Knox in the News

From WGIL radio:

Six Knox College students competed in the recent 2008 Simon Graduate School of Business, University of Rochester, Early Leaders Case Competition, and four have earned cash prizes. The annual competition brings together some of the brightest young business minds in the country to simulate decisions faced by business leaders around the globe.

Participants are selected by the Simon School through a competitive application process. Despite Knox’s small size, six Knox students were selected, the largest contingent of students after the University of Rochester itself. “We were the largest group of students from one college there,” explains Garry Barton, a senior from Galesburg.

From MSU State News (East Lansing,MI):

Worst nicknames:

5. Prairie Fire (Knox College) — If you’re going to be named after a weather occurrence, at least go big with Tornadoes or Green Wave or Hurricanes. Not something that mostly threatens jackrabbits. (Although, apparently a prairie fire is a mixed drink containing an alcoholic beverage and Tabasco sauce. That’s what I call a great first impression.)

From the Register Mail:

Many say Division III rivalries, such as the Bronze Turkey game between Knox and Monmouth, are what college football is meant to be. If so, the sons of Steve and Nancy Davis of Elmwood could be the poster boys for what is right about college sports.

With Division I football awash in scandals and arrests, Division III, where schools are not allowed to award athletic scholarships, is a throwback to the earlier days of the sport….

The rivalry between the sons ends at the goal line, though.

“They are best of friends, except for football,” Nancy said.

From the Register Mail:

Rob Purlee played a big role as a Knox College basketball assistant under former coach Tim Heimann, but he still felt the twinge when he took over the Prairie Fire as head coach.

“At the scrimmage against Eureka — it was just a scrimmage — but right before the game it was, ‘Oh, Geez, this is for real.’

“I know that Saturday it will be the same thing. It will be a mix of emotions.”

Knox basketball starts a new era tonight when the Praire Fire travel to the University of Dubuque to start the 2008-2009 season. Purlee’s first game calling all the shots follows a 24-year run by Heimann at the head of the program.

From the Rockford Register Star:

The former director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum said Wednesday he has been asked many times, “What can President-elect Barack Obama learn from Lincoln.” Richard Norton Smith said the question should continue, “What has Obama already learned from Lincoln?”….

Smith was in Galesburg, leading a tour of about 30 people from across the nation, to see the school’s “Looking for Lincoln” exhibit and hear a presentation by Doug Wilson, co-director with Rodney Davis of the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox.

The nationally known historian discussed the president-elect in a conference room while Wilson spoke in the Alumni Room of Old Main. There has been much discussion of similarities between Obama and Lincoln. Smith was asked if Obama brought to mind any other president during the just-concluded campaign, but he clearly feels Lincoln, the 16th president, and Obama, who will be the 44th, have much in common and that is what he wanted to discuss.

From WGIL radio:

Midwest Conference commissioner Chris Graham informed the member schools this week of Webcast provider Penn Atlantic’s decision to offer free access to the conference’s men’s and women’s basketball games. Previously, fans paid a nominal fee to watch their team on the Web.

“When we first entered into live video Webcasting two years ago, we did so with the hope we could provide the service free of charge someday to our families, alumni and loyal fans,” said Graham. “While we are only in the early stages of testing the response to free Webcasts, I am confident that the results will allow us to continue the service indefinitely. We are in the midst of an exciting time for the Midwest Conference and media technology.”

Game availability will include all league games, although non-conference games may be available on a school-by-school basis.