Thursday, December 19

Month: October 2018

Tattoos With a Story
Personality, Perspective

Tattoos With a Story

By Halle Douglass Actor Johnny Depp once said, “My body is my journal, and my tattoos are my story.” There is not a day that goes by where I do not see a student or professor on campus with at least one tattoo on their body. Most of the tattoos are simple and small, like quotes or crosses. However, there are some that I have looked at and thought, “Wow, I’d love to know the story behind that particular tattoo.” I got the opportunity to talk to a few students and staff members about their interesting tattoos. Here are their stories. I first spoke with junior Olivia Toth, who told me the story about her dream catcher tattoo, located on her thigh and hip: “This tattoo is basically a huge dream catcher with flowers and feathers, and splashes of paint in the background," Toth said. "It sounds ...
McK Speech and Debate Team in top form
Campus News, Local News, News

McK Speech and Debate Team in top form

The McKendree University Speech and Debate Team turned in excellent performances last weekend at its home debate tournament and the University of Central Missouri’s speech tournament. The highlights include: Mitch Deleel and Adeja Powell won both the Bearcat Classic and the Hunsaker Invitational. That’s three consecutive tournament wins and extends their unbeaten streak to 24 consecutive debates. They are also qualified for the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence (NPTE) and are currently ranked 3rd in the nation by the NPTE. Lyndellia Mannie, Aliyah Smith, and Andrew Wagner each qualified for the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament. Mannie is qualified in poetry, while Smith and Wagner are qualified in drama and communication analysis, respect...
Caitlyn Westfall: Empowered Woman Empowering Women
Personality, Profiles

Caitlyn Westfall: Empowered Woman Empowering Women

By Halle Douglass There is an anonymous quote that says, “Leaders become great not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.” After hearing McKendree Alumna Caitlyn Westfall’s story about her experience in Sigma Sigma Sigma, I could not agree more. I recently met her during formal recruitment, where she shared her story with all members, old and new. I felt incredibly moved and inspired by her story. Westfall came to McKendree as a freshman in the Fall of 2010, and she had convinced herself that she was not going to join a sorority in college. Shortly after the start of her freshman year, Caitlyn’s best friend asked her to accompany her to the involvement fair because she had been interested in joining a sorority and wanted to visit the tables. Caitlyn was ...
Steve Winter’s Journey with Big Cats
Entertainment

Steve Winter’s Journey with Big Cats

By Ashley Hathaway, Contributive Writer For a man that did not take a picture of an animal until he was 34 years old, Steve Winter has seen it all when it comes to big cats. From dodging poachers, to escaping 5,000 pound Rhinos, it seems as if Winter has been through just about all one could imagine. On October 17, McKendree University was lucky enough to host Steve Winter as a speaker from National Geographic. The audience at McKendree got to impart on the experiences of being a National Geographic photographer with Winter as he told stories about his time capturing pictures of big cats around the world. When asked how he started doing stories on big cats, Winter replies with “I didn’t chose big cats, big cats chose me.” One night when Winter was on an expedition to get pictures of birds...
Alexis Porter; Student, Wrestler, Inspiration
Profiles, Sports

Alexis Porter; Student, Wrestler, Inspiration

By Kyle Boldin When considering female athletic inspirations, a couple names come to mind: Venus, Serena Williams, Simone Biles and Rhonda Rousey. All outstanding athletes in their respected fields, all with accomplishments that will inspire generations to come. So much so, the next generation has already been inspired, one of those people being senior Alexis Porter. Hailing from the great state of New York, Porter has carved a name for herself in the world of women's wrestling. She began her career as a young child, where she would be used as a wrestling dummy, for her older brother, as he practiced his moves. As time went on, Porter began to pick up the steps, and shortly after seeing her raw talent, her father placed her in a minors wrestling tournament amongst her male counterparts. A...
If Denny’s and McDonald’s had a baby, it would be called Huddle House.
Advice, Opinion

If Denny’s and McDonald’s had a baby, it would be called Huddle House.

By Gabrielle Madewell, Contributing Writer Photo: G. Madewell, google.com The first thought someone has walking into a restaurant attached to a gas station/truck stop is not “wow, this is going to be a snazzy meal.” Realistically, they are looking for a cheap and fast meal that is filling and only mostly edible. Surprisingly enough, Huddle House, located in Mascoutah, IL, offers more than just a quick, cheap bite that makes you think “why am I like this” as you get up to re-button your jeans and leave. Huddle house offers a place to sit down for some cost efficient, hearty diner food. Which is always refreshing versus the classic ‘order from a fast food restaurant and ungracefully scarf it down in the parking lot’ meal we are all guilty of. Huddle House offers the best of both worlds: the...
Why Vinyl?
Uncategorized

Why Vinyl?

By Greg Kassen, Contributive WriterI remember hearing once from some source of knowledge I deem credible that technological advancement is not marked with the creation of new technologies, rather, it is when the new, innovative technologies of the past decade can be produced cheaply enough for the working class to own that milestones can be achieved. This holds true for many facets of society. One can buy a new laptop for $200, a new smartphone for $150, and then a new Blu-ray player for $50. These all, at one point within the last twenty years, were called great advancements in their fields. Music appears to follow the trend as well. Digital albums can be bought as cheaply as a few dollars, and brand-new CDs of popular artists come out as low as $10. Yet, with examples such as the Blu-ray...
The Incredible ‘Houk’
Profiles

The Incredible ‘Houk’

By Justin A. Smock Nestled in the heart of Holman Library, one will find the second home of Mckendree’s very own Technical Services & Government Documents Librarian. Debbie Houk, a McKendree Alumni, has a passion for history that is a compendium in itself. With elephant trunks pointed to the east, Hello Kitty as the main decor, and a bowl of candy on stand-by, Houk invites all who are hungry and eager to learn about the rich history of the University and the surrounding areas. Born and raised in Belleville Illinois, Houk is no stranger to our quiet corner of the world. During her summers, Houk found joy participating in seasonal programs at her local library. “I would go every year, we played library scavenger hunts and we learned the Dewey Decimal system”, Houk said with a smile on h...
Faculty and Students Visit Cuba and Return With Stories to Share
Campus Events, News, Worldwide News

Faculty and Students Visit Cuba and Return With Stories to Share

By Alec Deyong, Contributing Writer Editor’s note:  Most Wednesdays at noon throughout the school year, McKendree hosts a Brown Bag session in PAC 222, during which invited speakers present on a wide range of topics.  Grab your lunch and be sure to try to attend at least one this year; you’re guaranteed to learn something!  Have a class or shift at work during that time?  No worries.  Alec is going to provide us with a synopsis of the presentations!  Check back next week for the next installment.  Whenever the island nation of Cuba is mentioned, most people think of Cuban cigars, Fidel Castro, or the Cuban Missile Crisis. This is not the case, however, for the small group of professors and students that shared their Cuban experience with us at this week’s Brown Bag. Dr. Aurélie Capron  ...
McKendree Speech and Debate Team Starts the Season Strong
Campus Events, Campus News, Local News, News

McKendree Speech and Debate Team Starts the Season Strong

The McKendree University Speech and Debate Team took home 24 awards, including 10 1st place finishes, over its two most recent tournaments at the University of Minnesota and Southwest Baptist University. “This was an impressive start to the season,” said Joe Blasdel. “While this marks a successful start to the season, the team displayed a very high level of camaraderie at both tournaments – especially important with 10 new members this year.” McKendree was one of three universities, including the University of Missouri and the host school, to attend the Minnesota Classic, hosted by the University of Minnesota on September 21-22. Representing McKendree were senior Adeja Powell; junior Haylee Christ; sophomores Mitch Deleel, Chandler Flesch, Caden Owens, and Rebecca Postula; and first-year...