The Daily Eastern News

09/26/2025

From small-town roots in Mattoon to big city projects in Los Angeles, screenwriter and TV producer Craig Titley has been on a journey akin to that of Luke Skywalker from Star Wars.

Titley felt like the farm boy from Tatooine, which he poked fun at by calling Mattoon “Matooine,” keeping him grounded on his big adventures writing scripts for films like “Scooby-Doo” (2002) and producing series like “Agents of Shield.”

Now, Titley is preparing to begin another adventure back to his home county and alma mater to present as one of the keynote speakers at the inaugural Eastern Illinois University Comic Fest on Saturday.

Check out the story below for more.

https://www.dailyeasternnews.com/2025/09/26/eiu-comic-fest-returns-alumni-for-keynote-presentations/

From small-town roots in Mattoon to big city projects in Los Angeles, screenwriter and TV producer Craig Titley has been on a journey akin to that of Luke Skywalker from Star Wars. Titley felt like the farm boy from Tatooine, which he poked fun at by calling Mattoon “Matooine,” keeping him groun...

09/26/2025

Junior forward Alex Tetteh became the first EIU women’s soccer player to score four goals in a game since 1996 in Eastern’s 4-0 win over Western Illinois Thursday evening in Macomb.

Tetteh tied the EIU and Ohio Valley Conference record for most goals scored in a game, recorded her second career hat trick in as many seasons and led the Panthers (5-4-2, 2-0) to a second consecutive win in OVC play.

Check out the story below for more.

https://www.dailyeasternnews.com/2025/09/26/tetteh-ties-program-ovc-record-in-win-over-western-illinois/

Junior forward Alex Tetteh became the first EIU women’s soccer player to score four goals in a game since 1996 in Eastern’s 4-0 win over Western Illinois Thursday evening in Macomb. Tetteh tied the EIU and Ohio Valley Conference record for most goals scored in a game, recorded her second career ...

09/26/2025

Eastern Illinois volleyball turns its attention to Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend when it hosts Lindenwood in a two-match series at Gardella Family Court at McAfee Gym.

The Panthers (6-4) hold the highest winning percentage in the OVC at .600.

The weekend marks more than just the beginning of conference play, it will also be the program’s first matches inside its newly renovated home court.

Check out the story below for more.

https://www.dailyeasternnews.com/2025/09/26/eiu-volleyball-ready-for-ovc-play-at-new-home/

Eastern Illinois volleyball turns its attention to Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend when it hosts Lindenwood in a two-match series at Gardella Family Court at McAfee Gym. The Panthers (6-4) hold the highest winning percentage in the OVC at .600. The weekend marks more than just the beginning...

09/26/2025

Two new starting quarterbacks will face off in the 13th annual Coles County Clash: Charleston junior quarterback Wyatt Gordon and Mattoon’s sophomore quarterback Brayden Hackett.

Both have just over 20 completions and under 400 passing yards on the season.

“These kids have played Mattoon growing up in everything from basketball, baseball, a plethora of sports,” head coach Brian Halsey said. “They know the intensity; they know the bragging rights. This is just a little bit bigger stage. And it comes down to just settling in and playing football.”

Check out the story below for more.

https://www.dailyeasternnews.com/2025/09/25/charleston-mattoon-set-to-play-13th-coles-county-clash/

Two new starting quarterbacks will face off in the 13th annual Coles County Clash: Charleston junior quarterback Wyatt Gordon and Mattoon’s sophomore quarterback Brayden Hackett. Both have just over 20 completions and under 400 passing yards on the season. “These kids have played Mattoon grow.....

09/26/2025

EIU President Jay Gatrell presented plans to resolve the university’s budget concerns during his fall update on Wednesday in Doudna Fine Arts Center’s Dvorak Concert Hall.

The first way Gatrell aims to resolve these concerns is by using what he describes as instructional efficiency. He aims to have a student to faculty ratio of 17 to 1 instead of the current 15 to 1 ratio.

Check out the story below for more.

EIU President Jay Gatrell presented plans to resolve the university’s budget concerns during his fall update on Wednesday in Doudna Fine Arts Center’s Dvorak Concert Hall. The first way Gatrell aims to resolve these concerns is by using what he describes as instructional efficiency. He aims to h...

09/26/2025

Three executive board members of the student government association have resigned after a vote to remove them due to ineligibility failed at an emergency meeting on Monday.

The emergency meeting came after the three members were notified that they were no longer eligible to hold office because they did not satisfy the GPA requirement outlined in the student body constitution.

Resignations were made official at the EIU student senate meeting on Wednesday.

Check out the story below for more.

Three executive board members of the student government association have resigned after a vote to remove them due to ineligibility failed at an emergency meeting on Monday. The emergency meeting came after the three members were notified that they were no longer eligible to hold office because they....

09/25/2025

Guest pianist Fantee Jones showcased her talent to students and community members on Tuesday in Doudna Fine Arts Center’s recital hall.

Jones’ first solo performance was when she was seven years old, and it kickstarted her career, leading her to win several awards in international piano competitions around the world.

Shichao Zhang, director of keyboard division and instructor of piano at EIU, asked Jones to perform at the university not just because of her talent on the piano, but also because of her ability to communicate with the audience.

“She’s absolutely engaged into her performance and then tries to deliver everything to the audience,” Zhang said. “She has one of the best piano techniques I’ve ever seen, and she’s able to show a huge range of volume and of different piano techniques and sound.”

Check out the story below for more.

Guest pianist Fantee Jones showcased her talent to students and community members on Tuesday in Doudna Fine Arts Center’s recital hall. Jones’ first solo performance was when she was seven years old, and it kickstarted her career, leading her to win several awards in international piano competit...

09/25/2025

The latest performance to take to Doudna Fine Arts Center’s Black Box Theatre, a student showcase of playwright Suzan-Lori Parks’ “Topdog/Underdog,” will debut its four-show run on Thursday.

Directed by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Geovonday Jones, this two-man show interweaves comedy and tragedy in a dramatic story of brotherhood.

“This play is when a hurricane and a tornado reproduce,” Jones said. “It’s more than a conflict. It’s about the duality of Black men, certainly Black men in America [and] the duality of our nation, really.”

Check out the story below for more.

The latest performance to take to Doudna Fine Arts Center’s Black Box Theatre, a student showcase of playwright Suzan-Lori Parks’ “Topdog/Underdog,” will debut its four-show run on Thursday. Directed by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Geovonday Jones, this two-man show interweave...

09/24/2025

The These Hands Don’t Haze event at EIU on Monday marked the start of National Hazing Prevention Week and drew student participation to raise awareness about hazing.

During this event, organizers emphasized the importance of students staying thoroughly informed about different aspects of hazing. The event was organized by the Dean of Students office.

“Being informed is a weapon,” said Arielle Kindred, the complex director for Lincoln, Stevenson, Powell-Norton and Pemberton Hall.

Check out the story below for more.

The These Hands Don’t Haze event at EIU on Monday marked the start of National Hazing Prevention Week and drew student participation to raise awareness about hazing. During this event, organizers emphasized the importance of students staying thoroughly informed about different aspects of hazing. T...

09/24/2025

On Sept. 11, members of the Eastern volleyball team walked into McAfee Gym for what they thought was just a team meeting.

However, the players were instead led to a room that had been repurposed into a new state-of-the-art locker room.

As players began to file into the room, their eyes met benches with their own personal chair, storage compartment and nameplate. Jaws hit the floor as they turned to look at a white couch facing the wall where a TV will eventually go, as well a Ms. Pac-Man arcade cabinet and a kitchen counter with cabinets.

Check out the story below for more.

On Sept. 11, members of the Eastern volleyball team walked into McAfee Gym for what they thought was just a team meeting. However, the players were instead led to a room that had been repurposed into a new state-of-the-art locker room. As players began to file into the room, their eyes met benches w...

09/24/2025

Emerson Reynolds argues the Rapture fears that have taken over social media are fearmongering.

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The end of the world will come on Sept. 23.

“The Rapture is upon us, whether you are ready or not,” said pastor Joshua Mhlakela during a podcast interview with CENTTWINZ TV.

The sentiment has taken the internet by storm, flooding trending hashtags on X, Instagram and TikTok. Videos of parents saying goodbye to their children, flowcharts for which family members will take over left behind homes and people talking about how they imagine their dogs being taken to heaven are filling feeds.

Whether these people believe it or not, this is fearmongering.

The end of the world will come on Sept. 23. “The Rapture is upon us, whether you are ready or not,” said pastor Joshua Mhlakela during a podcast interview with CENTTWINZ TV. The sentiment has taken the internet by storm, flooding trending hashtags on X, Instagram and TikTok. Videos of parents sa...

09/23/2025

A ca****la group Six Appeal took to the stage in the Doudna Fine Arts Center with EIU a capella group Blue Fusion Saturday, performing covers over songs like “What’s up” by 4 Non-Blondes and “She's so Gone” from the movie “Lemonade Mouth.”

Six Appeal, formed 18 years ago, have sang the national anthem on ESPN, performed on Disney cruise lines and won the Grand Prix at the Moscow Spring A Ca****la Festival back to back.

Check out the photo gallery below for more.