Serving the Southern Illinois University community since 1916.

The Daily Egyptian
Serving the Southern Illinois University community since 1916.

The Daily Egyptian
Serving the Southern Illinois University community since 1916.

The Daily Egyptian

Monica Sharma

All content by Monica Sharma | @
Brandon Kuschnereit and Hollie Andress stand behind their table of hand-crafted knives at the Wanenmacher's Arms Show April 10, 2021 in Tulsa, Okla. Many booths participated in the show with products ranging from a small knife to military grade rifles.

Gallery: Wanenmacher’s Gun Show portraits

By Sophie Whitten, Monica Sharma, and Subash Kharel
May 19, 2021
A truck advertises the "world's largest" gun show at the entrance of the Tulsa fairgrounds at the Wanenmacher’s Tulsa Arms Show on April 10 and 11, 2021, in Tulsa, Okla.

A look inside the world’s largest gun show

By Sophie Whitten, Staff Reporter
May 13, 2021
Activists participate in the vigil during the march on the stand with survivors of sexual violence on Friday, April 30, 2021, in Carbondale, Ill. The event was organized with the joint effort of staffs of The Women’s Center and lasted for 2 hours starting at 7 p.m.

Gallery: Carbondale Women’s Center hosts ‘Take Back the Night’ event

By Monica Sharma and Subash Kharel
May 1, 2021
Mike Hansell (21) catches the ball allowing one run over Murray State on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at Itchy Zones Stadium in Carbondale, Ill.

Two late game home runs lifts Southern over Murray State

By Adam Warfel, Sports Reporter
April 28, 2021
SIU students towards the SIU Morris Library in a funeral casket walking honor of countless species of animals that have gone extinct on Thursday, April 22, 2021.

SIU Art and Activism class celebrates Earth Day with a funeral procession

By Monica Sharma, Staff Photographer
April 22, 2021
People engage and talk about the program at Bucky’s Haven on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, near Campus Lake, in Carbondale, Ill.

SIU Celebrates Earth Month at Bucky’s Haven

By Monica Sharma, Staff Photographer
April 21, 2021
Mima Zaborska wins the 200-meter breaststroke against the Missouri Conference Championship at Shea Natatorium on April 15, 2021 in Carbondale, Ill.

SIU women’s swim and dive team finishes second overall in MVC Championships

By Janae Mosby, Sports Reporter
April 16, 2021
Over 2000 people attend the Easter Day Sunrise Service at Bald Knob Cross on Sunday, April 4, 2021 in Alto Pass, Ill. The service started at 6.30 a.m. and ended at 8 a.m.

Bald Knob Cross welcomes over 2000 visitors for Easter Sunrise Event

By Subash Kharel, Staff Photographer
April 4, 2021
Kathryn Creedon (17), defender for Salukis Women Soccer Team, kicks the ball in the game against Illinois State University on Saturday, April 3, 2021 at Lew Hartzog Track and Field Complex in Carbondale, Ill.

Southern’s soccer team loses 3-0 to Redbirds

By Janae Mosby, Sports Reporter
April 3, 2021
Corina Lang holds a sign in protest during the Peace Coalition of Southern Illinois’ community rally for peace and justice on Saturday, April 3, 2021, on the corner of Main Street in Carbondale, Ill. “ We support our country and don't want young people to be in unnecessary wars,” Lang said.

Carbondale community rallies for peace and justice, repeals AUMF

By Keaton Yates, Staff Reporter
April 3, 2021
Lucaia Romaero, an undergraduate student in the Electrical Engineering Department from Spain, loses her balance and falls off the rope at the April Pools Day event on Thursday, April 1, 2021, at the SIU Recreation Center in Carbondale, Ill. “It feels great to be here and make new friends. This is my first experience on the rope,” Romaero said.

Gallery: SIU students try to avoid making a “pool” out of themselves

By Monica Sharma, Staff Photographer
April 1, 2021
Narmada Pandey plays chess with her kids Ayushi, 12, and Ayaan, 7, on Monday, March 22, 2021 at Evergreen Terrace Family Housing in Carbondale, Ill. “On the other side, it's good to play with kids and spend some time with them which I missed when they were busy on their own schedule,“ Pandey said.

Wearing Multiple Hats: Working women and the COVID-19 pandemic

By Oreoluwa Ojewuyi and Diksha Mittal
March 31, 2021
Savannah Long takes a jump in the 100-meter hurdles race on Saturday, March 20, 2021, at the SIU Lew Hartzog Track and Field Complex in Carbondale, Ill.

Women finish first, men third in Bill Cornell spring classic

By Ryan Scott, Sports Reporter
March 20, 2021
Avian Wilkins distributes lunch to the participants on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at the Student Center ballroom in Carbondale, Ill.

Black Women’s Brunch hosted by Black Resource Center

By Monica Sharma, Staff Photographer
March 17, 2021
Lanese Farr stacks her crate and holds her balance on Tuesday March 16, 2021, at Recreational Center, Carbondale Ill.

Spirit Week Crate Stacking

By Monica Sharma, Staff Photographer
March 17, 2021
Dwane Dryer and Brinda Dryer order their food at Quatro's Deep Pan Pizza on Friday, Feb. 25, 2021 in Carbondale, Ill. ”It's been 30 years we have been here every weekend," Dryer said."The owner has been really cautious in keeping us safe by taking the temperatures of staff members and reducing the capacity. We feel safe and enjoy this place."

Some indoor dining options open for Carbondale community amid COVID-19

By Elizabeth Hamilton, Staff Reporter
March 15, 2021
Protestors march on East College St. through downtown back to the Carbondale Pavilion on Saturday, March 13, 2021 in Carbondale Ill.

A year later, southern Illinois remembers Breonna Taylor

By Keaton Yates, Jamilah Lewis, George Wiebe, Staff Reporter
March 13, 2021
Volunteers and staff at the Center for Empowerment and Justice pose for a portrait outside the center on Thursday, March 11, 2021 in Carbondale, Ill. The center was established in 2016 and has since been serving people to reform and overcome difficulties associated with being released from prison. The center offers artwork, a computer lab, and a workspace. The center has also become a shelter for homeless people in the Carbondale area. Monica Sharma | @mscli_cks

Samaritan Saturday: Carbondale non-profit empowers those in need

By Elizabeth Hamilton, Staff Reporter
March 13, 2021
A Carbondale community member pushes her cart at the Victory Dream Center’s food pantry on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021, in Carbondale, Ill.

Illinois Food Banks cope with unprecedented demand due to COVID-19

By Jason Flynn, Staff Reporter
March 8, 2021
Philip Archer (44) and Nick Neville (9) celebrate after making four runs against University of Tennessee at Martin on Sunday, Mar. 7, 2021 at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale Ill.

Brooms out: Saluki baseball sweeps UT Martin

By Adam Warfel, Sports Reporter
March 7, 2021
Adrianna Katcher (24) takes an abrupt turn towards the shoulder in a game against Northern Iowa Panthers on Saturday, Mar. 6, 2021 at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Ill.

SIU Women’s basketball falls in final regular season game to UNI as offense struggles

By Ryan Scott, Staff Reporter
March 6, 2021
Caitlin Ink (5) passes the ball to Allea Potter (22) before making a quick move towards the hoop against Valparaiso University on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021 at the SIU Banterra Center in Carbondale, Ill.

SIU women’s basketball falls in overtime to Valparaiso

By Adam Warfel, Staff Reporter
February 28, 2021
Madi Eberle (3) pitches in the game against Ball State University on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021 at Charlotte Softball Stadium in Carbondale, Ill. Eberle later scored the run of the season against Ball state University. SIU went on to win against Ball State with the score of 6-1.

Salukis stay undefeated and keep winning streak alive

By Ryan Scott, Staff Reporter
February 28, 2021
Madhavi Tiwari, a master’s student from Nepal in the Department of Chemistry in Carbondale, Ill. collects gas samples for further study on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. “Nitrous oxide(N2O) is one of the greenhouse gases (GHGs), which plays a significant role in ozone layer depletion and eventually leads to global warming. About 77.8 percent of total U.S. N2O emission takes place in agricultural sectors. Nitrogen (N) is leached and emitted from the soil in the form of nitrate and nitrous oxide gas. Cover crop (CC) rotations and no-till are the most important practices to prevent N loss,” Tiwari said. The objective of the study was to compare the effects of cover crops on yield, N uptake, N leeching, and N balance to conventional tillage practices, such as reduced tillage or no till. N20 emissions were measured in all treatments in the hopes of increasing grower awareness and knowledge of tillage and cover crop combination to promote better conservation practices.

International Student Feature: effects of cover crops

By Monica Sharma, Staff Photographer
February 25, 2021
Barden Babcock (26) hit the ball and scored against Eastern Illinois on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021 at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Ill.

Salukis hold on in the ninth inning for the win after Panthers rally

By Ryan Scott, Sports Reporter
February 23, 2021
Weekly International Student Feature

International Student Feature: Pratyusa Das

By Monica Sharma, Staff Photographer
February 17, 2021
Kathryn Creedon kicks the ball during soccer practice on Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, at the soccer field at SIU. "We really need to work on execution and finishing for sure. Once the game starts we finally get to play. It's really hard due to COVID, just school and training with no refreshment. Last year was a lot more different than this year. Last year our chemistry was not that good as now but if we work on technicality we can work on it," Creedon said.

Saluki soccer set for Feb. 17 kick-off

By Janae Mosby, Sports Reporter
February 13, 2021
SIUC players cheer up in the break of the last set after getting feedback from the head coach in the game against Loyola University on Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, in Davies Gym at SIU.

Ramblers beat Salukis in straight sets

By Ryan Scott, Sports Reporter
February 8, 2021
The SIU women's basketball team raises their hands in a pump up before the game against Illinois State on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021, in the Banterra Center at SIU. The Salukis went on to win 43-41 to the Redbirds.

SIU women’s basketball snaps skid with two-point victory over Illinois State

By Janae Mosby, Sports Reporter
February 6, 2021
Trent Brown (24) tries to defend the ball against the Evansville Purple Aces Friday, Dec 28 2020, at the SIU Bantera Center in Carbondale IL.

[Photo] Aces snap Saluki’s winning streak

By Janae Mosby, Staff Reporter
December 28, 2020
Pradip Acharya, an international student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, rides his bike in the morning on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Carbondale, Ill. “I used to go to the Rec Center regularly for exercise, but since COVID-19, I do not feel safe to go to the Rec Center. I find cycling a very good exercise and enjoy it in the early morning. COVID-19 has messed up our life, but I feel health is more important above all the hurdles. I hope everything will be fine in the end,” Acharya said.

Photo of the Day: Cycling during COVID-19

By Monica Sharma, Staff Photographer
November 13, 2020
Shree Krishna Tripathi, an international, master’s student in the Department of Civil Engineering, visits the Hindu Temple and Cultural Society of Southern Illinois on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, in Carbondale, Ill. “I usually come here when I feel low and stressed out. Visiting here makes me feel calm and peaceful. Another big [Hindu] festival, Tihar, is coming up and I am really excited to celebrate it," Tripathi said. "I have my thesis defense today and visiting the temple and worshiping here gives me positive vibes and makes me more confident."

Photo of the Day: Civil Engineer graduate student worships before defending thesis

By Monica Sharma, Staff Photographer
November 7, 2020
Bristi Poudel, an international, second-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Physiology, celebrates Nepal's largest Hindu festival in her apartment Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020, in Carbondale, Ill. “I feel like missing home while celebrating the biggest festival, Dashain,” Poudel said. "Receiving blessings and tika from the elder ones and putting tika to the younger ones gives me immense joy when I think of it. Coming here to the U.S.A. and trying to cope in the different culture is challenging for me but I have not forgotten my values and culture even though I am away from home,” Poudel said. Dashain is one of the major national festivals of Nepal which comes every year during the month of October and lasts for fifteen days. It is the festival of giving blessings to the young and celebrating with friends and family by receiving tika [a mixture of vermillion powder, rice, and yogurt that is worn on the forehead] and jamara [barley sprouts that are often worn behind the ear] from the elder members of the family. By giving tika and jamara to the younger members of the family, they are bestowing good fortune, health, and long life upon them. In Hindu culture, not having jamara and tika during Dashain would be like not having a Christmas tree on Christmas. On this occasion, people wear new clothes, eat delicious food, invite relatives to play cards, and celebrate with love and happiness. Dashain symbolizes the victory of good over evil by representing the victory of the Goddess Durga. According to Hindu Mythology, the demon Mahidhasura created terror in the world where god lives but the Goddess Durga killed the demon. The first nine days symbolize the battle which took place in different manifestations of Durga and Mahishasura. The tenth day is the day when Durga finally defeated Mahidhasura. 

Photo of the Day: Celebrating Nepal’s largest festival away from home

By Monica Sharma, Staff Photographer
October 30, 2020
People wait in line at the Pandemic Food Distribution event Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, at the SIU Banterra Center, in Carbondale, Ill. Volunteers help load boxes of food into the cars in line. The food comes from the USDA Farm Table program to help those affected by the pandemic.

USDA’s Farm to Table program hosts a Pandemic Relief Food Distribution

By Monica Sharma, Staff Photographer
October 26, 2020
Sudip Baral, an international, second-year master’s student from Nepal, prepares solutions for his thesis research Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, in the Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructural Engineering department of the College of Engineering in Carbondale, Ill.” I have been doing research using nanotechnology to convert biomass waste products into biofuels. This research will not only contribute help in the reduction of carbon dioxide gas but also make it economically sustainable,” Baral said.

Photo of the Day: SIU research

By Monica Sharma, Staff Photographer
October 25, 2020
Sudip Ghimire, SIU Computer Science major, plays soccer in a field near the Brookside apartment complex on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, in Carbondale, Ill., “Football [soccer] is my passion even COVID-19 cannot stop me playing football. I come here every Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday to boost myself and try to be fit and happy,” Ghimire said.

Photo of the Day: Staying active during COVID-19

By Monica Sharma, Staff Photographer
October 12, 2020
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