Editor

Chicago can loom menacingly large and impersonal for SIUC graduates who are tossed out of the college life and into the real world. But nestled in the heart of the Windy City is an oasis at which such unfortunates can take refuge and reminisce.

In June 1988, Homy Chamanara and his brother, both of whom attended SIUC in 1973, decided to open a bar with Carbondale atmosphere.

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I’m a Saluki at heart, and so is my brother, Homy Chamanara said. We had a great time when we were there. So we decided we wanted to have a place for Saluki alumni to come when they are in Chicago.

Upon entering the front door of the dimly lit Saluki Bar, 11 E. Ohio St., someone from Carbondale cannot help but stand for a moment and take in all the familiar sites. The walls are adorned with photos of the Carbondale area. From photos of Pulliam Hall to pictures of the now-defunct American Tap, the Saluki is overflowing with warm memories.

The bar’s decor is not limited to photos of buildings. In, fact the bar has many faces. Student ID cards cover a strip along the rear wall of the bar, as well as an area on the wall opposing the bar. Chamanara said the IDs are obtained on a voluntary basis.

If someone wants to leave it (their SIUC ID), we are more than happy to put it up, he said. It’s interesting for others to see fellow students.

Beer mug in hand, Rozko, a former SIUC student and bartender at the bar, added that patrons especially enjoy the IDs.

They look at all the IDs and they recognize people’s names and faces, she said. They really enjoy that.

SIUC affiliates who visit the bar also can peruse a stack of special sketch books. In the pages of these collections are various messages and diatribes written by SIUC students and alumni throughout the past 10 years. Chamanara said these books are symbolic of the bar’s purpose.

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The books are a way they (SIUC affiliates) can communicate, he said. And that’s the whole idea behind this place.

This SIUC-friendly concept did not come about by accident. Chamanara said it took years of planning and addition.

Everything here is dedicated to SIUC alumni, he said. We try to make it more comfortable for them. We want to make it a home away from home.

While the bar contains an abundance of SIUC paraphernalia, Chamanara said the Dawgs will continue to gather.

We just expanded a couple of weeks ago, he said. We change it every year, adding on and cleaning. In a year from now you might not recognize the place.

Chamanara said that judging from the reaction of SIUC alumni who visit his establishment, he and his brother have succeeded in their goal.

We just wanted to open a bar that could easily have been removed from South Illinois Avenue and planted in Chicago, he said.

The bar truly does offer an amazing SIUC atmosphere. But there is a much more practical reason for SIUC students and alumni to visit those with an SIUC ID receive several drink specials.

While through the years Chamanara has received offers from people wanting to buy the Saluki Bar, he said he will never give it up.

I’ve had several offers, he said. But I would never sell this place. I’m a Saluki for the rest of my life.

One entry in the newest sketchbook, written by a 1990 SIUC radio-television graduate, seems to sum up what the bar is all about.

OK, here we are some five years after graduating, and we’re all here at the Saluki Bar! she wrote. It’s so nice to be with some of my closest friends.