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Sophie Whitten

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A balloon crew uses a burner to fill one of the hot air balloons with hot air in preparation for the Balloon Glow Aug. 20, 2022 at the Centralia Balloon Festival in Centralia, Ill.

Centralia festival leaves balloons – and visitors – glowing

August 25, 2022
Sophie Hagan (left) and Brianna Demick help Demicks brother move into his dorm room Aug. 19, 2022 in Carbondale, Ill.

The Dawgs Move In: SIU students return to campus for the fall semester

August 24, 2022
A student checks her phone while working on homework at the SIU Student Center March 28, 2022 in Carbondale, Ill.

The Ultimate Guide to Your First Year of College

August 16, 2022
Supreme Court overturns abortion rights; Illinois governor declares state a safe space

Supreme Court overturns abortion rights; Illinois governor declares state a safe space

June 24, 2022
Education Department looks to the future as Title IX turns 50

Education Department looks to the future as Title IX turns 50

June 23, 2022
Opinion: Guns arent the problem, people are

Opinion: Guns aren’t the problem, people are

June 20, 2022
A group of sledders coast down a hill at the Banterra Center Feb. 4, 2022 in Carbondale, Ill.

Semester in Photos: Spring 2022

May 4, 2022
Cheryl Vincent clears off a picture of her and her son that was found in the aftermath of the Dec. 10 tornado Dec. 19, 2021 in Dawson Springs, Kentucky.

Small finds, small joys: Discovering remnants of possessions lost to the Kentucky tornado

January 3, 2022
William Vinson shovels debris from the road Dec. 18, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky.

Donations for tornado victims pile high in Mayfield, Kentucky

December 27, 2021
Rocky Taylor, a tornado relief volunteer, eats a meal cooked by Pryorsburg Independent Bible Methodist Church and Fowlers K&N Root Beer Dec. 17, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky.

Tornado survivors share stories of the splintering storm and the aftermath

December 22, 2021
SIU freshman defender, Kylie McDermott, goes head to head with a Knight player during the Salukis game against Bellarmine University, where the Knights won 2-0 against the Salukis on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021 at Lew Hartzog Track and Field Complex at SIU.

Semester in Photos: Fall 2021

December 2, 2021
Joe Gomez, age 55, carries the American flag as he sprints toward the finish line of the Superhero 5K Sept. 25, 2021 in Carbondale, Ill. Gomez finished the race in 33 minutes and 46 seconds as part of team Red, White and Blue. [The team is] an organization started to create positive vibes through physical activity, Gomez said.

Community races For Kids’ Sake

September 28, 2021
Layla Daugherty walks down the stairs of 9 3/4 Expresso as Morgan Perdue makes her drink order Sept. 13, 2021 in Carbondale, Ill.

Local cafe brings a little magic to Carbondale

September 26, 2021
Lex Dietz, the program director for SIT Service Dogs, speaks to potential new members of the Saluki Service Dogs during the RSO fair Aug. 25, 2021 in Carbondale, Ill. The program works with SIU students to train service dogs for the community. I always like new students its just something different every semester. Somebody brings something new every semester, which is really cool, Dietz said.

SIT and Saluki Service Dogs continue partnership to provide aid to community members in need

September 10, 2021
Josh Combs plays a vinyl record over the house speakers Aug. 11, 2021 at the Record Swaps and Needle Drops event at Buckwater Brew Works and Whiskey House in Carbondale, Ill. Combs organized the event and said, “It’s something that kind of came out of just listening to records with friends and thinking that enough people enjoy listening to records that they might come out and like to do it in public.”

Local business owner hosts Record Swaps and Needle Drops event

August 19, 2021
Brandon Kuschnereit and Hollie Andress stand behind their table of hand-crafted knives at the Wanenmachers 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

May 19, 2021
A truck advertises the worlds 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

May 13, 2021

A girl’s love of animals kick starts her goat business

April 29, 2021
Nicole Miskelley helps fit a client for a dress April 3, 2021, at Melise’s Boutique in Marion, Ill. Miskelley entered into the formal wear business in 2019 and said it was difficult to begin her business during the pandemic. “We were shut down March of last year up until about October [...] so it’s been really hard, especially it being my first year in business, trying to get everything going,” Miskelley said.

Local dress boutique business slowly returns since pandemic

April 18, 2021
Jackson County CEO student, Zoe Harris, speaks with her banker about receiving a loan for her business, Cadmus, March 31, 2021, at the SIU Small Business Development Center in Carbondale, Ill. Harris created her business as a way of turning her passion of writing into a career by creating content for other business’s websites and social media.

Community program paves the way for young entrepreneurs

April 14, 2021
Thomas (TJ) Johns reels in a line March 31, 2021, at Kinkaid Lake in Jackson County, Ill. Johns said the Saluki Bassers are looking for new members and accept people of all experience levels in their club.

Saluki Bassers win first place at the 2021 Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament at Table Rock

April 12, 2021
Ginger Rye Sanders, a nominee for city council 2021, casts her vote on April 6, 2021 at the Eurma Hayes Community Center in Carbondale, Ill. If we don’t realize today that there is power in voting, with all of the voter suppression against people of color, if you don’t know now that it is important then you will never know, Rye-Sanders said.

Carbondale Consolidated Election results are in

April 6, 2021
William Toliver, presents his speech at the Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year event March 17, 2021, in Carbondale, Ill. “I struggle with going to school, going to class on time, keep working on school, and paying attention. Luckily, I have teachers to encourage me to work hard and praise me for taking my time. They have made me more confident and comfortable in the world we live in,” Toliver said.

Boys and Girls Club serving the community’s youth, one student at a time 

March 19, 2021
Beth and Linda Bivens wait for their ice cream at Dairy Queen March 11, 2021, in Carbondale, Ill. The two said their favorite memory from coming to Dairy Queen as a kid was sitting on the curb and eating ice cream as a family and watching parades as they went by.

Locals reflect on 70 years of Carbondale’s 1950s-style Dairy Queen

March 17, 2021
A Homeless military veteran, who did not wish to give his name, sits outside of the Carbondale Warming Center Feb. 25, 2021, in Carbondale, Ill. “Most people here have got some kind of story,” he said. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography

Carbondale city officials discuss plans to assist homeless members of the community

March 15, 2021
SIU freshman, Hollie James, chips the ball onto the green at the Battle Between Southern and Bradley March 14, 2021, at Hickory Ridge Golf Course in Carbondale, Ill.

Battle with Bradley falls in Salukis’ favor

March 14, 2021
Community activist and leader, Michael Coleman, paints the Art Reconciliation community mural March 5, 2021, in Carbondale, Ill. “Just being able to just give time to give back to your community, I think that’s really important. We take so much but, like, we have to keep giving back to the community and this is my way of doing it,” Coleman said.

Couple designs mural to bring racial unity to Carbondale

March 13, 2021
Abdul Rahim Khalil assists a customer Mar. 1, 2021, at Rahim’s Beauty Supply in Carbondale, Ill. Khalil said he noticed there were not many Afican-American owned businesses, especially beauty stores, in the southern Illinois area, so he decided to create one himself.

Rahim’s Beauty Supply

March 10, 2021
SIU midfielder and defender, Kaitlin Ducharme, kicks the ball March 9, 2021, at the Lew Hartzog Track and Field Complex in Carbondale, Ill

SIU ends late night match against Evansville with a tie

March 9, 2021
Carmalita Cahill, the executive director at the Carbondale Warming Center, cleans the frequently-touched surfaces March 4, 2021, in Carbondale, Ill. She is passionate about taking care of others and doing the best she can to help others feel safe and understood. “One of the things that we’re rooted in is humanity, dignity, and empathy, and I think those are things that if you look around the country, around the world, that’s what everybody wants, and if we can show that to everybody in our society, how great would we be,” Cahill said. Sophie Whitten | @swhittenphotography

Samaritan Saturday: Carbondale Warming Center offers housing, food and clothing to homeless community  

March 6, 2021
Murphysboro man threatened by racist neighbor

Murphysboro man threatened by racist neighbor

March 3, 2021
Evie Allen (center) poses for a photograph with her mother, Clarissa Allen (left), and her aunt, Anita Csaszar (right), Feb. 13, 2021, in Marion, Ill. The three women discussed how, no matter what hairstyle or texture someone has, it should be accepted and embraced because it is not for any one person to dictate what hairstyles are right or wrong. “Whatever I do to my hair, it’s me that I’ve got to please, even though we’ve spent so much time trying to please somebody else,” Clarissa Allen said.

Uncoiling the Black hair struggle

March 2, 2021
National Guard helps administer COVID-19 vaccine

National Guard helps administer COVID-19 vaccine

February 21, 2021
Students sled down a hill in a kayak Feb. 16, 2021, in Carbondale, Ill. Many students had to get creative to find materials to sled down the hills during the snow day and these men chose the successful idea of using a kayak.

Snow much fun: a snow day gallery

February 17, 2021
Retired railroad fireman and engineer, Milton McDaniel, began his 50 year long career in 1967 and became the first African American fireman and engineer north of the Ohio River. According to McDaniel, the photo on the left was taken prior to retiring in 2014. “It was a struggle, but I wanted to let other people know, other young men, know no matter what they wanted to do in life, don’t let nothing turn you around,” said McDaniel.

Milton McDaniel: life of a southern Illinois trailblazer

February 17, 2021
Cassandra Jett clears snow and ice off of her car Monday, Feb. 15, 2021, in Carbondale, Ill.

SIU announces administrative closure for Feb. 16th, Jackson County postpones on-campus vaccinations

February 15, 2021
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Fortune.

Redefining empowerment with boudoir photography

February 14, 2021
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Serving the Southern Illinois University community since 1916.