A Day in the Life of a Knox Student

Have you ever wondered what the lives of current Knox students are like? What classes are they taking? What professors do they love or find challenging? What do they do for fun on the weekend? And does Old Main still smell the same as it did in the 1970s?

Now, thanks to the Knox Bloggers, you can find out just what a day in the life of a Knox student is really like. The Knox Bloggers are a group of five students who post weekly -- and sometimes daily -- web logs, or blogs, that talk about their lives at Knox. They also post photos and, sometimes, audio clips. The Bloggers are seniors Maurice Harris and A.J. Ross and sophomores Sarah Bigus, Amanda Chavero, and Polly Young.

The bloggers' primary audience is prospective students, but anyone visiting the Knox Web site can take a look at their posts. "Alumni could be looking to see what is going on now compared to when they were in school, or they may recognize how things are just as they were when they were here," blogger Maurice Harris says.

"The bloggers have been posting since early October and play an important role in the recruiting process," says Vice President for Enrollment Paul Steenis '85. "They give prospective students a window into what happens on campus everyday, which is more than a simple brochure can do."

Read the Knox Blogger posts . . .

Winter Break in NOLA

At 5:00 a.m. on December 3, 2006, 50 members of the Knox community -- 48 students and 2 faculty/staff members -- will load onto seven buses heading to New Orleans. These 50 individuals will spend two weeks in New Orleans helping with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The group, many of whom spent their 2006 spring break helping clean-up in New Orleans and Mississippi, will work with the organization Hands On in New Orlean's Lower Ninth Ward. Six individuals will post Web logs, or blogs, on their experiences. To follow their efforts in New Orleans, visit the NOLA Web log starting December 3. 

Happy 1st Birthday, Online Community!

On November 1, 2006, the new Knox Online Community celebrated its first birthday. More than 1,700 Knox alumni, faculty, staff, and friends have registered in the community, taking advantage of all the community has to offer -- access to the searchable online directory and class notes, individual member profiles and photo albums, instant messaging, business networking, and much more. Have you? Join today!

What are community users saying?

"Being the parent of a first-year student at Knox, I am more and more impressed with Knox overall and with this new tool to help stay informed. Way to go Knox! " -- Larry Forssberg

"It's fabulous! Way to go, Knox network! " -- Maggie Claudy '04

"This is great! Thanks Knox. Now, can we have an RSS feed of Knox news?" -- Amy Schardein '98

Editor's note: Amy, we are working on that RSS feed. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months!


A Note from the Editor

Help Us Celebrate Old Main's 150th Anniversary! 
Old Main, Knox's most recognizable and beloved campus building, celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2007. In honor of Old Main's sesquicentennial, we want to hear from you. What are your favorite memories of Old Main? What question do you have about the building that was never answered? Do you have any pictures of the building that you want to share with the Knox community? Please share your memories and thoughts with us! E-mail the editor or write to Editor, Gizmogram, Knox College Box K-230, 2 East South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401.

We'll See You in March!
This November issue will be the last you see of the Gizmogram for a while. The Gizmogram will take a short hiatus during my maternity leave, but it will be revived with the March 2007 issue. In the meantime, stay up-to-date on Knox news and events by visiting the Knox news Web site and the Knox Online Community.


Student News

Senior Kevin Megli Sets All-Time Rushing Record
On October 28, senior Kevin Megli became Knox College's all-time leading rusher in football. He rushed for 64 yards in a loss to Lake Forest, moving him past Rick Truttman '75, who ran for 3,002 yards during his Knox career. Megli finished the 2006 season with 3,177 yards in his four-year Prairie Fire career.  Read more . . . 

Kenji Mori Receives Lincoln Award
Senior Kenji Mori recently received the Student Laureate Award for 2006 from the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. The Student Laureate Award recognizes outstanding seniors from each of the four-year degree-granting institutions in Illinois. Student Laureates are honored for excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities. Each Student Laureate must have a cumulative and major grade point average of not less than 3.00, and each recipient receives a certificate of achievement and a check for $150. Read more . . .

Habitat for Humanity Pledges $5,000 to Build New Galesburg House
Habitat for Humanity (HFH) is dedicated to the elimination of poverty housing and homelessness. Knox College's HFH works closely with the Knox County affiliates to provide homes to those in need in the Galesburg area. Members of HFH have pledged to raise $5,000 towards the construction of a new habitat house in the Galesburg community. The money may be used to purchase lumber, walls, trusses, shingles, and/or siding. If you would like more information on the Knox College Habitat for Humanity Chapter, including how to support their efforts, please contact Sarah Koenig. 

Students Launch Two Online Magazines
Two new online magazines, made possible by the hard work and vision of Knox English and creative writings students, were launched during fall term -- Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, Knox's childrens and young adult literature magazine, and The Third Level, Knox's science fiction and fantasy magazine. Created in response to a growing interest among Knox students in genre literature, the two magazines are named for famous alumni writers. Wynken, Blynken, and Nod is named after a famous poem by Eugene Field '34, and The Third Level is named after a Jack Finney '34 short story. Learn more about the publications or read the latest issues . . .

Election Supplement in The Paper
For the second year, the Knox News Team -- Knox student journalists -- created a Voters' Guide for Galesburg's The Paper. The supplement, which was a guide to the 2006 mid-term elections, was published in the October 25 issue of the weekly newspaper. Twenty students wrote articles on local and statewide candidates for office. Read the supplement . . . 

Knox Programming Teams Rock!
The Knox Programming Teams competed in their fifth Association for Computing Machinery  Intercollegiate Programming contest on November 4. Knox competed with 126 teams from 65 colleges and universities in the Mid-Central competition at nine different sites. Knox competed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Knox Gold Team (Phil Jaffe '07, Ben Redig '07, and Josh Stein '07) solved five problems and came in third out of 18 teams at their site and 33rd out of the 126 teams. The Knox Purple Team (Thien Hong Do '08, Yvonne Ramirez '08, and Tom Stellard '07) also solved five problems to finish fourth and 34th overall. Knox was in the top three liberal arts colleges in the region and fared better than teams from Augustana College, Wheaton College, The University of Chicago, and St. Louis University, to name a few.

History Students Receive Behind-the-Scenes Look at Lincoln Museum
As part of their Spring 2006 Public History course, eight students traveled to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to learn just what it takes to make a successful history museum. The students received a behind-the-scenes tour of the library, including a stop in the "Ghosts of the Museum" holographic theatre, and spoke with numerous museum administrators, including Erin Bishop, director of education, and Phil Funkenbusch, director of theaters. Students were then able to experience the musuem first-hand, touring the exhibits with other visitors.


Campus News 

Knox Dedicates New Track
After four-months of construction, the newly-renovated Trevor Field, Knox's outdoor track and field venue, was dedicated on October 12. The $800,000 renovation gives Knox the ability to host both indoor and outdoor conference track and field championships. The state-of-the-art track is also one of only a handful of purple tracks in the country. "Today we take a giant step forward in enhancing opportunities for intercollegiate sports by the dedication of this wonderful new track," said President Roger Taylor '63 at the dedication. Read more . . .

Knox Earns High Marks for Student Engagement
Findings from the 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement show that Knox College scored above national norms on all five of the key areas considered benchmarks for a
successful educational experience. Knox also scored higher than the highest scoring 10 percent of institutions on two of the benchmarks. "Knox students have always been involved in a wide range of activities both in and beyond the classroom," explains Lawrence B. Breitborde, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College. "The NSSE results help us strengthen those experiences and provide feedback for extending new opportunities to our students. The high marks in all five categories tell us that we're making the Knox experience better and better each year." Read more . . .

Knox Sees High Retention Rate
Knox achieved a retention rate of 90.4 percent for sophomores returning from last year. The College has seen retention rates climb steadily over the past several years, but this year saw a significant jump. "Retention is an indicator of the strength of the educational program," notes President Roger Taylor '63. "Students recognize the value of our new curriculum and the rich educational opportunities that Knox offers." Read more . . .

Noted Philosopher Engages FP Students
Philosopher and author Kwame Anthony Appiah spoke on October 24 to more than 400 students and faculty participating in Knox's First-Year Preceptorial (FP) course. FP is a required course for all first-year students that introduces them to the liberal arts. Apiah addressed issues raised in Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers, which was used as the main text for this year's FP. Read more . . .

Knox Receives Grant from Teagle Foundation
Knox College and three other liberal arts colleges in Illinois and Wisconsin have received a grant totaling $297,000 from the Teagle Foundation of New York for a study aimed at improving the quality of higher education. Faculty members at Knox College, Monmouth College, Beloit College, and Ripon College will conduct a three-year study to develop assessment tools for academic majors that focus on how majors advance each college's general education goals. 



Alumni News 

Have You Taken the Homecoming 2006 Survey?
If you attended Homecoming 2006 and would like to share your thoughts about events, accommodations, and other items, please take a moment to fill out our 2006 Homecoming Survey. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. And don't miss your chance to listen to the Homecoming Podcast! Knox senior Kenji Mori and junior John Baillie talked with Knox alumni throughout the weekend to find out why they returned to campus. Listen to what alumni had to say!

John Shaw '79 Returns to Knox to Discuss Latest Publication
Journalist and author John Shaw '79 discussed his new book, The Ambassador: Inside the Life of a Working Diplomat, at Knox on October 19. Shaw, who has extensively covered the Washington diplomatic scene, performed in-depth research on Jan Eliasson, Sweden's Ambassador to the United States from 2000-2005, to write his book. Shaw writes for Market News Service and Washington Diplomat magazine and is a frequent analyst for C-SPAN, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and KPCC radio in Pasadena, California. Read more . . .

Xavier Romano, dean of students and member of the faculty in educational studies, with Amber Kraus '05.

Amber Kraus '05 Outstanding Student Teacher
The Illinois Association of Teacher Educators (IATE) recently presented a 2005-2006 Outstanding Student Teacher Award to Amber Kraus '05. The award recognizes excellence in student teaching. Kraus did her student teaching in chemistry at Nequa Valley High School in Naperville. While at Knox, Kraus also won the American Chemical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry Award. She currently teaches at Grant Community High School in Fox Lake, Illinois. Read more . . .

Roskams Return 29th Dog Tag
For the last several years, V.R. (Swede) '51 and Martha Roskam '52 have worked to return 35 military dogtags that they found on a business trip in Vietnam to Vietnam veterans. They recently returned the 29th dog tag to the family of Marine Lance Corporal Larry Fields, who was KIA in 1967. Their latest efforts were covered by WGN television out of Chicago and other media. More information on their efforts can be found on their Web site.

Alumni Notes

David H. Dool '54 received an extraordinary merit award in the all-around portfolio category at the 2006 American Numismatic Association in Denver, Colorado. Dool also won first place for two of his three exhibits at the conference. Interestingly, he received the John S. Davenport (Knox faculty from 1945-1972) Exhibit Award for his exhibit "Foreign Coins after 1500."

James M. Kilts '70 recently joined Centerview Partners as a founding partner. Centerview Partners, based in New York, is a recently launched firm specializing in independent advice and other client services. Most recently, Kilts was vice chairman of the board-Gillette, The Proctor & Gamble Company. Read more . . .

"WorkWise," the popular newspaper column written by Millie Culp '71, found a new home site at Memphis' The Commercial Appeal. "WorkWise" is a humourous advice column for individuals seeking entry-level jobs.

W. Dudley McCarter '72 received the Oliver Rasch Award from The Missouri Bar. The award recognizes him as the author of the most outstanding article published during the past year in the Journal of The Missouri Bar. McCarter is a partner in the law firm Behr, McCarter & Potter, P.C.

Kevin White '78, who recently ran for U.S. Representative for Illinois' 5th Congressional District, was interviewed on Eight-Forty-Eight, a popular morning program on Chicago's NPR station, WBEZ, on October 23. He discussed his candidacy with host Steve Edwards. Listen to the interview . . .

Anna Leahy '88 is the 2006 winner of the Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize. Her poetry manuscript, Constituents of Matter, was chosen the winner by poet Alberto Rios and will be published by Kent State University Press in spring 2007. Leahy is an assistant professor of English at North Central College.

Mark Graham '90 recently left his position as Knox County assistant state's attorney in Galesburg to serve as McHenry County's assistant prosecutor and chief drug enforcement officer in Woodstock, Illinois. Read more . . .

Bonnie Laughlin-Schultz '98, a doctoral candidate in history at Indiana Univeristy, was awarded a research fellowship by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. She will conduct research at The Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library. 

Neil Schmitzer-Torbert '00, formerly visiting professor of psychology at Knox, recently joined the faculty at Wabash College in Indiana. Read about his new position . . .

Adam Wende '00, who recently began a teaching and research position at the University of Utah, won the Salt Lake City Half Marathon.

Will Boast '01 has had recent success publishing his fiction in journals and magazines across the country. Most recently, his fiction was published in The Southern Review. Other publications include the Alaska Quarterly Review and The Ninth Letter.

Amber Bradshaw '02 recently had her professional directing debut in Atlanta. She directed the play Night/Light with Atlanta's Synchronicity Performance Group.

Vir Das '02 is the host of the program, News on the Loose, which airs on India's CNBC TV18. The show is a light-hearted look at the day's business happenings.

Michael Kraycinovich '03 recently returned to Galesburg as the new Knox County assistant state's attorney. Kraycinovich is not new to the state attorney's office. He worked in the office while he attended Knox and interned with State's Atorney Paul Mangieri in summer 2006, the summer before his last year of law school at Oklamhoma City University School of Law. Read more . . .


Faculty & Staff News

Happy 100th Birthday, Betty Baylor!
The Knox community celebrates many milestones -- graduations, Reunions, induction into the Fifty Year Club, and more, but it's not very often that Knox can celebrate the 100th birthday of a faculty member.  On December 31, 2006, Elisabeth "Betty" Baylor, assistant professor emerita of modern languages, turns 100.

"She was one of the great role models of Knox College," recalls Owen Muelder '63, a long-time staff member and current director of Knox's Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Professor Baylor began teaching French language and literature part-time at Knox during the 1950-1951 school year, as Knox was expanding its modern language department. In 1957-1958, she again stepped in to fulfill a need in the French department and became a full-time faculty member in 1960. Upon her retirement in 1970, she was commended by Muelder, by then a colleague, as being "a careful and considerate counselor of students and a conscientious and cooperative faculty colleague."  

If you would like to send well wishes to Professor Baylor, please contact the Office of Advancement or call toll-free 888-566-9265.

Lincoln's Sword -- Douglas Wilson's Second Publication of the Fall
In addition to Herndon's Lincoln, Douglas Wilso, co-director of the Knox College Lincoln Studies Center had another publication hit the bookshelves in fall 2006 -- Lincoln's Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words. According to Knopf, the book's publisher, Lincoln's Sword "tells the story of how Lincoln developed his writing skills, how they served him for a time as a hidden presidential asset, how it gradually became clear that he possessed a formidable literary talent, and it reveals how writing came to play an increasingly important role in his presidency." Read a recent review . . .

Eisele's Emotional Weekend Makes Local, National Media
Chad Eisele '93, director of athletics, was one of the lucky St. Louis Cardinal fans who was present when the Cardinals defeated the Detroit Tigers on Friday, October 27, in St. Louis. Eisele then had to drive back to Galesburg in the early hours of the morning to watch the Lake Forest football team -- the team he formerly coached -- defeat the Prairie Fire. The story of Eisele's emotional weekend was featured in Galesburg's The Register-Mail and picked up by numerous sports bloggers around the country. Read The Register-Mail story . . .

Faculty & Staff Notes

Associate Professor of Theatre Neil Blackadder's English translation of the German play The Sexual Neuroses of Our Parents by Lukas Bärfuss was performed as a staged reading in Chicago on October 9 and in New York on October 16. Blackadder later spoke about his recent experiences with staged readings of his play translations on a panel at the conference of the American Literary Translators Association in Bellevue, Washington.

David Bunde, assistant professor of computer science, was the recipient of an R & D 100 Award from R & D Magazine. The awards honor the world's best innovators and their innovations. Bunde received the award as part of a team from the University of Illinois, where he received his doctorate, that developed a specialized Computer Process Allocator (CPA). The Illinois team worked with teams from Sandia National Labs and SUNY Stonybrook to create the CPA.

Brenda Haack Fineberg was recently promoted from associate professor to professor of classics. Fineberg, who teaches Latin and Greek languages and literatures, ancient Mediterranean society and culture, and women's studies, has been a member of the Knox faculty since 1987.

Frank McAndrew, Cornelia H. Dudley Professor of Psychology, recently gave talks on  "The Evolutionary Psychology of Gossip" at the University of Texas at Austin and at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Robin Metz, director of Knox's Program in Creative Writing, recently published the following five poems:  "Funeral Rites" and "First Sex" in the summer issue of Van Gogh's Ear (Paris); "Slow Dancing" in the fall issue of Tapestries (Boston); "toddlin town" in the fall issue of Midway Journal (Minneapolis); and "Tidelands" in the fall issue of Alehouse (San Francisco). In addition, his poem "Making Do" was named a Finalist in the River Styx International Poetry Competition (St. Louis), judged by Dorianne Laux. He also has given recent poetry readings at Quimby's Bookstore and The Green Mill Lounge, both in Chicago, and participated in the "Room at the Table" poetry conference sponsored by the Poetry Center of Chicago and The School of the Art Institute. 

Martin Roth, visiting assistant professor of philosophy, co-authored a paper titled "Representation and Unexploited Content" that was included in the anthology Teleosemantics published by Oxford University Press.

Peter Schwartzman, associate professor of environmental studies, recently participated in an Outdoor Education Program sponsored by the Knox County Regional Office of Education. Schwartzman showed more than 600 Galesburg-area fifth graders how to identify local trees. In addition, his book review of The Real Environmental Crisis: Why Poverty, Not Affluence, Is the Environment's Number One Enemy by Jack M. Hollander was published in the July 2006 issue of Science & Society.

Charles Schulz, professor of physics, recently published the article  "Electronic Configuration of High-Spin Imidazole-Ligated Iron (II) Octaethylporphyrinates" in Inorganic Chemistry.

Robert Seibert '63, Robert W. Murphy Professor of Political Science, was a featured guest on Wisconsin Public Radio's Conversations with Joy Cardin on November 2. He discussed the flap over Massachusetts Senator John Kerry's failed joke regarding President Bush and the war in Iraq. Listen to the show. . .



Advancement News

Students Connect with Alumni in Fall Phonathon
During two weeks in October,16 Knox students got on the phones to call alumni, hear about their Knox experiences, update them on campus news, and seek support for the Knox Fund. This fall's phonathon was a great success, and the students spoke with 650 alumni, a record number for the fall program. Read more . . .

Shop and Support Knox!
By registering online at I-Give.com and selecting the Knox Fund as your charity, you can shop online and benefit Knox at the same time. The retailers you buy from will give a percentage of what you spend to the Knox Fund. With the holidays fast approaching, this is a great way to support your alma mater while tackling your holiday shopping.  Find out more about I-Give.

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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