Western Illinois Magazine Issue 3 — Fall 2010 by Western Illinois Magazine

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western illinois 1 magazine No. 3Vol. Fall 2010 The only magazine in the world that gives a damn about Western Illinois

Letter from the Editor While most students were busy this semester with schoolwork, our talented staff of writers were busy cranking out another quality issue of the only magazine completely dedicated to everything that matters in the western Illinois area. The process may have been long and at times a bit of a struggle, but in the end, it was well worth it. With that being said, the staff and I are proud to present to you the third issue of Western Illinois Magazine. With our pens, notepads and tape recorders in hand, we went hard to work coming up with stories that we thought readers would find particularly interesting. Under the guidance of journalism professor Richard Moreno, we produced a wide variety of stories ranging from college fashion to haunted places on the Western campus. While there isn’t a particular theme in place for this issue, readers flipping through the pages will come across many articles dealing with the history of the area. From the Underground Railroad to the famous poets who once resided in these parts, we have enough content to keep any history buff happy. For those of you who have a passion for sports, take a look back at all the former Leatherneck football players who made it big in the NFL or read about the journey that brought head football coach Mark Hendrickson to Macomb. Also in this issue, we take you for a ride along with an OPS officer, teach you how to brew your own beer, and tell you about a Western Illinois professor whose looking to make it big in the world of fiction writing. We’ll show you the historical side, the haunted side, and the rare “sober on a Friday night” side of western Illinois. Whatever your preference, we have a story that will suit your taste. So sit back, relax and take some time to learn about all the different things that make this part of the state so unique. You won’t be sorry you did. A Western Courier Publication 1 University Circle Macomb, IL 61455 309-298-1876, ext. 7

Western Illinois Magazine is published once per semester by Journalism students of Western Illinois University. All content reflects the editorial discretion of the students operating the magazine and must be interpreted as unofficial university communication. Single issue copies are available from Western Illinois Magazine,c/o Western Courier, Western Illinois University, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455.

Editor:

Matt Kosek

Managing Editor:

Vince Veltre

Art Director:

Ben Taylor

Graphics Artists/Designers:

Ed Komenda

Cover Design:

Ben Taylor

Staff Writers:

Amanda Bergmann, Cheron Campbell, Tiffany Linaweaver, Reilly Maloney, Karisma Morris-Bush, Alyse Thompson, Caitlin Rydinsky, Kelsey Wolfe

Photo Editor: Hank Moreno Photos: Kelly Beiermann, Adam Sacasa, Alyse Thompson, WIU Special Collections, Library of Congress Advertising Manager: Ashley Gerkin Advertising Sales:

Colleen Batterman Allison Osborne Abigail Meads

Advertising Design:

Ashleigh Doonan Jennifer Roof

Business Office:

Meghan Vance Jenny Gorecki

Distribution:

Eric Hein Kyle Klingen Chris Solger

Advisers:

Richard Moreno Bill Knight

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of editorial content without written permission is prohibited. Disclaimer: Advertisements in this publication do not constitute an offer for sale in states where prohibited or restricted by law. Reprints: Contact Western Illinois Magazine, Attn: Richard Moreno, Western Illinois University, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455, r-moreno@wiu.edu, 309-298-1876.

Table Of Contents

Charles McLeod

Don’t Buy Your Beer, Brew it!

For the Love of the Game

Baxter’s Winery

Western’s Ghost Writer

Western Illinois Dead Poet Society

from Hanson Field to the NFL

The Underground Railroad at Western Illinois

25 Friday Night Ride Along

College Fashionista

Charles McLeod: The Next Great American Fiction Writer By: Matt Kosek

harles McLeod knew that he wanted to be a fiction writer during his undergrad study at the University of Iowa. But, as he quickly learned, just because you’re ready to announce to the writing world that you have arrived, doesn’t mean that anyone is going to care. In McLeod’s case, the better part of his young writing career was filled with dead-end jobs and letters back from publishers describing their lack of interest in his work. He may have decided that he wanted to be a writer while in Iowa City, but it would take five years for the world to finally notice. “I knew that I had wanted to do it for a while but there can be a pretty big time gap between like when you know you want to do it and when it’s going to actually happen,” McLeod said. After graduating from Iowa, McLeod stayed in Iowa City to play music and eventually found himself in Seattle. It was there, while working 65 hours a week, at three different jobs that he realized that he wanted to go back to graduate school and get his MFA in creative writing. He ultimately picked the University of Virginia after the school offered him a full-ride. The scholarship waved his tuition and granted him a cash stipend of which he lived off of. The latter of the two sounded the most appealing to him. He had worked tirelessly for two years in Seattle and wanted some much-needed time to focus on his writing.

He spent two years in Charlottesville, then taught two more at San Jose State before finally being offered a job at Western Illinois University. Through it all, McLeod continued to write whenever he could and shortly after landing the job in Macomb, he was offered a two book deal by Random House UK. “It’s a long process from when you start writing short stories to when you’re actually going to see books in print,” McLeod said. Some people may think “long” is a bit of an understatement; the oldest story in the collection by the time the book comes out will be six years old. McLeod’s short story collection titled National Treasures, and his first-ever attempt at a novel, American Weather, will both be published by Random House UK. The novel will be published in June of 2011, while the short story collection will be published in June of the following year. The deal was finalized while McLeod’s agent was shopping around his short story collection to a variety of publishers. At the time, McLeod had only about fifty pages of the novel done, which the publishing industry refers to as a “partial.” Random House UK liked the first fifty pages of the novel so much, that they offered to buy both books. At the time of the deal, the deadline for the novel’s rough draft was set for August of 2010. This gave McLeod approximately fifteen months to write the rest of the novel.

“I think [writing for a deadline] helped. There were moments overall where I think it was difficult and not that much fun because I’d be writing scenes for a first draft where, you know, there is this constant pressure of ‘I need to get through this. I need to get through this.’ I think it forces one to not spend as much time making sure every last word is as nuanced as they want it to be,” McLeod said. Handing in the first draft, McLeod admitted that he was quite nervous. He knew there was a possibility that his draft would be returned to him completely shredded. He also knew that his editor had decades of experience, working with hundreds of novels, so he had to trust that any corrections made would only strengthen the novel. McLeod also knew that his editor would have far more objectivity with his work than he ever could himself. “Believing in and trusting in the editorial process is something that I think is a skill that needs to be learned,” McLeod said. “A lot of young writers will just dismiss any editorial comments.” He may have believed in the editorial process, but McLeod will be the first one to stress how incredibly difficult it is to delete parts of your own text. Some writers will agonize over a particular chapter or section for hours, only to find out later that it was all for nothing. “There’s moments where before you highlight the text and hit the delete button, you kind of spend five or ten seconds remembering the Continued on Page 6 --------

Summary of American Weather The novel is set in the year 2008 on the onset of the financial crisis. It is the time right before Barack Obama became president. The main character in the story is a man that runs his own San Francisco ad firm. He has a wife who is in a coma from a conscious sedation drug and a son who is away at boarding school. Him and his three friends decide that they need to do something for their respective firms, projects or portfolios; something that will raise profits and put some more money in their pockets. Ultimately, what the main character proposes to do is to tattoo an array of different corporate logos on a condemned death row inmate at San Quentin State Prison in California. Then they would basically auction off ad-space on his body for the highest bidder and have the main event televised on pay-per-view. As the plan is carefully carried out, cable networks pack into the room where the execution will take place and corporations are desperately vying for ad-space on the man’s body. Although satirical at times, the novel is also definitely meant to be realist at times as well. “A lot of it thematically, I guess, is sort of just commentary on American consumer culture.” Excerpt from Ch. 1: I watch Fox for ten minutes, then CNN. The big breaking news? In our new global world? Where everyone and everything is connected? Where one can know all with a few clicks of a button? Where we can all organize? Where we can all matter? The big breaking news is that early this evening, a girl hung herself in Frankfort, Kentucky. Kylie Mae Heath was sixteen years old. Kylie Mae Heath was a virgin. Kylie Mae’s friends were part of a “club” where they had to bed at least one male peer by the semester’s conclusion. Kylie Mae Heath alone failed to do so. Swift retribution: her cars tires slashed, her MySpace and Facebook pages gone friendless. In her school’s long halls she was turned to pariah, and one day at lunch someone dumped pasta on her, and one day during gym class, her backpack and cell phone and sandals were stolen. And then, the next week, some boys, all juniors, went to the middle school Kylie’s brother attended, and there stole his skateboard, and knocked him unconscious. These acts were enough for Kylie to fashion a noose, and then tie said noose to one of the rafters in her parents’ home’s basement. Fox has on a pastor; CNN a psychologist. Why, tell us why, plead the newscasters. The pastor and shrink give their status quo answers: if we worshipped more, if we knew ourselves better. But that’s not why this item is big breaking news. This item is news because it’s Sunday, past nine. This item is news due to marketing trends and understanding the televisionwatching demographic. This item is news because on other channels are cartoon sitcoms and plot-heavy cop dramas. This item is news because those who watch news, at this time, on this day, have been understood by execs as lowlevel unstable, and biased, and zealots, and won’t watch the filth that’s on other channels, that coarse, smutty fiction without god or wit. Those who want news at this time, on this day, want two things at once: to feel worse and feel better. This demographic—stern widows, the sick—must own

“Believing in and trusting in the editorial process is something that I think is a skill that needs to be learned,” its self-loathing to best revel in it. This demographic is low, constant moan: a cave-thing, albino and sightless. It needs its own voice beamed back at its feelers—it subsists on recognition of echo. It’s the grandmother rotting away in her mansion; it’s the blood-diseased uncle in hospital gown, who blames the woes of his body on the Dems, immigration. And thus young Kylie, wood-hard on a slab in a morgue in Kentucky, her corpse now a springboard for Nielsen share. Are you faith-based? Fox has rented a priest. Do you crave ethos? The shrink teaches at Harvard. The wrapping is different, but it’s the same present: a gift that keeps giving because you want and let it. And now the newscasters thank their paid guests. And now the newscasters vow that in minutes you’ll get to see young Kylie’s mom, standing on the lawn of her home in Frankfort, her eyes like a raccoon’s, her life wrecked forever. Wait; please just wait. We promise you sustenance. We promise you reverberation. We promise you hate that you’ll translate as love. In the meantime, please watch these commercials.

two months you spent writing whatever chapter or part of a chapter it is they want gone,” McLeod said. “It’s so hard to see how the overall text is better until you get rid of that section that maybe isn’t quite right.” Random House UK didn‘t shy away from pointing out what parts of the first drafts they considered to not be “quite right” either. The novel was originally 370 pages; by the time it was ready to be published, it was cut down to 300 pages. Talking about Charles McLeod as merely a fiction writer would only be telling half of the story however. McLeod is also a creative writing professor at Western Illinois University, and an excellent one at that. His students enjoyed his courses so much that they voted him “Best Professor” last April when the school paper ran its annual “Best of Macomb” issue. “It was quite an honor. The highlight of it for me was that it was something where it was students voting on this,” McLeod said. “It came as quite a surprise because it was during my first year at Western and it was just a really big honor to know that students felt that they were getting good feedback on what they were producing in my creative class.” What McLeod enjoys most about teaching is that it provides him the opportunity to step back and re-evaluate his own writing, employing the same techniques that he teaches to his students. “I enjoy [teaching] because I think it forces me to analyze writing at a very foundational level. When I’m giving comments and ideas to students in fiction workshops, there

is something that goes on inside me where it will force me to go back and sort of re-think a part of a novel or re-think a character in a short story,” McLeod said. McLeod also credited teaching for playing a large role in his ability to produce his best writing. Ironically, he admitted that he’s “far less productive in the summer” when he’s not teaching. “I think it’s kind of a symbiotic relationship where I try to write every day and doing that, I think, helps me in the classroom,” McLeod

erous chore that McLeod subjects himself to daily, it’s actually quite the opposite. “In regards to what I do for fun..I write,” McLeod said. “I think that if one’s going to try to do writing around a full-time job, then not only do you have to be serious about it, but I think you really do have to find some joy in it too, you know. That this is something you really want to be doing.” Writing is certainly something that McLeod wants to be doing. He’s known it since his time in Seattle. In those days, he was struggling to make ends meet, and the possibility of one day having a book deal was drifting further and further away. Now, each day that he rolls out of bed, he re-confirms his commitment to his craft. “You’re working around what is a 40-50 hour a week schedule,” McLeod said. “And if it seems like nothing but torturous work to get up hours before you have to so, you know, your neighborhood said. “And I think the fact that I and the world is kind of quiet and teach winds up, in turn, helping my you can get some actual writing writing again.” done. If there isn’t some sort of joy McLeod manages to find in that, you’re not going to do it for time to write while working around very long.” a full-time schedule that would have McLeod’s life doesn’t solely most people pulling their hair out. revolve around writing though; he Describing himself as “someone used to play drums back in college that thrives on routine,” writing is and is contemplating buying a drum the first thing that he does when he set. gets up in the morning. During a “It’s a good stress reliever typical week, he will write every day but I’m not really sure that my for 2-3 hours. neighbors would really appreciate “You’re going to learn it it,” McLeod said. faster and a in a way that’s some Maybe not. But one thing what more genuine if you just imthey should appreciate is the fact merse yourself in it daily,” McLeod that a very talented writer is cursaid. rently residing on their small Ma For anyone having the mis- comb street. Perhaps now it won’t conception that writing is a treach- take the world so long to notice. †

Don’t Buy Your Beer, Brew It! By: Karisma Morris-Bush

mericans today drink an average of 15.7 million gallons of beer a day. With hip songs such as LMFAO feat lil John “Shots Shots Shots,” who can blame them? But exactly why is beer such a huge part of our society today? In the beginning, God created man, and man would eventually go on to create beer. In those days, you couldn’t find store brands like Bud Light or Corona; instead, it was just good old home brewing. The history of beer can be traced all the way back to the ancient Sumerians, where the actual liquid was a Goddess named Ninkaski. In fact the oldest beer recipe known to man is 4,000 years old and was found in Egypt. Can you image King Tut getting wasted? According to ancient records, it’s a definite possibility. Even in the pilgrim age, beer was important to man. Everyone has probably heard of Plymouth Rock, but they probably didn’t know that one of the main reasons settlers stopped there was because they ran out of beer and needed to quickly make some more. Even the first building in Plymouth was a brewery. The people back in those days didn’t have the luxury of purified water, so most colonists preferred to drink beer over dirty lake water. Over time, making beer became a common practice for many settlers. According to Mark Grieve, a home brewer for 20 years, even George Washington brewed his own beer. Each family had its own recipe and signature brew. This is how barrels or kegs first came to be used in the United States. With

such a mass production of beer in the 19th century, the settlers needed somewhere to store it. These kegs were not like the stainless steel containers you’d find at a college party today. Instead, these kegs were made out of oak, and picking one up would probably have resulted in some major splinters. Nonetheless, the oak barrel still worked well for aging, filtering, and storing beer. In 1933, the 21st amendment outlawed home brewing; an action that spawned a new type of alcohol: moonshine. Moonshine was a smuggled or illegally produced liquor that originated in England but was made popular in the South. Moonshine means “ brewed” beneath the moon. This strong alcoholic beverage was extremely toxic, but surprisingly tasty; it was able to degrease your car and clean your radiator. Anyone thinking about getting wasted off moonshine should strongly reconsider, because it might be the last thing you ever do. Luckily, home brewing was legalized on October 14, 1978, and moonshine was made properly, resulting in the shots of alcohol we love today. Home brewing still exists in the 21st century; you can find a home brewer in almost any state. One example is the state of Wisconsin which is known for its New Glarus Brewing Co. Their Belgian beer is made with 100% barley and wheat malt and uses traditional Belgian recipes. Anyone wanting to get their hands on this one of a kind beer has to make the trip up to New Glarus though, as the city is the only known location to produce it.

Home brewing competitions are also a big part of home brewing. Not only do brewers want to create good beer for themselves, they want to show it off as well. The National Home Brewers Association is the World’s largest Competition for beer since 1979, with over 6,000 entries this year alone. “We evaluate the beer according to the style,” says Gary Glass, director of the association. “We also judge by aroma, appearance and flavor.” Glass also partakes in home brewing competitions when he is not judging and even won 1st place in 2004. “I started in college,” said Glass “It is a fun activity to do and it is very rewarding.” Not only do home brewers take part in competitions, they have also formed clubs all across the country. One local club located in Macomb is the Worthogs. The Worthogs, which have been an official club for five years, have a home brewers meeting every month where they enjoy homemade beer made from each member. Worthogs member Sean West has been home brewing beer for the last 10 years and has a saying that goes, “If you like washing dishes, you’ll like home brewing.” West explained how the actual process requires a lot of time being spent cleaning the kettles and bottles that are used to make the beer. Besides that, home brewing also takes a lot of experimentation. Some brewers like to mix fruits and spices while others enjoy mixing things such as jolly

ranchers into their brew. Worthogs Member Mark Grieve made a Lambic brew mixed with fresh apple cider which was supposed to be for “Y2K,” but since the world didn’t come to an end, he saved it in a Grolsch bottle for eleven years. Until a recent Worthogs meeting, it was never opened. The aging of the beer worked to perfection, as was evident by the members of the club licking their lips in satisfaction. West also brought with him a five-week-old fresh hop beer sweetened with JellO that resembled the color of root beer but tasted as sweet as red wine. The process of home brewing beer is simple depending on which route you would like to take. “There are two basic ways of brewing: there is extract and grain brewing,” said West. “Extract is a mixture that is already premade and grain requires the actual graining process.”

Making homemade beer using malt extract is the simpler way. Just purchase a kettle or a big spaghetti pot and add purified water. Then, bring the water to a boil and add the premade mixture. Next, stir in all your ingredients. Once the extract starts to foam and rises to the top of the pan, turn down the heat. Then, cool the pan in ice water. The final step is the fermenting and yeast process. Once your beer is fermented, lock it tight and let it sit. After about a few hours, your beer should be ready to drink. The graining process is slightly similar but involves the mashing and grinding of grains which can take a lot more time. Commercial beers can also be copied when home brewing, but you are not allowed to sell it and can only possess a certain amount. Whether you are at a college party or just sitting on your couch watch-

OUR HISTORY IS OUR STRENGTH Federal Work Study Positions and volunteer opportunities available! Please contact us for more information. “Women’s centers are active agents in shaping the culture in which we live . . . Empowered by a vision of social justice and a genuine love for the women whom they serve, women’s centers find themselves in powerful alliance with all in our society who honor difference.”

“The key to a women’s center’s ability to advance social justice and women’s equality within an institution of higher learning rests firmly on its ability to create effective working relationships with other agencies and groups on campus and its willingness to engage in advocacy on behald of the women whom it serves.”

- Beth A. Firestein

- Beth A. Firestein The Women’s Center is celebrating 25 years of promoting gender equity through education, support, and advocacy and responding to issues affecting the status of female students, faculty, and staff on campus, as well as women in the community and in society. Women’s Center staff and volunteers can help you with: • Research papers and class projects • RA programs and Greek educational • A place to study or hold small group meetings • Resources and support regarding genderbased discrimination and violence • Men’s outreach • Much more!

Come and join the fun by participating in any of these groups! • WC Staff & Volunteer Team • Feminist Action Alliance • Campus Girl Scouts • Oasis

•Western Organization for Women • Knitting and Crocheting Groups

Women’s Heart Health Luncheon February 8

V-Day College Campaign

& The Vagina Monologues February 11-13

Women’s History Month March

International Women’s Day March 8

Red Cross Blood Drive March 9

Support women’s athletics and Western’s female student-athletes! We invite and welcome everyone who cares about gender equity and other feminist concerns to come to the Women’s Center. use our Resource Library, lounge and meeting room, attend our programs and activities, and get involved in the groups and organizations affiliated with the Women’s Center.

WC 25th Anniversary Celebration March 25

Women of Color Seminar March 26

The Clothesline Project April

Equal Pay Day April 12

ing television, beer is all around you. You see beer commercials, beer billboard ads, and advertisements for beer in magazines. Beer has become such a huge part of American culture that studies show that before the average American reaches the age of 18, they have seen nearly 100,000 beer ads. Beer may have started off in America as a beverage settlers resorted to due to lack of clean water, but it has now evolved into corporate giants such as Budweiser, Coors and Miller; companies that bring in millions of dollars in profits each year. The tradition of beer is richly engrained in American culture. Beer has been around for centuries, and as long as there are home brewers who strive to make great tasting beer, it doesn’t look like things will be changing any time soon. †

From Hanson Field to the NFL Former Leatherneck Football Players Who Made It Big After College By: reilly maloney

e cheer on our Leatherneck football players every Saturday that they take the field. But we may not be calling them Leathernecks for long; we could be watching these same players on Sundays in the National Football League. Western Illinois has former football players playing at the professional level all across the country. Becomthem the opportunity to showcase their skills, it becomes ing a professional football player is a dream come much more realistic. Still though, the odds are not in true for some college athletes and Western has been one’s favor to make it to the NFL; only about 2% of colhome to many football players that have played or lege football players go on to play professionally. are currently playing in the NFL today; players such as Rodney Harrison, Bryan Cox, Rich Seubert, Jason “When these student-athletes begin their years Williams and many more. at Western, there is no way to predict that they will one “One common theme from all of day be in the NFL. Both the players and the coaches these special men is that they did not attend Western have a lot of fun with the process. After years of workIllinois with a ‘plan’ to become a professional football ing closely together, coaches and players develop a player. They came to this campus to receive a quality personal relationship, both in regards to football and as education and give their all to help the Leathernecks well as off the field,” said Hendrickson. win football games along the way,” said Mark Hen Western has been sending players to the NFL drickson, head coach of the Western Illinois footsince the 60’s. Despite the fact that Western is not a big ball team. Reaching the NFL is name school in terms of sports, the players still go on to an extremely hard goal to achieve, but with the guidhave successful careers. ance of a college coaching staff and the NCAA giving “Becoming a pro is very realistic for those who

want it bad enough. Obviously, statistics say that chances are slim to none but it is achievable. I would still encourage players to have a plan B and C though,” said Jason Williams, current linebacker for the Carolina Panthers. Western has had 33 players selected in the NFL Draft. 9 have won Super Bowl titles, and four have made Pro Bowl appearances. With these impressive numbers, it is clear that Western does a quality job of getting their players ready for the next level. “They may not be a pro style team but they did teach me to look at what I was doing as a job and to respect it as such,” said Williams. Hendrickson has the honor of working with many former Western greats as many of them return to Macomb to talk to the team. Players such as Mike Wagner, Jason Williams, J.R. Niklos, and Herb Donaldson have all come back to share their stories with current players. Even Super Bowl champions Bryan Cox (New England Patriots-2002) and Aaron Stecker (Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 2001) have found time in their busy schedules to make it back to their alma mater. Both Cox and Stecker have also been recently inducted into the Western Hall of Fame; Cox in 2008 and Stecker in 2010. “Both of these men took the time to share thoughts with our players at our friday night team dinner. I know those are moments our players will always remember,” said Hendrickson. Going from being a college student to achieving the desired lifestyle of a professional athlete is a dream come true for some, but the transition can be overwhelming for many and can be extra challenging for players leaving college early. Some close to the players are concerned as to how well these athletes will handle the change. “My lifestyle is pretty much the same as far as the things I do. Obviously, more doors have opened for me and I’ve met tons of people but I feel I still live the same kind of life, just able to do more things,” said Williams. With already so many players from Western Illinois University going on to play professionally, who knows who will be the next great Leatherneck to represent the purple and gold on the national stage of the NFL. Western has helped guide many players’ football careers in the right direction. As students at Western, we can say, we saw them here first. †

For the Love of the Game After Almost Thirty Years of Coaching Expierience, Western Illinois’ Mark Hendrickson Brings a Wealth of Knowledge and a Passion for Football to the Head Coaching Position By: Matt Kosek

rowing up in a small rural town in Iowa, Western Illinois head football coach Mark Hendrickson could have never imagined what his life would turn out like. He would have never believed you if you had told him that he would grow up and work alongside three future Hall of Fame college football coaches. Nor would he have ever thought that he’d have the opportunity to coach in six college bowl games, including the 1991 Florida Citrus Bowl which Georgia Tech won to clinch the National Championship. People that come from a town of 500 people don’t usually go on to do those kinds of things. Hendrickson’s father was a major influence in his life early on, so anyone who is aware of the impres-

sive coaching career Hendrickson has had would probably assume that his father must have been a coach of some sorts as well. However, that notion couldn’t be further from the truth. “My father did what his dad did, and that’s sell red tractors- international harvester tractors. And he also farmed because we had quite a bit of farmland,” Hendrickson said. Hendrickson was born and raised in the small town of Richland, Iowa. He spent most of his early life working in his father’s shop, helping put together tractor parts. He attended Pekin, Iowa High School where he played football, basketball, baseball and even ran track. In 1975, during his senior year, Hendrickson and the Pekin Panthers played in the state cham-

pionship game at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. He graduated in 1976 with 63 other classmates and went on to play wide receiver at the University of Northern Iowa. Hendrickson grew up in what, according to him, most Americans would call a “sports family.” His older brother and sister were both outstanding athletes, as well as both of his parents. Hendrickson credits the constant sports environment he grew up around as playing a large role in his love for sports and his decision to continue playing as he got older. “I was the youngest of the three children, so it was natural for me to play sports and want to pursue a sport in college,” Hendrickson said. Hendrickson and his wife

Ericka, whom he met at Pekin High, have three children of their own: Myers, Davis and Georgie. They may say that opposites attract but when Hendrickson and his wife met, they knew they came from very similar upbringings. ”She also grew up in a sports-oriented family,” Hendrickson said. “So, really, that‘s how we both grew up as teenagers is in the world of sports.” Just like his father, Myers also played football, basketball and baseball for the Macomb Bombers. He currently plays on the Western football team as a wide receiver and on special teams. Hendrickson‘s other son, Davis, also was a threesport athlete for the Bombers, and is currently an outfielder for the University of Illinois’ baseball team. The youngest of the three, Georgie, is an eighth grader at Macomb Junior High. She currently plays basketball and volleyball but is also planning on pursuing track and softball in the summer. ”The kids have grown up being a part of the world of sports as

well, that‘s for sure,” Hendrickson said. Hendrickson’s upbringing in a sports family may have influenced his own children’s involvement in sports, but ironically, it was his experiences with his junior high and high school football coaches that influenced his decision to pursue coaching as a profession. “I had a very good junior high football coach by the name of Bob Snow. That was the first time I played organized football with pads on. Coach Snow was a great teacher for kids of that age,” Hendrickson said. “I still stay in touch with Coach Snow today.” “And then I played for a football coach over in Iowa at the little town of Pekin, Iowa, and his name is Tom Stone,” Hendrickson said. “That was thirty-something years ago. This is the first fall that Coach Stone is not coaching; he just retired. He has well over 300 wins in his high school career. Most of them all there at Pekin.” Hendrickson had such a great time playing football throughout his youth that he seriously began to contemplate the possibility of one day becoming a football coach himself. “Because of the success and the fun that I experienced playing football for Coach Snow and Coach Stone, basically I decided, you know, I think I’d like to do this all the time,” Hendrickson said. “I always assumed, though, that I’d be a high school coach.” Hendrickson did originally start off as a high school coach in Clinton, Iowa, but only for two years. That all changed the day that he ran into an old college coach from Northern Iowa who suggested that he should be a college coach.

Hendrickson took the advice and became a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech and eventually got hired there as an assistant coach in 1983. He spent nine years in Atlanta, four of them under the legendary coach, Bill Curry. “From Bill Curry, I learned that coaches are in place to serve the student-athletes that are in their program. I certainly believe that. I’m here to serve the student-athletes and make their college life as enjoyable as I can, and that is to help them earn a degree and along the way win some football games,” Hendrickson said. For his last five years at Georgia Tech, Hendrickson served as the assistant line coach and special teams coordinator under Bobby Ross. In 1990, the Yellow Jackets went undefeated and earned him his first and only National Championship. “From Coach Ross, I learned the importance of detailed organization and having a sense of urgency that everything that you do in regards to football every day is very important,” said Hendrickson. After his successful start at Georgia Tech, Hendrickson spent six years at the University of Iowa under another Hall of Fame coach, Hayden Fry. At Iowa City, he got the chance to coach a lot of talented players, including 1997’s consensus All-American and NFL standout Tim Dwight. “From Coach Fry, I learned that it does make a difference if team morale is high. It does make a difference if the players are happy and enjoying the experience of being a team member,” Hendrickson said. “Anybody at any profession or endeavor will do better if they’re simply in a good mood about it, if they’re happy about it, and if they

have a good attitude about it.” Working for such a variety of great coaches has allowed Hendrickson to utilize their lessons in his own coaching approach. “Between Georgia Tech, Iowa, and Western Illinois, it’s all been a blast for myself and my family,” Hendrickson said. “I feel very blessed about the way that my coaching career has gone.” Hendrickson’s favorite part about coaching, whether it is high school or college, is the relationships that he builds with his players and coaching staff. “I’m very close to the players that play for me and I’ve gotten to know them well. You develop a lot of camaraderie,” Hendrickson said. “And then you have relationships with your staff as well, your staff mates, your peers. When you spend that amount of time together, it’s pretty common you’re going to spend 12-16 hours a day together for many of the days of the year, you become very close with other members of your staff.” Hendrickson’s least favorite part about the profession is simply the amount of time required to be successful. On some days, he spends more time with his coaching staff then with his own family. However, he understands what must be done in order to be successful at the Division 1 level. “If you want to do things right, as we want to do here at Western Illinois, you simply have to put a lot of time into doing things right at Division 1 football,” Hendrickson said. Western’s head coach certainly expects his players to do things right. If you’re the type of player that cuts corners, then you have no place on Mark Hendrick-

son’s football team. “If we’re practicing and going through a drill and we’re teaching a technique, well, if someone does it wrong, we’re not going to accept that,” Hendrickson said. “We’re going to demand that they do things right and that, of course, will enable them to become the best football player that they can become.” Although he may demand the very best out of each one of his players, Hendrickson makes sure to remain positive and enthusiastic with them at all times. His players, in turn, respond to this coaching style well. They can clearly recognize the love that their coach has for the game of football. “We, the coaching staff, will always be very enthusiastic because we love the game of football. Otherwise, we wouldn’t do this literally for a living. So we’re always enthusiastic about the game of football and the players can see that we really do enjoy the game,” Hendrickson said. “We’re always going to be positive and we’re going to see the positive in every player and in every situation. We certainly believe that every player will give us all they can, that they’ll try as hard as they can. So we’re going to deal with them in a positive way all the time.” Coaching alone though doesn’t win football games. It takes talent, leadership, good coaching, timely execution, and yes, even a little bit of luck to pull off a win on Saturdays. Hendrickson knew at the beginning of the season that his team had the talent, coaching and senior leadership to be a contender in the Missouri Valley Conference; he would have to wait until the season actually started to see how everything else would unfold. Thrilled that his entire

coaching staff was able to remain intact, Hendrickson went hard to work creating an offense that would allow his team to execute a very well-balanced game plan. Eleven years as Western’s offensive coordinator has given Hendrickson a clear and definite understanding of the offense. He knew that his team was capable of putting up big numbers. They just had to make sure to keep their defensive opponents on their heels. “At any moment or on any given play, it may be a run or a pass,” Hendrickson said. “The other defensive coordinator, regardless of where the ball is on the field, or the down and distance, or the time on the clock, we want that defensive coordinator that’s going to call that defensive snap on the other sideline to not know whether it’s going to be a run or pass.” Big numbers were expected this year with the return of a loaded line-up featuring 17 seniors. Some of those returning seniors include last year’s starting quarterback Matt

Barr, who is fully recovered from the thumb injury that side-lined

him for most of last year; and starting linebacker and 2009‘s leading tackler, Kyle Glazer, who along with Barr, was an NCAA All-American last year. All the returning seniors have provided great leadership and have served as outstanding role models for the younger players. “Our staff provides leadership. We have 17 seniors that provide leadership. It certainly hasn’t had to all come from me by any means. And I think that’s made a huge difference, you know, just a lot of positive role models both within the coaching staff and in the senior class,”Hendrickson said. Hendrickson credited the leadership provided by his senior players and his staff for the major turnaround the team had this year. Hendrickson and his players saw the positive feedback firsthand from all the students and fans who came out to watch and support them each

time they suited up at Hanson Field. During training camp, Hendrickson demonstrated that he cared about more than just winning football games, he also wanted to give back to the Leatherneck community. So what the head coach did was make his players take a break from their practice schedule and help the incoming freshmen move into their dormitories. The offense went to Thompson Hall and the defense went to Tanner Hall. For over an hour and a half, members of the football team helped the freshmen unload their cars and carry their belongings into the residence halls. “The players enjoyed it, I know the freshmen enjoyed it, the parents enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun,” Hendrickson said. “That was just one of the ways that I feel like we’ve made an effort to connect even closer to our fellow students.”

The journey that brought Mark Hendrickson to Western Illinois University may have been a long one, but his experiences along the way have made him into the coach he is today. He was fortunate enough to coach alongside some great football minds. The lessons that they have taught him, he has made sure to incorporate into his own coaching. In doing so, he has produced a team not only has great football players, but also great leaders and contributors to the community. Hendrickson can’t help but grin when he talks about the excitement that he saw on campus for the 2010 football team. The team finished 6-5, surpassing last year’s win total by five games. With Hendrickson leading the way, such success will surely be repeated for seasons to come. †

You’re invited to the 5th Annual McDonough District Hospital

Festival Sponsor: Citizens Bank

(div. Morton Community Bank)

Funds raised will be dedicated toward the purchase of a CT Scanner in Radiology.

Friday, December 3, Illumination Gala ~ 6:30-8:30 pm (ticketed event) Saturday, December 4, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Sunday, December 5, Noon - 5:00 pm Monday, December 6, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm West Central Illinois Arts Center 25 East Side Square ~ Macomb, IL ~ Open to the community ~ $3.00 Admission Fee (children 12 & under: Free) ~ Exquisite holiday trees, wreaths, table toppers, & more ~ Christmas Village ~ Upside-down Tree ~ Santa’s Surprise Tree ~ “I Spy” Game ~ Silent Auction ~ Holiday Tree Raffle ~Local Entertainment, including Betty Lou Who & the Grinch and Father Christmas and his reindeer, Holly Berry For more information, including the entertainment schedule for Saturday and Sunday, call (309) 836-1557 or go to www.mdh.org.

Western’s Ghost By: Tiffany Linaweaver

trail of ghost stories has weaved its way throughout the campus of Western Illinois University. It was these hauntings that are rumored to have occurred at Western that inspired author Michael Kleen to dedicate a whole chapter about them in his book, Paranormal Illinois. With a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and masters in American history from Eastern Illinois University, Kleen is now currently attending Western and is working his way towards a teaching certificate. Kleen is Editor and Chief of the digital magazine, Black Oak Presents. He has also had several other books published, including Haunting the Prairie and Legends and Lore of Illinois: Case Files. The summer before Kleen started attending Western, he visited Macomb to conduct research for his most recent book, Paranormal Illinois. Later on, while look-

ing for a graduate program, he remembered Western and how much he had liked campus and the town square. Calling himself a “folk historian,” Kleen studies the people and stories attached to a certain town, making sure not to separate those elements from the location’s history. Regardless of whether that particular place is rumored to be haunted or not, it is the history behind it that draws Kleen to a particular site. Growing up in the suburb of Des Planes, Illinois, really helped Kleen connect with the movie The Burbs. This 1989 movie starring

Tom Hanks is about a bizarre new family that moves into an ordinary American neighborhood. No one knows anything about them except for their name: The Klopeks. One day, an old man in the neighborhood mysteriously disappears and everyone suspects the Klopeks. The Burbs helped Kleen realize that strange occurrences could happen anywhere. It also gave him the idea that he can investigate those weird occurrences himself and write about his experiences. While growing up, Kleen read any kind of paranormal ghost story he could get his hands on; his passion for writing about the paranormal growing with each novel. He credits his grade school teachers for making him realize his love for writing, and he followed his joy for writing and the paranormal right on into his college career. “Until Paranormal Illinois was published earlier this year, West-

Writer

ern Illinois University was one of the best kept secrets in the state when it came to ghost lore. Every other university had been written about extensively, except for Western,” Kleen said. According to Kleen, there is no other college quite like Western. Every college has a legend or two that people talk about and share, but nearly every resident hall at Western has some kind of story. Simpkins hall is also included among the tales shared on campus. In Kleen’s book, he men-

“Until Paranormal Illinois was published earlier this year, Western Illinois University was one of the best kept secrets in the state when it came to ghost lore. Every other university had been written about extensively, except for Western,”

tions a story about a boy who died in Lake Ruth, the small body of water located just outside of Simpkins Hall. When bystanders pulled the boy out, they took him to the fourth floor of Simpkins for some unjustified reason. It was there that the boy died. Today, it is room where the writing center is located. “The atmosphere of Simpkins Hall naturally lends itself to stories of ghostly children because of the remnants left behind, from when the building was a training school,” Kleen said.

The tale does not stop there. According to Kleen’s book, claims of little girls laughing, keys jingling, and a women crying are just some of the reports from those who have walked through Simpkins Hall. Whether it’s at Simpkins Hall or other places on campus, when it comes to the paranormal, few universities can outdo Western Illinois. Thanks to Michael Kleen, former and current Leatherneck students are getting the chance to learn about their school’s haunted history. †

The Underground Railroad in Western Illinois Many people are familiar with the Underground Railroad, but few of them are aware that it traveled right through our backyards. By: Caitlin Rydinsky

merican history has shaped our country into what it is today. The Underground Railroad is a part of our history that some people may not know too much about. Even people that are familiar with the Underground Railroad probably don’t know that it traveled through the western part of Illinois on its way up north. According to Owen Muelder, the Director of the Knox College Underground Railroad program, the term “underground railroad” came about when the first slave ran for freedom to the north. He was undetectable to the slave trackers, dogs, his owner, or even the police; it was as if he were traveling on a railroad underneath the ground. “They would go to the Caribbean Islands, Texas, Mexico, and California…but also northward towards Canada,” explained Muelder. By 1840, Canada made slavery illegal, so slaves knew that if they reached Canada, they would not be returned to their owners. Illinois, at the time, was a free state, yet if you were caught housing a fugitive slave, you were in violation of both federal and state laws. According to USHistory.

org, in 1793, Congress passed the first Fugitive Slave Law. This law stated that all slaves must be returned to their owners, even if they were in the Free states. Even with this law, it was still quite difficult for slave owners to retrieve their “property”. As stated in the Oxford African American Studies Center, Senator Stephan A. Douglas went to Congress with provisions to improve the slave laws. His demands led to President Fillmore signing the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. This law was more aggressive in that it required slaves to be returned to their owners and also forced all counties to enforce it. If the counties needed more enforcement, the U.S. marshals and U.S. military would also be of service. The law also expected that all citizens “would agree as deputies to enforce it.” The charges for violation were approximately a thousand dollars and 6

months in jail.

The Underground Railroad used real terminology from railroads and traveled through most of western Illinois. Quincy, Macomb, Princeton, and Galesburg to were just a few of the local areas that had operators, or abolitionists, who helped slaves travel northward. “Two reasons they went through western Illinois,” said Muelder. “One: Missouri was a slave state. Many fugitives coming through here were from the West, not the South. Two: the Mississippi River was the primary way people traveled and shipped. They would work as cooks, barbers, and maids on the river crafts.” Slaves had to travel quickly and quietly. While many of them did it alone, some were lucky enough to find operators to help them on their journey. This was a huge advantage because they were supplied with safety, clothes, food, and shelter. Slaves would learn of the towns that could provide help and names of certain abolitionists by overhearing their masters speaking to other slave owners about them. In most of this area, and all of Iowa, the 6’7 ½” prairie grass provided slaves with plenty of hiding spots as they traveled north. Another thing that helped slaves

during the 19th Century was that they could glance at the stars and use the North Star for guidance. They would also wait by barns or outside of towns that they heard were safe in order to find help. Once they were sure a certain house was safe, they would knock on the door and state that they were a “friend,” a common code used on the Underground Railroad which signified that they were a slave looking for shelter. So why did operators and agents help these fugitives travel north despite the fact that they knew they were in clear violation of state and federal risking laws? “People believed when our country was founded, that it was supposed to be of life, liberty, and equality and hold slaves,” Muelder said. “They believed the Constitution and Government should be changed and be modified.” Muelder also stated that some abolitionists liked the excitement of being involved in something so dangerous and risky. For others, it was simply against their religious beliefs. Whatever the reason, these caring and courageous people forever changed the lives of the slaves that they helped. Along the way, they also helped to forever change the history of western Illinois. †

Baxter Navoo Icarian History By: Kelsey Wolfe

bout fifty miles from Macomb, along part of the Mississippi River, is the charming town of Nauvoo, Illinois. Nauvoo, while small, is a community with a very rich history that is rooted in its Mormon and Icarian past. In Nauvoo, visitors will find Baxter’s Vineyard and Winery, the state of Illinois’ oldest vineyard. Baxter’s was established in 1857 by Emile J. Baxter, a former member of an Icarian community. What is Icaria? And who are Icarians? Icaria is a Utopian community that Etienne Cabet wrote about in his 1840 novel Voyage to Icaria (a best seller in Europe). Cabet was a French social activist that was influenced by Sir Thomas More’s book, Utopia. He accumulated a great deal

of supporters and fans of his novel. Cabet, encouraged by his supporters, went to the United States to obtain land in Texas to establish Icaria. Unfortunately, they were deceived by the real estate and had to find another location for Icaria. They discovered that the Mormons in Nauvoo, Ill. were vacating the land and they secured the property from them. On March 15, 1894 the first Icarians arrived by boat in Nauvoo, Ill. Emile Baxter came to the United States in 1845 and accepted a position at a lace and dry good importer. In 1854, he wrote a letter to Etienne Cabet, the founder of Icaria. Emile said in his letter that he would like to “…establish a factory to make stockings, vests, drawers in wool, wool and cotton, or all cotton, knitted

underwear, and overcoats.” Emile came to Icaria in 1855 to start a life with his wife and child. The Icarian colony broke up in 1857 but Baxter remained in Nauvoo. He purchased grape cuttings, and along with his sons, started the vineyard. Baxter’s Vineyards is currently owned by Kelly and Brenda Logan, who purchased the winery in 1987. Kelly is the great great grandson of Emile Baxter, and he and Brenda are fifth generation family owners of the Vineyard. The property includes about 30 acres of land, and not all of which is utilized in production. Kelly and Brenda employ six full time, and three part time employees. Their wine is made on the premises, and they grow about 15 different varieties of grapes. There are many different things to see and buy at Baxters. Of course there is the wine. Visitors can sample many of the different varieties of wine, but they have many other goods to offer as well. They grow six different varieties of apples to sell: Jonathan, Red delicious, Fuji, Yellow Delicious, Empire, and Jonagold. The vineyard is also home to Carol’s Pies. Carol is Brenda Logan’s sister and she sells her homemade pies exclusively at Baxters. Carol rolls all of her pie crust by hand and also makes her own fruit pie fillings. Brenda Logan knows everything about how wine is made. The first step in the process is

Winery buying grape plants from a supply house in New York. Next, trellises are put up for the grape vines to grow on. The vines are pruned and sprayed every year, and some of them are even pruned in the winter. Then comes harvest time. The harvest starts in the middle of August to mid October depending on the variety of grapes. They pick grapes by hand, and it usually takes six to eight pickers. After the grapes are picked, they are crushed, and the stems are removed. The red grapes are fermented, while the skin and the juice is removed. Next comes the waiting process, they must wait 3-6 months for the wine to ferment. When the wine is finally fermented, it is racked to allow all sediments to settle. Finally, the wine is filtered, stabilized, bottled and ready to be sold. As you walk into the foyer of the Vineyard’s main building, the smell of wine is overwhelming and delightful. The first room is the kitchen, where pies and sweetbreads are baked. The next room is the fermenting room. It is used mainly in September and October during harvest time. Kelly Logan often works in the fermenting room, moving grapes into the press to remove the juices. It is easy to see how Brenda and Kelly acquire grape stained fingers doing work like this. The room right off of the fermenting room is the for-

mer aging room. It has large aging casks that were built in 1947 and a wooden grape press that was built in 1880. The Logan’s have a lot to be proud of. Their wines have won metals in various competitions in and around the state of Illinois. Their Classic Norton wine received a gold medal in 2007 at the Indy International Wine Competition. Their Riverbend red wine is the winner of a gold medal and Best Red award in the Illinois State Fair in 2005; Brenda’s Blush Wine received a bronze medal at the Illinois State Fair in both 2005 and 2008. The vineyard will also be introducing two different varieties of wine this year in November-a spiced wine and a four year-old Norton Reserve.

The newest edition to Baxter’s is The Nauvoo Grand Bed & Breakfast which is right across the street from the vineyard. This Bed & Breakfast is the only luxury accommodation in Nauvoo. It is the former home of Cecil and Eleanor Baxter, of the second generation of Baxter’s. Would you like to have juice stained hands as well? One of the more popular things that they sell in the local area at Baxter’s is grape juice that people use to make their own homemade wine. Baxter’s Vineyards and Winery is located at 2010 E. Parley Street in Nauvoo Illinois. They are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for wine tasting and self guided winery tours.

In January the hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 5 p.m. The phone number is (217) 453-2528. You can also contact them toll free at (800) 854-1396. • The next upcoming event for the Vineyard is enjoying the Scenic Rivers Wine Trail on the fourth and fifth of December. More information about this specific event can be found at: • www.scenicriverswine.com. • All of Baxter’s Vineyards & Winery events can be found online at their website: www.nauvoowinery. com. • If you are interested in more information about Icarian communes contact the Baxter-Snyder Center for Icarian Studies at Western Illinois University which has the world’s most complete collection of Icarian materials. There is also a book about the Icarian movement entitled Brotherhood, Peace & Justice: The Story of Icaria that is written by Lillian M. Snyder, the granddaughter of Emile J. Baxter. • Sources: • Brenda and Kelly Logan • Baxter’s Vineyard’s. webpage <http:// www.nauvoowinery.com/>. • Book by: Snyder, Lillian M. (The Granddaughter of

Emile Baxter) The Search for Brotherhood, Peace & Justice: The Story of Icaria. Deep River: Brennan Printing, 1996. Print. • The Icarian Community in Nauvoo (a pamphlet in the library) • By: the Baxter-Snyder Center for Icarian Studies Western Illinois University Libraries †

Western Illinois Dead Poet Society By: Cheron Campbell

he western area of Illinois is four years, he left to attend the New not only known for Western York School of Art to study pen and Illinois University, but is also ink. Lindsay credits art for leadfamous for producing some three ing him to writing and in 1915 he th very well-known 20 century poets. wrote a book called “The Art of the These poets came from the regions’ Moving Picture.” During his time small towns, but they made it big in New York, he sold poetry on the in the world of poetry. Nicholas streets to make money. Using the Vachel Lindsay, Edgar Lee Masters money he made off the poetry, he and Carl Sandburg were small town traveled to Jacksonville, Florida and poets with big names. on to Kentucky. Poetry evolved Nicholas Vachel Lindsay into a job for him, becoming his was born on November 10, 1879 in primary source of income. Springfield, Illinois. Lindsay was During his travels, he wrote “The known as “the American poet” and Jazz Birds,” which was inspired by also as “the father of modern singthe African-Americans that fought ing poet” because the verses in his in World War 1. Lindsay, who was poetry were meant a white man, strongly to be sung. opposed racism and is Lindsay’s poetry known for discovering was influenced by Langston Hughes. his surroundings. In 1925, Lindsay marLiving next door to ried Elizabeth Conner. the Illinois ExecuThey had a daughter, Sutive mansion, home san Doniphan Lindsay, of the governor of and a son, Nicholas Cave Illinois, influenced Lindsay. He struggled his famous poem with financial problems, “The Eagle Forwhich were exacerbated gotten.” Another by the stock market popular poem that crash in 1929. Nicholas Vachel was inspired by his Lindsay’s popularity hometown was “On as an artist reached its the Building of Springfield,” which height between 1910 and the 1920’s, was about Abraham Lincoln, who which was also when several other famously resided in Springfield. Western Illinois poets began to Before Lindsay started gain notice, particularly Edgar Lee wring poetry, his parents forced Masters and Carl Sandburg. Unhim to study medicine for three fortunately, Lindsay’s life ended years at Hiram College in Ohio. tragically. He committed suicide However, medicine was not his on December 5, 1931 by drinking true passion; he wanted to be a a bottle of Lysol. His enigmatic painter. In 1900, he finally decided last words were: “They tried to get to pursue his dream and attended me—I got them first.” the Art Institute of Chicago. After Lindsay’s contemporary, Edgar Lee

Masters, was born in Garnett, Kansas on August 23, 1863. Besides being a poet, he was also a biographer and a dramatist. He is probably known best for his “Spoon River Anthology,” which takes a look at life and death in a small Midwestern town. During his life, Masters published twelve plays, twenty-one books of poetry, six novels and six biographies; including books on Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Nicholas Vachel Lindsay and Walt Whitman. In 1880, Masters moved to Lewistown, Illinois and later credited the town as being the place that inspired him to begin writing poetry. The town’s surroundings such as Oak Hill Cemetery and

Edgar Lee Masters Spoon River were just a couple of the locations that served as his visual inspirations. His most famous work, “Spoon River Anthology,” was largely based on his memories of the people he grew up with in western Illinois. During the years he wrote poetry, Masters went by the pseudonym Dexter Wallace, which was a combination of his mother’s maiden name and his father’s

middle name. Then, in 1914, he created another pen name, Webster Ford. Under this alias, he wrote poems about his childhood experiences in western Illinois. He did not pursue a career as a poet but instead joined the Chicago law firm of famed attorney Clarence Darrow. Masters died on March 5, 1950 and was buried at Oakland Cemetery in Petersburg, Illinois. The third of western Illinois’ poetry giants was Carl Sandburg, born January 6, 1879 in Galesburg, Illinois. Sandburg was a three-time Pulitzer Prize-Winning poet and biographer as well as a children’s author and folk song collector. In his earlier years, Sandburg did not place too much importance in his education. He attended West Point for just two weeks and failed the mathematics and grammar exams despite the fact that he was one of the school’s best writers. He also attended Lombard College in Galesburg (now known as Knox College) but also left before completing his education. Sandburg began his writing career as a journalist for the Chicago Daily News. Even though he initially started in journalism, he would go on to try all types of writing, including poetry, history, biographies, novels, children’s literature, and film reviews. His well-known poetry, entitled “Chicago Stories”

focused on the impressions the city Decker Press. made on him when he was a reThe first-ever publication from porter. He is also remembered for Decker Press was “The Ship of his literature for children, including Gold” by Warren L. Van, printed “Rootabaga Stories” and “Rootin 1937. Within five years, Decker abaga Pigeons.” In these works, he Press began to produce more and wrote about royalty and knights more poetry. Other poets who relike in the European fairy tales, but leased books through Decker Press added uniquely American touches included Edgar Lee Masters, who like skyscrapers, trains, and corn published “Illinois Poems” (1941) fairies. and “Along the Illinois” (1942) with Sandburg died on July 22, 1967, Decker. The company also received and his ashes a lot of were buried great expobehind his childsure from hood home in Chicago’s Galesburg, but famous Pohe will always etry Magabe remembered zine, which through his caused works. many new Not only did poets to these renowned try and get Sandburg’s Home poets evolve their works out of the western area published with them. By of Illinois, but for a short time the the 1940’s, Decker Press had reregion was home to a legendary leased more than a hundred titles. publishing company as well. The Despite its successes, the company Decker Press was a small publishbegan to experience financial probing company that received a lot of lems in the late 1940’s. Decker, who attention in confessed to mishandling funds the 1940’s. It and embezzling, was forced to sell was founded the company to Harry M. Denman, by James who, also unable to make a go of it, Decker, who soon sold it to Erwin Tax. was born in But the story doesn’t end there. Prairie City, Decker’s sister, Dorothy, fell in love Illinois in with Erwin Tax. The relationship, 1917. Decker however, soured and, in May of had a love for 1950, Dorothy Decker, fed up with poetry and being avoided by Tax, shot him an interest in with a rifle and then killed herself. publishing It was the end of Decker Press. and comThe western Illinois area may be bined the two small, but when it comes to poetry, in 1937 when it has experienced some pretty big he started the success stories. †

Carl Sandburg

Friday Night Ride Along: Taking the Night Out with OPS It’s 11:15 p.m. Officer Rob Looney pulls out of Mowbray Hall. His gray squad car speeds off into the crisp October night. Immediately the radio comes to life. It buzzes with distant voices from the dispatch operator and fellow campus police officers. Looney, a blond, stout 28-year-old, pulls the tab on a Cherry Pepsi. It opens with a hiss. The alarm on a blue safety beacon sounds on campus. Looney rushes to the location. “We want to make sure there is no emergency,” he said. No one is there. He turns around and waits for another call. *** Upon graduation from Western Illinois University in 2004 with a degree in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, Looney joined the campus police in February 2005 after extensive training. Joining the force was not his original plan, however. “I wanted to be a park ranger, but most of the jobs are out west,” Looney said. “There is not as much demand. I thought about it and I like being outside. I like variety work. You don’t know what is going to happen.” And although police work was not the Kewanee native’s first choice, he definitely enjoys working with his fellow police officers. “I really get along well with my coworkers,” Looney said. “It’s nice to go to work and see my friends.” Looney usually works 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday. This particular Friday, Looney worked two hours of overtime before his shift for a program sponsored by the Beu Health Center and the Alcohol and Other Drug Resource Center. The goal of the program is to seek out alcohol violations. And according to Looney, there are many. “I don’t like red cups,” Looney said. “You never know what’s in them, but you can usually suspect.” *** 12:18 a.m. Looney spots a student walking down Adams Street with an open beer. He pulls over and asks the apprehensive student to stop. Looney begins the ticket writing process, but after rummaging through the back of the car, he realizes he forgot his ticket pad. He lets the student go with a warning after dumping out his beer. Now, Looney waits for another officer to bring him his tickets.

By: Alyse Thompson

*** The ticket pad is only one of the many implements used by the campus police. Each squad car has a tool kit for unlocking cars and a “light saber” for directing traffic. They also carry a medical kit, which Looney used once before on a man having a heart attack. “I got to save his life, and that was really good, “Looney

said. The officers also utilize high-tech devices if the occasion presents itself. Night vision goggles and thermal imaging devices help them detect heat, in cold, dark places. They are perfect for runners, according to Looney. The officers are not without weapons, either. In addition to carrying a regular handgun, officers can also be issued an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, similar to the arsenal police employed during the Farm King standoff in February 2010. “Those are for the bad days at work,” Looney said. *** 12: 32 a.m. Looney steers the squad car towards the university farm. A sheath of stars envelops the road and the farm land appears to be plopped aimlessly into a field. A baby coyote jumps out of the grass and runs in front of

the car. It continues on desperately, even after Looney turns on his brights. Eventually, the coyote darts back into the grass. *** While on patrol, Looney and other officers often encounter wildlife. Looney often sees turkeys near the Western Credit Union and deer around the residence halls. He hit one of these deer four or five years ago and damaged the squad car extensively. *** 1:28 a.m. Looney stops to talk to Corporal Ted Anderson in front of the Heating Plant. They trade stories of memorable calls, including one involving a young male who passed out standing up with his pants at his ankles — in the middle of the day. “We deal with 1 percent of the students,” Anderson said. “They are not the students who end up having the greatest achievements in life.” They split up and return to patrolling the campus. *** The amount of officers working each night depends on the day. According to Looney, usually two to six officers work the late shift, but there could be more. On this Friday, there were four cars patrolling and no team police. A team consists of two officers who use one car and work together to find signs of trouble. And they usually do. “A lot of students think ‘I’m in college, everyone drinks,’” Looney said. “Doesn’t make it legal. They think it is their God-given right to party. They are here to drink and party and not get an education.” *** 2:02 a.m. Looney trails one of the Go West buses down Adams Street. The orange light on top of the bus meant to signal trouble has not flashed, but he likes to be sure. A few years ago, according to Looney, some unruly, late-night bus riders liked to initiate disputes, but those issues have subsided since the bus security program was implemented. Looney breaks from the bus and turns left onto Charles Street.

*** 2:20 a.m. A call comes in over the radio. It is serious. Two males have been fighting on Adams Street. Looney races to the scene. Anderson is already questioning one male when he arrives. The street is littered with cups and cans.

The student is sitting on the curb in front of one of the houses. His fingers are bloody, and a quarter-sized lump grows on his forehead. Other students silently watch the proceedings from the safety of the yard. Looney questions a few of them. EMS arrives and helps the angry, yet cooperative student. Looney leaves once the scene is under control. Back to patrolling. *** Western Illinois University experiences its fair share of crime. In 2009, according to the Clery Report, campus police made a total of 306 liquor law arrests and 882 referrals. Additionally, campus police made 115 drug law arrests and 231 referrals. The university is not immune to other offenses, either. According to the same report, WIU had 37 burglaries and one robbery in 2009. The report also listed 7 forcible sex offenses with an acquaintance and one aggravated assault. In times when officers do have to step in, Looney does not want people to take it personally. “I’m not doing this because I don’t like you,” Looney said. “I’m trying to do my job. *** 2:58 a.m. Looney pulls the squad car back into the station’s brightly lit garage. For the most part, this shift was a relatively quiet one. “We will have 15 more Fridays like this, not like homecoming weekend,” Looney said. “It’s more typical.” After completing a little paperwork, he returns to his home in Bushnell, Ill., but not before imparting a little advice. “Stay out of trouble and learn from your mistakes,” Looney said. “That’s what’s important.” †

College Fashionista

my Levin has a passion for the fashion industry. After traveling abroad internationally and spending her summers interning in Los Angeles and Chicago, Levin witnessed her career forming before her eyes. Observing people going about their daily activities, the sidewalk became Levin’s own runway and avenue for learning the newest fashion trends. After her summer full of fashion experiences, Levin returned to Indiana University in 2008 for her senior year. Levin realized it is the students who unveil the latest fashions. Once she discovered her accessibility to the fashion world was so close, she came up with her own concept: to give college students a medium through which their interest for the latest college fashion trends can be showcased and the ability to give advice on how to adapt it to student life. The fashion industry is rapidly changing all the time, for example there is the color of the season, new and old trends, new designers, “looks,” you name it. Those of us in the Midwest even have our own style; especially the students at Western Illinois University. College Fashionista (CF) is a fashion

By: Amanda Bergmann

blog website designed by Levin that demonstrates 88 different college’s styles. The purpose of the site is to provide college men and women a place to show off their university style. It gives those interested in fashion, a chance to see the trends happening around the nation, as well as overseas. The website offers

pictures of students and what they are wearing around campus, along with fashion tips. CF has interns from schools all over the country blogging about various fashion related news. Style advice, pictures, trends and a feature on a local shop, are all covered on a weekly basis. WIU boasts two interns best known as “Style Gurus” on CF. Each “Style Guru” captures the latest fashion trends around campus each week. Chelsea Dieckow, senior fashion merchandising major, and Maisie Kolin, senior journalism major, are interns for CF. Dieckow said, “Last year was the first year of College Fashionista, and what started as ‘Top Ten’ colleges in the US, has now migrated into Australia, England, and Sweden.” Adding new schools monthly, Dieckow and Kolin are a part of the history and expansion of the website. Kolin explained why WIU students should read CF. “It gives them a chance to see what their fellow classmates are wearing on campus. A large number of students go to class in sweatpants and hoodies, and I think CF gives them a little push to trying a different style, especially when it comes to trends. CF shows you how to make certain styles casual

enough for daytime,” she said. It’s a surprise how common it is for students not to get ready for class in college, when in high school it seemed like it was an absolute must. The different regions may be one of many factors for how the students are dressing. “Being a fairly small Midwestern college, I noticed that a lot of students play it safe when it comes to fashion. My reason for loving fashion is that it’s a chance to really express yourself visually. It gives people a chance of meeting you before they actually meet you. You should have fun with it, rather than simply rolling out of bed. Make an impression on someone,” Kolin said. Kolin says that CF allows you to see fashions from different cities around the globe. It’s fun for readers to begin with their school and then stray to schools on the east coast, west coast and overseas. You can see how trends change from region to region, as well as in urban and rural areas. “Style Gurus” know the limitations most college students endure while away at school. Living on or around a college campus, a lot of different people come and go. Some of these people may be ones that could impact someone’s future, so taking what is already there, and making a distinct personal style with it, is better than nothing. “Fashion does not have to be expensive. I personally do not have the college funds to buy all the top brand clothes or the priciest must have items. But by using your own creativity and unique sense of fashion, you can come up with your own stylish outfit,” Dieckow said. Kolin’s number one fashion tip would be to put in a little effort, no matter what your style is (grunge, prep, street, romantic, indie,

etc.) just try to put in a little effort and look your best. “You never know when a potential client, boss, or even date may run into you. That doesn’t mean spending two hours getting ready before class, but wash up, brush your hair, and put on presentable, clean clothing. Like I said before, fashion leaves an impression on people, and you’d be surprised at some of the impressions I’ve been left with,” Kolin said. Like Kolin, Dieckow has the same belief, “Let’s face it, people are judged by the way they look, and College Fashionista helps coordinate the holistic vision of your outfit. This website enables students to add spice and flavor to their wardrobes by helping them put their outfits together and work with what they have. In addition, we tag suggestive merchandise from a variety of retailers, so they can find these trendy ensembles online - at a reasonable price.” With the seasons coming and going as fast as they are, Kolin explained what she especially likes this season, and what those in the WIU region pull off fairly well. “I love shoes. I can’t get enough of oxford flats and boots. I’m a fiend when it comes to shoes. A perfect casual outfit for the autumn and winter seasons is a great pair of boot cut or skinny jeans, tall riding boots, a fitted leather jacket and scarf. It’s simple. You can still be comfortable and warm while looking put together. For guys, because you’d be surprised how many Fashionistos I find on campus, a perfect outfit would be along the same lines. Laced up military boots and fitted jeans with a graphic tee, jacket and beanie hat is perfect for class. Casual doesn’t mean lazy,” Kolin said.

Kolin is not only getting vital experience she will need for success in her future, but she is also having fun doing it. “Being an intern for CF has really opened my eyes to the world of blogging. As a journalism major, it has allowed me to work on my interviewing skills and my writing, while working on deadline. It has been an amazing experience, especially because I’m writing about something I love. It’s not so much of a job as it is a passion,” Kolin said. Dieckow explained how students need to be proactive with their college career, with whatever it may be. “By joining different clubs and organizations on campus, or working for a website while you are in college – this is the way to add project experience to your résumé, and show employers that you are serious about your future.” College Fashionista is a fairly new addition to the WIU campus, but with two determined fashionistas on the go, making yourself look presentable may not be a bad thing. The total combined page hits on the site have passed 12,000 and the total comments have already reached 677. For Levin, and now Dieckow and Kolin, the sidewalks of WIU are their personal runways. Students are ultimately wearing and being the latest trends, and if spotted, could be one of the next blog topics to land on College Fashionista. As the “Style Gurus” photograph and network more frequently, they run into more readers and people familiar with the website. “It’s astonishing just to see the progression of more and more readers as the semester goes on. I think we’re doing something right,” Kolin said. †