theknoxparent

The Sights & Sounds of Knox

What has your son or daughter been up to at Knox over the last few months? (Other than making Flunk Day predictions!)

Here are a few of the sights & sounds from spring 2008.

A student controls the fire during the 2008 Prairie Burn

Prairie Burn 2008 Snapshots

More than 75 students worked at the burn on April 5, clearing tree limbs from the prairie and from trails through the extensive forest at Green Oaks, Knox's 700-acre biological field station. See pictures.

Music Fills the Air in Galesburg and Abroad

The Knox College Choir's 10-day excursion to Barcelona, March 16-26, included four scheduled concerts, and two first-time opportunities that they didn't hear about until the day they arrived — a concert in the Cathedral of Barcelona, and a live spot on a program on TV3 — "the Catalan equivalent of Good Morning America," according to choir director Laura Lane, professor of music. Learn more about the tou r and watch the Knox Choir's performance on YouTube!

The Knox Jazz Ensemble, directed by Nikki Whittaker, instructor in music at Knox, opened for the Hilario Duran Trio on the third night of concerts at the 2008 Knox-Rootabaga Jazz Festival. Cuban jazz legend Hilario Duran, with bassist Roberto Occhipinti and drummer Mark Kelso, also led a master class on the Knox campus prior to the Saturday night concert.

We Need Your Input!

We are gathering information to plan for future Family & Friends Weekends and would like you to take a short survey to help us in our planning. Several of you have approached us with ideas, and we are considering the best ways to provide a great Family & Friends Weekend experience for you and your student. We will publish results in a future issue of The Knox Parent.

Take the survey now!

A Greeting from Jennifer Gallas

Greetings from Knox -- we are still waiting for Flunk Day, and the students are getting restless! It's so nice to see students out studying on the lawn and playing Frisbee -- a welcome change from a month ago.

Plans are underway for Commencement, and we are already starting our fall planning -- never too early to begin! As we've noted above, we are gathering information to plan for future Family & Friends Weekends and would really appreciate your input. Please take a few minutes and complete a short survey to help us in our planning. Remember, the dates for this year's Family & Friends Weekend are October 24-26, 2008; these dates will not change, but we will consider all of your suggestions for programming!

Please take some time to check out all of the changes around campus (see the Campus News section) as you are packing your student up in June. I hope to see some of you at Commencement -- have a great spring!

Jennifer Gallas
Parents Program Coordinator

Xavier Romano, vice president for student development

A Note from Xavier Romano

Spring is the most curious of times at Knox College. What appears to be one of the Midwest's longer winters has finally given way to a hint of spring, although the temperature this morning was a brisk 41°F. Amazing!

With five weeks left in Spring Term, life on campus has now turned to thoughts of Commencement with Madeleine Albright, reflections and post-Knox planning on the part of our graduating seniors, and wonder as our first-year students realize how quickly time passes given the pace of academic life at Knox.

Of course, no spring update is complete without a mention of Knox’s very special spring tradition -- Flunk Day. This all-campus spring carnival is the stuff of legends and one of our students' most prized Knox memories. So much so that a special e-mail is sent to all Knox alumni, parents, and friends announcing Flunk Day's arrival.

So what is Flunk Day . . . really? Think of a massive carnival for 1,350 students with lawn games, activities, and community meals. Simply put, an amazing day of fun, celebration, and community.

After serving 10 years as Knox's dean of students, I want to share some random thoughts with you, the Knox parent . . . a constituent that is near and dear to my heart as so many of you call me from time to time. It is not lost on me that we at Knox develop very special and important relationships with so many of you.

As you can imagine, we are already hard at work prepping for fall orientation. Some themes are already surfacing, namely:

Politics and civility in a Presidential campaign;
The role of cyberspace technology in community;
“Free speech” and community standards.

If you foresee any issues or concerns that we should be aware of, please share them with me. One of the great challenges for our staff is the building a sense of community among 1,350 students from 45 states and 44 countries!

As the year draws to a close, allow me to also thank you for supporting your sons and daughters. It is never lost on me just how truly privileged I am to serve as Knox’s dean of students.

Best wishes!
Xavier E. Romano
Vice President for Student Development
Dean of Students

Commencement 2008

Graduates prepare for Knox Commencement

Spring 2008 Finals Schedule

Travel Links

Knox Shuttle Schedule

We have received some questions about Commencement 2008, and will do our best to answer some of them here; if you don't find the answer, check out the Commencement pages on the Knox Web site.

What time does Commencement start on Saturday and how long is the ceremony? This year's Commencement ceremony will be held at Knox College on Saturday, June 7, at 10:00 a.m. and will finish at approximately noon. Please note pets are not allowed on campus.

Who is speaking? Madeleine Albright, former United States Secretary of State, will deliver the Commencement address.

Do we need tickets for Commencement?
Parents of graduates: If you are the parent or guest of a graduating senior, you will need a ticket for limited reserved seating and the lunch following Commencement. Graduates will be allotted 10 tickets, which will be distributed by Alumni Relations during Senior Week (June 2-6, 2008). Please note that all ticket holders must be seated by 9:45 a.m., at which time all unoccupied seats will be released.

All other parents: Parents of current students who are not graduating, alumni, and members of the general public are welcome to attend Commencement but will not receive tickets. Available seating will be limited, so we encourage you to bring your own seating, such as lawn chairs or blankets.

Where is the ceremony? Knox College will hold the ceremony on the South Lawn of Old Main, rain or shine. Guests are advised to dress for the weather. Commencement will be moved to the T. Fleming Fieldhouse only in the case of lightning or threatened lightning.

Where do I meet my graduate after Commencement? Graduates will recess to a location near the Ford Center for the Fine Arts. Guests should prearrange a meeting place with their graduate.

What about professional photography? Knox College has contracted for professional photographers from Heart of America/Chappell Photography to capture the special moment on film. As the graduates cross the stage and receive their diploma, their picture will be taken. A proof of that photo will be sent to each student's home address over the summer and will be available for ordering.

Video: Knox College has contracted a videographer to record the ceremony. Students, families, and guests are able to purchase either a tape or DVD for a reasonable price. Orders will be taken near the Gizmo patio just before and just after the ceremony. In addition, an order form was sent to families in the March Commencement mailing.

Are there plans for the Friday night preceding Commencement? A reception for seniors, their families, trustees, faculty, and staff will be held on Friday evening. Appetizers will be served. This event will occur in the courtyard of the Best Western Prairie Inn beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 6. Guests should make individual arrangements for dinner that night.

Should I make lunch arrangements for Saturday afternoon? A picnic lunch will be served on the lawn south of Seymour Union. Attendance is limited to graduates, their families, trustees, faculty, staff, and invited guests with tickets. In the event of inclement weather, the picnic will be held in Seymour Union.

Seniors who still need to pick up caps and gowns should contact Jimmy Stewart in the Campus Life Office.

Campus News

John Ashcroft speaks at Knox College

Ashcroft Speaks at Knox

Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft discussed the U.S. response to terrorism after 9/11 in his April 22 lecture, sponsored by the Knox College Republicans, with support from individual alumni donors and the Young America's Foundation through its Harold Simmons Lecture Series.

His lecture, titled "Leadership during Challenging Times," generated lots of reaction from the capacity audience, resulting in extensive local and national media coverage.

In The Knox Student:
Ashcroft Sparks Action

In Galesburg's The Register-Mail:
Ashcroft Finds Protests amid Politeness
Photo Gallery: Former US Attorney General John Ashcroft at Knox College
Commitment to Opposition Takes Time
John Ashcroft Answers Waterboarding Question at Knox College (YouTube video)
Actions of Some Fellow Knox Students Disgraceful

On Galesburg Radio Station WGIL AM 1400:
Audio of John Ashcroft's Full Speech and Q&A

Kiplinger's: Knox is among "100 Best Values"

Knox College has earned recognition in Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine as one of the "100 Best Values in Private Colleges." The annual rankings of private colleges and universities appears in the April issue of Kiplinger's. Knox was ranked 47th among liberal arts colleges.

Kiplinger's showcases schools with "strong academics, generous financial aid policies and, in some cases, a decent price to begin with," according to senior associate editor Jane Bennett Clark. Read more...

Athletic Facilities Construction Updates

Work continues on two athletic facility construction projects this spring — the Knox Bowl, Knox's football field, and Memorial Gymnasium. Earth moving is under way at the Bowl and remodeling is progressing at the Memorial Gymnasium. View photos and more...

Old Main Roof Project Moves Ahead

Knox College is repairing the roof of its historic Old Main, following damage incurred in an August 2007 wind storm. The work began in December 2007 and is scheduled for completion in May 2008, in time for Commencement!

Read more...

(Photo courtesy of Ken Exum, Galesburg's The Register Mail.)

Student News

Neuroscience a No-Brainer for Arnold '08

Performing brain surgery on rats sounds normal for a neuroscience study. But what may seem uncommon is this brain surgery is taking place in a lab at Knox College. The man with the scalpel is undergraduate Andy Arnold.

Arnold, who graduates in June, is pursuing a degree in neuroscience. He says that after reading a neuroscience research study conducted at the University of Southern California, he had an idea for a study of his own. Read more about the study...

To read more feature stories on Knox students, visit the Knox news page.