The Sleepy Weasel

Volume 13        Spring 2009

Table of Contents

Is Steroid Testing Necessary?                            Michael Reese                              1

A Foe in Friend’s Clothing                                  Nikkie Prosperini                            7

Reflections on Springfield’s 1908 Race Riot                                                            10

Alisha Cox     

Kaitlyn Keen

Rachel Stewart

Jane Whalen

          John McCarthy

Jim Augenstein

          Khyran Boyd

Becky Fahey

          Megan Hinds

Jennifer Cosby

          Robin Cragoe                                                                                       

A Soldier’s Mother                                           Brenda Stretch                            14

Minding the Store at New Salem                         Peter Ellertsen                             16

Love and Not War                                           Rachel Stewart                            18

Chaos to Calm                                                            Ryan Pearce                                18

The Fight Against That Good Night                     Megan Rakers                              20

Journey into History                                        Becky VanDyke                            21

Joining the Elite                                              Paul Foley                                   25

Final Freedom at Owl Creek Bridge                      Terri Pope                                   27

Hawks Reveal the Character of Riverton              Caleb Young                                30

The Game Winner                                            Travis VanderMeersch                   31

The Dead Past and Future                                Casey Pence                               32

Two Haiku                                                      Robin Cragoe                               34

Jack-O-Lanterns a Glowing Success                    Claire Keldermans                         35

In The Arms of Mother Teresa                           Jill Watkins                                  38

Two Haiku                                                      Alisha Cox                                   41

Links, and Thoughts on Freelance Writing            Lauren Burke                               41

Mission. The Sleepy Weasel is a campus magazine of the arts and public affairs published by students and faculty of Springfield College and Benedictine University, on the World Wide Web at <www.sci.edu> and in a hard-copy format at the College's campus in Springfield. The Weasel seeks to highlight written and artistic work by SC/BU students, both in and out of class, and to help promote a sense of community on campus by providing a voice for the creative work of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and others in the Springfield-Benedictine community.

Submissions. Manuscripts, computer files and/or copies of artwork may be left with production editor and co-faculty adviser Pete Ellertsen, 211 Beata Hall on campus, or sent to The Sleepy Weasel, c/o Benedictine University, 1500 N. 5th St., Springfield, Illinois 62702. Electronic submissions are preferred; please check with the production editor ahead of time in order to ensure compatibility.

Copyright © Benedictine University at Springfield 2008-2009

Faculty advisers: Judi O’Brien Anderson and Pete Ellertsen

Editorial assistant: Claire Keldermans

Benedictine University and The Sleepy Weasel disclaim any responsibility for statements of fact or opinion made by contributors. The magazine contains works of imaginative literature, in prose and verse as well as various mixed media; in these literary contributions, names, characters, places and incidents are a product of authorial imagination or are used in a fictional manner. In the case of reportage or creative non-fiction, The Weasel abides by ethical canons and editorial standards of the Society of Professional Journalists, but responsibility remains with the writers. Copyright reverts to contributors upon publication.

Weasel words: Hickory dickory … mission in action

Pete Ellertsen

While we were crashing this year’s edition of The Sleepy Weasel the other day, editorial assistant Claire Keldermans asked me what I was going to say in the editor’s column. I told her I’m an old newspaper guy so I wouldn’t decide till the very last minute.

“Hickory dickory dock,” she said.

Run that by me again, I asked. Real slow.

“Hickory dickory, Doc,” she replied.

My students call me “Doc,” and Claire said she thought the pun was cute.

Oh, I said.

That’s my usual response to puns. Oh. Anything more would be too effusive, would run the risk of encouraging still more puns. But a good pun, especially on deadline during final edit when we’re all a little giddy anyway, ought not to go unacknowledged.

Hence the headline.

That wasn’t the only pun. This year’s Weasel is Volume 13 of a magazine that grew out of a small group project in a freshman English composition class I taught in 1995. For their project, they put on a “Beat generation” style coffeehouse complete with red-checkered tablecloth, candle stub jammed into an empty chianti bottle and, of course, poetry. The project morphed into a poetry club, and the club quickly reinvented itself as a student publication. Over time it developed into a campus magazine showcasing the creative work of students, faculty, staff and friends of Springfield College in Illinois and now Benedictine University at Springfield.

This year has been one of transition on campus, and we’ve given some thought to what we’ve been doing with the Weasel and what we hope to do in future. Out of this process, we crafted a mission statement: 

The Sleepy Weasel is a campus magazine of the arts and public affairs published by students and faculty of Springfield College and Benedictine University, on the World Wide Web at <www.sci.edu> and in hard-copy format at the College's campus in Springfield. The Weasel seeks to highlight written and artistic work by our students, both in and out of class, and to help promote a sense of community on campus by providing a voice for the creative work of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and others in the Springfield-Benedictine community.

So I decided if we’re putting our mission into action, we can call it mission in action.

Oh. I could almost read Claire’s mind. Oh. Let’s not encourage him.

OK, OK, it wasn’t that funny. Like I said, life gets a little giddy during final edit. But the Sleepy Weasel’s mission is real, and we take it seriously.  

An important part of our mission is involving students in the editing, design and production of the magazine. This year’s cover is Claire’s. A senior in mass communications, she shot the photo, worked her magic on it in a photo-editing program and designed the cover. And she caught right on to copyfitting, which I’ve heard aptly compared to cramming three pounds of text into a two-pound bag (except “text” wasn’t the word that was actually used). I especially wanted to involve her in editing creative writing for style. Judi Anderson, my colleague in the Arts and Letters Division and co-adviser to The Sleepy Weasel, is a gifted editor in the tradition of the 20^th-century book doctors who brought out the best in authors as different as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe, Hemingway and Ring Lardner. So I started Claire out by studying Judi’s edited manuscripts, then turned her loose on some raw copy of her own.

You won’t notice the editors’ handiwork. By definition, good editing is invisible. It’s nothing more – or less – than the art of making others look good without leaving any tracks of your own. By semester’s end, Claire said she was mentally adding or deleting commas, correcting grammatical errors, playing with word order, tightening up copy and generally tinkering with the written word every time she saw a written word.   

“I’m beginning to see edits everywhere,” she said. “It’s driving me crazy.”

Featured prominently in this year’s Weasel are three stories by winners of the annual Outstanding Composition Student award for the 2007-2008 school year. The competition is judged by members of the Arts and Letters Division, and its purpose is to promote writing across the curriculum. This year’s winners are Michael Reese, sophomore in business administration who wrote on steroid abuse; Brenda Stretch, a Gen Ed student who wrote on her daughter’s deployment to Iraq; and Nikkie Prosperini, senior in mass communications who wrote about Shakespeare’s Henry IV.  

Writing across the curriculum is becoming a reality here, and Arts and Letters Division Chair Amy Lakin said choosing the award winners was difficult.

“We in the Division of Arts and Letters are always astounded at the quality of the submissions we receive each year for the competition,” Amy said. “This year, we
had an especially difficult time choosing our winners.  The judges agreed that the submissions were all well above par, and we grappled with the enormity of the challenge of deciding which essay was ‘better’ than the others.”

As de facto production editor (which is what I actually do as faculty adviser), I feel the same way about the stories in the Sleepy Weasel. Let’s just say they’re all “better” than the others! It goes without saying thanks are due to Judi and Claire for all the subtle, diligent, invisible work they put into getting the magazine out on the street. Also to all of the faculty who made announcements in their classes and cajoled their students into submitting work, to Student Affairs Dean Kevin Broeckling for funding and support over the years, to the people in the Resource Center, Becker Library and Dawson Hall who put up fliers and to everyone in the Benedictine University community at Springfield for taking an interest in the Weasel and supporting our efforts. I’m not naming anyone, because if I tried I’d leave people out. But you know who you are, and we appreciate it.

Is Steroid Testing Necessary for High School Athletes?

Michael Reese

Ever since the beginning of sports, athletes have gone to great lengths to gain an advantage over their opponents both legally and illegally. Whether it is gaining a psychological edge or a physical edge, history has proven that some athletes’ competitiveness has driven them to cheat. In recent decades, many athletes have turned to science and nutrition to aid in their physical development. A new era of sports has developed in which self-proclaimed performance enhancing supplements are the primary choice of athletes. However, the use of these performance enhancing supplements, especially steroids, has become a major issue following the release of the Mitchell Report, an investigation performed by former senator George Mitchell and Major League Baseball to determine the prevalence of illegal drug use in baseball. As a result of the Mitchell Report’s alarming discoveries, a new question has surfaced. If professional athletes were caught secretly using performance enhancing drugs, did that mean high school athletes were doing the same? That is the question school officials, coaches, parents, and athletes have been discussing all across the nation. Major League Baseball’s steroid probe has created a debate on whether or not to follow in the footsteps of professional sports and implement a random drug testing program for high school athletes. Individuals disagree on what actions should be taken, if any, in order to ensure the safety and overall wellbeing of the nation’s youth. Some individuals have taken opposite sides in regards to the financial limitations a steroid prevention program poses. Furthermore, the ethical and legal issues created by the steroid controversy have divided those involved as well.

Besides the recent release of the Mitchell Report, other exigencies have caused a stir among those involved with high school athletics. Horror stories of high school athletes destroying and even ending their lives because of the effects of steroids have become more frequent in recent years. However, some individuals argue that thousands of adolescents have destroyed and ended their lives in the past, even when steroids were not involved. As a result, they are reluctant to blame these suicides on steroids alone.

While discussing the steroid issue, health, psychological, financial, legal, and other related fields of study will be included in order to examine the importance of creating some type of steroid prevention program, preferably a drug testing program. This paper will determine if steroid testing is necessary for high school athletes by researching the effects of steroids, the prevalence of steroid use among prep athletes, and all other aspects and conflicts previously mentioned.

In order to develop a personal perspective on the steroid issue and whether or not prevention programs should be implemented, one must fully understand all aspects involved, as well as the various exigencies and constraints that can influence those involved in the decision-making process. After identifying and acknowledging these differences and influences, one can make an informed decision on whether or not the issue at hand is that important. It is imperative that one does not let his or her emotions get in the way when deciding on an issue that can be very personal and close to home. Furthermore, it is important that all relevant information is considered, not just a few cases. Also, one must take into consideration the fact that research may change dramatically since the steroid issue is relatively new. When making the final decision on drug testing for high school athletes, one may have to give up certain rights previously protected by the Constitution. However, if it means ensuring the safety of thousands of adolescents, so be it.  

A Review of the Literature

The idea of drug testing high school athletes for performance enhancing drugs, primarily steroids, has been a major topic of debate in recent years. Scholars have focused their studies in health, psychology, financial, legal, and other related fields. With a thorough understanding of the causes, effects, and various prevention strategies associated with adolescent steroid abuse, these scholars hope to find an accurate and efficient means of drug testing that will deter steroid abuse among the nation’s youth.

Scholars have discovered what influences adolescents to turn to steroids. MacAuley (1996) has explained the steroid issue and has described the reasons athletes turn to steroids, emphasizing their need to be bigger, faster, and stronger. MacAuley has also divided steroid abusers into two groups: athletes who knowingly use steroids in order to gain an edge on the competition and athletes who inadvertently test positive for a performance enhancing substance but had no intention of using performance enhancing drugs. Wright, Grogan, and Hunter (2001) have revealed why individuals turn to steroids for muscle building and have discussed how these individuals can prevent major harm to their bodies. Furthermore, Pallesen, Josendal, Johnsen, Larsen, and Molde (2006) have explored the influences that lead high school students to use steroids by concentrating on what variables are common among steroid abusers.

Other scholars have studied the side effects linked with steroid abuse. Parssinen and Seppala (2002) have described the lethal effects steroid abuse can have on one’s health through their studies of former steroid-abusing athletes. Others have discussed the adverse psychological effects that steroids have on the mental health of an individual through their studies of changes in behavior among steroid abusers (Trenton and Currier 2005; Middleman, Faulkner, Woods, Emans, and DuRant 1995).

Another group of scholars focused their studies on how to prevent and end steroid abuse within the nation’s high schools. Rose (1997) has reported the American Academy of Pediatrics’s plan to get physicians more involved in steroid prevention by educating them on the benefits, risks, and recognizable side effects of steroids. As a result, the American Academy of Pediatrics believes it can deter further steroid abuse by having physicians relay and discuss this information with their patients. Svare (2006) has discussed an alternative plan in which the athletic directors and coaches are the ones responsible for educating, testing, and counseling any athlete that is abusing steroids.

Even though there are numerous scholars who support random drug testing for prep athletes, others have reported major problems involved in steroid testing programs. Bahrke and Yesalis (2002) have discussed the idea that there is difficulty detecting steroids and other performance enhancing drugs because their creators always seem to be one step ahead of the tests. Holcomb (2007) has reported that many schools cannot administer drug testing programs due to financial constraints and the high cost of these tests. Also, others have discussed the legality and ethics of random drug testing for high school athletes, as a possible infringement on the Fourth Amendment (Proctor 2006; Louria 2004).

Even though these studies and reports are not even close to being finalized, they are still useful, as they have established a basis for further study on steroid abuse among adolescents and random drug testing.

Should School Districts Drug Test Their Athletes?

Taylor Hooton lived a life that many teenagers only dreamed of having. He had a good family, good grades, and good looks. But most of all, he was an outstanding pitcher on his junior varsity baseball team. However, Taylor wanted more. He wanted one of the spots in the varsity pitching rotation. One day, Taylor asked one of his coaches what would help his chances of cracking the starting rotation. The coach told Taylor that he needed to bulk up if he wanted to be successful at the varsity level. A few days later, Taylor decided to take the route that some of the major leaguers had taken, steroids.

After a few cycles of steroids, Taylor added nearly thirty pounds of muscle. He loved his new physique, but others around him had different opinions. Steroids transformed Taylor into a completely different person. He was no longer the “big man” on campus. Now, he was more of a school bully. He frequently lost his temper and got into fights. He was constantly paranoid and jealous, too. He even began stealing. On a family vacation to England, Taylor stole a laptop computer and digital camera from the other hotel guests. As a punishment, Taylor’s mother grounded him for his actions. Taylor begged her not to ground him, but she would not revoke his punishment. The next morning, Taylor was not in his bed. His parents looked around his room and noticed his closet door was propped open. When they turned on the light, they saw a horrific sight. Taylor’s body was dangling from a bar. He had hanged himself overnight (“An Athlete’s Dangerous Experiment,” 2004).

Since the beginning of sports, athletes have searched for any means to get a step ahead of the competition. Athletes are constantly trying new training techniques and supplements to improve their skills. In the 1930s, a new supplement was introduced, steroids. According to Price (2006), “The secret to the appeal of steroids can be found in their full scientific name: anabolic-androgenic steroids. Anabolic means muscle building. Androgenic means enhancing masculinity. Steroids are a human-made version of testosterone, the male sex hormone” (p. 11). Steroids give the body an unnatural boost of testosterone, which can help build muscle faster and decrease muscle recovery time. As a result, steroids have attracted many athletes who want to take their game to the next level. Unfortunately, steroids sound much better than they really are. Take Taylor Hooton’s story as an example. Taylor risked everything in his life when he decided to take steroids. Would his decision have been the same if he knew the dangerous side effects or if his school had a drug testing program? The answer would most likely have been no. Had Taylor’s high school had a random drug testing program that included a specific test for steroids, he may still be alive. Random drug testing is a measure high schools across the nation must take in order to preserve the integrity of high school athletics, deter steroid abuse, and most importantly, protect our nation’s adolescents from the dangers and complications that accompany steroid use.

To many, a mandatory steroid testing program seems to be the best solution for handling the nation’s current steroid situation among high school athletes. However, like any controversial issue, there are those who disagree with the idea of instituting a steroid testing program for high school athletes. Whether it is because of beliefs about possible complications involved with testing, financial difficulties, or ethical and legal issues, only a small percentage of school districts test their athletes for illegal substances such as steroids. Also, only four states – New Jersey, Florida, Texas, and Illinois – have created a drug testing program (Temkin, 2008, para. 12). Temkin reported that one reason so few states require drug testing for high school athletes is that many are waiting to see the results of these four states (summarized from Uryasz’s comments on steroid testing, in Temkin, 2008, para. 25). Furthermore, many school districts are unsure about who and when to test, the penalties for positive tests, and other related questions.

Besides being unsure about when and how to implement an effective steroid testing program, those against the implementation of a steroid testing program fear that it is far too difficult to maintain accurate and reliable tests. One problem that has surfaced with the reliability of testing is the discovery of undetectable drugs. For example, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency recently discovered steroids in elite athletes that would not appear on drug tests (Knight, 2003, p. 752). As a result, their findings have created quite the commotion in the steroid testing debate. In a recent article in Nature, Knight (2003) reported that “underground chemists may be concocting performance-enhancing drugs faster than drug testers can devise ways to spot them” (p. 752). If this is the case, those in charge of the steroid testing could have difficulty keeping up.

Another problem that has been discussed about the steroid testing issue is the funding required to implement such a program. Lawlor (2006) reported that the average cost of a single drug and steroid test is between $150 and $200, totaling between $75,000 and $100,000 for 500 athletes. In New Jersey, the state and high school association are willing to contribute $50,000, which means the rest of the money will have to come from the tax payers’ pockets (Info Box section). Some school districts are already having trouble funding existing programs, so adding another program is next to impossible. Also, with such high costs, many school districts question the effectiveness of a steroid testing program. Without proper funding, school districts are reluctant to even attempt drug testing programs (Gregorian, 2008, Cost of Testing section).

Ethical issues have also been discussed in regards to drug testing high school athletes. First, The Monitor’s View (2005) criticized New Jersey Governor Richard Codey’s ordering of a statewide drug testing program:

By making random testing compulsory, New Jersey undermines the responsibilities of parents to bring up their kids and teach them right from wrong. It detracts from young people reasoning their way to a moral conclusion about steroid use – a thought process vital to growing up – by emphasizing an up-or-down test. And it takes a personal decision about one’s own body and a physical exam out of a family setting and hands it to the state (Monitor’s View, 2005, “Abstract” section).

Second, by only testing athletes, and more specifically athletes on postseason teams, opponents to drug testing believe this is completely unjust. They argued that athletes are not the only ones using steroids, and it is unfair to single them out (Krause, 2006, “Questionable Merits” section). Also, if teams in postseason play are the only ones tested, is that not sending the message that in order to be good, one must use steroids?

But the most common concern is that drug testing high school athletes is believed to be illegal. Some believe that implementing a drug testing program is an infringement on the right granted to us by the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution. Adil E. Shamoo and Jonathan D. Moreno argued that implementing a “mandatory drug-testing policy for student athletes is unethical for a variety of reasons: coercion, defects in informed consent, loss of confidentiality, and inequitable selection of subjects” (Evaluated by Louria, 2004, p. 35).

Overall, those who are against incorporating drug testing programs as a means of steroid prevention offer respectable arguments and evidences. However, the benefits of implementing a drug testing program, if properly handled, are much greater and provide solutions for many, if not all, of the doubts.

First of all, the institution of a drug testing program will protect the integrity of high school sports. No longer will entries in the record books be questioned because of suspicions of performance enhancing drug use. Well-planned drug testing programs would help eliminate these suspicions of cheating. A number of high school coaches interviewed by Burns (2008) believe a drug testing program is a necessary measure that should be taken (p. 1). Furthermore, coaches want to even the playing field as much as possible because those who work hard without the help of performance enhancing drugs, like steroids, deserve it.

Another benefit of drug testing programs for high schools is that they have been proven to deter drug abuse among high school athletes (Johnston, O’Malley, Bachman, & Schulenberg, 2006). By implementing a drug testing program, athletes would now have a reason to say ‘no’ (Burns, 2008, p. 1). As a result, this would help reduce the overall drug use in schools since athletes make up a large portion of the student body and they would be less likely to use drugs for fear of being caught and suspended (Johnston, O’Malley, Bachman, & Schulenberg, 2006).

In addition to reducing the amount of steroid use within high schools, drug testing would in turn help prevent the adverse side effects that accompany steroid use. A study conducted by Trenton and Currier (2005) described the psychological effects that are a result of steroid use. According to their study, steroid use can cause drastic behavioral changes. These changes include increased aggressive behavior (also known as ‘roid rage’), depression, psychotic episodes, dependence on steroids, major mood swings, increased irritability, and even false euphoric feelings. Consequently, these adverse psychological changes have caused a number of steroid users to contemplate and even commit suicide (pp. 579-589).

Besides having a great deal of behavioral effects, steroids also have negative physical effects on both males and females. According to a study by Parsinen and Seppala (2002), steroid use can result in a variety of damaging side effects. Common complications in males include baldness, significant prostate changes, development of female characteristics (enlarged breasts), and impotence or sterility. Common complications in females include shrinkage in breasts, enlargement of the clitoris, increased body and facial hair, irregularities in menstrual cycle, premature hair loss, and thickening of the vocal chord, resulting in a deepened voice. Also, other adverse effects associated with steroid use are severe cases of acne on the face, shoulders, and buttocks. Other side effects present in both sexes are brittle connective tissue, caused by the abnormally fast muscle growth that stretches tendons and ligaments, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular incidents, hypertension, liver disease, premature growth-plate closure, resulting in short stature, and increased risks of certain cancers (p. 84). By implementing an effective drug testing program for high schools, steroid use could be deterred, which in effect could prevent many of these side effects.

Implementing a drug testing program for high school athletes is an action that must be taken. School districts and individual state associations must work together and develop a detailed and in-depth drug testing program. These two bodies must realize that new performance enhancing drugs are being developed at an alarming rate and that it may take time to develop a test that can trace all types of steroids. However, even if most steroids can or cannot be traced, that could save hundreds of lives. Also, the recent steroid crisis in professional and amateur sports has led to unpopular, but necessary legislation to insure the integrity and wellbeing of sports. As more and more high school athletes try to gain an edge on the competition with the assistance of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs, the more prevalent the horror stories like Taylor Hooton’s will become. It is the responsibility of those involved with high school athletics to take action against steroid use before it is too late.

References

An Athlete’s Dangerous Experiment (2004). Retrieved April 4, 2008, from the Taylor Hooton Foundation Web site: http:// www.taylorhooton.org/node/107.

Bahrke, M., & Yesalis, C. (2002, January 1). The future of performance-enhancing substances in sport. Physician and Sportsmedicine, 30(11ov), 51. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ675647) Retrieved February 28, 2008, from ERIC database.

Burns, R. (2008, January 15). Local coaches back IHSA on drug testing. State Journal Register. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from Midwestern Newspaper database. (Document ID: 1416910671).

Gregorian, V. (2008, February 10). High schoolers and steroid testing ‘A very, very hot-button subject.’ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, p. B1. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from ProQuest database (1426801441).

 Holcomb, T. (2007, June 12). Debate rages on steroid testing: Make it mandatory? High school officials say tests are warranted, but the high cost scares off most programs. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Main ed.), C1. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from ProQuest database.

Johnston, L. D., O’Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2007, September). Monitoring the future: National survey results on drug use, 1975-2006, 6. Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Knight, J. (2003, October 23). Drugs bust reveals athletes’ secret steroid. Nature, 425(6960), 752.

Krause, T. (2006). Foul ball: Random drug testing. School Administrator, n.p.

Lawlor, C. (2006, June 8). States like testing but worry about cost [Final Edition]. USA Today, p. C3. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from ProQuest database (1051215111).

Louria, D. (2004, Winter). Mandatory drug testing of high school athletes: Unethical evaluation, unethical policy. American Journal of Bioethics, 4(1), 35-36. Retrieved February 12, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

MacAuley, D. (1996, July 27). Drugs in sport. British Medical Journal, 313(7051), (International ed.), 211. Retrieved February 26, 2008, from ProQuest database.

Middleman, A. B., Faulkner, A. H., Woods, E. R., Emans, S. J., & DuRant, R. H. (1995, August). High-risk behaviors among high school students in Massachusetts who use anabolic steroids [Electronic version]. Pediatrics, 96(2), 268-272.

The Monitor’s View (2005, December 28). Quick fix is wrong fix for teen steroids [ALL Edition]. The Christian Science Monitor, 8. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from ProQuest database (948567031).

Pallesen, S., Josendal, O., Johnsen, B.-H., Larsen, S., & Molde, H. (2006). Anabolic steroid use in high school students [Electronic version]. Substance Use & Misuse, 41, 1705-1717.

Parssinen, M., & Seppala, T. (2002). Steroid use and long-term health risks in former athletes [Electronic version]. Sports Med, 32(2), 83-94.

Price, S. (2006, January). ’Roid rage. Scholastic Choices, 21(4), 11.

Proctor, T. (2005). Constitutionality of testing high school male athletes for steroids under Vernonia School District v. Acton and Board of Education v. Earls [Electronic version]. Brigham Young University Law Review, 1335-1367.

Rose, V. L. (1997, October 1). Anabolic steroids and adolescent athletes [Electronic version]. American Family Physician, 1493.

Svare, B. B. (2006, April). What athletic directors can do about the steroid abuse crisis. Coach and Athletic Director, 75(9), 76. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from ProQuest database.

Temkin, B. (2008, January 15). Teen athletes face drug tests: For 1st time, state requires random testing. Chicago Tribune (IL), Retrieved February 11, 2008, from Newspaper Source database.

Trenton, A. J., & Currier, G. W. (2005). Behavioral manifestations of anabolic steroid use [Electronic version]. CNS Drugs, 19(7), 571-595.

Wright, S., Grogan, S., & Hunter, G. (2001). Body-builders’ attitudes towards steroid use. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 8(1). Retrieved February 24, 2008, from EBSCO database.

A Foe in Friend’s Clothing: How Prince Hal Contributed to a Major Character Shift in Sir John Falstaff

Nikkie Prosperini

Author Samuel Patterson once said that “friends are needed for both joy and sorrow.” On the same token, those friends who you need to be there through thick and thin may, in fact, be the ones who cause you sorrow. This is the case in the relationship between Prince Hal and John Falstaff in William Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part I. Within the play, lighthearted and witty Falstaff jokes only at his own expense until he finds out that his supposedly true friend, Prince Hal, has only been using him as part of an elaborate plan to gain more recognition once he is crowned King of England. It is the sorrow Hal inflicts on Falstaff that causes a major character shift and, ultimately, his death in Henry V.

Throughout the beginning of Henry IV Part I, Falstaff is living a life of nothing more than simplistic freedom in which he spends his days partaking in his favorite pastimes: eating and drinking, joking with his friends of East Cheap, and talking his way out of whatever trouble he has gotten himself into. By his side through all of this merriment is Prince Hal. The two often converse with differing, unbalanced humor. Where Prince Hal’s humor is used to attack Falstaff, Falstaff only uses it to defend himself and not show aggression towards anyone else.

Falstaff and Prince Hal’s opposing uses of humor are evident in Act two, scene four, where they decide to put on an extemporaneous play about an upcoming discussion between King Henry and Hal. During the scene, Hal refers to Falstaff as “a tun of man . . . that bolting hutch of beastliness . . . that reverend Vice, that grey Inequity, that father Ruffian” (436-442). In his barrage of insults, Hal also says that his friend resembles the devil and is “that villainous, abominable misleader of youth” (450). For a rebuttal, Falstaff does not throw insults back at Hal who is playing King Henry; instead, he jokes simply of his own appearance of being an old, fat, white-haired drunk. Falstaff states that, in spite of these faults, he is still a decent human being. Hal takes multiple opportunities in this scene to belittle Falstaff by calling him names and condemning his character. Falstaff does not use his humor to get back at Hal, but he uses humor to put his flaws in human, relatable terms so as to defend himself.

However, it is when Falstaff comes to realize that Hal is not the true friend he once thought him to be that a major shift in character takes place. In Act two, scene four, Prince Hal says, "I do; I will" to Falstaff's "banish plump Jack and banish all the world" (466-467). This small bit of dialogue marks the shift in Falstaff's character. Falstaff, who once used humor at no one’s expense but his own, can, hereafter, be found using attack-style humor. This new type of humor is used in an effort to build himself up and, essentially, make others hurt as he himself is hurting at the loss of Hal’s friendship. Two incidents occur between himself and members of the East Cheap gang, including Bardoll and Hostess Quickly. In Act three, scene three of Henry IV Part I, Bardoll tells him that “you are so fat, Sir John, that you must needs be out of all compass, our of all reasonable compass, Sir John” (321-23). In the place of a normal Falstaff-like reply of simple humor that plays on his own faults, Falstaff insults Bardoll directly saying that he should  "amend thy face, and I’ll amend my life . . . I never see thy face but I think upon hell-fire” (24-25 and 31). This is where Falstaff’s jokes and jests begin to demean others, just as Hal had once done to him.

A second time where Falstaff’s humor changes is in the tavern where he now encounters Hostess Quickly who tries to get Falstaff to pay his bill; all Falstaff does is hurl excuses and insults. While making up excuses is by no means out of character, it is the many insults and overall tone of anger he takes with Hostess Quickly that is a significant mark of his shift in character. He first uses a common insult of that time: "Go to, you are a woman, go” (3.3.60). Next, in his anger, he tells Hostess Quickly that “there’s no more faith in thee than in a stewed prune, nor no more truth in thee than a drawn fox” (3.3.112-113). He then goes on to call her “a beast to say otherwise . . . an otter [because] she is neither fish nor flesh; a man knows not where to have her” (3.3.121, 124, and 126-127). The spectators of this conversation are generally surprised at Falstaff’s conduct because Hostess Quickly replies that “thou art an unjust man in saying so” which is followed by Prince Hal saying that "he [Falstaff] slanders thee most grossly” (3.3.128 and 130-131). This is evidence that others are beginning to notice this transformation in Falstaff’s character. As the reader knows Falstaff is upset by Hal’s pretense, the previous lines can be seen as Falstaff projecting his anger towards Hal at Hostess Quickly. She becomes, as does Bardoll, a receptacle for the hurt and pain Falstaff feels because of Hal’s deception.

As his style of humor shifts, Falstaff’s generally caring and free-spirited outlook on life changes as well. This is apparent in Act four, scene two, where Falstaff has been given command of a foot brigade of soldiers. We learn in lines 22-29 that Falstaff’s original band of decent soldiers has bought their way out of service, leaving him with “discarded unjust servingmen, younger sons to younger brothers, revolted tapsters and ostlers trade-fallen – the cankers of a calm world.” Using the common ‘kingdom as a horse’ analogy, ostlers were those who took care of horses, and therefore, the ones who served a kingdom. Falstaff is leading into battle those who have lost or forgotten their job of serving the kingdom, people like himself who live life on their own terms. In discussing the upcoming battle, Hal comments on the condition of Falstaff’s troops as being “such pitiful rascals [who are] exceedingly poor and bare, too beggarly” (71 and 68). Hal is again belittling Falstaff and the life and people he leads. At this point, Falstaff tells Hal that his troops are “good enough to toss; food for powder, food for powder. They’ll find a pit as well as better. Tush, man, mortal men, mortal men” (64-66). In this speech, Falstaff is saying that his men are good enough to die. It seems odd that he would be saying this line too easily as Falstaff once seemed to care about others, especially those of his own kind. This also emphasizes the impact Hal’s deceit has had on Falstaff. Once loveable and jovial, he is now depressive and uncaring.

Falstaff does not even revert back to his old self once Prince Hal is out of the picture, having been crowned King Henry V. Time has not healed his wounds because it is said in Henry V that Falstaff is very sick and dying because “the King hath run bad humors on the knight, that’s the even of it” (2.1.121-122). Pistol goes on to say that Falstaff’s “heart is fracted and corroborate” (2.1.124). Later, he dies, and Falstaff’s death can be attributed to declining health, both physical and mental, caused by excessive grief and depression when Hal turned on him. Essentially, Prince Hal broke Falstaff’s heart.

Because Hal gave up on their friendship, Falstaff is unable to cope. He becomes aggressive towards his other friends and uncaring about what happens to people like him. Falstaff is so hurt by Prince Hal that it causes this major shift in character. Readers are able to trace Falstaff’s progressive decline through his changing humor styles and attitudes, which eventually leads to his demise in Henry V. Falstaff could not find solace in the once joyful friendship he had with Hal; he was too overcome by the immense sorrow that same friend caused.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV Part I. Ed. David Scott Kastan. London:

          The Arden Shakespeare, 2002.

__________. King Henry V. Ed. T.W. Craik. London: The Arden Shakespeare, 1995.

A Soldier’s Mother

Brenda Stretch

As I watched my children grow throughout the years, I never imagined that I would hold the title of a soldier’s mother. Not only a mother of a soldier, but that my daughter, Stephanie, would be the one to bestow that distinction upon me.

My daughter’s ordeal of serving in Iraq tested me as a parent. It was a year-long endeavor, but there were very pivotal moments that will forever reside in my memory. As wearisome as it was, I don’t believe I would have ever known my daughter as I do today. The conversations we shared will be cherished forever. I know that because of her experience, I am much stronger today in my faith, and I can persevere in the face hardship.

March 12, 2003, my husband and I made the journey to Ft. McCoy, Wisconsin, for the weekend. It was family visitation, one last hoorah before the 233^rd Military Police unit deployed to Iraq. We spent a wonderful two days, mastering the art of avoidance. No one would speak of the impending exodus. As the weekend wore on, the faces grew longer, the conversation became less playful, and the moments of silence became longer.

“It is time to go,” my husband reluctantly spoke. Our daughter began to whimper and said, “I’m scared.” Her father hugged her and told her everything would be fine. They had always shared a special bond, one that I envied. My daughter and I were close, but too much alike at times. We argued a great deal and frustrated each other to no end at times.

As we all walked to the car, I began to cry. Crying turned to sobbing, which turned to disbelief. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I had never felt so helpless. I wanted to run away with my daughter and save her from this unknown. A mother is supposed to make her children feel better and protect them. I couldn’t do either. We all began to cry and hugged like we had never hugged before. Once more, my husband had to be the strong one and told me we needed to go. We parted ways and my husband had to keep telling me, “Don’t look back; just don’t look back.”

As we drove away, I was sobbing. I gazed over at my husband, and he had a small tear in his eye. I had never seen my husband cry. He physically looked sick, almost as if he had aged ten years. Did we just hug our daughter for the last time? She was only nineteen, just a baby in our minds. We didn’t know when we would hear her voice or touch her beautiful face again. I had never felt so helpless in my life… “Our Father, who….”  The “Lord’s Prayer” became my pacifier. The prayer became a ritual. It was the only deed I could do to find solace. The only act that would allow me to prevail over the desperation I felt day in and day out.

We asked our daughter to call the house and leave a message just before she left the country. There is something heart-warming about a voice. Even though you can’t see a person’s face, you can see so much through the resonance of their words. Stephanie called today to fulfill her promise. She couldn’t say where she was going, but we all knew. She told us how much she loved us and that she would be back soon. We saved that message and still have it today. On the days I would start feeling melancholy, I would play the message to hear her voice. Later, I learned that her father would call her cell phone and listen to her message just to hear her voice.

As the weeks passed, there was a roller coaster of emotions. I was starving for information, any word on our daughter. Friends, family, and neighbors were supportive. One morning we couldn’t find our newspaper. Our neighbor and very close friend had taken our paper that morning so I wouldn’t see it. That paper was one of the first stories and photos of the war in Iraq. The front page displayed a photograph of a mother of a soldier leaning over the casket of her nineteen year old son. My neighbor said he didn’t want me to see that. That was one of the greatest acts of kindness I had ever experienced.

We don’t know what is happening with our daughter, so we watch the world news religiously. Somehow, in a city of 3 million people, the world news is going to give me some sense of what is happening to my daughter.

In the wee hours of June 7^th, the phone rang. It was my daughter. She had been offered a satellite phone to make a call home. It had been 63 days since we touched that beautiful face and heard her voice. I couldn’t believe how brave her voice sounded. I immediately asked if she was okay. She answered, “As okay as I can be.” She said she could really use a hug. As I spoke to her, my husband hovered in the background, “Don’t cry! Don’t cry! It will just make her feel worse.” She could only talk a couple minutes. It wasn’t even long enough to get her brother alert and on the line. I reassured her she would be fine. At the same time, I was trying to convince myself it would be fine. I didn’t get much sleep the remainder of the night. I was relieved to hear her voice, but terrified beyond words as to what was happening to her. I could hear the sadness in her voice.…. “Our Father, who....”

The next several months became a blur. I pushed myself through each day, starting out the day hoping to hear her voice. Is she cold? Has she had enough to eat? Is she getting enough sleep to be sharp? I had thousands of questions rattling through my head every day. And, every question was followed by the “Lord’s Prayer”. It was overwhelming how she consumed my thoughts. There wasn’t an hour that went by I didn’t think about her.

As the day drew closer for her return, my thoughts shifted to what damage has been done to my daughter. Will she mentally survive this ordeal? I can’t imagine the things she has seen and done. How do I help her settle back into “normal” life? I started to become angry at the innocence that was taken from my little girl.

Finally, the day had arrived for the unit to come home. We watched as all the soldiers disembarked the plane, and one by one had to give up their weapons. As they gave up their weapons, they moved into formation and stood until the last soldier was processed. The plane was far enough away, I had to keep asking, “Was that her? Is that her? Did you see her?” I guess I was afraid that somehow this wasn’t really happening. Somehow she got left behind. I could feel the excitement building in me. I finally got a glimpse of her. She had her pack on her back with a pink “Hello Kitty” blanket hanging out of it - not what I would have expected to see from a soldier returning home. But for some reason, that vision gave me a sense that she was going to be fine. She still had a spirit of innocence.

The formation of soldiers started marching toward the waiting families. They drew closer and closer; suddenly my daughter broke formation and ran directly to me. She wrapped her arms around me almost knocking me down. I had this overwhelming sense of liberation. I began to cry and laugh at the same time. My daughter thought I was having some kind of seizure and kept asking if I was ok. I had never felt like that before. It was an emotion I cannot put into words. It was like giving birth to her all over again.

I thought her return home would be the answer to all our prayers. But, the months following her return proved just as heart wrenching. She had a lot of emotional scars that were going to take time to heal. We cried a lot and hugged a lot. But, we survived. We are all stronger today because of this challenge. Stephanie has made us so proud in the face of adversity. She has spoken before Congress, appeared on ABC Evening News and participated in countless newspaper interviews. As she struggled to deal with her trauma, she used it to help others. Many countless soldiers go untreated for emotional scars.

The title Mother of a Soldier is one I would not wish upon anyone. However, that year proved to be invaluable for my appreciation of life, family, and faith. I am not the same person, and we are not the same family. Unfortunately, in life most people don’t take the time to cherish what really means most until it is gone. A hug is so powerful!

Love and Not War

Rachel Stewart

Separated from her for months on end,

Longing to reach out for her hand, I try.

Heart-broken and lovelorn letters I send.

Her image causes me to weep and sigh.

War’s taken me far away from her side,

Unbearable sights and sounds bring great fear

Gruesome death of comrades I must abide.

I strain for a glimpse of her smile to appear.

My days remaining are yet but another moon.

If my life not be taken by the enemy so swift,

Not many soldiers left in my platoon.

Holding her in my arms would be a life-saving gift.

Clutching my heart, I wrench with agonizing pain,

Her shrapnel-pierced photo colored with my bloodstain.

Chaos to Calm

Ryan Pearce

A high and low buzzer is activated to inform me of an incoming 9-1-1 emergency call.  I quickly reach across my large multi-layered desk to answer the call for help.  The red transmit indicator lights up across my radio as an officer yells for back up.  My co-worker screams in a panic for me to dispatch the next available officer on a heated domestic disturbance between a husband and a wife.  In the background I hear a calm voice as another co-worker desperately tries to get information out of a hysterical caller.  A dispatcher for a multi-layered agency faces all of this in one hectic minute.  Dispatching is a high paced stressful career.  It is not a career that is made for everyone.

I arrive at work, take a deep breath of hot, humid air; walk inside the building knowing it is where I will be for the next eight hours.  As I open the door, an arctic blast from the air conditioning bursts against my warm skin.  My mind wonders, what will become of the next eight hours?  My nerves bounce back and forth like a ping pong ball.  My leg violently shakes with my anxiety as I am briefed on the chaos that has already taken place during the day.  Deep down, I can feel that it is going to be a crazy day.

Four beeps on the key pad and the door pops open.  I cautiously open the door to walk into the fast-paced world.  The aroma of freshly brewed coffee is overwhelming.  A fresh scent of Clorox Wipes is in the air after the work stations have been disinfected; strong odors of Chinese take-out linger around the room.  An everlasting smell of hot plastic from overworked computers sits in the air.

The life line to my job is stored securely in a small blue bag.  My life line is a headset with a single ear piece and a clear, thin, extendable mouth piece.  As I listen to the dispatcher that I am replacing, I observe an abundance of calls flashing for service on one of the five computer monitors.  The phone bank is illuminated with colors of red, yellow, and green.  Five flat screen computer monitors filled with maps, unit status, calls for service, and radio channels consume my view.  Next to my busy work station are large, well organized, dry erase boards filled with road closers, railroad crossing problems, and downed power information.  Across from the dry erase boards is a four layered book shelf filled with vital policy books and contact information.  Beside my workstation sits a file drawer overflowing with purposeful information such as: a tow company book, bank alarm procedures, and a property ban list.  On top of the file drawer rests a set of 35 well organized dispatch cards to assist dispatchers in responses and direction of medical emergencies.

Now, it is my turn to take the hot seat and capture control of the entire county.  I plug in the two prongs of my headset and the shift is underway.  In the background, I can hear the flat constant buzz of non-emergency phone calls.  The high and low buzzer is activated for an inbound emergency call.  A pre-recorded message of, “9-1-1, what is the location of your emergency?” stops the high and low buzzer.  I hear a co-worker calmly say, “Where was he shot at?”  “Where is the shooter?”  “Where is the gun?”  “You need to control the bleeding; I have help on the way.”  The wail from a siren fills my ear from the radio as the responding officer acknowledges the call.  A piercing high pitch tone is put out across the radio after an officer screams for back up.  Chaos breaks throughout the room.  Co-workers yell information back and forth about calls on a house fire.  Tones go out across the paging system to notify all fire stations of a structure fire.  Dispatchers answer the non-stop ringing phones like clockwork.  In the background, I can hear a co-workers say, “How old is the baby?”  “Is the baby breathing?”  The dispatcher says with reassurance, “Stay calm, I can help you give her CPR.”  The room is now silent.  A pin dropping could be heard.  One dispatcher calmly goes over to the assisting dispatcher on the

 9-1-1 call.  The dispatcher quietly tells her, “You’re doing great”, and stays by her side.

The atmosphere changes back to chaos.  I look up to see the clock on the computer monitor.  I realize it has only been five minutes.  Only fifty five minutes left in my shift.  It takes a special, level headed person, to take the task of a dispatcher.  That small percentage has to be the best.  The best is what changes the chaos to calm.

The Fight Against That Good Night

Megan Rakers

Dylan Thomas’ villanelle “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”, published in 1952, is a beautiful and passionate appeal to the elderly and ill (and his father in particular) not to succumb to death with meekness.  Rather, Thomas encourages his readers and his father not to “… go gentle into that good night” (line 1), a theme he repeats throughout the poem.  Thomas employs the use of repetition, which is a key characteristic of a villanelle, as well as symbolism, imagery, vivid language, and metaphor to present his plea for fighting the onslaught of age and death. 

The first stanza acts as an introduction to the poem.  Thomas claims that “Old age should burn and rage at end of day” (line 2) which encompasses the central point of the poem.  He uses the words “burn and rage” to illustrate the fiery resistance he feels one should have when faced with death.  He repeats this image of fiery resistance in line 3 by instructing his readers to “Rage, rage against the dying of the light”.  His use of the word “light” can be taken to stand as a symbol for life.  Similarly, in the first line he states “Do not go gentle into that good night”.  In this context, the word “night” can be understood to be a symbol for death.  This entire stanza comprises Thomas’ central idea, or thesis.

Stanzas 2, 3, 4, and 5 again hammer home the central idea of the poem, contained in the first and third lines of the first stanza, but they also include specific examples of a variety of men who have refused to accept the idea of death.  He lists wise men, good men, wild men, and grave men to illustrate the idea that all types of people from all walks of life should be universal in their defiance in the face of death.  Regardless of what they may or may not have accomplished thus far in their lives, there is always the question of whether or not they could have done more, said more, or seen more.  In these stanzas, Thomas is clearly applauding their obvious reluctance to accept that it’s their end.

In the last stanza, Thomas shifts from discussing men in general to one man in particular.  It is in this stanza that we realize that the motivation behind this poem is Thomas’ father’s approaching death. Thomas states, “And you, my father, there on the sad height,/ curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray” (lines 16 and 17).  Due to the repetition of lines one and three, we are able to deduce that his father is approaching his death with an attitude of sadness and acceptance, rather than the attitude of defiance that Thomas wishes he would have.  He beseeches his father to “Curse, bless, me now…,” asking for any strong reaction to his impending death other than that of sad acceptance. Thomas shows a natural reluctance to accept his father’s submission to death.

This natural reluctance of children to accept the aging of their parents is universal.    This poem, although I had read it before, rang very true for me upon the second examination.  My father, age 67, recently suffered a mild stroke, and this poem made me pause and consider his subsequent attitude.  While Thomas’ father did not fight what ailed him, my dad approached his health scare with a defiant attitude.  He has been very pro-active with his recovery and health.  He still tires easily, but he manages to do many of the things he did before.  He has shown the indomitable spirit that Thomas describes in this poem.  I think that it is this outlook that will help him make a full recovery.  Though he is dealing with some lingering problems, he still has the strength to live with as much enthusiasm as he ever had, if not more.  I think that my father’s attitude parallels in some ways the attitude described by Thomas. Due to his determination to continue to live his life, not merely exist, my father will not “go gentle into that good night.”

Works Cited

Thomas, Dylan. “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night.” An Introduction to Literature 15^th ed. Eds. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, and William E. Cain. New York: Pearson Longman, 2008. 741-742.

Journey into History

Becky VanDyke

After a grueling two years, it has all come down to this. A crowd of more than 250,000 has gathered together with the hope of “Yes, we can”. The air is thick with anticipation as the returns roll in. With each new projection, the nation comes closer and closer to electing their new president. 

It was late July in 2004. An African American man, hardly known to anyone outside of the Chicago political arena, was to give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. As the country watched, Barack Obama captivated his audience.

Chris Trudeau, a Springfield native and political enthusiast, watched in awe as Obama delivered his now famous speech, “The Audacity of Hope.”  “I remember watching him and thinking, wow, this is incredible. This guy’s gonna be our president some day.’”

After the well-received speech and John Kerry’s general election loss in 2004, speculation circulated. In Chicago, as well as around the nation, Obama’s name was being discussed as a possible presidential candidate for 2008. The Democrats had lost two big elections, and everyone was wondering if Obama could be who they needed.

February 10, 2007, was bitter cold. Heavy coats, stocking hats, and gloves were a necessity. Thousands gathered, including Trudeau, to hear Obama announce, after much speculation; that he would, in fact, be running as a presidential candidate. “None of my friends would go with me because it was so cold out, but I didn’t care; I just went by myself.” Trudeau showed up for the announcement about three hours early with a blue ticket in hand. A blue ticket guaranteed a spot near the giant TV screens; red tickets were for those near the stage.

Trudeau got lucky, as he did throughout Obama’s campaign, and happened to meet a group of people from Seattle, Washington. “These three people had come from Seattle with four red tickets, but I guess someone ended up not coming with them. They saw me standing alone and asked if I wanted their extra ticket.”

Once inside the VIP area, Trudeau was able to squeeze his way to the front left side of the stage. He had a perfect view of Obama, and CNN had a perfect view of Trudeau. It was not long after that when Trudeau was approached by a campaign event coordinator. “He came up to me and said something like ‘Barack’s going to exit here, he’ll come to you and shake your hand first, so be ready.’ I couldn’t believe it. Here I was, getting this red ticket on a fluke, and now I’m being told Obama’s going to be shaking my hand.”

This announcement was the starting point of a 21 month long presidential race. Obama, the supposed underdog of the primaries, fought long and hard through the primary season, and Trudeau watched every debate, followed the polls, and got more and more excited with every primary.

For part of the election season, Trudeau was attending Emily Carr University in Vancouver, Canada. “It was great being in Canada for that time because Canadians follow our elections really closely and everyone loved Obama. That was also when I saw what a difference he could make world-wide if we elected him.”

The primary season came to a close, and in an incredible chain of events Obama beat the Clinton machine and became the Democrat’s candidate of choice. As the Democratic Convention drew near, rumors were flying as to who the Vice Presidential pick would be. Only days before the pick was revealed, it was made known that the announcement would take place, again, in Springfield.

Trudeau called his girlfriend and told her he couldn’t make it to her brother’s engagement party. “This is a once in a lifetime event. I can’t miss it. I just can’t miss it.” He made it downtown to camp out at 8:30 at night, roughly 17 hours before Obama was scheduled to speak.

As he sat on his coat in the middle of the sidewalk, eating a pizza an area resident had cooked him, he received a text message, “Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee…” Trudeau said he had “known it all along.”

While waiting first in line, Trudeau was asked by the Chicago Tribune why he supported Obama. Trudeau responded, “Eventually we come around and do the right thing, and Obama’s a big step in coming around and doing the right thing.”

Sunset turned to dark, and dark to light. A line finally started to form behind Trudeau, a line that would later reach upwards of 30,000 people. Trudeau made friends with many people that night: a couple of rappers from Chicago wearing Obama and McCain costumes, a kid from Georgia, and few hippies from Indiana. They sat for hours talking about Obama and his policies and how they thought the general election was going to go. “I thought it would be really hard to stay awake the whole night,” said Trudeau, but time flew by. The people around me were all really aware of what was going on in the campaign.”

Trudeau made it front and center in the crowd, up against a barricade directly in front of the podium. The crowd roared through the entire speech and nearly broke the metal barrier when Obama came down to greet his cheering fans. Trudeau managed to get his bright green T-shirt signed by Michelle, Barack, and Joe Biden… something that had become a rarity at campaign events. “Each of them grabbed the marker when they passed by and signed the shoulder of my shirt. The signatures from the markers were so close to my nose that the fumes made me sick and a secret service officer had to make the crowd clear a path for me to get out.”

Being such an avid supporter of the Democratic candidate, Trudeau wanted to find a way to help Obama’s campaign. “Everyone knows Illinois is going to Obama, and being from Illinois, I wanted to find a way to help out that would actually matter… something that goes beyond just donating money.” Trudeau did just that. “I got a text saying they needed help this one weekend canvassing in Missouri. I knew that was my chance.” Missouri was an important swing state that ended up having one of the closest outcomes of the entire election.

His weekend was spent in St. Louis going door to door giving out information to undecided voters about Obama and his policies. “The people were really inviting. A few of them asked for yard signs, but the campaign wasn’t giving those out.” Fortunately for the neighborhood residents, Trudeau had some extras in his truck he had purchased the night before.

Obama’s campaign was gaining ground, and lots of it, but back in Illinois restlessness was starting to set in. Trudeau wanted to get the election over with and have Obama as his next president, but November 4th was still a month away. “I was on my way to St. Louis for a David Byrne concert and I just happened to get on Obama’s website the night before to see what was up. I couldn’t believe it. He was having a rally that next morning under the Arch.”

At six in the morning, Trudeau was on his way. He made it to St. Louis just seconds before the metro dropped off the first of many enormous loads of rally-goers. “I got so lucky again. I just happened to find out about the rally, just happened to get there at the right time, and ended up making it about ten people away from the stage.” The St. Louis rally drew an estimated crowd of 100,000 people.

November 2nd, Trudeau received an e-mail alert on his I-phone. At this point Obama e-mails had become an everyday event, but this e-mail was special. The subject line read, “Update: Election Night Tickets”. Inside the e-mail, “Your ticket will be e-mailed to you on Monday, November 3rd…” Trudeau was one of 65,000 people to receive a ticket to Obama’s election night rally in Grant Park. 

The next evening Trudeau arrived in Chicago, a nearly two year journey was about to reach its climax and Trudeau planned to be front and center again. “I had watched so many of the rallies on TV and I had started to see the patterns of what you had to wear to be noticed in the crowd. I bought a bright yellow baseball hat and matching long-sleeved shirt.”

Trudeau made it to the entrance of Grant Park in the afternoon of November 4th; he had already early voted. He quickly sought out a security worker to ask a question about ticket identification rules. “Out of no where, Star Wars music started blaring, news cameras kicked on, the line went crazy and security opened the first checkpoint.” Once again, Trudeau was in the right place at the right time.

“Getting through the first checkpoint was cool, but there were four of them in all so I still had to wait a while.”  While waiting, Trudeau spotted a couple people from some of the other Obama events he had attended. While the crowd waited, one lady turned on a baby monitor she had tuned in to a local radio station frequency. “She was picking up this weird signal through a baby monitor she had brought and every now and then she’d scream an update to everyone.”

It was a mad dash to the front row once the fourth and final checkpoint was passed. On CSPAN, a bright yellow dot could be seen sprinting to its place against the metal barricade. That yellow dot was Chris Trudeau.

Reporters and camera men quickly caught glimpse of the banana-esc figure. It was a matter of moments before Trudeau was approached by a reporter wanting an interview. “Now what’s your name? Where are you from? Oh, you volunteered for the campaign? Great! I’d like to interview you when we get a chance if that’s alright?”

The crowd stretched further back than anyone in the front row could see, and American flags painted the human landscape. The crowd was a perfect depiction of Obama’s 2004 keynote address orated four years earlier. There was not “a liberal America and a conservative America… a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America;” it was the United States of America.

With each new CNN projection declared across the JumboTrons, the mass of Obama supporters danced with excitement. Pennsylvania sent the multitudes into an all out frenzy. “We were all looking at each other screaming, ‘That’s it. That’s it. Obama won. It’s over. It’s him.’ There was just no way, at that point, McCain could win, and we all knew it but we were in disbelief.” 

Everything over the course of the last two years had led up to this moment. Obama was leading the popular and electoral votes, Pennsylvania had been projected for Obama, and the west coast was closing in a matter of seconds.

The deafening roars of the crowd drowned out Wolf Blitzer’s voice. “We couldn’t hear anything. We didn’t hear when Blitzer said they may be making a big projection right when the [west coast] polls closed. We just knew all those states were Obama’s.”

A quarter million people counted down the final poll’s closing. Five… Four… Three… Two… “Projected Winner: Barack Obama” flashed across the screen as a confirmation to what everyone already knew. Euphoria swept through Grant Park and continued across the country going out to every corner of the world. As Kenyans celebrated 8,000 miles away, Martin Luther King, Jr., and his church, exploded with excitement, and tears poured out in nearly every living room across America.  Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States of America.

Trudeau was as close to history as you could be, the reporter had his story, America had their president, and the crowds cheered, “Yes, we DID!”

Joining the Elite

Paul Foley

One, Two, Three, Team! We broke the huddle and were on our way out of the locker room to take the floor for our homecoming basketball game. The band began to play, and the school song echoed throughout the gymnasium. I led the team through the break-away banner onto the floor. There was a very energetic atmosphere in the gym; everyone was happy to finally get out of the nasty snowstorm that was taking place outside. The crowd size was not as large as usual, but the fans that were present were on their feet, excited for another evening of Mt. Pulaski Hilltopper basketball.   

The game was the final festivity of Homecoming week. In Mt. Pulaski, it is a tradition to have the annual homecoming dance in the winter, in conjunction with a basketball game because we do not have a football team. This makes for an extremely unique event since not many schools have homecoming during basketball.

Our opponent on that wintery January evening was the Trojans of Auburn High School. This was one of the biggest games of our season because it helped set the tone for what type of team we were going to be. It was the first time that we had ever played Auburn; they had just joined our conference at the beginning of that year. Naturally, everyone was very amped up for this game; they wanted to show what Sangamo Conference basketball had to offer. This game also was a huge night for me on a personal. A coach from Lake Forest College in Chicago drove three hours through the wintery conditions to come on a recruiting visit to watch me play. I was ecstatic about this because I was very interested in the school, and their basketball program. As if these reasons weren’t big enough, I was only twenty-one points away from joining the Mt. Pulaski High School 1000 Point Club. This was a very attainable goal for that evening because I was averaging well over twenty-two points per game.

It seemed like only seconds before I had led the team out onto the floor for warm-ups, but when I looked up at the scoreboard I noticed that there were only forty-five seconds left until game time. The national anthem was played, the starting line-ups were announced, the last pre-game speech was given, and we stepped between the lines ready to go to battle. Instantly, my heart began pumping and the adrenaline began to flow throughout my body. I was ready to conquer anything and everything that was in my path. I controlled the opening tip, and we were off from there. I scored my first two points on the first possession of the game, only nineteen more points to go! As I was running back down the floor, I noticed that some of my friends in the stands had a dry-erase board and some markers. The board read “Foley’s 1000 Point Countdown – 19.” Every single time I scored throughout the game they would erase the previous number and write down the new number. I watched the sign go from “19” to “17” to “14.”

Eventually, with two minutes left in the second quarter, after I had drained a three point basket from the left wing, the sign showed a large number two. The whole student section was on their feet in anticipation of my next basket. I got my next chance on the very next possession. We had a fast break; I was flying down the right side of the floor calling for the ball. Finally, I received a pass and I went up for a 15-foot jump shot. As I left my feet, I could hear the crowd

screaming. Unfortunately, I hit back iron and the ball caromed off the rim. Simultaneously, I could hear the crowd sigh in disappointment. Seconds later, their disappointment grew even greater; I was called for my second foul, and my coach took me out of the game. I would end up sitting out the rest of the second quarter and would go into half-time needing two points to reach my goal.

Halftime was really upbeat, everyone knew that I was really close to my accomplishment, and we were leading the game by more than twenty points. As a team, we were firing on all cylinders. We were really sending a “welcome to the conference” message. Coach urged us to keep our foot on the gas and to push all the way through to the finish. He was really proud of our effort. He offered his last advice and sent us back out for the third quarter.

I stepped onto the floor and was greeted with encouragement from my friends in the stands and, of course, the dry-erase board with the large “2.” I then refocused myself and began to play the second half. On one of the first possessions of the third quarter, I drove in for a lay-up and was fouled. I went to the free-throw line with the chance to hit 1000 right on the head. However, I missed the first free throw and made the second. The board now read “1.” On the very next possession, I got a mid-range jump shot off of a screen and, again, missed. At this point, my friends were getting a good laugh out of how agonizingly long it was taking me to score the final point.  As the next possession came, I was summoned to the bench again because I had picked up my third foul. I took a seat next to my coach and peered up at the banner with the names of all the previous 1000 point scorers. This brief glance quickly eased my frustration of being in foul trouble and instantly refocused my mind on the task at hand.

I re-entered the game with two minutes left in the third quarter. During my first play back in, our point guard, Josh Stewart, stole the ball. He looked up court and hit me streaking for a wide open lay-up.  The scoreboard operator rang the horn, and came over the loud speaker to inform the crowd of my great accomplishment. My teammates rushed onto the floor to congratulate me, and the crowd gave me a standing ovation. I was completely overwhelmed; I had just become the 14^th person in school history to join the 1000 point club.

Once the celebration ended, the game resumed, and we went on to win by well over 30 points. I finished the game with 27 points; bringing my career total to 1006. However, the conclusion of the game was not the conclusion of the evening. I met with the coach from Lake Forest after the game. He was extremely excited about the possibility of me joining his team the following year. He was very complimentary of my hustle and my offensive power. I told him that I was very thankful for him taking the time to come for a visit. He promised to call within the next week and went on his way.  The next event was pictures. My mom wanted me to take pictures with my coach, my siblings, my teammates, and my friends. Once the photo shoot was complete, I finally had the opportunity to share the night with my friends. They were very happy for me.

When I was done talking to my friends, I went home and crawled right into bed. The events of the homecoming week had taken their toll on my body, and I was ready to pass out. However, sleeping wasn’t a very easy task to accomplish. I couldn’t stop replaying the events of this great evening over and over in my head. I couldn’t believe that I had accomplished a dream I had held since the 6^th grade. I finally joined the elite, and it was a night that I will never forget.

Final Freedom at Owl Creek Bridge

Terri Pope

The story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce tells of a Southern farmer, Payton Farquhar, who is about to be hanged by the Union Army for attempting to destroy the bridge. The reader believes that the rope breaks and Farquhar escapes, returns to his farm, and reunites with his wife. The end of the story reveals that Farquhar has been hanged, and he has only imagined the escape, seconds before his death.

Throughout this story Bierce uses symbolism to convey his view of war and the military, while giving the reader a glimpse into what one might think and feel at the moment of death.

The story opens with Farquhar standing on the bridge, facing his execution  “hands behind his back, the wrists bound with a cord. A rope closely encircled his neck.” The reader questions how the man has arrived at this precarious situation and soon discovers that this hanging is being conducted by members of the Union Forces. The narrator describes the scene in great detail, showing where each Yankee solider and where he stands: two private soldiers described as his “executioners”; a sergeant “who in civil life may have been a deputy sheriff”; a captain, armed, shares the platform with Farquhar, and two sentinels with guns in the support position-one at each end of the bridge standing like “statues to adorn the bridge”. Farquhar is presented sympathetically, the military personnel are described in cold, hard terms leaving little doubt as to how Bierce views the military.

The description of land surrounding the bridge gives images of both freedom and death. The narrator describes the area with the railroad running “away into a forest for a hundred yards” giving a sense of freedom; while the other bank shows signs of certain death: “topped with a stockade of vertical tree trunks, loopholed for rifles, with a single embrasure through which protruded the muzzle of a brass cannon”. And midway up this same bank, “a single company of infantry, at ‘parade rest’” each “staring stonily motionless.”

The narrator describes death as “a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him”. This statement implies that this is not the first execution overseen by the captain, or his forces, as he shows “the code of military etiquette silence and fixity” to death, rather than the man dying.

Bierce’s narrator describes Farquhar in detail: about thirty-five, a civilian, possibly a planter, with good features-a straight nose; firm mouth; broad forehead; long, dark hair combed straight back; a mustache and pointed beard; large, dark grey eyes; and wearing a well-fitting frock-coat  and a kindly expression. To contrast this gentile image, the narrator ends with a sharp statement: “The liberal military code makes provision for hanging many kinds of persons, and gentleman are not excluded.”

The narrator also notes that the condemned was not blindfolded. This offers the narrator a chance to enter the mind of Farquhar and describe what he sees and thinks as he awaits his execution. As Farquhar stands with “unsteadfast footing,” he gazes at the swirling water of the creek beneath him and a piece of “dancing driftwood.” While the reader is envisioning a swiftly moving stream, Farquhar notes how slow and sluggish the creek is. As Farquhar continues to allow himself to think of his wife and take in the sights around him, he becomes “conscious of a new disturbance….a sharp, distinct, metallic percussion like the stroke of a blacksmith’s hammer upon the anvil.” The sound grows with intensity as the intervals of silence grow greater until Farquhar realizes it is the ticking of his watch, ticking “as the tolling of a death knell.” 

Farquhar begins to imagine his escape: freeing his hands, throwing off the noose and springing into the stream, diving to avoid the bullets, reaching the banks, and escaping to his home where his wife and children await. The narrator sharplybrings the reader back to reality as “the captain nodded to the sergeant. The sergeant stepped aside”.

In the second section of the story, the narrator flashes back with further details of  Farquhar, describing him as a slave owner committed to the Southern cause, coming from a highly respected Alabama family. Bierce again takes this opportunity to show the military in a negative light by exposing the deception used by the Union troops to entrap this gentile Southern in the scene with the “gray-clad soldier” dropping the hint that the bridge needed to be destroyed to stop the advance of the Union Army, and warning him of the consequences of being caught destroying the bridge. This deception becomes clear to the reader as it is revealed that the gray-clad soldier was actually a Federal scout.

In the final section of the story, the narrator again enters the mind of Farquhar and allows the reader to see his thoughts as he falls through the bridge “as one already dead.” He is awakened by “a sharp pressure upon his throat, followed by a sense of suffocation. Keen, poignant agonies seemed to shoot from his neck downward through every fiber of his body and limbs”. He continues his consciousness of motion, swinging “through unthinkable arches of oscillation, like a vast pendulum”, symbolizing time like the ticking of the watch. 

Bierce allows the reader a look into Farquhar’s thoughts as the rope broke and his body descended into the water and “the light became fainter and fainter until it was a mere glimmer.” Farquhar’s thoughts show his comfort in death with his reluctance to come to the surface. He can now see himself loosening the noose as “his neck ached horribly; his brain was on fire; his heart, which had been fluttering faintly, gave a great leap, trying to force itself out of his mouth.” The narrator congratulates Farquhar for his “superhuman strength” as Farquhar imagines he is freed from the rope binding his hands.

The narrator gives a hint to the reality of the situation as he describes Farquhar’s body being “racked and wrenched with an insupportable anguish,” as he envisions himself in the water. The reader soon sees Farquhar “in full possession of his physical senses….preternaturally keen and alert.” He can now hear the sound of the ripples of the water on his face. He can see “the veining of each leaf” of the trees on the bank and the insects on them. He can see “the dew drops upon a million blades of grass.” He hears the “humming of the gnats…the beating of the dragon-flies’ wings, the strokes of the water-spider’s legs.” 

His thoughts then turn to the lieutenant as he “takes part in the morning’s work” of murder. Farquhar sees himself dive deep with the water roaring “like the voice of Niagara” and he then sees bullets “oscillating slowly downward some of them touching his face and hands” and falling away, with one “lodged between his collar and neck” where the noose lies.

As Farquhar escapes the water he enters the forest which seems “interminable”. At last he finds the road home: “It is wide and straight as a city street, yet it seemed untraveled,” as the road to heaven is traveled by each man once and alone. He sees stars overhead “looking unfamiliar and grouped in strange constellations,” the stars of heaven itself; and “whispers of an unknown tongue” are heard around him.

The narrator then describes Farquhar’s features: his neck in pain and swollen with a “circle of black where the rope had bruised it,” his eyes congested and unable to close; his tongue swollen and thrust between his teeth into the cold air; and the feeling of nothing beneath his feet, just as you would imagine the features of a man just hanged.

Farquhar’s final image is that of his home “bright and beautiful in the morning light” and his wife reaching out to greet him as he comes up the “wide white walk.” This can be seen by the reader as a heavenly vision, Farquhar happily walking toward the heavenly gates.

Bierce’s narrator describes Farquhar as an honest, caring man, while painting a cold, uncaring portrait of the military. At the same time he has used this story to allow the reader to imagine what death by hanging might feel like, while giving his own interpretation of what might lie beyond death.

Works Cited

Bierce, Ambrose. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” An Introduction to Literature. 15^th ed. Eds. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, and William E. Cain. New York: Pearson Longman, 2008. 135-141.

Hawks Reveal the Character of Riverton

Caleb Young

In the fall of 2008, the Riverton Hawks high school football team revealed that a win-loss record means nothing to a team; the character of the team never fades away from the players, coaches and fans. That year, the character of the Hawks had both internal and external forces. However, the Hawks never gave up, even in the most trying times. The team’s supporters gave the Hawks hope when they needed it at a critical time.

 “Their character is pretty good right now,” the head coach of the football team, Josh Lee, said at the beginning of the season. Lee said on Sept. 18 that the team had been dealing with injuries to their offensive and defensive players, and these injuries gave the Hawks two losses in the first three weeks of the 2008 season. However, Coach Lee still believed that the team would regroup and never give up hope. Lee always tells his players is to “[take] it one game at a time.”

“They are incredibly mentally focused because we’re in a spot right now that we are not proud of being in,” he said. Lee had confidence that the team would perform at a level that no one else could compete at when the Hawks played their “A-game.” Lee said. “We play the hard part of our schedule, Mt. Olive and Auburn, back to back.” Coach Lee knows that the Hawks had played easy opponents and would be facing better teams that are very competitive and could challenge the Hawks physically and mentally.

Throughout the 2008 season, the Hawks had always shown confidence on and off the football field, which reflects the character of the team. During the Mt. Olive game on Sept. 19, Rick Wagahoff, the Activities Director for Riverton High School, said that the Hawks were very confident because the “coaches have been working hard.” He also said the players acted like gentlemen because they showed respect towards the fans, coaches and fellow teammates.

Before the Mt. Olive game started, senior player Justin Roberts commented that the team had a lot of confidence to perform well in front of the town. He said all the players, especially varsity players, encourage each other when things aren’t going well for the team. Roberts said he believes that no matter what is happening, the team will always keep a positive attitude so that their confidence will not slip.

Another internal force driving the Hawks is not only focusing on football, but applying themselves to their schoolwork. Statistics reporter, Anna Moore, said before the team played Auburn on Sept. 26, all the players represent themselves in a positive image because they work very hard in their studies and are rewarded by playing football. Statistics reporter, Meagan Jagodzinski, said they do their homework and report to class in order to be on the team.

The character of the Hawks is not just focused on the game of football, but the academic life of the players.

A third internal force that has built the character of the Hawks is that the players represent themselves in a mature way that builds the football program. On Oct. 10, special teams and running back coach, John Christian, said that they “handle themselves well for young teenage men.” Christian also said some of the players even volunteer to help the younger football players within the community to build not only their own image, but for the image of the younger players as well. Maturity has put a positive image in the football program which strengthens the character of Riverton.

The Hawks were very physical during the entire season, but they had some difficult games where they were outmatched. During the Mt. Olive game, News Channel 20 Sports Director Bryan Boes said that the Hawks were not physically balanced with their opponent in the middle. The Hawks had games where they completely dominated other teams physically. Riverton outmatched small teams like Nokomis, Williamsville, Kincaid, and New Berlin. During these four games, the Hawks constantly attacked the opponents with great strength and refused to quit. They thumped Nokomis, Kincaid, and New Berlin, but won a physical war against hated rival, Williamsville.

At the end of the 2008 season, the Riverton Hawks clearly showed that in order to develop character, it takes an entire town to come together and support the football team as well as fellow Hawk fans, players and coaches. This journey the Hawks completed has created a memorable image of what the community of Riverton is about, and what this town brings to the sport of football.

A version of this article appeared Dec. 18, 2008, in The Riverton Register.

The Game Winner

Travis VanderMeersch

It’s the bottom of the ninth inning, two outs, with the game scored at three to two as the batter steps up to the plate. He is the “cleanup” hitter and also the power hitter of the team. All eyes, forty thousand plus fans, are on him. His hands clench the bat firmly and sweat drips down his brow as he steps into the batters box. He knows what he has to do. His toned, muscular body is calm and relaxed as he settles into his comfort zone. He is confident, and the home crowd is confident in him as well. He has come through in clutch situations all season, but none of those were as important as this. His team is playing their rival team, and this game could shape the way the rest of the season will go.

The game depends on this final at-bat. He stares menacingly at the pitcher on the mound who is poised, awaiting the signal from his catcher. He then glances down the third base line where he sees third base coach and his fellow team mate representing the tying run. His coach, nervously chewing on his gum, gives him the “swing away” sign.

 The crowd, now on its feet, claps in an almost synchronized union as they root for their home team’s player. The pitcher gets a signal from his catcher that he agrees with and starts his wind-up. It is a very fluent and graceful motion. He goes through it as if he has done it thousands of times. He plants, turns his feet, and swivels his hips smoothly. He lifts his front leg and with his back foot, pushes off the dusty mound with all his might. His right arm bends perfectly at the elbow as he curves and torques his wrist, his arm protruding outward towards the plate. He throws a perfect curve ball that breaks down and slightly outside like the catcher called for. The batter, expecting such a pitch, patiently waits for the right time to strike.

The crowd is dead silent, the atmosphere of the stadium similar to that of a funeral home. The only sound breaking the silence is the rustling of the flag as it blows in the cool fall wind. The fans follow the ball with their eyes as it approaches the plate, nerves on end, hoping it turns out in good favor. The batter swings with all his strength and makes contact. The sound can be heard even outside the ballpark. It is a high fly ball to left center field.

The crowd immediately erupts. It knows what has just happened. The ball sails over the wall, easily clearing it, and lands in the bleachers in the midst of the fans. Some lucky fan retrieving the ball screams with excitement and celebrates with his peers. The batter rounds the bases calmly but quickly because he knows what awaits him at home plate. He stomps on home plate with force to signify his glory as he is met with screams, cheers, and hugs by his fellow team mates. He salutes the crowd with his helmet and gives a wide toothy smile as he celebrates with the other players. He now knows the satisfaction and pleasure of hitting a walk off homerun, the game winner.

The Dead Past and Future

Casey Pence

The Grateful Dead is an amazingly unique and multi-faceted band whose music has continued to have an influence on the world of music decades after its beginning. The band was formed in the San Francisco Bay area in the mid-sixties, but its music has touched a number of generation. Many new musicians and bands still incorporate their innovative style into the music of the 21^st century. By studying the history of the Dead and listening to their music and lyrics, one can pick up on many different genres blended together to create a unique sound. I thought I knew just about everything there was to know about the Grateful Dead, but researching the band for a college paper proved me wrong.

I must admit that much of my research was done sitting in my dorm room listening to my own Grateful Dead CD’s. I tried to listen to their songs in a different way, attempting to pick up on different aspects of the instruments and harmonies found in their music. For example, listening to “China Cat Sunflower” and paying attention to the long jams can prove to be educational, rather than just deeply enjoyable, if you stop and try to understand all instruments and beats that they put together to create one unique tune.

A person can listen to two live versions of the same song and hear completely different sounds. The way that every song is unique when played live at their shows is one of the most amazing things about listening to the Grateful Dead. Comparing studio versions to live versions was a great way for me to contrast and compare the integration of the different genres.

Before I get ahead of myself, I would like to give a background on a few of the individual musicians who made up the band itself, and some of the qualities that they brought to the band’s sound. The first, naturally, is Jerry Garcia.

Jerry is thought of by many as the leader of a generation of experimentation and new thinking. He was known for his caring, charismatic personality, which eventually drew love and admiration from millions of fans who came to be known as the Dead Heads. Before the success of the Grateful Dead, Jerry experimented with rock and roll, folk acoustic guitar, and eventually became a bluegrass banjo player. These experiences, and the knowledge he had about multiple genres, had an influence on the sounds that were later produced by the Dead themselves.  He was involved in a band called the Warlocks in the mid-sixties.  The Warlocks evolved from being a blues-oriented group, to a psychedelic experimental sound. The Warlocks were also influenced by country and folk music which they incorporated into their sound. This had an impact on Jerry’s musical preferences and ideals.

Bass player Phil Lesh is thought to have redefined what music can truly be. His bass had a heavy influence on the sound of the Dead and contributed to their untraditional type of rock music. Similar to Jerry, Phil dabbled in multiple musical genres. He played classical violin before discovering his love for “cool jazz” and the trumpet, according to his dead.net profile.

The band would not have been the same without Mickey Hart. He joined the band in September of 1967. His percussion talents pushed the band towards multi-rhythmic explorations. Dead.net says his contribution to the vast compilations of different genres blended together to form the Dead. Hart’s influence on the band has been described as an overtone of non-Western music.

Robert Hunter joined the band in the fall of 1967 and became their secret weapon. Dead.net says the mystery of Robert Hunter is that although he practiced with the band and wrote lyrics to many of their greatest songs, he never performed on stage. This intrigued me, and I found it very admirable. Not many people would give up the chance to be recognized and adored for their work, but Hunter was not interested in that. He had always considered himself to be a writer, even a poet, and he intended to keep it that way.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame says, “The Grateful Dead wrought a psychedelic revolution upon the cultural landscape of the sixties.” They started a new trend using an improvisational style that they incorporated from early jazz. They had a very large America style that mixed in blues and bluegrass. The Dead wanted to set their imagination free, giving the psychedelic culture free reign. An example of this is their signature song “Dark Star,” which they never performed the same way twice. They fused rock and roll into their newfound style to create an unending “interplay” of sound.

More examples of the band’s eccentric collection of intermingled genres are found in songs such as “American Beauty,” which has influences of both folk and country music. The Rock and Roll Hall of fame rightly says the Dead immersed themselves in blues, folk, jazz, R&B, and avant-garde genres until they created a sound unlike any other. 

Unfortunately, I am too young to have seen a Grateful Dead show live, but I have been able to watch many of their performances VHS, DVD, or the internet. When each instrument has a solo, you can hear the influences of different genres of music. When the band plays a long jam during a song, they often spend up to ten minutes focused in a single genre using a deep blues sound or a lighter bluegrass tune. I have found that their live recordings are the best way to study the variety of influences from previous generations in their music.

The contrast between “Friend of the Devil’s upbeat, blue grass like, sound and the slow melodic tone of “Ripple” or “Uncle John’s Band” is very obvious. It is impressive that one band could create such different songs. These are the things that show how much the Grateful Dead learned from their predecessors, and how much they appreciated the music of the past.

During the long jams that they are best known for, and have pioneered, the Dead spawned the styles of bands to come such as Phish and String Cheese Incident. Rolling Stone says, one can hear everything from a mix of country and blues, to songs dripping with the style of folk music. The Grateful Dead have been referred to as “the pioneering godfathers of the jam band world” (Wikipedia). The band differed from most rock and roll bands because they did not rehearse their live shows before they played since their improvisational style was so important to them and their fans as well.

Another great example of the way the Dead were able to intertwine musical genres is in their song “Sugaree.” At same time, you can hear a blues sound in the tone of the lyrics and in the fluctuations of the singer’s voice, but you can also hear a folk sound in the instruments being played. This shows the amazing talent of the band. They not only use multiple styles of music in a song, they actually use them simultaneously. Their psychedelic sound that they are so well known for fills songs like “Aiko Aiko,” even when the sounds of the guitar in the background have a bluegrass feel.

The Grateful Dead have not only had influences from the past, but influenced the future. I was able to discover roots of more than six different genres in their music, and I am sure there are many more. The Grateful Dead truly has influenced my life, and the lives of millions of others. Without the Dead, the world of music as we know it would be different. They have helped influence the bands of future generations, but no other band can compare to their original predecessor.

Works Cited

Grateful Dead, The Band. http://www.dead.net/band/jerry-garcia. Nov. 16, 2008.

Grateful Dead, Biography. Rolling Stone.

http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thegratefuldead/biography. Nov. 16, 2008.

Grateful Dead. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. 1994. Nov. 16, 2008.        

<http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/the-grateful-dead.>

Wikipedia. Grateful Dead. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grateful_Dead.  Nov. 16, 2008.

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular a Glowing Success

Claire Keldermans

The Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon has long been one of Springfield’s most prized possessions. Every year it proves its worth, not least at Halloween time when it provides a fun-filled event that brings families together. 

The carillon is named for Thomas Rees, who was the publisher of the Illinois State Journal Register from 1881 until his death in 1933. In his will, he left the city of Springfield a $200,000 trust fund for the purpose of constructing and maintaining a carillon. The carillon hosts many activities that not only bring revenue to the city of Springfield and its Park District but also provide a safe atmosphere for family and friends to participate in local events.

Most recently, the carillon has hosted its third annual Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular. Each year local farmers donate more than 2,000 pumpkins for the event.

The weekend before the event, people are encouraged to come to the carillon and help carve the pumpkins, absolutely free of charge. The year determines how many pumpkins will be carved and put on display. Last year, in 2008, there were 2,008 pumpkins on display. This year there will be 2,009. 

Volunteers for the event begin the carving process by scraping the insides of the pumpkins clean. “This cuts down on the amount of gooey seeds and pumpkin innards being thrown on the ground and rotting,” said volunteer Mike Simmons.

Volunteers carving pumpkins before the spectacular

People bring their own carving utensils, sit down on the lawn surrounding the carillon and make it a fun-filled afternoon.  Some create very intricate designs while other make a simple face, and yet each is a wonderful work of art in its own way.  People are talking to one another and making new friends.  Children run around picking up pumpkins, carving them and then placing their work of art in the back of a “gator” (a slightly larger four wheeler with a flat bed).  They watch in excitement as volunteers drive their creations to the back of a refrigerated truck to be stored for a week before being displayed.

Oliver Tierney, 3, makes a ‘pirate’

Three-year-old Oliver Tierney carved his first pumpkin during the event.

“I’m making a pirate,” he explained.  Oliver’s parents, Kate and Brandon Tierney, brought their son to the event hoping to create a special memory for him. “The weather is absolutely perfect,” Kate said. “We packed our lunch, and we’re making a day out of it.”

Once the pumpkins are carved, they are stored in a temperature-controlled warehouse to make sure they don’t rot over the week.  The following weekend, volunteers help transform the grounds around the carillon into a spooky village all aglow with 2,008 pumpkins.

A sign of the times

Pumpkins are placed on bales of hay, in the rose gardens, and some are propped up in a bubbling fountain of foam. There are paths to walk around for the curious to see all of the pumpkins, and bon fires are placed throughout the grounds for children, young and old, to stop by and warm up.  Dublin’s Pub, a local Irish pub and restaurant, sold chili and hot dogs to visitors.  Pease’s Candy Shop had a stand full of gummy worms, bugs and spiders. Bags of popcorn and other treats were also available for purchase. Some children dressed up in their Halloween costumes making it a more authentic Halloween experience. During the event, Karel Keldermans, the head carillonneur, played spooky music that set the mood for a fun-filled Halloween night. 

Rees Carillon puts on a Halloween face  

The carillon was lit up with pumpkin faces and gooey globs of light. Wolves howling, monsters grunting and different types of creepy sounds were broadcast through the park. On then West wall of the carillon, there was a slide show of clips from old black and white horror movies, newspaper clippings and other scary scenes. 

The organizers of this event couldn’t have done a better job. Once again Springfield Park District and the Carillon Society put on a spectacular family event as children and parents roamed the park and found their pumpkins together. Springfield is a family oriented community, and the third Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular was another glowing success.

In The Arms of Mother Teresa

 Jill Watkins

Brad Lacey’s wife, Sheila, knew something was wrong when her 42 year old husband missed the first day of duck hunting season last year.

It is a tradition every year for Brad and a group of his friends to stay in a cabin just north of Meridosia, the night before opening day of duck season. Like every year, Brad packed up his things and headed to the cabin. Just before midnight on October 27, Brad started feeling unusual. He experienced abdominal pain and felt nauseated. “I felt a lot of pressure in my upper abdomen, almost like a cracked sternum,” Brad said.

Since Brad was in good shape and had no previous medical problems, he knew something was wrong and decided to drive home.

Around 3:00a.m. Sheila received a phone call from her husband. “I was immediately concerned,” said Sheila. “I knew it was serious if he was missing the first day of duck hunting season.”

When Brad arrived home 30 minutes later, he laid on the couch in pain while Sheila looked up his symptoms on the internet. “We came to the conclusion, it was my gall bladder,” said Brad.
   

Finally around 6:30 a.m. Sheila decided it was time to go to the emergency room at Illini Community Hospital in Pittsfield, where she works in the accounting department. On the way to the hospital Brad called a longtime friend and nurse, Teresa Frasier. “I’ve known Teresa for a long time and wanted to get her opinion,” said Brad.

In fact, Teresa is more than just a friend to the Lacey’s. To them, she is known as “Mother Teresa.” When Brad graduated from the Illinois State Police Academy 20 years ago, he had two choices: Chicago or Pittsfield. Born and raised in a small town outside of Taylorville, Brad chose Pittsfield. Through a friend at work, Brad was introduced to the Frazier family.

“He was young and didn’t have any family here,” said Teresa. “He started coming over for holidays and became good friends with my sons, one of whom now works for Brad.”

But when Teresa did not answer her phone that morning as the Lacey’s were driving to the hospital, Brad knew he would have to rely on his wife Sheila for support.

Sheila walked her husband into the same building she walks every day for work. Only this time she and her family were in need of help.

“Everyone was so professional,” said Sheila. “This experience has made me even more proud to work at Illini.”

As the Emergency Room doors opened and a nurse walked into the waiting room, the Lacey’s breathed a sigh of relief. Teresa Frazier was the nurse on duty.

As she walked Brad to the ER, Dr. Travis Moore was awaiting them. “Dr. Moore had us run several tests including an electrocardiogram (EKG),” said Frazier. “I had a gut feeling it wasn’t his gallbladder, and when we saw the results from the EKG, we knew immediately it was his heart.”

“Dr. Moore was great,” said Brad. “He was very comforting and honest. But when he said it was my heart, it just didn’t sink in. I wanted to tell him to check again. I mean, I was walking and talking. It didn’t feel like what I thought a heart attack was supposed to feel like.”

Dr. Moore gave Brad medication to relax his heart, and Brad was shocked when Frazier came in and said he was going to go for a little helicopter ride.

“I still wasn’t experiencing any harsh pain so I couldn’t believe I needed to be transported,” said Brad.

Air Evac flew Brad to Memorial Hospital in Springfield, where Dr. Vincent Zuck and staff were waiting. Due to Heart Stat, a phone line between Illini Community Hospital and surrounding hospitals, both teams at Illini and Memorial made Brad their number one priority.

Once they rolled Brad out of the helicopter, things moved very quickly. “I was in the helicopter, and the next thing I knew I was watching my heart beat on a monitor.”

Because Brad had blockage in his Left Anterior Descending Artery (LAD), the main artery that feeds the heart, there was no time to put him under.

The staff numbed parts of his body and put a stint in as he watched it on a monitor. “It was the most surreal image,” Brad said. “I saw them shoot the die into my heart, and I could see the blockage. I actually felt my artery expand as I watched them put in the stint.”

The Lacey’s feel very fortunate that Brad is still alive today. The doctors later told them that they refer to a blockage in the LAD as the “widow maker.”

“If it wasn’t for Illini Community Hospital, Memorial Hospital, and Air Evac, there is a very good chance I wouldn’t be here today,” says Brad.

From the time he walked through the ER doors to the time he graduated the Cardiac Rehabilitation program with Ruby Thomas, a Cardiac Pulmonary Nurse, Brad says he received excellent care.

“I want to thank everyone at Illini, especially Teresa Frazier, Dr. Moore, Debbie Renoud, and Ruby Thomas,” says Brad. “Ruby was with me every step of the way after the attack. I actually looked forward to rehab. I started out walking and by the end of rehab, I was sprinting two miles.”

Although Brad gives credit to Illini, he says he could not have done any of it without his wife, Sheila. “She has always been there for me, and she is the most important person in my life.”

Brad and Sheila have made some changes in their life since the incident one year ago. They say they appreciate things more, and they both have changed a few things in their diets. They eat more fish, oatmeal and fruit.

Brad had no warning signs of a heart attack. He has never smoked; he worked out and never ate fried foods. Because of his experience, he advises people to pay attention to what their bodies tell them. “As life gets busy, we forget to take care of ourselves, says Brad. “Take time to go on walks, relax and be sure to enjoy every moment of life.”     

This article appeared in the Fall/Winter 2008 edition of the Illini Times in Pittsfield.

Two Haiku

Alisha Cox

Corn husks are scattered

While deer begin to stir

Fall, nature’s wonder.

Leaves drifting from trees

Warm crimson and burnt yellow

Softly blanket Earth.

Two Haiku

Robin Cragoe

Shivering branches

White droplets fall from the sky

A Christmas morning

Shivering branches

White droplets fall from the sky

A Christmas morning

Information, Links, and Personal Thoughts on Freelance Writing

Lauren Burke

Write.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was, “Writers write. A lot. All the time. In their free time.” It seems pretty self-evident, but it was good for me to hear at that point in life.

So start a journal (I have 20+ spanning the last 10 years).

Or record your dreams (I have 15 little notebooks of nightmares… some day I’ll break into the horror genre).

Blog.

Get a pen pal, or a couple.

People will talk.

Don’t underestimate the willingness of people to share information.

From the forensic artist I met when I accidentally interrupted a law-enforcement convention to the Klezmer music-playing entomologist I bumped into in a junk shop while on vacation, I’m learning that people will really open themselves up when you’re interested.

I have found the same to be true when it comes to contacting authors. If you have a favorite author or writer, send fan mail. Seriously. I can’t believe these people even open their mail, let alone write back to lowly peons like myself. BUT THEY DO.

One guy was totally pumped about giving me advice on how to land a book contract. My favorite author/illustrator of all time (Lauren Child, UK), just wrote me back a year and a half after I had sent her a letter. My letter got lost; she recently found it, and sent back a nice little reply with doodles and an offer to write again. That is commitment.

Seriously, people, it doesn’t hurt to try!

Simultaneous Submissions.

There are convincing arguments for both sides of the simultaneous submissions debate. One of my successful articles was a simultaneous submission, so I know it can happen. However, it’s important to note that a) it wasn’t a big time magazine; b) it didn’t pay a whole heaping lot; and c) they did a lot of pre-publication correspondence with me via e-mail, so I suspect that they aren’t as formal as some publishers. Warning: Always let editors know when you’re making simultaneous submissions.

Rejections.

Are like poop. They happen. It’s a normal part of life, not anything to dwell on. Don’t let the thought of rejections keep you from making submissions.

Besides, there is always that editor who balances out others’ rejections by sending Christmas cards.

Remember Anniversaries.

Paper's 1900th birthday was 2005. Big deal right? Well, an editor of a children’s magazine thought it was worth a look. I submitted a dense, plodding manuscript, and she edited it down to cute little statements that dotted the magazine pages in cheerful bubbles. Works for me.

Do a quick Internet search to see what anniversaries are coming up.

Staying creative.

I have a bunch of very creative and fascinating friends: writers, artists, military men, health care personnel, teachers, missionaries, outdoor enthusiasts, and musicians. They keep me on my toes with a constant flow of information and ideas from around the U.S. and around the world.

Freelancing is a tricky thing.

A version of this article was posted to Lauren’stuff <http://laurenburke.blogspot.com/> Nov. 29, 2008

My Dad, Me, and My Son

Jim Augenstein

Time Comes,

Time Goes;

Like waves on the ocean

Time continually flows.

Enjoy the present,

Remember with fondness the past:

Scraped elbows and skinned knees,

Those are memories that last.

I’ll keep the visions forever,

Of him racing down the field

Or trotting round the bases;

In my mind they’ll be sealed.

Someday he’ll be in the stands

Watching his son play the game

Cheering and chastising,

All the while hoping for the “Hall of fame.”

Time marches on

His generation replaces mine.

Like every father before

He sees the passing time.

This is the progression.

Life is its name.

The more things change,

The more they stay the same.