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By Haley Rey, Head Copyeditor Photos by Haley Rey and Kelsey Cameron Growing up, we all had our dreams. Some people hoped to become movie stars, astronauts, doctors—even superheroes. Plenty of us give up on dreams we deem unrealistic and decide to focus on something else we love. Once in a while, however, you find a gambler doing everything they can to make it big in what they enjoy the most. McKendree’s own Matt DeTore is one of those dice-rollers, and his story has only just begun.  Matt first felt the magic of music in the fifth grade. “The first instrument I ever played was the bass clarinet,” DeTore said. “Then I learned trumpet, percussion, flugelhorn, harmonica, electric and acoustic guitar, piano, and ukulele.”  All of these were self-taught, with a little help...

By Kevin Memminger, contributing writer Photos by Kevin Memminger Collegiate football seasons have been cancelled or postponed throughout many states across the country. Some seasons were pushed through for modified fall play, some have upcoming spring seasons, and others don’t have a season whatsoever. These decisions have caused disarray for hundreds of players, leaving some left in the air with possibilities of never playing the game again. During a time in which the mental health of the nation is shaky, these players are left with a piece of their identities gone. College football players are typically some of the most recognizable people on their campuses. At times, they can literally be the face of the school–getting notoriety because of their athletic ability–which is a ma...

By Gaëtan Soulier, contributing writer Photos by Deccan Chronicle and Gaëtan Soulier In recent years, there has been a spike in forest fires. While the world and the news have focused on California and the Australian bushfires, massive forest fires have been prevalent and destructive in other areas around the globe. On Aug. 3, 2020, one of the biggest fires in the history of southern France started. With almost 2600 acres of land burned, 9000 people relocated for their own safety and a potential danger from the fire reaching nearby biochemical factories. While this fire is now under control, I interviewed both a local and a firefighter to give us insight into the event. Fires are raging throughout southern France Claude Soulier is a southern France citizen who has lived throug...

By Brent Reeves, Director of Diversity and Inclusion and International Student Services at McKendree University Photos from Unsplash I’d like to start this article/editorial by saying that I have never written an article for the McKendree Review in the entire 23 years of my tenure here. I typically feel that students should be the primary providers of content for this media communications tool on this campus and beyond. However, I feel compelled to write and submit this article for publication in the Review to share my thoughts on a recent incident that was brought to my attention that disturbed one of our first year students. This event was also brought to the attention of the Social Justice and Equity Committee (SJEC) that I subsequently sit on as well.  As a committee, we discuss...

By IS, contributing writer Photo from CNN As a competing member of the Parliamentary and Lincoln-Douglas Debate Teams here on campus, an ardent arguer, and one of political controversy’s most concupiscent addicts, I would like to apologize for the acts that just disgraced the U.S. Federal Government’s stage. The 2020 Presidential Debates (thus far) have hardly earned their title. A debate is intended to inform the national voter audience of a prospective president’s intentions while in office on certain critical and current events. The ideology is to capture a raw reaction and response, no matter what a person is capable of preparing for; the debate stage is a battle-zone. Your opponent’s responses and opportunities for accusatory cross-examination make the debate an unrehearsed per...

By Claire Jennings, Assistant Editor Photos from Google and Unsplash I’ve always been fascinated with both true crime and the mindset and background of the incarcerated criminals. At the height of my quarantine boredom, I decided to reach out to prisoners around the country to act as a pen-pal and keep them company during the strict lockdowns they’ve faced due to COVID-19. I met John Doe** through the service www.writeaprisoner.com, which gives inmate mailing addresses for the general public to contact them.  writeraprisoner.com is a website where you can become pen-pals with incarcerated individuals John and I began with small talk--his favorite activities outside of prison, general prison life, how he was doing with the lockdown. Humanizing inmates is an overlooked pa...

By Julianne Thornton, contributing writer Feature photo by McKendree, photos by Julianne Thornton As we all know, many universities cannot hold in-person classes or are holding hybrid courses. As a student who attended a community college and is now attending a private university, I set out to explore the opinions of a few of my former and current professors to understand if the two different schools are experiencing similar feelings about COVID-19 and the precautions that are in place to stop the spread.  I paid a visit to Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) to cover a few details related to my degree. And WOW. Yes, social distancing is taking place. Yes, the teachers are doing everything in their power to combat this virus. Yes, some courses are being held differently tha...

By Isabella Strimling, contributing writer Photo by getarchd.com “Sex, like race, is a visible, immutable characteristic bearing no necessary relationship to ability. Sex, like race, has been made the basis for unjustified or at least unproved assumptions, concerning an individual’s potential to perform or to contribute to society… These distinctions have a common effect: They help keep woman in her place, a place inferior to that occupied by men in our society.”Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on her first-ever Supreme ruling  From a young age, I was taught the importance of female imperium and to never let the weight of sexual discrimination stop me from pursuing my goals. However, it wasn’t until my junior year of high school when I was finally educated enough to be justif...

By Claire Jennings, Assistant Editor Photos from Google My fall semester of my senior year at McKendree was meant to be spent preparing for and taking the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), but COVID-19 had derailed that plan as well as all the others I had made for my final year. At the beginning of the semester, I wasn’t sure how to proceed. Should I take the exam anyway? Would my program still require it? How could I take the test safely? The stress of applying to graduate school became heightened by my confusion and concern. After carefully scrutinizing application requirements for over 50 programs in my field, I realized every one I had come across amended their applications not to include GRE scores. While some of the more prestigious universities invited applicants to submit...

By Victoria Sananikone, Editor in Chief Photos from Netflix “When you have that connection with an animal and have those experiences, it’s absolutely mind-blowing. There’s no greater feeling on earth."- craig foster, My Octopus Teacher The connection between humans and animals is extraordinary. Sometimes we bring them into our homes where they become our best friends, companions for life, or beings of support through our dark times. In other circumstances, we simply observe them in their natural habitat. The ways in which animals interact with one another, how they defend themselves, how they hunt for their food, their mating rituals, and how they care for their offspring—these are so easily overlooked. As we watch these animals, we are exposed to the true beauty of what it m...