Thursday, March 28

Profiles

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...
Krysten Baker: Coach and Counselor
Personality, Profiles, Sports

Krysten Baker: Coach and Counselor

By Kenneth Spisak Krysten Baker goes by multiple names: Krysten, Coach Baker, Ms. Baker, KB. Depending how you are acquainted with her, one of these will be how you address her. Baker is on the coaching staff for McKendree’s track and field team as the throwers coach. Not only is coaching essentially a full-time gig, she also has her daily job of a high school guidance counselor for Columbia High School. Often times I wonder how coaches got into their beloved sport from the get-go, and after kindly agreeing to an interview, Baker answered that very question. “I technically got involved in track and field in 5th grade," Baker said. "We had a small team at my elementary school where we had modified versions of regulation track events. It was in 6th grade when I actually joined my junior hig...
The Woman Who Refused to Give up on Her Dream
Profiles, Sports

The Woman Who Refused to Give up on Her Dream

By Victoria Sananikone, Copy-Editor Swimming is a sport that produces athletes of true grit that is so raw and uncultivated, it's as if they carried this quality straight out of the womb. These athletes are unlike any other; they can persevere through any hardship the world throws at them due to the suffering they endure within their sport. The McKendree University Swimming and Diving program’s new assistant coach, Amanda Siehs, is the optimal example for this phenomenon. Siehs was not always a swimmer. At the age of nine, she began synchronized swimming, a sport that's only related to actual swimming in that they both take place in the water. “One day a friend asked me if I wanted to do a swim clinic with her and it just escalated from there,” Siehs said. “I wanted to get stronger in sy...
Remembering Dr. Betsy Gordon
Local News, Profiles

Remembering Dr. Betsy Gordon

  In lieu of our previously scheduled article, the editors of the McKendree Review would like to offer up this space to remember our beloved Dr. Betsy Gordon. An avid supporter of Bearcat athletics and the arts, Dr. Gordon taught speech communication at McKendree University for twenty-seven years, enriching the lives of countless students with her positive outlook and unforgettable southern charm. While there truly are no words to express how much she will be missed, we hope those of us who knew her can come together and love and support eachother a little more in her memory.  Feel free to share your favorite memory of this amazing woman in the comments. There will be a memorial service for Dr. Gordon today at noon in Bothwell Chapel for all who are able to attend. Rest in peace,...
Kevin Kao: “This should probably be turned into a brown bag”
Profiles

Kevin Kao: “This should probably be turned into a brown bag”

By Gabrielle Madewell, Contributing Writer Kevin Kao, assistant professor of art, is a very personable and energetic person, who really helps bring Benson Wood to life.  “Hi," he says, leaning into the recorder. "I’m Kevin Kao. I like long walks on the beach, fried chicken, and the Target clearance section… but only on Wednesdays.”   Senior art major Darla Allen described Kao as “a good teacher. He’s tough; he doesn’t bullshit.” Allen continued: “I’ve stared at some of my work and thought of everything that Kevin could possibly say about it, to make sure I was prepared.” Kao responded to this by applauding and saying, “Oh, I feel so good. You can’t see this, but I pat myself on the back.” As an instructor, Kao says he enjoys having students create projects that have something ...
Embroidery: A Reclaimed Medium for Female Artists
Profiles

Embroidery: A Reclaimed Medium for Female Artists

By Gabrielle Madewell - Contributing Writer Editor's note:  What do you picture when someone tells you their go-to art medium is embroidery?  Perhaps a character from a Jane Austen novel, stitching some sort of elegant handkerchief?  Or a silver-haired grandmother, carefully cross-stitching alphabet samplers?  Read on to learn about five contemporary female artists who are taking a stand for embroidery and cross-stitch as an art-form and creating something remarkable, empowering and often hilarious.   Photos courtesy of Hannah Hill (@hanecdote) Hannah Hill Hannah Hill, a 22 year old, London-based art student uses her art to bring awareness to subjects such as body-positivity, mental-health awareness and feminism. She uses the unique medium of embroidery to bring to light issues she sees...
McKendree Graduate Series- Meghan Dohogne
Profiles

McKendree Graduate Series- Meghan Dohogne

By Elexis Baltimore, Editor From Graduate to Business Owner Welcome back to the McKendree Graduate Series! With the excitement of graduation all around us, we at the McK Review want to showcase the endless possibilities of graduating from McKendree. As graduation steadily approaches, I think it is safe to say that many of us are nervous about what lies after we walk across the stage. However, as these McK Alumni will tell you, everything will be alright! So grab your stress ball and listen to what McK graduate Meghan Dohogne has to say! As Meghan went through her first year of college, she was unsure exactly what she wanted to do. “I took classes in various disciplines to see what I was most interested in,” Meghan said. “Like most people, I was very interested in many subjects.” From th...
Profiles

McKendree Graduate Series- Krystin Major

By Elexis Baltimore, Editor Welcome back to the McKendree Graduate Series! With graduation less than a week away, we at the McK Review want to showcase the endless possibilities of graduating from McKendree University. As a graduating senior, I am not going to lie, graduation is one of the happiest and scariest moments of my life thus far. Not all of us know what we want to do next, or if we are traveling on the right path, but these McK Alumni have some words of advice and a story to tell. So grab some popcorn and listen to what graduate Krystin Major has to say. Krystin Major knew when she started at McKendree University that she wanted to go into business. Although she began and ended her time at McK as a Business Administration major, she did think about changing majors once or twi...
Advice, Profiles

McKendree Graduate Series- Neil Berkel

By Elexis Baltimore, Editor Welcome back to the McKendree Graduate Series! With graduation slowly creeping its way around the corner, we at the McK Review want to showcase the endless possibilities after graduating from McKendree. Graduation can sometimes become daunting, as some of us are trying to combat the “what happens next” questions and balance job searches and finals. However, as these McK Alumni will tell you, everything will be alright! So buckle in and listen to what our next graduate Neil Berkel has to say! Neil Berkel began his undergraduate career at Lewis and Clark Community College as a chemistry student and tennis player. “I started with chemistry at LC because I enjoy math, but I didn't want to do just math,” he said. Laughing, he continued: “but now there's so much to ...
Campus News, Personality, Profiles

When Maya Angelou Came to McKendree, and What Became of Our Gift to Her

By Greg Kassen, Contributing Writer On Feb. 4, 2003, Dr. Maya Angelou, a St. Louis native, spoke as the keynote speaker at McKendree’s Founder’s Day celebration honoring 175 years of operation. At this time McKendree was not yet a university. Angelou, who is arguably the most influential literary voice to speak at the college, drew in a packed crowd of 2,600 listeners in the Statham Center. Dr. John Greenfield, a retired professor who taught for 33 years at McKendree, attended that day.  He recalls: “It was in the big gym and was totally packed. She was very moving and powerful when she related how she had the strength to persevere in the face of many obstacles --abuse, poverty, racism. It was probably the best attended speaker event since I've been here.” Angelou died a year later in May...