Perspective - The McKendree Review

15Sep

By Madison RohnNo Comments

Bearcat at Barbenheimer

By: Madison Rohn, Editor Cover Image received from syfy.com This summer, I participated in the historical event that will go on to define 2023: Barbenheimer! Following the trends, I went with my friends and siblings to see Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer back-to-back on the same day. Both movies were different from my go-to genres of science fiction and fantasy (The Lord of the Rings movies are my favorite), so I was excited to try something new. We started at ten in the morning and went on the day after the movies premiered, so the theater was crowded and the busiest I had seen since COVID-19. I loved seeing all the people who were dressed up, especially all the pink or sparkly Barbie-inspired outfits. Since we were going to be at the theater for fi...

12Jun

By The McKendree Review3 Comments

Opinion, Perspective

Inside A Peaceful Protest

By Haley Rey, contributing writer Photos by Haley Rey Susan Sontag once said: “A writer, I think, is someone who pays attention to the world.” Lately, I’ve been trying to pay more attention than usual, so as to learn about the movement taking place and to try to be a part of it. After what I’ve learned so far, it seems the best thing I can currently do is inform whomever possible about what is happening and why, and amplify the voices I learn from within the POC community. That is what I wish to do in writing this article. Last Thursday, a peaceful protest was held in my hometown, Columbia, IL. It included many students and alumni of Columbia’s school district, friends, parents, local business owners, citizens of neighboring towns, etc. The group marched from Bolm Schuhkraft ...

11Jun

By The McKendree Review1 Comment

News, Opinion, Perspective

Thoughts from Nickie and Anthony

By Nicolette Sanlin and Anthony Francis Photos by Nicolette and Anthony As I sit at home looking for the “right” way to begin, I’ve come to the realization that there is no “right” way. It feels right to be uncomfortable regarding my past, present, and future conversations. It feels right to lean into my discomfort when educating myself and the young lives I impact. It feels right to use the medium of sport to be the stimulus for social change. Sadness and hurt have been reoccurring emotions knowing that, as a country, we have not done enough to create REAL change, to take a stand against systematic racism. Without a meaningful plan of action from our communities, arbitrary blanket statements serve as an empty attempt to pacify the masses. There have been times I have...

10Jun

By The McKendree Review1 Comment

News, Perspective

No Justice, No Peace

By Abigail Rumpp, contributing writer Photos by Abigail Rump “I’m really nervous.” My best friend Sam’s words rattled around in my brain as we walked through downtown Knoxville, making our way to the gathering protest in Market Square. The city was quiet – a few people ambled around the streets, but there were hardly any cars, noises, or sounds besides some gusts of wind. To be completely honest, I was pretty nervous too. Headlines from the past week kept buzzing in my mind, recounting violence, anger, and police brutality in neighboring states and cities. Tennessee has never had the best track record with progressive ideas, and being a red conservative state in the south doesn’t help either. Even so, I wanted to be part of the national change that was occurring. I have a voice, ...

The Politics of Beginning College With a Significant Other

1Apr

By The McKendree ReviewNo Comments

Advice, Entertainment, Perspective

The Politics of Beginning College With a Significant Other

By Victoria Sananikone, Assistant Editor Featured image by Google.com - Meme content by Victoria Sananikone Loneliness is certainly the bane of human existence, which is why the prospect of beginning college with a boyfriend or a girlfriend seems like the best decision you’ve ever thunk. Well, think again. When asked if one believes they should kick off their freshman year of college with a significant other, my opinion on the matter steers towards a definite and dramatically aggressive “NO.” This conclusion was confirmed by personal experience, one that shaped my character and taught me lessons that I wish I had known beforehand. All of our lives are different so I can’t speak for everyone, but I will agree that there are a plethora of pros and cons to beginning college with a love inter...

9Nov

By The McKendree Review1 Comment

Campus News, Local News, News, Perspective

Reflections: McKendree survivors

By Nathan Ploense, Contributing Writer A year at McKendree cannot go by where Residence Life holds its famed Sex in the Dark program. While usually aimed at freshman, it offers the opportunity for students to ask sex and gender questions, in a judgment free area, and receive general answers back. Though proven to be a popular program on campus, many students feel that it has started to run its course and become stale. Not even the offer of free food is necessarily enough to get people out of their room or break from their busy schedules to participate. However, a new program was put in the works when Resident Assistant Elizabeth Graham wanted to re-create the old program into something that explored heavier, less talked about topics. The beginning of the event – Michael Calhoun When...

31Oct

By The McKendree Review8 Comments

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 ...

Being a Student Parent: The Juggling Act

9Mar

By The McKendree Review6 Comments

Advice, Campus News, Entertainment, Perspective

Being a Student Parent: The Juggling Act

By: Sophie Jeffery, Editor Original art by Benjamin Richter On my drive to McKendree, I'm distracted by both Karen and Georgia from My Favorite Murder talking about Ruth Thalia* and the to-do list that is constantly running through my head, so when the van in front of me comes to a dead stop at the railroad tracks just inside Lebanon, I have to stop short to avoid hitting it. Something tumbles forward from between my kids’ captain's chairs in the middle of the van. “Please don’t be a lunchbox, please don’t be a lunchbox,” I whisper to myself. At the stop sign, I take a quick peek and there it is: my son Beckett’s blue lunchbox settled upside-down behind the center console. Crap. I flip around in the McDonald’s parking lot and head all the way back to Mascoutah, mentally attempti...

31Jan

By The McKendree Review3 Comments

Campus News, Perspective

The State of Ames

By Victoria Sananikone, Contributing Writer Ames Dining Hall is one of McKendree University’s central hubs where students can go to mingle with their friends during a break from class while indulging in the solace of food. Not merely a haven for the starved student, it also serves as a relaxation zone away from the stressful dimension known as the classroom. A dimension where some professors become wary at the sight of you pulling out a Nature Valley bar to assuage your hunger. Food is imperative for a college student to thrive within their university. It aids in fueling their brains to apply their knowledge and provides energy to walk to and from classes. This being the case, most students purchase a meal plan throughout their undergrad years that will allow them to fulfill their needs o...

22Jan

By The McKendree Review1 Comment

Perspective

Squirrel, Who Do You Know Here?

By Brad Wyss Pictures: Chicagotonight.com, Dailymail.com, StephenKing.com Whether you’re parking in Dr. Dennis’ front yard or five football fields away on the back side of MPCC; while trekking across campus there is often a chatter that is nearly impossible to ignore. The perpetrator may be watching you from afar, above, or around the trunk of a tree. They are always there. The gray squirrel and the fox squirrel are some of the most cunning and active beings on campus day in and day out, and they often leave their impact in unwelcomed ways. There are distinct differences between the gray squirrels and the fox squirrels in spite of their shared domiciles. The fox squirrel (pictured below on the right) weighs on average two pounds and can reach up to 40 inches long. The gray squirrel (...