student perspective - The McKendree Review

4May

By The McKendree ReviewNo Comments

Sports

A Cubs Fan in a Cardinals World

By Allison Donofrio, Staff Writer Before November 2, 2016, when the Chicago Cubs broke their 108-year World Series drought, it was difficult to be a Cubs fan in a St. Louis Cardinals world. If I wore anything Cubs related in Carrier Mills, Ill., I would get stares and scuffs. People would ask “why are you a Cubs fan when we are 2 hours from Busch Stadium?” To them, it’s only logical to support the closest team. Therefore, the majority of baseball fans in Southern Illinois root for the Cardinals. However, I was born and raised in Downers Grove, a Chicago suburb. Even in Downers Grove, not everyone was overly supportive of the Chicago Cubs. When the Cubs were champions of the National League Central Division in 2008 after defeating the Cardinals 5-4, Chicago White Sox fans were cruel when I...

6Apr

By The McKendree Review7 Comments

Perspective

The Truth About Studying Abroad

By Magdalena Knapp, Contributing Writer Each year, 3.7 million students study abroad throughout the world. I am one of these 3.7 million students, and my journey began eight months ago at the airport of Milan, Italy. People told me ‘Studying abroad is a great experience. You meet new people, get to know a new culture and learn a new language.’ They were right; it is an amazing and unique experience. However, no one told me about the dark sides of studying abroad – the tears, and the obstacles. When I left my hometown in August of 2016, I knew I would face new situations, but I did not know that the first of these situations would come so quickly. When I arrived at the airport in New York, my connecting flight to St. Louis was cancelled. It was 7 p.m. local time. I tried, with my poor Eng...

2Mar

By The McKendree Review2 Comments

Perspective

Five Myths About McKendree Online

By Allison Donofrio, Contributing Writer Myth: Online education is easier than learning on campus. Online classes and an online degree are not easier than degrees on campus in Lebanon, Radcliff, or Shepherdsville. They take a lot of motivation, organizational skills and self-discipline. Dr. Mathis, Psychology instructor, agreed: “You can’t simply read a chapter and then have an open discussion. You have to thoroughly think through the questions, form an answer, put it in correct tone and grammar, then back it up with references. It’s a lot of work in many ways!” Logging onto Blackboard can be overwhelming for students because they see their classes in a list, many red notifications in the top right corner and each “module” or “week” that lists each assignment, test, or quiz that is due t...

16Nov

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Perspective

How you know you are not American

BY MAGDALENA KNAPP Contributing Writer If you would have asked me five years ago, “Where do you see yourself in the future?” I would have probably said, “Well, maybe working or studying somewhere near my hometown, where I can visit my family and friends very often.” Now, five years later I am here, in the land of boundless opportunities – America. My house in South Tyrol, Italy, is exactly 8,238.57 km from here, which is about 14 hours by plane, not considering the time change. Not only did I end up on a different continent, but I also entered a new culture and way of living. Since I have been here I noticed in many situations the difference between the American culture and the culture of Italy and Europe. For others considering studying in America, I will try to explain, with the help of...

Yes, I was homeschooled. No, college doesn’t scare me.

17Oct

By The McKendree Review2 Comments

Perspective

Yes, I was homeschooled. No, college doesn’t scare me.

BY ANNA BELMONTE Staff Writer I was homeschooled my entire life. And as a former homeschooler that is now in college, I’m familiar with the usual misjudgments about both my academic and social life. Right now you’re thinking I must be quiet, scared of college life, overwhelmed by the homework load and uncomfortable being in contact with so many people. You’re right. I’m quiet. If you’ve ever been baffled by the existence of homeschoolers (and asked yourself “What do they even do? Do they really stay home all day?”), then let me clarify the topic by talking about my experiences as a homeschooler, including the ever-so-daunting transition to college. One big misconception is that college students from a homeschool background try to avoid human interaction. However, we generally don’t try...

Undocumented: a look into the life of an illegal Mexican immigrant living in the U.S.

31Mar

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Perspective

Undocumented: a look into the life of an illegal Mexican immigrant living in the U.S.

BY CORY McCORMICK Staff Writer Your sixteenth birthday is supposed to be a monumental milestone in your life: finally, you get to be in the driver’s seat of the car without your mom screaming at you from the passenger’s seat. However, what if, instead of waking up to your very own car in the driveway, you woke up to your parents telling you that you weren’t a citizen of the United States? Honestly, this probably happens way more than you would think, as there are an estimated 11.3 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States as of 2014, which accounts for 3.5 percent of the total population, and of that number, about half of them are Mexicans (49 percent). These immigrants also make up about 5.1 percent of the labor force in the United States. (more…)

31Mar

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Perspective

Seeking validation: the world of likes

BY NICOLE FUNG CALLEJA Staff Writer It’s not a secret how heavily connected most college students feel to various social media platforms. This includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. Some people use social media on a constant basis, but the question is, is this kind of social media use beneficial? (more…)

Why studying abroad is like getting new eyes

31Mar

By The McKendree ReviewNo Comments

Perspective

Why studying abroad is like getting new eyes

BY NICOLE FUNG CALLEJA Staff Writer Studying abroad is an experience that cannot be compared to anything else. The experience of being immersed in another culture and being surrounded by different people and customs other than the ones you are used to are sure to create change in your perspective. I had the chance to chat with international and local students about their experiences while studying abroad in the hopes of motivating those who are deciding whether or not to take the plunge. (more…)

31Mar

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Perspective

Lost in transportation

BY LAUREN REEVES Staff Writer Flights out from the cornfields to the Bay. Guzzling gas tanks. Endless popping potato chip bags bursting all over the backseat. Cramming bodies into small SUVs. Frantic hotel concierges. All of these are parts of the traveling process you as students could experience when you go on a conference trip in college. McKendree University likes to make sure students are engaged in the classroom and outside. They even like to help sponsor trips to conferences to let students gain leadership skills and learn interesting things McKendree can offer. Some time or another, every student should experience what it is like to travel on behalf of McKendree, whether it’s for academics, sports or clubs. (more…)

2Mar

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Perspective

Bearcat thoughts: MAP grant

BY TEAGAN SCHWAB Staff Writer For many of the Bearcats who reside in Illinois, receiving the MAP grant is a make or break deal for attending McKendree. Over the last few weeks, students rallied to try to get Governor Rauner to sign the bill to continue funding for the MAP grant. (more…)