Knox in the News

From PR Newswire:

AdCare Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE AMEX: ADK), today announced the appointment of Boyd P. Gentry and Joshua J. McClellan to its Board of Directors for the coming year.

David A. Tenwick, Chairman of the Board, stated that “Boyd Gentry and Josh McClellan are seasoned long-term health care executives, both with significant health care operating and financial experience. Tenwick continued, “with our plans to expand our operations which include potential acquisitions of assisted living facilities and nursing homes as well as new management contracts, it is important to also add talent and strength to our board to keep up with the growth. With the addition of Boyd and Josh as independent directors, I believe the board will be keeping pace with the expansion plans of AdCare.”

Mr. Gentry was employed by Mariner Health Care, Inc., a former NYSE publicly held long-term health care provider with $2B in annual revenue, from 1995 to 2007, and promoted to CFO subsequent to its 2004 going private transaction sponsored by National Senior Care. He transitioned to an ongoing consulting role for Mariner in September, 2007 when he was recruited to Millennium Pharmacy Systems, Inc. as CFO. He remained with Millennium until 2009. From 1982 until 1995, Mr. Gentry was employed with Bank of America and it predecessors with various financial responsibilities as Senior Vice President. Mr. Gentry received his BA in Economics from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois and his MBA in Finance and Accounting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

From the News-Gazette (Urbana-Champaign, Illinois):

If you’re having some slow time during this season, how about building yourself a set of Abraham Lincoln historic buildings?

Given the economy, it’s a big plus that you can do this essentially for free.

The Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and the Old State Capitol Foundation, with help from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, worked together to create a Web site that offers templates of several historic places where the Great Emancipator lived, worked or spoke before he became president….

Other state sites like www.lookingforlincoln.com or www.Illinois-History.gov have clearly written assembly instructions; all you need are scissors, glue and cardboard.

Earlier entries in the “Build Your Own Lincoln Sites” include the Old State Capitol and Great Western Depot in Springfield, the Berry-Lincoln Store at Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site near Petersburg and Old Main at Knox College in Galesburg.

From the Register-Mail:

Chanda Wade is not like her mother.

And Sheri Wade worked very hard to make sure her daughter wouldn’t be.

Chanda is 21 years old, a senior at Knox College and lives in her own apartment on Galesburg’s north side. She was a successful athlete who always did well in school. A Gale Scholar, she graduated from Galesburg High School in 2006 and always felt there was a clear path to a future that included college.

Chanda earned an associate’s degree in arts from Carl Sandburg College and is a black studies major at Knox. She plans to pursue a master’s in human resources at Webster University in St. Louis. Her life is a long way from the one her mother lived as a 21-year-old.

“At that time, my mother was raising babies and working. Working hard,” Chanda said. “My mom dropped out of the 11th grade — at GHS — to give birth to my oldest brother, Jarvis. She worked the whole time I was growing up, two jobs — as a housekeeper and a CNA (certified nursing assistant). I have two older sisters and my older brother. She had to work hard to support us.

“I saw my dad quite a bit, too — mostly on weekends. My family was very supportive and my mom always stayed on top of me to make sure I did well in school. I’ll be the first one in family to graduate from college. My sisters and mom are a huge influence on me to get my master’s. If it wasn’t for them, I would probably join the work force right after I graduated from Knox.”

From the Register-Mail:

Cole Spinks and Malcolm X Cagle carry a legacy.

The good friends are juniors at Galesburg High School, involved in myriad activities and have big plans beyond high school. Unlike the 26.7 percent of the class of 2009’s black students who did not graduate, they plan to collect their diplomas and go to college.

Spinks is a three-sport athlete, participates in the school musical and plays bass in the jazz choir and mixed choir. He is weighing opportunities to play collegiate football or wrestle and is considering a career in physical therapy.

Cagle has participated in wrestling, football and track. He is also part of Stage Call, Tomorrow’s Teachers, Spanish Club and volunteers time as a tutor. He is a Gale Scholar who plans to attend Carl Sandburg College and move on to Knox College. He views his future as wide open.

Spinks and Cagle are the kind of students any high school could offer up as evidence of individuals choosing their educational path and working hard for success. Both have overcome what could have been obstacles — and attempted to delineate where the foundation of their successes was laid.

And while they are accepted by their peers — of all colors — and nurtured by the high school’s teachers, coaches and administrators, Spinks and Cagle said being a black student can be a debilitating burden for some…..

From Daily News & Analysis:

London: Although technological wonders have made our lives easier, it might also be giving rise to a generation of depressed people, says an expert.

According to psychologist Daniel Goleman, people today experience more depression than previous generations, which is believed to be because of these technological advancements.

As phones, computers and the Internet continues to pervade our lives, it has encouraged a constant, nagging need to check for texts and email, to update Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn profiles, to acquire the latest notebook or 3G cellphone….

…..A new study by psychologist Tim Kasser of Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, has shown that people who place a high value on material goals are unhappier than those who are less materialistic.

Materialism is also associated with lower self-esteem, greater narcissism, greater tendency to compare oneself unfavourably with other people, less empathy and more conflict in relationships.

It is said time is money. This implies a need for total efficiency, which is why we are allowing laptop computers and mobile phones to blur the separation between work and home.

And the lack of separation damages our relationships with loved ones.

It also predisposes us to focus on the here and now at the expense of long-term goals.

From WGIL radio:

Knox College has promoted five faculty members to the rank of full professor. Knox College President Roger Taylor announced this month the promotions of Caesar Akuetey, professor of modern languages; Neil Blackadder, professor of theatre; John Dooley, professor of computer science; Lori Haslem, professor of English; and Michael Schneider, professor of history.

The five faculty members have combined experience of more than a half-century of teaching and conducting research at Knox.