Knosher Bowl Groundbreaking

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on March 13 to officially kick-off the renovation of the Knox Bowl. At the conclusion of the project, scheduled for August 2008, the field will be renamed the  Knosher Bowl, in honor of the long-time Knox coach and athletic director. See photos from the event.

The $1.8 million project will include a synthetic turf surface, new fencing, gates, and entry area; lowering of the north berm to open the Bowl to the campus; addition of walkways and ramps into and round the Bowl; new goal posts; and enlarged areas for team benches and athletic training staff and equipment. A second phase of the project, which will include new public restrooms, a concession stand, a covered viewing deck, and more spectator seating, is currently in the fundraising stage. Read more about the project.

Memorial Gym Renovation Underway
Renovations to Memorial Gymnasium also began in March. The project will retain the integrity of the "historic feel" to Memorial Gym, built in 1951, while providing modern amenities to the facility. Enhancements to the gym and lobby will include: a new HVAC system;  new wood bleachers that are auto-tracking for ease of movement; a new sound system that will allow teams and spectators to hear the spoken word; redesigned, retrofited, and accessible men's and women's restroom facilities; and much more. View renovation updates.

The Knox Bowl and Memorial Gym Renovations are part of the College's Fitness Center and Athletics Initiatives Task Force. Read more about their plans and accomplishments.

Students Recreate Lincoln Douglas Debate

Knox students brought history to life on March 11 with the display of a life-size replica of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate site at Knox's Old Main. The model they created, 30-feet-wide and seven-feet-tall, represents part of the east wall of Old Main, including the window through which the debaters and other local dignitaries climbed on October 7, 1858.

The 16 students in Associate Professor of History Catherine Denial's course also dressed in period clothing and re-created for visitors some of the people who were at Old Main for the debate. 

The model and the student presentations will be offered again on the Knox campus this fall at a meeting of the Lincoln Colloquium in October, and again in late October for Knox College's Homecoming Weekend. Read the story in The Register-Mail.

Knox is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate in other ways as well. Old Main, the only building that remains from the debates, is featured in a set of commemorative medallions released this year. And the College is participating in the Galesburg's Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration.



A Note from the Editor

After a Long Winter, Spring Break Arrives!
Just as the campus is finally beginning to thaw, Knox students are off on spring break. Besides taking a well-deserved vacation, what are students doing this year for break?

• The Knox College Choir is heading to Spain once again for their annual Spring Break Tour.
• The spring sports teams are hitting the road -- the baseball team is heading to Phoenix, Arizona; the softball team is traveling to Los Angeles; the men's tennis team is going to Orlando; and the men's golf team is visiting Hilton Head.
• Knox alumni, students, and friends performed in the annual Rootabaga Jazz Festival. View The Register-Mail video of the event.  
• And Habitat for Humanity is headed to the Gulf Coast for the third year in a row to help in the Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts.

Flunk Day T-shirts Available  
Celebrate the most popular of all Knox traditions with your 2008 Flunk Day t-shirt! T-shirts are $10.00 per shirt (limit 2 per person). The price includes shipping and handling. Knox College Alumni Relations will mail your t-shirt in advance of Flunk Day. Or as close to Flunk Day as possible. You never know when it might be!

You can order your shirt online or you can call Alumni Relations at 309-341-7238. Questions, please e-mail Alumni Relations. We only have a limited quantity, so order yours today! 


 
Campus News 

Old Main Roof Repairs
Knox continues to repair the roof of historic Old Main, following damage incurred in an August 2007 wind storm. Despite Galesburg's recent inclement weather, construction on the roof, which began in December 2007, has moved at a tight pace and is scheduled for completion in May 2008.

See the most recent photos of the repairs.

John Ashcroft to Speak at Knox April 22
John Ashcroft, former Attorney General of the United States, will speak at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 22, in Harbach Theatre in the Ford Center for the Fine Arts. The lecture is sponsored by the Knox Republicans and the Young Americans Foundation. "We wanted to bring in a well-known figure who could spark discussion," said Maurice Harris '08, a political science major. Ashcroft served as U.S. Attorney General from 2001 to 2005 under President George W. Bush. Ashcroft also has been a U.S. Senator, Missouri governor, attorney general and state auditor. Read more.

Madeleine Albright to Speak at Commencement on June 7
Madeleine Albright, former United States Secretary of State, will deliver the Commencement address during the College's exercises on June 7. Albright, the first female secretary of state, served from 1997 until 2001. At the time, she was the highest ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government. "Knox students have high ambitions and high expectations," explains Knox President Roger Taylor '63 of the senior class' vision in requesting this year's speaker. Read more.

Albright will be awarded an honorary degree at the Commencement ceremony. Also receiving honorary degrees will be Alan I. Leshner, chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Barry Bearak '71, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter for The New York Times. Read more.

Knox Celebrates International Week
Many Knox alumni have fond memories of celebrating Knox's international diversity for one day in January. This year, Knox students had the opportunity to celebrate Knox's internationalism for an entire week.

Knox celebrated International Week from January 21-26, culminating in the 27th-annual International Fair on Saturday, January 26. Other activities during the week included the creation of stained-glass windows highlighting peace, a talk on globalization and West Africa by Professor Eric Edi, an Indian dinner benefitting a school for girls in India, and much more. See photos from the 2008 International Fair.

New Instument Leads to Unique Research Opportunity for Undergrads
Students at Knox College are among the first undergraduates in the nation to get their hands on an upgrade to one of the key instruments for chemical analysis in classes, labs, and advanced research. Supported by a $30,000 grant from the Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation, Knox recently upgraded its Olis RSM 1000 spectrophotometer. "The Olis spectrophotometer gives students a sophisticated, hands-on understanding of key chemical and physical principles," said Larry Welch, professor of chemistry. "It's used to analyze countless chemical and biochemical compounds, including critical biomedical assays, such as a PSA test for prostate-specific antigen." Read more.

More campus news and features.



Student News

Members of Beta Theta Pi particpate in the Polar Plunge. Photo courtesy of Bill Gaither/ The Register-Mail.

Beta Theta Pi Takes the Polar Plunge
Of the 181 people who participated in the 6th annual Galesburg Polar Plunge, members of the Knox Beta Theta Pi fraternity raised more than $5,600 for the Special Olympics, topping all other plunge participants. "It was freezing," said Derek LaRosa '08, the fraternity's philanthropy chairman, in The Register Mail. Read more.

TKS Honored at Illinois College Press Association 
The Knox Student received six awards at the 2008 Illinois College Press Association Conference and Awards Banquet -- Mark Munoz '08 received first place for a column; the paper received second place for an inhouse promotional ad; Andy Fitz '08 received second place for a news photo; Ryan Cash '08 received second place for a sports colum; Amelia Flood '07 received second place for a feature story; and Tom Fucoloro '10 and Erin Coleman '10 received third place for front page layout.

Students Lead Girl Scout Troop
Thanks to Katie White '10, Chrissy Morse '10, and Katherine Williams '11, Girl Scout Troop 08760 -- Galesburg's only Girl Scout Troop -- has three enthusiastic leaders. White has led the troop since last year, when she responded to a request for Girl Scout leaders. Moore and Williams joined her this year. The three lead a troop of about a dozen Daisy Scouts and Brownies. Read The Register-Mail story.

Bigus Studies at London Florence Theatre's Gaiety School of Acting
Sarah Bigus '09, a theatre and neuroscience major, spent a semester in Ireland, living in Dublin and studying through the London Florence theatre program at the Gaiety School of Acting. In addition to the contemporary Irish drama class, Bigus regularly attended stage shows and local theatre festivals in Dublin. She volunteered at Dublin's Fringe Festival, gaining access to stage shows. She also played a different role, volunteering at Open Heart House, an HIV/AIDS support center. Read more

Jessica Jones '08 Enters the World of Student Teaching
"I wanted to be a creative writing major," said senior Jessica Jones. She is now pursuing a career as an elementary school teacher. Galesburg's The Register-Mail is profiling Jones during her semester of student teaching at King Elementary School, where Jones is teaching fourth grade. Read more.

Lawani Fosters Entrepreneurship in Nigeria
Oladipo Lawani '08 dreamt of being a banker his whole life. What he didn't know was how that dream would pale in comparison with reality just four years after coming to Knox. Now an economics major, he is eager to make his way in the world and to succeed in one of the poorest countries in the world -- Nigeria. Read more.

Despite Injury, Rutledge Becomes Two-Time All-American
Senior Jaran Rutledge became a two-time NCAA Division III Wrestling All-American after finishing eighth as heavyweight at the 2008 Wrestling Championships. Rutledge suffered a left knee strain in the first period of his first match but perservered to pick up an overtime victory in the consolation bracket before withdrawing from the second day of action. Read more.

More coverage of Knox students is available on the Knox news page.


Alumni News 

Are You Involved in Politics? Knox Magazine Wants to Know
Do you work in politics? Are you a volunteer for a presidential campaign? Are you an elected official? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, let us know! The next issue of Knox Magazine will feature profiles of members of the Knox community who are currently involved in the political life of our country -- professional or volunteer at the local, state, or national level. E-mail the Knox Magazine to share your story.

Carol Bovard Craig '89. Photo courtesy of Mike Brown/ FloridaToday.

Alumna Named Outstanding Woman Engineer
Carol Bovard Craig '89 was recently named the "Space Coast Outstanding Woman Engineer" by the Society for Women Engineers. Craig is president and CEO of Craig Technologies, Inc. a Cape Canaveral-based company that provides software engineering and information-technology support services, as well as other services, to customers such as NASA and the U.S. military. She started the company in 1999 with 10 employees; today it employs 142 people. Read more.

2008 Alumni Achievement Awards
Knox celebrated the 171st anniversary of its founding with the presentation of Alumni Achievement Awards at the 2008 Founders Day Convocation on Thursday, February 14. At the celebration, three alumni received Alumni Achievement Awards -- Alan Anderson '56, Keith Belzer '85, and Richard Cheney '43. Ander Monson '97 was the fourth recipient of a Young Alumni Achievement Award. See coverage of the 2008 Alumni Achievement Awards.

Give to the Young Alumni Campaign
If you are a member of the Knox Classes of 2003-2007, you can participate in the Young Alumni campaign. Last year, young alumni were among Knox's most loyal donors and raised almost $30,000 for the College. As of February 28, young alumni have raised $12,793, with a goal of meeting -- and exceeding --  $30,000 by June 30. Give for your education, give for your professors, give for the squirrels, or even give for Roger.

Give to the young alumni campaign.


Alumni Notes

Christine Herbes-Sommers '70 recently produced a four-hour documentary series, Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?, which will be aired nationwide on PBS on four consecutive Thursdays starting March 27. Her Boston-based company, Vital Pictures, is currently working on a three-part series that explores mysticism in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Donald E. Achelpohl '73 was recently selected as the superintendent of the Fairfield (Iowa) Community School District Board of Directors. Achelpohl has 34 years of experience as a teacher and administrator -- he was a music educator for 21 years, a high school principal for seven years, and superintendent for six years.

After living in Australia for more than 20 years, Jim Wetherbee '74 recently returned to Illinois so his son could play basketball. Read more.

William H. Colby '75 joined Kansas City's Center for Practical Bioethics as the Senior Fellow, Law and Patient Rights. He will direct Center activities around the intersection of law, medicine, and ethics with a special emphasis on patient rights. Read more.

Kevin Britz '76 was named the new director of the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College. Currently assistant professor of history at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, he will start his new duties in July 2008.

Attorney Stephen C. Fraser '78 defended the radiologist found not guilty of negligence in the diagnosis and treatment of actor John Ritter, who died from a torn aorta in 2003. Fraser is a founding partner in the California law firm of Fonda & Fraser, LLP. Read more.

Amy Carlson '90 recently appeared in the Lifetime movie The Kidnapping.

Brian Tibbets '96 was recently highlighted as the Latin teacher at Monmouth-Roseville High School in Monmouth, Illinois. Read more.

Real Love, a new play written and directed by Ben Moeller-Gaa '98, was recently produced at Ravissant Winery outside of St. Louis. See photos from the St. Louis Knox Club viewing the play.

Josh Fourdyce '99 was recently named the Woodstock (Illinois) Moose Lodge Police Officer of the Year for 2007. He currently works as Woodstock High School's resource officer and assistant football coach. Read more.

Bree Elrod '00 recently appeared in the Boston performance Angels in America, produced by the Boston Theatre Works.

Will Culbertson '03 will soon start a new job as the production manager for the Austin, Texas-based professional choral group Conspirare. 

Read and post Class Notes in the Knox Online Community.



Faculty & Staff News

Professor Emeritus William Brady
Professor Emeritus of English William E. Brady died Sunday, March 9, at his home in Galesburg. "Professor Brady was a memorable figure on campus during his active teaching from 1962 until 1994 and beyond," said President Roger Taylor '63. "Generations of students remember not just how well he taught Shakespeare but also the remarkable panache he displayed in the classroom and in his friendships with faculty, students, and graduates. His booming eloquence will be missed." Read more.

Numerous alumni have posted their memories of Professor Brady in the Knox Online Community. Read the messages or post your own.

(You need to be a member of the online community to read and post messages. To register, simply click on First Time Login at the top left-hand of your screen and follow the directions. You will need your Knox ID number () to register. )

Heimann Named Midwest Conference Coach of the Year
After guiding Knox to a share of fifth place in the conference, Tim Heimann '70, in his last season at the helm, was honored as the Midwest Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year. The Prairie Fire were picked to finish ninth in the conference preseason poll after winning three conference games in 2006-07 and graduating their lone All-MWC selection in Jason Maclin. "This award says more about the quality of this team than it says about me," said Heimann. Read more.

Heimann, who retired from coaching at the end of the season, also won the conference honor in 1997. He finished his 24-year Knox head coaching career with more than 250 victories. Read more about Heimann's last game.

Polay and Knox-Galesburg Symphony Win Awards
Bruce Polay, professor of music and artistic director/conductor of the Knox Galesburg Symphony, received the 2008 Illinois Cultural Leadership Award from the Illinois Council of Orchestras. The symphony received the 2008 Illinois Orchestra of the Year Award. The honors were presented February 29 at the Illinois Council of Orchestras annual awards ceremony in Chicago. Read more.  Polay also recently completed his string quartet (2007), which will be published by Rassel Editions of New York. The world premiere will take place on March 20 at Lynn University, Boca Raton.

J. Mark Wilson Joins Advancement Office
J. Mark Wilson, former president and CEO of the Galesburg Community Foundation, has been named director of major gifts at Knox College. Prior to his position at the Galesburg Community Foundation, Wilson served as director and senior director of major gifts at Monmouth College and Bradley University. Read more.

Faculty & Staff Notes

"Inspired by Football," a story by Ralf Rothmann translated from German by Neil Blackadder, associate professor of theatre, appears in Stand, a magazine based in Leeds, England. 

The paper "Communication-Aware Processor Allocation for Supercomputers: Finding Point Sets of Small Average Distance" co-authored by David Bunde, assistant professor of computer science, was recently published in the journal Algorithmica. 

Elizabeth Carlin-Metz, associate professor of theatre, was interviewed by Footlights and  American Theatre magazines about Vitalist Theatre's forthcoming production of A Passage to India (opening April 8). The production -- directed by Carlin-Metz, produced by Robin Metz, director of Knox's Program in Creative Writing, and designed by Craig Choma '93, assistant professor of theatre -- is currently featured on the Web site broadwayworld.com. 

Mary Crawford '89, associate professor of chemistry and Jennifer Templeton, associate professor of biology, recently participated in the Midstates Consortium's Midcareer Faculty Workshop at Macalester College.

Nancy Eberhardt, professor of anthropology, was the guest speaker at a University of Chicago graduate seminar on "Lived Religions," which teaches her book Imagining the Course of Life: Self-Transformation in a Shan Buddhist Community. In December, she was an invited speaker at the University of London for the first International Conference on Shan Buddhism and Culture, sponsored by the university's School of Oriental and African Studies.

Michael Godsil '76, instructor in art, recently exhibited his photography at Galesburg's Civic Art Center. The exhibit featured both new and past work.

Robert Hellenga, George A. Lawrence Professor Emeritus of English, discussed his writing on "Arts Across Illinois," a television program on WTTW in February.

Tim Kasser, associate professor of psychology, was recently featured in media outlets around the world for his discussion of a new movement of Eco-moms. Read the original New York Times article.

Frank McAndrew, Cornelia H. Dudley Professor of Psychology, published an article on the psychology of gossip in the Winter 2008 issue of Psychology Teacher Network, a periodical published by the American Psychological Association for High School and Community College teachers of psychology. Read Professor McAndrew's article on gossip from the most recent issue of Knox Magazine.

Robin Metz, director of Knox's Program in Creative Writing, recently read his poetry in Galesburg, St. Louis, Chicago, New York, and London. In February, Metz directed a reading of seven Knox alumni writers for the New York Knox Club. He also originated, chaired, and contributed a paper for the panel "A Tribute to Richard Yates" at the annual conference of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) in New York. Barbara Cottral Bean '68 was also on the panel.

"The Minder," a short story by Natania Rosenfeld, associate professor of English, appears in the current ("Purple") issue of The Fairy Tale Review.

Lane Sunderland, Chancie Ferris Booth Professor of Political Science, was an invited guest at the annual meetings of the Supreme Court Fellows held at the Supreme Court of the United States. This annual meeting included a reception and dinner with Supreme Court Justices and other Court personnel and a roundtable discussion of the U.S. and British high courts with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Lady Hale of the British Law Lords.

Judy Thorn, associate professor of biology, recently commented on the possible pitfalls of agricultural cloning and its impact on genetic variety. Read more.  

Douglas Wilson, co-director of the Lincoln Studies Center, spoke on "Lincoln's Rhetoric" at the Abraham Lincoln Symposium at the Old State Capitol in Springfield on February 11. He also delivered the keynote address on February 18 at the opening of Lincoln's summer residence, which has been restored and opened to the public by the National Trust, and a talk to the Chicago Literary Club. In addition, he was quoted in an article on Lincoln in U.S. News & World Report.



Contact Us
Submissions to The Gizmogram should be made to the editor at gizmogram@knox.edu. Submissions may be edited for space.

Editor
Megan Scott '96

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