HOUSEKEEPING: This is the second in a three-part series of posts somewhat relating to basketball that really are not all that basketball-ey to get us ready for the new season. It is somewhat modeled after the midmajority's essay season. Later, I will get some material up from SIUE media day. My laptop literally crashed (onto the ground) and this problem has since been resolved. I am now a Mac and not a PC. I have $35 to my name for two weeks.
If you were to google "SIU Carbondale" today, you would find things to be a bit different than they were just a few years ago.
The first link is for "Southern Illinois University Carbondale," the second for the Southern Illinois University system, which includes the board of trustees and both the SIUC and SIUE campuses.
The third is perhaps the most important to us here at SIUE.
"Southern Illinois University Carbondale athletics."
The official twitter for SIUC is @SIUC.
The athletic twitter still says @SIUsalukis, but when they tweet games they use the hashtag #SIUC.
I like to think this is because I tweeted at them, and asked in perhaps a not-so-polite fashion to stop using the hashtag #SIU and add the "C."
That way, we can be "the e" and they can be the "C." It's all we can ask for, and helps us develop our own identity. They are the Salukis, we are the Cougars. They have Lowery, we have Lennox. They have a Sweet 16 appearance, an episode of college gameday and football, while we have a Division II Elite Eight appearance, WSIE and soccer. Each university has its own unique qualities despite operating under the same administrative umbrella.
SIU Carbondale is referred to on Wikipedia as the "flagship campus" of the SIU system. Without them, we wouldn't exist, and we have to be grateful for what we have here at SIUE. Without Carbondale, as much as we dislike them, and as much as I despise them we have to thank them for what they have given us.
Their board of trustees helped us become a Division I institution. There were disagreements, but ultimately, Carbondale is the reason Edwardsville, their little brother is here.
It took SIUE a while to get to where it is today.
SIUC was founded in 1869 with the motto "Deo Volente," meaning "god willing." It was founded as a small teachers college with 12 departments and 143 students. In 1957, SIUC wanted to expand its reach with a more urban campus located in the St. Louis metro area. While this campus is a few hours north, in relative South-Central illinois, it maintained the namesake of its original entity, and grew to be SIU Edwardsville.
In 1949, Delyth Morris convinced the SIU BOT to offer teacher education courses in Belleville. Once the programs in Belleville began to Grow, Morris saw opportunity to branch out, and acquired land in the Metro East to start what would become SIUE.
As he consolidated his position of president, Morris earned a level of respect and trust from the board of trustees bordering on domination. Morris generally set the course and the board usually supported his proposals. On October 23, 1956, the board of trustees met with the executive committee of an advocacy group called the Southwestern Illinois Council for Higher Education (SWICHE) and agreed to seek state funds to expand the SIU presence inMadison and St. Clair counties. On November 15, 1956, Morris asked the board to create one or more additional residence centers offering a wider variety of courses. Morris established these in East St. Louis (St. Clair County) and Alton (Madison County). The new residence centers began operation in the fall of 1957. - History of SIUE
In 1962, plans for Lovejoy Library and Peck hall were being made. In 1965, SIUE began offering classes. In 2010, SIUE has grown to include a student body of 14,000, about 2,000 fewer than big brother in Carbondale.
The years of bubble gyms, live Cougars and Mississippi River festivals are past, and SIUE still has room to grow, as the second largest campus in the country, in terms of landmass.
It is really amazing to see what SIUE has become living in the shadows of SIUC. The people in Carbondale who accept us as a Division I school and accept the C are probably outnumbered by those who feel the E can not compete with "SIU."
In terms of football, we have the same number of national championships at the Division I level: one.
SIUC won the FCS championship in 1983, three years after SIUE won the soccer national championship. Both games are variations of football. Perhaps this is a fitting way to differentiate the two schools. We are different in the games we play, and where we play them but we are the same, as small Division I schools.
We may be a few years behind, but at the rate SIUE is growing, the game of catch up is more exciting than it is tedious, and there is light at the end of the preverbal tunnel. Eventually, SIUE will probably part ways from the "C" when the time arrives. It will get to the point where the State will find a way to get us the money we need to operate on our own. SIUE will end up on its own. Will we see it in our lifetimes? Maybe not. Carbondale was built around them. We were build around Edwardsville. It is a disadvantage to us, but something time will help dissolve.
We are young. We are unproven, but damnit, we will get there.
We are beginning to earn the respect of those down South, but either way we shouldn't aim to please them. We should aim to prove them wrong.
You have a head start. We have a plan. Respect the Cougar.
10 comments:
How about you get off your little inferiority complex you are having and maybe realize the "E" is the one that is jealous and that us at THE SIU don't have a superiority problem. Yes we are the flagship and have the more recognizable athletic program. Some Salukis have a problem with the C more than not because when in the STL area many say they went to Southern Illinois they instantly get asked "Oh Edwardsville?" It is annoying to think that we are instantly downgraded to being a commuter student and living at home.
I look forward when we start playing each other in basketball regularly and hope U of Edwardsville/Morris State does well in the OVC next year.
Aww, looks like someone has little brother syndrome. The Salukis are THE Southern Illinois University and the "e" will always be the younger little brother who will never live up to big brother. It's a letter. Get over it. Nobody cares about soccer anyway.
You seriously must be about 4 feet tall to have a little man's complex this bad. I feel bad that you can go through life being this cynical and clueless. Enjoy your time at Edwardsville State University, and know that those of us at the real SIU can't wait until you are no longer associated with us either. That's a two way street, and when that time comes, you may end up longing for the "good ole days" when all your problems were handed by your "big brother".
Good job losers.......All I can say is that I am glad I did not go to the Big C (cunt university).........I think your academics suck, the dorms are nasty and dirty, the woman lose and ugly, and your lucky that you had some good basketball seasons all for naught because you suck now!!!!! Dont come on here and bash SIUe when you have your own problems........SIUe is more superior in campus and in academics get it straight!!!!! Our sports will be just as good one day (and I am not saying they are on par) The problem is who cares who is associated with who......I never cared and I never thought about the two universities as one......they just shared the SIU portion......and staying at home and a commuter school were about on par a few years ago who ever posted that.......current statisics have the populaton on campus at almost 5000 students and that is in actualy student housing......you guys can claim to have more people on housing because the university bought a bunch of ran down apartments and count those as student housing......So go SIUe and fuck off SIUC
I would also like to point out because of your third grade education at Carbondale if you would read the article then maybe you would see that the author is very respectable toward Carbondale even going as far as saying we would not be here if it was not for them.......so really take some time away from your stupid beer kegs and read a little maybe you would get a good education and honestly it is true here in St Louis SIUe is taken very seriously hardly do you see a Carbondale graduate working around the St Louis area because they know you guys did not get a good education....So good luck losers
Yeah...definitely and inferiority complex. It's kind of sad, really.
I would be surprised if the above poster graduated from high school much less SIUE... He's probably from jeffco.
Edwardsville State taken seriously in St. Louis? HA! I guess if you're working at McDonalds.
There's an error in your article: SIU has 20,000, not 16,000 as you reported.
lol....yessir I work for the government and my wife works for a large national contractor and hmmmm i dont think I have heard SIUC but SIUe is all over the place........and 20000 is not accurate sir 16000 is more like it......the 4000 people are in limbo of failing out LOL Your campus is trash you have to admit when my buddies went there they even complained how trashy and junky the facilities were....Anyways I actually root for SIUc to win because they have what I like to call blue collar mentally.... But superior to SIUe? Nope.
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