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Contents
Bill Clinton to Give Commencement Address Colbert Challenges Clinton Commencement Greeting from Jennifer Gallas Note from Xavier Romano Student News Campus News Center For Community Service Important Dates Knox Alumni, Parents and Friends Events Knox On Campus Calendar The Knox Parent Archive Web Links Important Dates Tuesday, February 27 Last day to withdraw from a class without approval of the Academic Standing Committee. Tuesday, March 6 5:00 p.m. Classes end Wednesday, March 7 Reading Day Thurs. March 8 through Sat. March 10 Final examination period Sunday, March 11 Spring vacation begins. Residence halls close Sunday at noon. Tuesday, March 20 Residence halls open 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 21 Classes begin - Spring Term ____________ Events for Knox Alumni, Parents & Friends Thursday, February 22 St. Louis Knox Club Pub Night 6:00 PM, McGurks Friday, February 23 D.C. Knox Club Professor Doug Wilson 6:00 PM, Cabinet Room, Old Ebbitt Grill Friday, February 23 Cedar Rapids Knox Club Professor Robin Metz 6:30 PM Elmcrest Golf & Country Club March 4, 2007 Atlanta Knox Club Professor Robin Metz 3:00 PM Home of Scott & Gloria Calhoun March 11, 2007 Phoenix Knox Club Cubs vs. Brewers 11:00 AM Hohokam Park, Mesa ___________ Current on Campus Events ____________ |
 Knox College will again have one of the hottest
tickets in town for its
Commencement ceremony in 2007. President Roger Taylor ’63
announced in December that former United States President
Bill
Clinton will deliver the Commencement address at Knox on Saturday, June
2.“President Clinton’s priorities and achievements are consistent with Knox College’s commitments to diversity, community service, and access to a life-changing liberal arts education,” Taylor said. 2007 will mark the third year-in-a-row that one of the most in-demand commencement speakers has accepted Knox’s invitation to deliver the address to graduating seniors. Stephen Colbert, star of The Colbert Report, spoke in 2006; and Barack Obama, United States Senator from Illinois, spoke in 2005. Read more... If you have questions about Clinton's Speech at Commencement, please see Jennifer Gallas's comments below. Colbert Challenges Clinton Commencement Stephen Colbert—last year’s commencement speaker at Knox College—has issued an ultimatum to the College, stemming from Knox’s invitation to this year’s commencement speaker, former President Bill Clinton. 
Colbert launched the January 22 edition of his Comedy Central program, The Colbert Report, with a four-minute installment of the series he calls “Who’s Riding My Coattails Now,” on which he threatened to burn the honorary doctorate of fine arts that Knox awarded him last year. “If you give [President] Clinton the same doctorate you gave me, I will be forced to burn [my degree] on the air,” Colbert said, contending that the former president had “stolen his thunder.” Knox College is exploring the possibility of printing a new, fireproof diploma for Dr. Colbert. Read more and see
video of
Colbert's Challenge...   A Greeting from Jennifer Gallas Greetings from Knox! It’s been a while since our last Knox Parent newsletter, so I have some catching up to do with all of you.
Jennifer Gallas  A Note from Xavier Romano It’s cold here in Galesburg. Very cold . . . mid-afternoon and a sprite 3°F without the wind chill. This last Sunday, when I was leaving San Diego, it was 73°F. As I disembarked the plane back home, it was 7° according to the pilot. It was as if I had been physically assaulted by a block of ice. Most conversations on campus seem to involve the cold weather in some fashion. The campus has a blanket of snow—which makes the campus almost blinding when there is no cloud cover. Beautiful to be sure . . . but did I tell you it is cold? The mailroom knows that it is cold by the number of express boxes arriving daily from the likes of L.L. Bean, Lands’ End, and Cabela’s—insulated coats, fuzzy socks, and hats of all styles. I even saw my first pair of electric pants—amazing and, the student articulated, incredibly warm. I asked what would happen if they got wet, to which he responded, “I dunno. I suppose it may give me one heck of a shock, but shouldn’t kill me.” I am reminded that just when I think I have seen and heard it all, such reflections are foolish on my part. “Electric pants” . . . who would think? During the first week of winter, we welcomed back more than 50 Knox students from off-campus programs and successfully moved another 53 students out of temporary bed spaces into their permanent rooms for the remainder of the year. Over the break, we brought 30 new bed spaces on-line in new rooms in Post, Raub-Sellew, and a newly renovated property at 265 Academy Street. These spaces are fantastic. In addition to the mood on campus being “cold” (and before you start writing me to let me know that “cold” is not a mood, let me only say that historically I would have agreed with you until now!), many of our students are keenly aware that midterms are happening. Not all faculty give midterms and/or have “midterm papers,” but many do, particularly in 100-level classes. Keep in mind the following equation, which I think has some significance here at Knox: MIDTERMS + VERY COLD WEATHER = BAD MOODS. Clearly, not always the case, but I think that this equation may have some significance at Knox. Remember that the best thing that you can do with your son or daughter is ask questions. And questions that are not “yes” or “no” are ideal. At times, you will hear the proverbial, “Fine, everything is fine.” More often than not this translates into, “all is not well!” Bear in mind that sometimes it is very difficult to talk about academic challenges when one is used to getting nothing but high marks. I have learned over time that your sons and daughters really do want to tell you how they are doing, they just may not know how to do so. This is why your ongoing conversations and e-mails are so important. Finally, please remember that, academically, Knox is a very challenging college. “As” are very hard to come by. Please be sensitive to that. I hope you enjoy the updates to the parent Web page. We are working to bring you relevant and timely information on all things Knox and those items that we think you will find of interest. And if you come across something that you think we should share with others, do send it our way. Time to go out and brave the cold. I hope that this finds you all in the best of spirits and health. Most faithfully,
Student News  A Yen
for a Quality Education Knox College’s numbers are up. With a record high enrollment and a record high first year class, it is not just the word that is getting out—Knox students are getting out as well. Fall term 2006 marked the first for Knox’s new Japan Term. The Japan Term was developed by Michael Schneider, associate professor of history and co-director of global studies; Ryohei Matsuda, assistant professor of Japanese; and William Young, associate professor of philosophy. Each led a 10-week course during fall term 2006. Matsuda taught Japanese language; Schneider history of modern Japan; and Young East Asian philosophy. Each of the classes had their highest enrollments in the history of the College. The professors and students finished the term with a two-week trip to Japan in December. Twenty-two Knox students studied the history of Japan equipped with a passport and digital camera and completed an assigned scavenger hunt during the term. Some traveled to the Thunder Gate at Sensoji Temple or visited the many Buddhist temples of Kyoto or the Meiji Shrine while others visited the trendy neighborhoods of Roppongi and Shibuya or upscale, chic neighborhoods of Ebisu. Read more about the Japan study trip . . . Attitude is Everything: Biology Student Studies Neuroscience, Effects of Stress Look out late night television, here comes Elise Heck. Though most people would argue that medicine and humor do not mix, Elise may argue that the use of alternative treatments, including humor, to cope with stress can have good results. In an independent study on psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), Elise researched stress and its impact on our health. Elise, a Knox College senior, was relaxing in
front of
the television, surfing through channels and looking for something to
watch. “I stumbled on a documentary about the real Dr. Patch
Adams, who
believed in laughter as medicine. I kept hearing the term ‘psychoneuroimmu- nology’ and thought—what
is that? I didn’t even know
that (PNI) was a field of study, but I knew that everything I was
hearing made sense,” Elise says. Read more about
Elise Heck’s research . . . Campus News  Knox Shoots Past Application Record Again Knox College has again received a record number of applications for admission. As of February 16, Knox has received 2433 applications for 340 openings in the class that enters Knox in fall 2007. That’s an increase of 370 applications over those received by the same date last year and exceeds the final number of 2,182 applications received in total for the 2006 class. Interest in Knox has continued to grow as the College has garnered national recognition in recent years for its distinctive educational program, which underwent a complete review in 2002. All Knox students must study a second language, develop an understanding of cultures different from their own, and complete some type of community service. In addition, half of Knox students participate in off-campus study programs, more than 90 percent complete independent study or in-depth research, and all students must apply what they’ve learned through experiential learning. “Knox is setting the standard in
undergraduate education—one where classes are taught by real professors and are small,
and students have the chance to work one-on-one with
professors,” says
President Roger Taylor ’63. “This type of education is expensive, but worth it—and it’s
absolutely necessary if the next generation is to realize their full
potential.” Read more . . . For the first time, Prairie Fire fans could watch every home and away Prairie Fire game live on their computers on a pay-per-view basis! Knox College men’s and women’s Midwest Conference basketball games were available to watch live on Midwest Conference TV (MWCTV). Knox College senior A.J. Ross provided the supporting play-by-play audio for all broadcast games. MWCTV is a joint venture between the Midwest Conference and media technology firm, Penn Atlantic. The Midwest Conference is the first NCAA Division III conference to sign a league-wide agreement with Penn Atlantic to broadcast a full conference schedule for any sport. More on Prairie Fire Athletics... Center For Community Service
The Center for Community Service (CCS) opened in January 2005 under the direction of the Office of Student Development. The coordinator of the CCS, Kathleen Ridlon, works very closely with Dean of Students Xavier Romano. According to Romano, “The CCS works to meet the growing needs and interests of students at Knox to engage in volunteer and service projects in Galesburg and Knox County. The Center provides a much needed ‘point of contact’ for students, community members, and non-profit organizations.”  Prior
to the founding of the CCS, volunteerism among students was
promoted mainly through student clubs and organizations,
fraternities, sororities, and individual initiatives led by the
students, faculty, and staff of the College. In addition,
several
academic programs include community service as part of their
curriculum. These departments include but are not limited to
psychology, sociology and anthropology, education, computer science,
the Gale Scholars Program, Trio, and theatre and dance. According
to Ridlon,
“This
is the first year where volunteer service has had a central location
from which to organize and operate and the student response has been
tremendous.” Read more about the Center for Community Service . . . |
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KNOX
COLLEGE PARENTS PROGRAM
2 East South Street, Box 150 Galesburg, IL 61401 |
(309)
341-7957 knoxparents@knox.edu www.knox.edu/parents |