Knox in the News

From WGIL Radio:

An auditorium full of students got their chance to hear speakers, as well as songs, honoring a civil rights activist Monday.

Knox College students, faculty, and area residents gathered at Harbach Theatre on the Knox College campus to celebrate the life and teachings of Martin Luther King. It was mentioned numerous times that this would be a different kind of Dr. Martin Luther King day celebration seeing as Tuesday is the inauguration of the first black President in Barack Obama.

One of the speakers, Konrad Hamilton, Associate Professor of History and Chair of American Studies, says, King learned and carried his beliefs from those who came before him.

“He embodied the tradition of activist citizenship, descending from the founders of our republic, down through Frederick Douglas, Susan B. Anthony…Mother Jones, and countless others, famous and obscure, who believed that the truest way to show love for one’s country is to be an active participant in its government,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton’s presentation was called “The Audacity of Citizenship: The Meaning of King in the Obama Era”. He spoke about both the similarities and differences between King and Obama.

From the Chicago Tribune:

President-elect Barack Obama is more than a little obsessed with Abraham Lincoln. He announced his candidacy at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, where Lincoln delivered his “house divided” speech. He’s riding to his inauguration via train, just like Lincoln. He’s using Lincoln’s Bible for the swearing-in. He’s even going to eat the same food as Lincoln at the luncheon afterward. But how do Nos. 16 and 44 really stack up?….

Time served in the Illinois General Assembly: four terms (though Obama resigned during his fourth term to take his place in the U.S. Senate)….

Word choices: Obama’s keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention used the words “liberty,” “equal” and “power” once apiece. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address did the same.

•Both received honorary degrees from Knox College.

•Both married women whose names start with the letter “M.”

From WGIL radio:

Local resident and businessman Terry Haywood issued a statement Wednesday evening saying he was no longer interested in becoming a candidate.

Haywood, a former reporter and editor of the weekly publication The Paper, says he’s thought long and hard about running since a published report suggested he might, but decided not to run after learning that Knox College Journalism Professor Marilyn Webb would.

Haywood says Webb is “an intellectually capable and forward-thinking person,” and says Webb has what it takes to help the city recover from the Maytag and Butler Manufacturing plant closures, and deal with other problems brought on by the recent economic downturn.

From the Register-Mail:

To date, state official Sal Garza, Alderwoman Karen Lafferty, former City Council members Margaret Hall and Rollie Paulsgrove, businessman Nathan Rockhold and pilot Eric Delawder also have announced their candidacies for the mayoral election. Former mayor Bob Sheehan, meanwhile, has been circulating petitions for the election, but has yet to formally reveal his plans.

From Newspost Online:

Greed may have plunged the current economy into global crisis, for which both individual and increasingly materialistic culture are to blame.

“America has an economic system set up to create the kind of mess we’ve seen recently,” said social psychologist Tim Kasser, Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.

“Our form of capitalism encourages materialistic values, and the research shows that people high on materialism are more likely to engage in unethical business behaviours and manipulate people,” he added.

From the Register-Mail:

Carl “Charlie” August Sandburg’s 131st birthday occurred Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009. Unfortunately, the birthday of one of Galesburg’s favorite and most successful sons passed with no visible fanfare.

On the occasion of Sandburg’s 100th birthday in 1978 the community with the help of Knox and Carl Sandburg Colleges celebrated with a month of festivities that brought in dignitaries from throughout the country….

….The event was originally scheduled for Harbach Theatre on the Knox campus, however, the demand for tickets grew to such proportions that it was moved to Memorial Gym in order to accommodate the 2,000 in attendance. Smith, who was a personal friend of Sandburg, shared with those in attendance that he had read Carl’s famous Lincoln biography five times.

Also participating in the celebration was Sandburg’s daughter, Helga Crile; Illinois Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks; United States Deputy Postmaster William Bolger; and Douglas Wilson of Knox College. Strumming and singing on her father’s guitar, Helga Sandburg Crile paid homage to Carl with anecdotes and songs the family used and knew all the way up the street and down.

Knox College in conjunction with Carl Sandburg College and its President William Anderson hosted a day long symposia that included noted Sandburg and Lincoln scholars including famed Chicago author and columnist Studs Terkel.

From The Colbert Report:

Stephen Colbert — in a segment about President-elect Obama’s pick for Surgeon General — says, “I’m a TV doctor! I have a doctorate of fine arts!” as he flashes his Knox College honorary degree.

Watch the episode at http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episode=215427