Western Illinois Magazine Issue 1 — Fall 2009 by Western Illinois Magazine

Western Illinois Magazine

Western Illinois Magazine In

this issue . . .

Dallying with the Llamas

There’s a place near Galesburg where monks and nuns do more than praise the lord—they raise championship llamas.

By Gail Christianson

A look at the top five degrees at WIU

In today’s economy, it’s important to know what you want to do when you hit the job market. What are the five most popular college majors at Western Illinois University— and why?

By Lauren Finkler

Old Time Soda Shops

Shakes, malts, sundaes and sodas handmade by a soda jerk aren’t something out of an old Archie comic. In fact, a couple of local soda parlors still serve them up daily.

By Stacey Howe

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The Unconventional Dr. Leisure George Harker Ph.D. writes about nude beaches, lives in a truck in Hawaii, believes he’s descended from Jesus Christ and has the distinction of being the only tenured professor ever fired at Western Illinois University.

Western Illinois Gamers Rule The Universe

In the sometimesesoteric world of tabletop gaming, Western Illinois is known as one of the nation’s hotspots. So power up that magic mace and cyber-slam some Orcish tush.

By Ian Davis

By Ed Komenda

Forget Fast Food and Cafeteria Fare

The Bistro in the Western Illinois University Student Union offers something you won’t find on a plastic tray— mouthwatering meals.

By Amanda Bergmann

FROM THE

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EDITOR A Welcome to Western Illinois

BY LAUREN FINKLER

hile many of you were probably looking forward to Thanksgiving break, our staff was wrapping up our stories to bring you the first ever issue of Western Illinois Magazine. Our magazine staff was comprised of talented students from a variety of backgrounds and majors that came together to publish this magazine under the supervision of two fantastic journalism professors: Bill Knight and Richard Moreno. While there isn’t exactly one theme for the magazine, we aimed to bring you a variety of western Illinois’ untold tales. Armed with pens, paper, tape recorders, and unanswered questions, we set out to find the stories that haven’t been heard. Coming from Algonquin, IL, a suburb of Chicago, I have found plenty of culture shocks within Macomb and

the surrounding area, as I’m sure many of you have as well. So we trekked beyond the corn fields surrounding Western Illinois University to travel into the lives of some of western Illinois’ most intriguing current and former residents. Our first issue will take you from the peace and quiet of Galesburg’s llama monastery, to the enchanted role-playing of Dungeons and Dragons. Many of you probably never expected former Western Illinois University’s Professor George Harker, also known as Dr. Leisure, to return to the hallways of Western but he snuck in amongst our pages to talk about his life since he was fired in 1991. Additionally, you will find good eats, great advice, and undeniably intriguing stories. Put on your reading glasses, grab a group of friends, and join us in learning about the people and places that have been flying under the radar in Western Illinois.

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The only magazine in the world that gives a damn about Western Illinois 1 University Circle Macomb, IL 61455 309-298-1876, ext. 7 Vol. 1 No. 1 EDITOR Lauren Finkler MANAGING EDITOR Paul Ross COPY EDITORS Sarah Zavala Patrick Haynes DESIGN DIRECTOR Ed Komenda GRAPHICS/ART Mick Moore, Ben Silver, Eric Wilson STAFF WRITERS Amanda Bergmann, Gail Christianson, Ian Davis, Stacey Howe, Bianca Banti PHOTOS Gail Christianson, Hank Moreno, Stacey Howe, Julia Moreno, Matt Marcotte ADVERTISING MANAGER Ashley Gerkin ADVERTISING SALES Colleen Batterman ADVERTISING DESIGN Danetta Smith BUSINESS MANAGER Erin Reno ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER Meghan Vance DISTRIBUTION Shannon Ferrell, Eric Hein, Brittany Barrett, Brad Ferraro ADVISERS Richard Moreno, Bill Knight 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 for $3 postage and handling from Western Illinois Magazine, Western Illinois University, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455. 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.

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Dallying with the Llamas

There’s a place near Galesburg where monks and nuns do more than praise the lord—they raise championship llamas.

BY GAIL CHRISTIANSON ister Mary Juliana of the Holy Rosary Abbey in Galesburg knows that her monastery is a bit unusual. Sure there is the typical praying, chanting and candle-lighting, but when it comes to raising money she and the other members of her order do more than just pass around the collection plate - they raise llamas. For the past year the abbey, which is a non-traditional Benedictine monastery of traditional Roman Catholic monks and nuns, has cultivated championship miniature Argentine and Chilean llamas under the farm name, Monastic Fleece. “The llamas are a source of revenue for us here at the abbey,” said Juliana. Before the llamas, pygmy goats raised by friends of Juliana resided at the abbey. “Whenever there was an orphaned pygmy goat they would call us. The babies have to be bottle fed every few hours or they die. We had very little knowledge about what to do, but had great success.” Formerly a nursing home, residents of the monastery have been in Galesburg since 200x . (Here Rich suggested some info on the sister herself. I am waiting for her answers which should come tomorrow. The Abbot here at the monastery decided to see about buying some “Baby Doll” sheep. While browsing the Internet he stumbled across a picture of Jesse. “We fell in love with her,” Sister commented. Jesse is a four-time grand champion miniature Argentine llama. “We enjoy taking the llamas to show, but we look at it as a marketing tool. If I am asking $5,000 for a llama, what better way to prove my animal is worth $5,000 than to show you the ribbons she won at fair?” she said. At the present time the abbey has 15 llamas on the farm: three males and 12 females ranging from one to five years of age. The life span of a llama is about 20 years.

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Sister Mary Juliana takes time out from prayers to play with one of the llamas at the Monastic Fleece Farm, located near Galesburg. (Photo by O. Garcia)

With a city park only a half block from them, the monastery is hard to ignore in the community. “We decided shortly after the llamas came that we needed to put up privacy fencing. We were quite sure the neighbors had chosen to live in town because they didn’t want to be close to animals,” Juliana explained. The neighbor to the east of the monastery asked that only chain link fencing be used. “My little girl comes out every day to make sure all the llamas are well. She would miss seeing them if a wood fence would be put up,” the anonymous neighbor commented. Three females are bred and the first cria should arrive in May. The gestation period for a llama is 11 months. The dam can then be bred again in 21 days. The majority of the care Juliana gives the llamas she has learned by traveling to visit other llama farms. “Llamas eat primarily hay. They don’t have to have alfalfa, either. They thrive on Timothy and Orchard grass, too,” stated Juliana. They can

be given grain. The animal should be monitored to be sure it is maintaining weight. That requires laying hands on the animal regularly. “Just looking at a llama one can’t tell if they are sustaining their weight because of their thick fleece. A llama can seem perfectly fine one minute and the next be down and not able to get up. Then is the time to call the veterinarian,” she said. “In just a few moments I will be giving one of the girls her vitamin shots. I have to do as much as I can myself because the veterinarian bills are high. Other llama ranchers have been very good about letting us visit and spend time learning how to care for our animals. We even have learned how to work with their fleece,” she explained. Jaciñia, a 100% Argentine miniature llama, won a best of show ribbon for her fleece. The fleece of a llama is very lightweight; it captures heat and allows perspiration to escape. For this reason, seamstresses across the country desire

llama fleece. The seamstresses must follow a specific pattern in order to satisfy military safety requirements for constructing helmet liners. As part of Operation Helmet Liner, they are sent to our armed forces in Iraq. The goal of Operation Helmet Liner is to protect US soldiers against traumatic brain injury. Since 2005, the nationwide drive to knit hypoallergenic liners from soft wool and donate them to soldiers serving in harsh climates has been very successful. “It’s a very large network of knitters. It’s not just llama people. The pattern is available online and the helmet doesn’t have to be made of llama’s wool, but it has to be 100 percent soft wool,” said Juliana. Linda Swinford, who began and oversees Operation Helmet Liner, said in an interview in the Register- Mail, that the organization has shipped 78,000 pieces, all at no charge to our armed forces. There is no waste when it comes to llamas. Llama “ beans ,” or manure, are a natural fertilizer that doesn’t have a bad odor. It is sought after by organic farmers and sells for about $25 per bag. The finished, undyed wool sells for $8 to $15 an ounce.

Ranchers often use llamas as guard animals to protect livestock from predators. A llama has been known to kick and kill to protect the flock they are guarding. When sensing danger, the llama will display an alarming posture to alert the herd, then sound an alert and run toward the threat. “Llamas are social animals and enjoy being with other llamas, but when they are alone they turn into sentinels and protect the herd around them,” explained Juliana. The monastery’s former pygmy goats have been used for therapy; they were once taken to a local grammar school where, with the small animal in his arms, a child, suffering from autism, smiled. His teacher had never seen a smile on his face before and a picture of the child was taken and given to his parents. “It was very rewarding. Our goal in the near future is to take our llamas to visit the convalescent hospital. I am looking forward to the opportunity to see more smiling faces,” Juliana said. After a long hard day of work there isn’t a better place to relax than in a llama paddock. “It’s a stress-free environment,” declared Juliana. WI

Llamas are prized for their fleece, which can be woven into soft but durable and warm blankets and clothing, as well as for serving as excellent guard animals. (Photos by O. Garcia)

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A LOOK AT THE ...

FIVE DEGREES AT WIU

BY LAUREN FINKLER n the current uncertain economy, it’s probably not surprising that students at Western Illinois University are flocking to undergraduate majors in fields that appear to offer the best chance of landing a job. According to the Fall 2009 WIU Fast Facts brochure the top five campus majors include: Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, Elementary Education, Agriculture, Psychology and Biology. While WIU offers 66 undergraduate majors, approximately 19 percent (nearly one in five majors) of all students on the Macomb campus fall into those five most popular majors. The following offer a snapshot into the careers of professionals within the top five majors:

LAW ENFORCEMENT aw enforcement officer and former military police officer, Bill Lipcamon has been employed by the Macomb Police Department for about a year

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and a half. When he first started out, Lipcamon recalls struggling with reacting to unfamiliar situations, such as dealing with juveniles who have been neglected or abused. These types of situations can be very tough since you

“There are job openings, but it is more competitive than it has been in the past.” Bill Lipcamon Macomb Police Officer

have to deal with the parents as well and make decisions as far as counseling. Although an internship is required for LEJA majors, doing additional ride alongs and talking to officers is always helpful, he says. Law enforcement classes teach you what you need

to know by the books, but your experiences are what will really bring it all together. Military experience, law enforcement experience and extra schooling all serve as great ways to stand out among other applicants. “If you have a veteran status or military experience, there are points added to your score on your testing due to the experience you had,” Lipcamon says. “There are job openings, but it is more competitive than it has been in the past.” Of course, where a recent graduate works has to do with his or her personal preference. Lipcamon prefers the small town aspect of Macomb, because he gets to know the people of the community. “It depends on what you’d like to do. You may want to be in a bigger city if that’s the kind of community you grew up in,” Lipcamon says. Every area is going to have different issues. Areas with issues such as drug trafficking may offer a higher salary than other communities. According to the Macomb Police Department’s website, beginning salary is $37,978 and $41,850 after one year of service.

BIOLOGY

ary Margaret Harris currently works as the Director of Student Health Services at the Beu Health Center at WIU. After graduating from WIU, she spent 16 years working in public health, researching and teaching at both community colleges and WIU. “Western has been very good to me,” Harris says. “Establishing rapport with professors is invaluable.” Harris advises students to avoid feeling discouraged if the first job offer they get right out of college isn’t their dream job. Having perseverance, courage, showing initiative, and acquiring skills in each career is very important; biology is no exception. Harris notes that she was initially denied her dream job, but she ended up working her way up after getting some teaching experience and reapplying to that very same job. Over time, she moved up the ranks to replace not only her former boss but her boss’ supervisor. “Look to translate skills into a marketable trait,” Harris says. “Everyone possesses something, they just need to know how to market it.” Of all biological careers, there is a high demand for nursing and mid-level practitioners. “The job market is tight these days. I want to encourage people to keep their options open,” Harris says. Applicant’s grades are important, but they are not everything. Being well rounded, having written and oral communication skills, working well with others and showing interest in outside activities throughout college are all very important, according to Harris. A 2003 survey by the American Institute of Biological Sciences, in conjunction with the Abbot and Langer Company, lists biological careers as having a starting salary of approximately $33,000.

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

iana Goff has taught kindergartners through third graders for 34 years in two different school districts, before working at WIU as a professor for eight years. In her first class she had 34 college students, all eager to learn from her experiences. “It was overwhelming,” Goff recalls. She had to reorganize and put all the skills she had learned into practice. Goff enjoys seeing former students grow into productive adults. She has began to see second generations of former students and has found that teaching offers a number of unique long-term relationships. She advises all beginning teachers to have an “attitude of gratitude,” meaning they should learn to take criticism seriously but not personally. “When you major in education, you’re critiqued a lot,” Goff says. Working with children in a variety of environments will make it easier to apply the content that learned in classes. Additionally, programs such as Student Education Association (SEA) may be beneficial. “WIU places over 90% of elementary education graduates. Those that are not placed are often geographic specific. Traveling is a plus, there are lots of jobs if you are willing to travel,” Goff says. According to the Illinois Board of Education website, salaries in Illinois last year for beginning teachers ranged from $22,409- $49,694. Bilingual students and special education majors can earn higher salaries.

PSYCHOLOGY

icensed clinical psychologist, Kathleen Highly works at the WIU Counseling Center after attending school in California and becoming licensed in 1999. She recalls that she had to work with very difficult clients from the start, such as individuals with serious chronic and mental illnesses. She remembers often taking things to heart and being fearful of making mistakes. “Loving the theories and loving the classes is different than translating what you learn in class into action,” Highly says. “Don’t try to solve the world’s problems.” Highly also advises psychology students not to aim for financial success, especially when starting out. Part of the process is working for very little and the job can be very challenging, stressful and demanding. “Just wanting to help people may not be enough to sustain you,” she adds. Highly remains amazed at her clients’ ability to recover and she enjoys being helpful in tough situations. She remains fascinated by people and how resilient they can be. Highly also notes that it is not necessary to get a Masters degree or Ph.D. in order to work in psychology; particularly since such higher degrees are huge time commitments. Doing social work, volunteer work, research, program internships and getting hands on experience will all be very beneficial to students. Fortunately, the job outlook in this field is positive. A willingness to work with difficult problems and outside of private practices is a plus. Bigger cities such as Chicago will offer more job opportunities. “Get out of Macomb, apply widely,” Highly says

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According to payscale.com, listed on WIU’s Career Service’s website, a beginning clinical psychologist in Chicago might make approximately $44,914.

AGRICULTURE

ade Stremsterfer has been employed by Cargill Meat Solutions as a key account specialist for almost three years following his graduation from WIU. While internships are not required for agriculture majors, Stremsterfer says an internship was very beneficial

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to getting his foot in the door with Cargill, where he received a job offer after his internship was completed. “The largest obstacle for me when I was starting out was being out of my “comfort zone” of college and family. I was put in the plant to start training on day one, there were no mid-day naps and I couldn’t just miss a day and count on my buddy filling me in on what I missed. I had to be accountable and on time,” he says. While at WIU, Stremsterfer was on the livestock judging team, which helped him secure his job and transition into his career. He learned to communicate, make decisions and defend his decisions effectively. “Get a good understanding of and develop your communication skills to the best of your ability; face to face, verbal and written. I graduated with an animal science degree and work in the swine business but the majority of my work is done with people,”said he says. Stremsterfer enjoys his career and the social and educational opportunities it offers daily. “The market has certainly tightened

up; however Cargill is always looking for new talent in all its different business units. Go to www.ichoosecargill.com to search for careers that fit you,” Stremsterfer notes. As with most careers, the ability to relocate is a bonus for applicants. “This greatly depends on the location, your experience and the job requirements. Generally speaking, starting salaries should range from $30,000-$43,000,” he adds. Top Five WIU Macomb Campus Majors: LEJA - 1,440 majors Elementary Education - 669 Biology - 453 Psychology - 390 Agriculture - 328 Total - 2070

Typical starting salaries: LEJA - $37,978 Elementary Education - $22,409 Biology - $33,000 Psychology - $44,914 Agriculture - $30,000

Western Illinois Magazine

The Wages of Skin The strange and terrible travels of Dr. Leisure

BY ED KOMENDA eorge Harker sat and waited for the verdict. It was June 20, 1991, and for the previous sixteen weeks, the Western Illinois University Professor, who had taught tourism and recreation classes at the school for more than two decades, had defended his record before a panel of five fellow WIU educators. On the line were his tenure, his career and his work. He had practically founded the Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration (RPTA) department at Western after introducing the school’s first tourism class in 1977. He had published articles on his favorite subjects – nude beaches and nude sun bathing – in various publications including “Creation and Management Guide to Public Clothing Optional Beaches and Parks.” Harker, also known as Dr. Leisure, his abstract alter ego, faced

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charges ranging from failure to administer final exams to failure to meet with assigned summer school classes. And now it had come to a head. Harker was fired from the university. He was the first tenured faculty member fired in the school’s then 92-year-history. “There’s no fairness involved here,” Harker said in a recent telephone interview. “I think it’s self-evident. You can look at the nature of the charges and they’re weird for their triviality. The whole thing was a farce.” The university detailed eleven charges against Harker, including, failure to administer final exams on Dec. 16, 1988; absence from class on Nov. 18 and 21, 1988, “after first announcing your anticipated illness;” failure to meet assigned summer school classes in 1988; failure to post reasonable office hours; failure to attend faculty departmental meetings; failure to meet with the dean and department chairman or comply with directives concerning courses and “unprofessional” behavior in

an upper division course he taught. Many fellow faculty members viewed Harker as the oddball, a free spirit in the academic world. Many of them believed he might have taken concepts of leisure to an extreme. According to Earl Bracey, WIU Associate Vice President of Social Services, who was a university attorney at the time, it was common knowledge around campus that testing, term papers and taking enrollment where not part of Harker’s classes. Former Assistant Vice President for University Relations at WIU John Maguire described Harker as “a real ‘my way’ kind of guy.” “I think it got to a point where enough students complained and the administration and the president at the time said enough is enough, let’s go through with the termination,” Maguire said. “It took a lot of time trying to get it resolved before it ever got to that point,” said Nick DiGrino, the RPTA Department chair at the time of Harker’s firing a and now interim dean of the College of Ed-

ucation and Human Services at WIU. “There are no winners in a situation like this.” For the past six years, the outcast Dr. Leisure, now 65, has lived on the island

“I did everything in my power to appease them but the basic problem was my background and credentials. I intimidated people.” George Harker of Maui in the back of his art-covered pickup truck, which is equipped with hot and cold running water and three solar panels that produce 235 watts of power. He is just minutes away from various beaches and state parks of Hawaii, such as McKenna State Park. “I’m a pauper. I have no money,” Harker said, describing how he cashed out his retirement fund from Western, expecting to be rehired and reimbursed financially. “It was so meaningless, the whole thing, I wasn’t expecting it to hold.” Harker joined the WIU RPTA department in the fall of 1970 while still pursuing his doctoral degree from Texas A & M University. He eventually received a PhD in Recreation in 1974 after completing his doctoral dissertation, which was titled “The Discrimination of Flood Plains Using Automatically Processed Multispectral Data.” Harker’s strong background in biology and ecology and fundamental curiosity of the natural world led him to create the first tourism class at WIU in 1977, a class that reshaped the entire RPTA department. In the fall of 1980, Harker left for a sabbatical, traveling around the world for 60 days, visiting seven countries. He would take another around-theworld trip in 1985. When he returned from that second trip, Harker began to sense some type of animosity. “Looking back at the first fifteen years at WIU from 1970 to 1985 I see a department of Recreation and Park Administration shaped by envy and greed,” Harker wrote in a book about the

termination, titled “He Wouldn’t Drink the Hemlock: The Firing of Dr. Leisure,” which he self-published in 1993. “I saw it coming and I did everything in my power to try to appease them, but the basic problem is my background and my credentials. And I intimidated people,” Harker said. “I mean I’m working in the department of recreation and parks with a PhD. I was funded by a NASA fellowship in college, trained, if you will, as a rocket scientist.” According to Harker, the jealousy that ran throughout the department was the result of a number of things, including that he had received eleven grants while at Western, which totaled nearly $55,000. “That figure, dollar wise, is not very significant, but it takes on a different flavor when you find that it’s more than all your colleagues combined, not only in the department but the entire college,” he added. Harker believes the initiative toward termination also stemmed from travels he made while in the department to testify in various states in regard to court cases concerning nude bathing. Dr. Leisure had gained some level of notoriety after being published in various journals, which led to phone

calls asking him to appear in court. “I testified in Florida. I testified in New York. I was invited to Maui,” Harker said. “They had a problem with the nude beach over here and that’s why I was invited over. The administrative rules were questionable. We took it to the Hawaiian Supreme Court and they threw the rules out. They had to go through reformulation.” Many university officials viewed Harker’s travels as simply “an extension of his Thanksgiving Vacation,” according to Harker, who said the university attorney admitted that statement aloud during one of the termination hearings. “They said I’m doing all this in violation I just don’t like to teach. I’d just rather be somewhere else, not acknowledging that I have this notoriety and reputation and appearing as an expert witness in various court cases, and that I’m in demand,” Harker said. “They claimed that the nudity had nothing to do with it, but it’s clearly in the background. I’m the only faculty member that got the grants, got the money, is being requested to be here and there. None of my colleagues are doing that.” And it was this notoriety that led some of Harker’s

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Gallery...

Portrait of Western Illinois University student Austin Cooper, 19. Photo by Amber Ruthe

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Dan Reusch inflates his balloon, ‘Knot A Balloon,’ for the 19th Annunal Macomb Balloon Glow at Vince Grady Field. Photo by Ed Komenda

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colleagues to believe his actions were formulated around the hope to gain fame. “Frankly, George fed the fire,” Maguire said. “George wanted to make a name for himself.” Dr. Leisure’s hunt for notoriety was well documented throughout his career. The April 7, 1991 issue of the Chicago Tribune quoted Harker saying, “we all want to be known, even in small circles.” Even the origin of his Dr. Leisure alter ego can be traced to a desire to gain recognition. “Dr. Leisure is obviously an abstraction. He is a mystical individual who is someone larger than life and not necessarily the same person as myself,” Harker wrote in his book about the name. “My hope was that Dr. Leisure could be developed into a household entity much like Dr. Science, Dr. Pepper and Dr. Ruth. Each of these figures provokes a particular image to the American public.” Harker made an appearance on the Larry King Live television show shortly after his firing, during which he spoke of the charges that were brought against him and called them ludicrous and unfounded. “At that point, he was on the Larry King show,” DiGrino said. “It doesn’t get any better than that for what I think Dr. Harker was looking for in some ways. He was getting the notoriety that seemed very important to him.” Outside of the classroom, Dr. Leisure was quite visible, often wearing his personality on his sleeve, if he chose to wear sleeves. “George drove an antique car and he had a little flag in back with a bat on it. We used to ball it the bat mobile, and we would see him tooling around town all the time,” Bracey said. “People will notice you when you do bizarre kinds of things and stand out, and he stood out. There’s no question about it.” After being fired from Western, Harker had no success in arbitration proceedings as he tried to regain his position. Instead, he set out on other endeavors, such as negotiating to get a film made about his termination, running for Mayor of Macomb in 1991, and opening a nondenominational Church in 1995. His Church and School of International Detente was his last major success in Macomb. “I filed articles of association. The 16

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These days, Dr. George Harker, aka Dr. Leisure (upper left), lives near Little Beach in Maui (upper right) in a late 1990s model Ford truck that has morphed over the years from a plain white pick-up into what he calls “my mobile grass shack.” (Courtesy Photos)

Church exists, and because it’s a church, it’s federally registered, it’s registered in Hawaii. I have church status, so I’m tax exempt,” Harker said. “That’s why I can ask for donations.” Dr. Leisure’s religious roots reach much farther than the shores of Hawaii. According to Harker, the historical Jesus Christ is his 57th great grandfather. Harker “connected the dots” after he read a book by the British author Lawrence Gardner, who genealogically tied Jesus Christ to Charlemagne. “I didn’t do the genealogy here,” Harker said. “If his scenario is correct, then I can track all the way back to Jesus.” Harker attempted to leave Macomb

with one last bang when he filed a $1 billion suit against WIU. The suit called for “punitive damages in excess of $1 billion, re-instatement to his tenured position at WIU, and all back pay and retirement benefits.” “Will I get the billion dollars?” he asked in a 1996 press release. “It is any body’s guess, and it will be fun to see what happens.” When Dr. Leisure visited Maui to testify for the first time, he “fell in love with the place,” and eventually moved there. Living on $690 a month from Social Security, his only income, and a few hundred dollars in food stamps, Harker has become

familiar with economic hardship. He had to live on $300 a month for nearly six years before asking for an increase in his Social Security benefits when he turned 65. “The reason I can survive is I live in my truck,” Harker said. “I live in the back of a pick-up truck. I’ve been in that truck over six years now in August.” He made arrangements with local homeowners, who allow him to park his truck on the property in return for serving as a kind of night watchmen and handyman. “I have no real obligation, but I do look out for their interests and I used to do extensive handy work,” Harker said. “If things needed to be fixed I would often fix them and they would pay me for that. It was a win-win situation.” Although Harker doesn’t collect a paycheck every two weeks for teaching students anymore, he said he feels he’s still in the business, working to inform the public about what’s going on around Maui. “I’m still in the teaching business. That’s what I do,” Harker said. “But I don’t do it in the context of the university any more. I’m out here actively involved and working on various issues over here. We’ve got a lot of resource issues,

such as the water problems on Maui.” Realizing early that keeping numbers is important to his line of work, Harker takes walks every Monday, Wednesday and Friday around various beaches, such as Big Beach and Little Beach, and the island’s McKenna State Park, tallying the number of people on the beaches and cars in the parking lots. Harker said he has compiled this information for a number of years and has the best record of park and beach use on the island. “The fundamental thing is you keep numbers. That’s how you justify your existence in my line of work,” Harker said. “And these people do such a miserable job on their management of their state park. They don’t know what’s going on.” In 2004, Harker witnessed a man drown on Little Beach. He watched as two swimmers tried to bring the man in when a rogue wave came, lifted the group in the water and dropped them into the surf. The man went limp in the water. They were unable to resuscitate him. “Out of that I’ve come to find out how many people were being broken over on Big Beach,” Harker said. “Big Beach has a shore break that breaks

people’s backs and necks, and about three people a month are maimed.” Astounded at his findings, Harker wrote a letter, requesting lifeguards on the beach. The suggested initiative was picked up by local legislator, who introduced a bill to fund such an effort. Lifeguards were eventually stationed on the beach. “I’ve known the governor over the years and for some of the projects I’m on I’ve written her letters, and she answers my letters,” Harker said. “Other people have told me they’ve written the governor, but they don’t get answers. That’s speaks to the nature of the incredible relationship I have with various people over here, with legislatures and administrators. They respond to me.” Living on the fringes of society, being fired from the place he planned to spend the rest of his life, George Harker eventually found that he wouldn’t have had things turn out any other way, that the termination was actually a blessing in disguise. “I’m a pauper. But what I like to say is I have nothing, but really I have everything,” Harker said. “Leaving Western opened up more doors and removed shackles if you will. It freed me up so much and gave me the opportunity.” WI

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Western Illinois Magazine

Soda shops still got pop Sundaes and sodas handmade by a soda jerk aren’t something out of an old Archie comic.

The Maple City Old Fashion Soda Works in Monmouth retains its old-time charm. (Photos by Stacey Howe)

BY STACEY HOWE ith such an overabundance of large companies and chain restaurants, it is easy to forget about the simplicity of old fashioned dining. Everyone would know what you are talking about if you say “Hey, do you want to go to McDonalds?” But if they say “Want to go to the Soda Works or Coney Island?” you may not know what they mean. Monmouth, Ill. is home to the Maple City Old Fashion Soda Works. In 1997, Janet Gaskill bought an old abandoned building located right off the square in Monmouth that was about to be torn down. She spent all her time trying to remodel it and finally turned it into an old fashioned soda shop. “Janet did an incredible job restoring the building and finding all the valuable antiques she has on display all over the shop,” said Journalism Professor of Monmouth College, Joe Angotti. “I can come in for lunch and stay for hours. This shop really is the gem of the city.” She decorated it to commemorate the history of Monmouth and collected antiques from the town since the early 1900’s. This two story building is full of pictures, antiques, a car,

and more memorabilia from the town. “Customers come in all the time and enjoy looking at all of the antiques I have collected throughout the years,” said Maple City Soda Works owner Janet Gaskill. “Many of them can look at the pictures and either find themselves or a family member, and some even start to tear up because of all the great memories this shop brings back to them.” Gaskill went on to say that there are three important aspects that a shop such as this one needs to have, including friendly staff, a good atmosphere and good food. The Soda Works is known for their famous old fashioned sodas which come in six different flavors. Aside from their old fashioned sodas, the chicken pot pie is another customer favorite. Every Tuesday and Friday, they serve their customers fresh pot pies right out of the oven. Since the Soda Works opened a little over 12 years ago, Gaskill has had a handful of great experiences, but she remembers one specific experience that made her love what she does everyday. “After only being open for a short time I had six older ladies come into my shop and sit at the bar together. They all ordered my old fashioned sodas, each of them having a different flavor. I was not too sure how they would like them

since I had not been making sodas very long, but then one of the ladies said to me ‘This reminds me of the sodas we had when we were younger’ and I felt so proud to have a shop that is able to bring those kind of memories back.” Coney Island in Galesburg, Ill. is a restaurant in the same style as Maple City and is also the oldest restaurant in Galesburg, being open since 1921. “The restaurant was passed down to me from my parents and I have been manager for five years,” said Coney Island owner Jesus Valdez. “Since this is the oldest restaurant in Galesburg there have been so many great stories about it. Customers come in all the time and tell me all of their favorite memories of the restaurant.” Along with their famous old fashioned sodas, they are known for their Coney Dogs: a hot dog with brown mustard, secret Coney sauce and onions. The secret Coney sauce has been passed down to every store owner and Valdez is only the seventh person to know. Whether you are craving old fashioned dining, a friendly face, or an escape from Big Macs and french fries, pay a visit to Coney Island and Maple City soda shops and see what all the buzz is about. WI

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Western Illinois Warriors

BY IAN DAVIS icture rural Western Illinois. What do you see? Is it a looming Orcish army, ready to burn and pillage every town in its way? Do you see aloof and alien elves, or surly and loyal dwarves? Perhaps you spy a mage, throwing fireballs and bolts of lightning at a mob of unruly brutes? Probably not. But for a surprising number of Western Illinoisans such fantastic scenarios happen regularly, usually on a weekly basis. The reason for all this mayhem is pen and paper role-playing games, like Dungeons and Dragons, and the fact that Western Illinois is a virtual hotbed of hardcore, extremely devoted tabletop fantasy gamers. “Really, we’re just a bunch of people with a love of imagination, nothing more and nothing less,” says Scott Hultgren, 19, a role-player who attends Monmouth College. While in some communities gamers

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are lucky to find one game per month, it’s not uncommon to find weekly tabletop role-playing games in communities throughout Western Illinois such as Quincy, Peoria and Macomb. In fact, tn the latter, the “Gamer’s Guild,” an official student club at Western Illinois Uni-

“Really, we’re just a bunch of people with a love of imagination.” -Scott Hultgren

versity (WIU) students sponsors weekly gatherings dedicated to all things tabletop. Not only does it attract new followers but it has a stable of veteran players who come back to play each week. One of these old-timers is Richard

Rittenhouse of Macomb, a WIU alum and longtime member of the Guild. Rittenhouse, who started gaming at 11, eventually made his way to the Guild before he even attended the college. “I found the Guild when I was only 14. I’m no historian, but I do remember playing some older games, like the first edition of ‘Call of Cthulhu’ and ‘Paranoia,’ and ‘Advanced Dungeons and Dragons,’” he says. “I went for a while, but when I actually got into college, various things made it so I couldn’t go to Guild meetings anymore. I just recently started going again now, in early 2008, and I was really happy to see that the Guild was still going.” This sense of tradition is another aspect of the hobby that draws people in. The imaginative descriptions, epic struggles between good and evil, and copious amounts of treasure all pale in comparison to one of the biggest draws of tabletop role-playing: the fellowship and camaraderie. Familiar places, good company, and a place to stretch out and let off

some steam are all things many people wish they had today. Most

“A large portion of gamers don’t have good social skills, and they tend to congregate together” -Keith Sears

gamers get all they can handle during an average week with work, school, relationships and the rest. Many gamers admit that playing an

evening of tabletop warfare is a welcome release from all those pressures. “After coming back to the Guild recently, I get a weird deja vu feeling,” Rittenhouse explains. “It’s still held in the same building, in the same room. All of the paintings on the walls are exactly the same. Except for the actual people there, it’s a crazy time-warp vibe for me. I wouldn’t change any of it though. I think the Guild is a spectacular organization on campus, and I think that the fact that it has such a strong attendance each week just shows how good it is.” A typical game session will attract about 4-6 and can run multiple hours. Some role-players play in multiple games each week, juggling them like a court jester. The

draw of the hobby is undeniable, and many people join for all kinds of reasons. Some enjoy the familiarity of gaming, and being able to have a regular place to use; others love the sense of exploration and achievement they get from adventuring with their friends. Almost all, though, enjoy giving back to a community that gave so much to them. That’s not to say that tabletop gamers don’t have a darker side. “Unfortunately, many gamers, and games, end up being totally insular,” notes veteran gamer Keith Sears of Peoria, “A large portion of gamers don’t have good social skills, and they tend to congregate together, and not let anyone into their group.” It’s this face of the role-playing community that has created the stereotypical image of the D & D player who

“I think that the fact that it has such a strong attendance each week just shows how good [the guild] is.” -Richard Rittenhouse

has appeared in countless teen comedies on television and in film (along with “comic shop guy” and “Star Wars nerd”). “Well, what I remember first getting me into gaming was hearing about the steam tunnel incident with the student in Michigan State University,” recalls Sears, who has long been active in the tabletop gaming community in Peoria (he publishes new games independently, and also helps organize the quarterly gaming convention in Peoria, called ‘Go Play Peoria!’). “I found the game reported to be the cause, ‘Dungeons and Dragons,’ and loved the idea behind it, but when I actually tried it I didn’t care for it,” Sears continues. “I eventually found a Above: Richard Rittenhouse acts as “D.M.” (dungeon master) guiding and challenging the players of the game. Left: Ian Rewers, a junior at WIU, is engaged in an intense gaming session.

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game called ‘Tunnels and Trolls,’ and that’s what started me heavily into the hobby. The funny part about it is that ‘Tunnels and Trolls’ was almost intended to be a parody of ‘Dungeons and Dragons,’ but somehow it stuck with me.” The steam tunnel incident refers to what happened in 1979 at Michigan State University. A 16-year-old child prodigy attending the school, James Dallas Egbert III, disappeared into the tunnels beneath the school. While authorities originally believed Egbert’s disappearance was related to his role-playing hobby, they ultimately attributed his actions to stress, drug dependency and depression. A book was written, named “Mazes and Monsters,” which was eventually made into a made-for-TV movie, which sparked a rash of bad publicity surrounding the hobby. “Every gamer who’s been in the hobby for any length of times knows what people assume about them,” says Scott Hultgren. “Things like the Jack Chick tracts about D&D (a popular Christian writer-cartoonist who has attacked role-playing games) and the steam tunnel incident are old news now, but still make people outside the hobby eye with disdain, unease, dread, and a million other things.” Yet despite the sometimes-negative connotations associated with

role-playing activities the games continue to draw fans and are still going strong. The games themselves have evolved over the years, and become more and more complex. The people who play them, however, are just as dedicated as ever. As for why Western Illinois has such a large number of passionate players of the games—and has be-

The origins of D & D First published in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, Dungeons and Dragons established what is now an entire branch of the entertainment industry: tabletop gaming. What started as a small conversion for a medieval war game called Chainmail, D&D, as it now known, soon took off into a world of its own. The game is usually played with one person refereeing the game (called the Dungeon Master or DM). The DM handles all of the complicated aspects of actually creating and overseeing a game, and also controls every character not being played by another person at the table. Other players take on the role of various members of a travelling party, such as dwarfs,

22 Western Illinois Maga-

knights, or wizards, and explore the world the DM places them in. The goal of the game is to successfully raise a character’s skills and abilities to higher levels, through overcoming obstacles and defeating enemies. There isn’t an actual way to “win” the game, because there is always the chance to make a character even more powerful. Any actions made that have a chance of failure – like shooting someone with a bow and arrow or listening for voices through a door, are resolved by rolling dice of various sizes. 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12-sided dice are all used, with the different values assigned to different weapons and actions.

come known online as one of the country’s best places to find a regular game—perhaps Macomb’s Richard Rittenhouse understands it best when he says: “I, and I’m sure anybody else would say this too, am just grateful to even have a community like this. These are great people, a great town, and I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.” WI

When and where... WIU’s Gamer’s Guild meets every Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Second floor of the Union. The URL for Go, Play, Peoria! Is www.goplaypeoria.com, and all the scheduling information can be found there for people. To find games locally, find a shop that sells tabletop merchandise, like Journeys here in Macomb or Just For Fun in Peoria, and just ask about games that are going on in the area.

Forget Fast Food and Cafeteria Fare The 1864 Bistro in the Western Illinois University Student Union offers something you won’t find on a plastic tray—mouthwatering BY AMANDA BERGMANN

here are many different choices you can pick around campus in Macomb to eat lunch. But if you want to sit down and have a restaurant type of experience on campus, 1864 Bistro is it. 1864 Bistro is an elegant dining experience on campus with seating at round tables with nice table cloths and cloth napkins, shiny silverware, and drinks served in glasses. The 1864 Bistro may be run by the same company responsible for the residence hall dining rooms but that’s about the only thing they have in common. For the past three years, Shawn Riggins, 34, has made it his mission to ensure that the 1864 Bistro offers a lunch experience not like any other dining options found on the Western Illinois University campus. Riggins, a retail manager for Sodexo Campus Services, helped develop the concept behind the 1864 Bistro. “I suggested a few different format ideas and the upscale sandwich format was the most popular idea amongst staff. I worked with (Sodexo Head) Chef Charles Bates on a few of the initial recipes and built from there,” Riggin said. Over Winter Break that year Riggin and Bates tested the recipes, ordered the equipment and got everything set up. “The menus were created and by the first day of classes in spring 2007 we had an entirely new format, the 1864 Bistro,” Riggin said. At that time, it was still located in the Lincoln Room on the first floor of the University Union. “The feedback was positive from the beginning. In that first semester we quadrupled the average number of guests from the Lincoln Room during the previous semester. It was so popular, in fact, that the next semester we moved it to the Lamoine Room on the ground level of the Union and it has

The 1864 Bistro in the Union offers white tablecloths, shiny silverware and all the other accoutrements of fine dining. (Photos by Matt Marcotte)

been there ever since,” Riggin said. At 1864 Bistro they serve both cold and Panini-style sandwiches, along with unique salads. It is unlike anything else on the WIU campus. Jaclyn Ronovsky, 20, health management major at WIU said, “I always get the same thing when I go to the 1864 Bistro because it tastes delicious and it has everything I want in a sandwich, but everything on their menu I feel can accommodate everyone.” Some sandwiches are warm and toasty like The Southern Belle

Buffalo Wrap for $6.29 “Winner of the 2008 Abe’s Best Recipe Contest” it includes crunchy home-style chicken strips covered with a spicy buffalo sauce and wrapped in a tortilla with lettuce, tomato, cheese and ranch dressing. Others are cold and piled high like The Presidential Club for $5.79 that has smoked ham, turkey and bacon combine with mayo, Swiss and American cheese, fresh lettuce and tomatoes on your choice of whole wheat or country white bread. Chanel Greenleaf, 20, supply chain

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Panini-style sandwiches, wraps, fresh salads and other dishes make dining at the 1864 Bistro an experience different from other campus eateries. (Photos by Matt Marcotte)

management major at WIU said, “I find hard to find a fresh salad on campus but at the 1864 Bistro there salad ingredients are always fresh and green and their salad dressings are rich and creamy.” Fresh and crisp salads like the Lincoln-Douglas Debate for $3.79 features a small version of 1864 Bistro’s White House salad which features 1864 Bistro’s lettuce mix with seasoned croutons, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes and a cup of their soup-of-the-day. “It is definitely a bistro-style restaurant,” Riggin said. 1864 Bistro is more like a restaurant than any other foodservice environment that could be found on the WIU campus. “You come in and are seated at a table with a menu. A server takes your order and brings your food to you when it is ready. All you have to do is pay the cashier on your way out,” Riggin said. One of the main advantages for students eating at 1864 Bistro is that it’s one of the few places on campus where you can use a credit card and a student identification card. 1864 Bistro also accepts cash and the food is unique.

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“There are very few places in town to get an authentic Panini-style sandwich,” Riggin said. Riggin’s being the sole creator of the 1864 Bistro isn’t his only responsibility. “I’m also responsible for Sbarro, Rocky’s C-store and Pause Deli here in the Union food court. Malpass Mocha on the first floor of the Malpass Library and Dividends in Stipes also fall under me,” Riggin said. The 1864 Bistro continues to try new things each semester, with different specialty sandwiches or salads each month. Some of which being popular enough will make it to the core menu during the next school year. “The Southern Belle Buffalo Wrap was so popular as the special when we did it in April/May ’08 that we added it on to the menu permanently in fall ’08. This semester we added the Pickett Chicken Finger BLT to the menu-it was a special in spring ’09,” said Riggin. “Ideally, I’d love to see the 1864 Bistro run three meals a day, rather than just lunch. That’s not possible now, simply because the Lamoine Room is utilized for so

many additional things,” Riggin said. Riggin and his wife, Dr. Melanie Hetzel-Riggin, is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at WIU, couldn’t pass up the opportunity for them both to work and live in Macomb. Before becoming the retail manager for Sodexo Riggin was the manager for TGI Friday’s in the Chicago suburbs and part of the opening management team for the TGI Friday’s in Peoria. Riggin and Dr. Hetzel-Riggin moved from the far west suburbs of Chicago, St. Charles. “That’s where my wife and I were living while she was in graduate school at NIU. Originally, my wife is from Wisconsin and I’m from Maryland,” said Riggin. “I take pride in the fact that I feel like I have made the students’ dinning experiences better since I started with Sodexo at WIU. I designed and built the 1864 Bistro and Pause Deli menus from scratch and opened Malpass Mocha and Dividends in just my short three years here. I look forward to upgrading and evolving retail foodservice for years to come,” Riggin said. WI

Keepaneyeout

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Top 5 eats in Macomb When it comes to culinary experiences in Macomb, Ill., the choices can be limited. However, this doesn’t mean that the only way to get a decent meal is to cook it yourself. According to a survey on dining options based on the amount of cars in the parking lots of restaurants in town on Friday nights, the following five establishments are among Macomb’s most popular eateries.

Buffalo Wild Wings Located at 1724 E. Jackson Street in the Walmart parking lot, “B-dubs,” as it is called by frequenters, is known for its delectable wings and variety of dipping sauces. The sauces range from mild to extremely hot, and also contain specialty sauces like a garlic sauce. Tuesdays and Thursdays are two of the restaurant’s biggest days as they offer wings at a low price. Besides wings, Buffalo Wild Wings also has a variety of tasty appetizers and other meals such as onion rings, burgers, and wraps. “Buffalo Wild Wings is the closest thing to reminding me of home here at Western,” said Carrie Staton, a 20-yearold Pre-Law student at Western.

Red Ox Located at 1302 W. Jackson Street, this perennial favorite offers a laid back setting. Red Ox has a buffet on the weekends from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The dinner menu, while slightly pricey, is still great for students who are looking to enjoy a large meal. This is especially goof when parents are visiting their kids and the bill is on them. “They have a great prime rib,” said Jake Oberding, a 21-year-old Construction Management major at Western. Meals such as steak, chicken, pork, seafood, and pasta are all included on the menu.

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Aurelio’s This popular pizzeria is located at 221 N. Randolph Street, directly across from the Family Video. It is well-known around western Illinois for its mouthwatering pizza. Additionally, Aurelio’s has reasonably priced everyday specials and other selections available on the menu, such as pasta, chicken, and a variety of sandwiches. “I love their pizza,” said Mellisa Ballano, a 21-yearold Journalism major at Western.

El Rancherito Located at 1514 W. Jackson Street, this establishment has been serving the best in authentic Mexican dishes since 1994. El Rancherito offers a variety of cheap lunch specials and excellent dinner combinations. The restaurant is also known for its gigantic margaritas. “I love going to El Rancherito because I love their margaritas” Ballano said. On certain days, authentic mariachi bands are featured.

Asian Buffet One of Macomb’s fastest growing dining options is the Asian Buffet, located at 1331 E. Jackson Street, across from K-Mart. The restaurant offers an open buffet with a wide selection of food/ Various types of different Asian chicken dishes, noodle dishes, and sushi comprise the menu. “The food was amazing. I thought it was better than any of the other Asian restaurants in the area,” said Larz Campbell, a 20-year-old Physical Education major at Western. The buffet also serves nonAsian food like macaroni and cheese, fries, mashed potatoes, and fruit.

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