Knox in the News

From the Peoria Journal Star:

Nationally syndicated political columnist Jonah Goldberg, an editor of National Review and a regular contributor to the Journal Star’s opinion pages, will give a talk entitled “Liberal Fascism” at Knox College.

The free, public lecture is sponsored by Knox Republicans, with additional support from the Young America’s Foundation and the Intellectual Diversity Foundation. Goldberg will speak at 7:30 p.m. May 4 in Kresge Hall, Ford Center for the Fine Arts.

Goldberg’s talk is based on his best-selling book, “Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left from Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning.” Following the lecture, Goldberg will sign copies of his book, which will be available for purchase.

From the Register-Mail:

Hawthorne Gymnasium was transformed into a mini-theme park Saturday morning. The Children’s Fun Fair is an annual part of the Week of the Young Child….

Knox College students volunteered to walk around and portray characters such as Clifford the Big Red Dog, the Cat in the Hat and others. Other Knox students helped children use yarn and paper plates to make masks, while still others brought the Pilot Club’s puppets to life.

Colleen Culbertson of Knox College and the Pilot Club, said of the puppets, “We take them into the preschools and churches and teach kids about protecting their brains for life.”

With her own connection to Knox, Culbertson was pleased when members of the Sigma Chi fraternity walked up and asked what they could to help. They ended up being the puppeteers.

“Just a great bunch of guys,” Culbertson said.

From WEEK TV-25 (Peoria, IL):

While many spent the afternoon learning about water conservation, some architecture enthusiasts learned about some of Central Illinois historical homes and landmarks.

About 20 people gathered in the parlor of the Pettengill-Morron home on Moss Avenue for a book discussion with a Knox college professor and author.

Dr. Lance Factor wrote a book that discusses a Swedish born architect who built and designed homes in Peoria and Old Main at Knox College…a national landmark.

From the Register-Mail:

During the past week a huge void has occurred in Galesburg with the deaths of Wilbur Pillsbury, Howard Benthine and Jack Larson. The life of yours truly was blessed and made much better because of each of these irreplaceable individuals.

Fifty years ago in the summer of 1960 an 11-member committee was formed to study the possibility of forming a junior college for the Galesburg area. Among those selected was Wilbur F. Pillsbury a longtime professor and administrator at Knox College…..

Having the privilege of knowing Wilbur Pillsbury, Howard Benthine and Jack Larson has been a pleasure. We can pay them back by helping to carry on their many unselfish community contributions.

From the Register-Mail:

Janet Reitman talked Thursday about “Writing Against the Pack: A Rolling Stone Reporter’s Secret for Finding the Story Inside the Story.”

“Journalists don’t normally give lectures. I hope I do this right,” Reitman said in Kresge Hall at Knox College.

Reitman, who has worked with Knox College Professor of Journalism Marilyn Webb in the past at Psychology Today and Women’s Day magazines, has reported from Iraq and Haiti and has also written about the Duke Lacrosse scandal as well as an investigative piece about the church of Scientology.

Her specialty and focus in the lecture is long-form narrative writing, specifically for magazines. She is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine.

Reitman spoke about how finding a narrative voice in writing is not something one can do overnight, or at age 20.

“What you should do in your 20s is absorb life, so that when you’re stable, you can process those things with what you’ve learned,” she said.

From the St. Charles Republican (St. Charles, IL):

Word of mouth can be the best way to search for a new job in the business world.

It turns out the same is true in athletics. At least it was for John Boylan.

A little more than two years removed from his last competitive game of football, Boylan found a way to rekindle the fire by trying out for the Chicago Cardinals of the Continental Indoor Football League.

“One of my friends (Jaran Rutledge, now on the Cardinals), we played together in college,” the 23-year-old St. Charles resident said. “He played for the Milwaukee Bone Crushers in the CIFL, and when they folded he got picked up by the Cardinals. He told me there was going to be some tryouts.

“There were three different tryouts and I didn’t find out about them until seven days before the last one.”

Fortunately for Boylan, he made the team. Unfortunately, an ACL injury in the April 3 opener will sideline him for the rest of the season. But simply making the final cut was a reward in itself.

Even though Boylan had just a week to prepare for his shot at a roster spot, he had a plan of attack.

His time playing at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., and preparing for seasons with the Prairie Fire gave him an edge.

“I was aware of what the tryout process was going to be like,” Boylan said. “Running 40s, doing bench presses, broad jumps and agility drills on the field.”

Still, with only a week to get ready he had to be precise. Go too hard in preparation and he’d have nothing left at the tryout. Go too easily and there would be no guarantee that he would be in good enough physical shape to make the team.