river's edge 10-26-2012 vol 5 issue 3

7/30/2019 River's Edge 10-26-2012 VOL 5 Issue 3

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Halloween is a time when pretty mucheveryone loves to hear a good ghoststory. Many such haunted tales are set oncollege campuses and ueled by unortu-

nate death. Here in the Quad Cities, theWestern Illinois University campuses arerather new and thereore unblemished bypast misortune. WIUs Macomb campusis more aged and holds much historicallore. anner Hall, Simpkins Hall, andBayliss Hall are particularly steeped intragic legend. As a result, all three build-ings are rumored to house phantomresidents.

anner Hall is said to be hauntedby a ghost who met his demise within itswalls. Te haunting seems to be centeredon the twelh oor where a mysteriousmale gure has been seen lurking around.Tere have also been occurrences opeople being touched by unseen hands.Te story behind these paranormalaccounts begins with a water ght thatallegedly took place in 1972. A youngman, in his attempt to escape the spray,ran into an elevator door on the twelhoor. Te problem with this aversionstrategy was that the elevator wasnt at thetwelh oor. It was stopped ar below, onthe ourth oor, so he ell down the emptysha to his death.

Simpkins Hall is supposedlyinhabited by two spirits. Beore the build-ing became the location or the Englishand Journalism department, it began as atraining school or children. Tis historyis responsible or the spirit that hauntsthe rst oor. Its been told that a little girlcan be heard giggling there on occasion.She playully runs, unseen down the halls,with her childlike ootsteps echoing be-hind her. Some have even had the delighto hearing a girlish, disembodied voice

ask them i they want to play. Te

little girl is apparently in search o a play-mate, yet she does not haunt SimpkinsHall alone. While her realm is the rstoor, the third oor is home to anothersoul. Harold was rumored to have been

a janitor at Simpkins Hall. He must haveenjoyed his work, or he continues to

tend the oor today. Aer classes have alldismissed, Harolds keys have been heard

jingling as he makes his way down thehalls. Proessors have reported the lightsin their classrooms going dark and thedoors swinging shut, as Harold closes upthe oor or the evening.

GHOSSpage 7

On uesday, October 16th, WIUQC proudlyhosted Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson o Mahatma Gan-dhi. Dr. Gandhi spoke on the topic o nonviolence, aphilosophy he learned rom his grandather and con-

tinues not only to practice, but to pass on to others aswell. He emphasized the act that one does not haveto be special to make a dierence in the world, butmerely needs to make the resolution to be a betterhuman being today than yesterday. Dr. Gandhi eelsthat i we wait or the top people to transorm, thechange will never happen. Change must come romthe grassroots. It does not go rom the top down, itgoes rom the bottom up. He oen repeated Mahat-ma Gandhis amous quote, You must be the changeyou wish to see in the world. One does not have tobe special to create change.

According to Dr. Gandhi, one way to createchange is by channeling anger into positive action.He expressed the idea that violence cannot be human

nature because it must be taught in military acad-emies and through martial arts. Anger, however, isnatural, but can be used constructively. He illustratedhis point by comparing anger to electricity anger is

just as useul and powerul but can be just as dan-gerous and deadly. By simply learning to understand

ones anger and using it intelligently, one can helprid the world o violence.

Violence, however, takes many orms. Dr.Gandhi explained the dierences between physicaland passive violence. Physical violence is what one

typically thinks o when one hears the word vio-lence hitting, kicking, rape, murder, etc. Passive

violence, on the other hand, is anything we do,consciously or unconsciously, that hurts someone.

People commit passive violence all the time withoutrealizing it. According to Dr. Gandhi, the victimo passive violence oen becomes angry and usesphysical violence to retaliate. He encouraged theaudience to consider how they contribute to passive

violence every day and how they can stop doing so.

He also explained that a philosophy o nonviolencemeans much more than simply not ghting witheach other. It means reducing violence to nature bywasting ewer natural resources and to humanity bystopping overconsumption and greed that deprivesothers o needed resources.

Another important point Dr. Gandhibrought up was the nonviolent philosophys theoryon building relationships. According to this philoso-phy, relationships must be built on the oundationso respect, understanding, acceptance, and apprecia-tion. We must respect each other as human beingsand get rid o labels, including labels dealing withrace, gender, and economic status. He also expressedhis concern with materialism, which he eels leads

to selshness. When people are too busy ocusingon acquiring material possessions, they lose ocus obuilding human relationships.

GANDHIpage 4

How Important is a Sense of Place?Find out on page 5

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3 October 26, 2012

By Aimee Tacey

Staf Writer

Western Illinois University - Quad CitiesThe Public Choice for the Quad Cities

Rivers Edge

Dr. Gandhi Shares Message of Peace at WIUBy Hayleigh CovellaStaf Writer

Photo By: Matt Alden Brown

Ghoulish Ghosts of WIU

Tanner Hall

The Scariest Halloween Party EverBy Cait BodenbenderAssistant Editor

Back in 1985, Mike and Penni Steen threw aHalloween party. Tey lived rurally, and thoughtit would be un to make a haunted orest ontheir land or riends and amily. In a ew years,

500 people were coming to the party. Tat num-ber doubled in another handul o years. Moreand more people came to be thrilled and right-ened every year. Te powers-that-be declaredthat this was no party, but rather a commercial

venture being held in a residential neighborhood,and asked them to stop the haunt. But the Steenshad caught the Halloween bug, and they decidedthat starting up a commercial haunt sounded likea great idea. Tey bought the Masonic Centerbuilding in downtown Rock Island, renamed itSkellington Manor, and held their rst commer-cial, indoor haunt there in the Fall o 2009.

Te move has allowed their haunt, now callederror at Skellington Manor, to grow artistically.Te location has connected the Steens with amuch larger pool o acting talent actors rom

Rock Islands District Teater, Prenzie Players,and even the Rock Island High School DramaClub have joined the cast. And working indoors,in a permanent venue, has allowed the Steensand their actors to create sets, costumes, andprops throughout the year (instead o in a rushedew months). Most importantly, it has allowedtheir actors the time to develop terriyinglyrealistic characters. Millions o dollars [put] intoset and costume dont make it [eel] real, claimsPenni, the people [acting] make it [eel] real.

error at Skellington Manors actors certainlyhave a lot o incentive to make their peror-mances eel as real as possible cast membersare given an enormous amount o artistic controlover their characters and the scene in which they

play. Te Steens choose a theme or the haunt,which guides actors choices. But the dierentrooms o the manor hold completely disparatescenes, which are created and developed by thecast members that act in them. Tis years theme

is Sinister Cineplex, and the rooms are inspiredby movies and aerie tales.When cast member Matt Moody describes

the haunt, it sounds more like an incrediblyscary, in-you-ace theatrical experience than amere haunted house. Tis years haunt eaturesdramatic lighting, intricate sets, and chilling auraleects. Tere are even a ew scenes that incor-porate smell. As an acting experience, Moodyclaims that perorming in error at SkellingtonManor is antastically un and extremely chal-lenging. On a busy night youve got ten secondsin ront o people, he says, You have to impro-

vise and pull [them] into the scene. Te absoluteemotional goal is to make olks orget that theyare actually sae to make them eel mortallyaraid or a second or two at a time and then give

them the relie that they are sae [by] giving themsome comedy with a really, really creepy edge.

I being mortally araid or a second or twosounds like un to you, check out error atSkellington Manor this weekend. Te haunt isopen Tursday and Sunday night rom 7pm to10pm, and Friday and Saturday night rom 7pmto midnight. General admission is $15. For $5more, you can skip the line and head straight intothe haunt. On Tursday and Sunday, theres a $2discount on all admissions. Saturday, October27th will eature an aernoon lights on show,which is less scary and thereore more appropri-ate or kids, rom 1pm to 4pm. Te lights onshow costs $8. For more inormation, go towww.skellingtonmanor.com/terror/.


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On October 11, Americans witnessedthe oreign and domestic policy debatebetween current Vice President Joe Bidenand Republican candidate Paul Ryan. Init, each politician represented and de-ended their party in an eort to win the

vice presidency in the coming weeks. Like

many others across the nation, I sat downand watched it in its entirety, as well as aollow-up program right aer the event.

Having never seen Biden debate be-ore, while knowing about past gaes andhis tendency to be overly candid at t imes,I had reservations as to how well hewould do. Ryan, his opponent, has beenparaded as a young, attractive, intelligentRepublican this election and seems tobe a bigger threat to Democrats than hisip-opping, brownnosing running mate.I was positive Ryan would prove to betoo much or Biden to handle during thedebate. I was wrong.

Due to President Obamas seeminglyunder-enthused perormance during the

rst debate, there is little doubt Biden eltpressure to redeem the Democrats. ButBiden went arther than simply gettingthe Democrats back on track withoutcoming o as over-compensatory tomoderates; he showed that Democratsreally are red up and ready to continuetheir eorts with new vigor.

While Biden was criticized aer thedebate as being mean and unair to hisopponent, his behavior toward Ryandemonstrated a connection betweenDemocratic politicians and the citizensthey represent. For months, the Romney-Ryan campaign has spouted views thatthe Le nds problematic and absurd,

such as the Republicans proposed (or,rather, not yet proposed) budget; vouchersystem change to Medicare; poor stanceon womens rights in regard to health, re-production, and equal pay; and dealingsregarding national deense. Tis time,

instead o a Democrat essentially giv-ing out a sigh at the absurd, the nationexperienced one that was not araid to

laugh at the opposing teams propositionsoutright, which has been a long timecoming.

Vice President Biden did not just laughat Ryans contributions to the debate assome Right Wing talking heads haveadamantly suggested. At many times

throughout, Biden called malarkey im-mediately on Ryan or alse statements,including topics like seniors suppos-edly losing Medicare plans, Democratsendorsing Ryans plans, support romthe ormer Clinton Budget Director, andmathematically impossible endeavors ocutting taxes while preserving middleclass tax preerences. Biden laughedbecause he was doing a political dancewith someone he thought dangerous andabsurd, just like so many other liberalsacross the country today.

I think Bill Maher did a great jobsumming up the event mid-debate bycomically saying, Hello 9-1-1? Tere [is]an old man beating a child on my tv. Just

as McCain had to ace a young opponentin 2008, Biden had to do the same dur-ing the debate, but this time the youngcontender did not come out on top. Inthe rst debate between President Obamaand Governor Romney, I sensed Obamawas getting tired o struggling againstopponents he could not take seriously,but in the Vice Presidential debate, Bidenmade it blatantly clear.

All in all, I eel that Biden clearlydemonstrated why Democrats andIndependent Liberals like mysel shouldstill be excited about the continuationo the Obama-Biden presidency. WhileI still have some reservations about the

presidency, I eel that this debate, alongwith the others, have given voters like meanother chance to reassess our positionsand eel some ervor in politics again.

Matt Alden Brown,Editorial Contributor

2 October 26, 2012 RIVERS EDGE WIU-QC

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

THE WESTERN WALL

Like all o you, I own a couple o devices which allow me to mimic most o the so-

cially necessary behaviors required to keep my head out o the stocks. As we are all awarethough, in todays world, most o these devices possess some secondary capability whosepurpose is to make lie easier. Sometimes utilizing these eatures however involves thatsublime moment o discovery where you slap your orehead and say, Wait, you are sayingi I press this button tonight, the coee is ready when I get up?

Once the discovery phase has passed though, the best reason or why these eaturesshould be utilized, isnt to ensure we get the most or our money, it is because perceivedobsolescence is a major problem with our society, and anything that can be done createsa mindset where we try to enhance and prolong the lie o our stu is thought processmore o us need to adopt, (I told you I was awake during the lm Dr. Werner).

I bring this up because as WIU students many, many, o us are missing out on these littleextras which, while not directly essential to earning the degree and getting the career,are capable o making lie as a student more ullling, as well as cost-eective. So in noparticular order, here are ve opportunities and services included in the WIU studentpackage deal, which you may not be aware o.

1. Te MetroLink Bus Pass: Car dead? Forget Fred! Show your WIU-ID when you get

on any MetroLink bus and you are going to ride in that common mans chariot merely byvirtue o your good sense to be a student at WIU! By timing it right, a trip to campus, or toalmost anywhere else in the Quad Cities, is possible.

2. Career Services: It is nearly impossible to spend time on campus and not hear aboutCareer Services, but that shouldnt suggest this resource is being utilized to its maximumpotential. Even i you are in a program that has seen all nine o it is graduates obtain highpaying jobs right out o the gate, the opportunity or a mock interview, and resume writingtips are an edge no one should over look, and because youve paid or the opportunity, whywould you? o schedule an appointment call 309-762-9080.

3. Te US Bank - Quad Cities Writing Center: All writing is rewriting, this simplestatement makes clear what most o can realize when we get the assignment we agonizedover returned with some pretty obvious mistakes staring us in the ace. Why not make

that rewriting process a little more organized? Te Writing Center is a resource nearly

without parallel when it comes to improving just about any kind o written work. Butplease dont take my word or it. Visit Dr. Wherry and the merry pranksters who live to

help you conjugate your verbs, and enjoy gaining the ability to say exactly what you meanwhen typing that next assignment. For appointments, questions, and inquiries call 309-762-9481 x64534

4. Scholarships: Ill be brie, we all know they exist, and most o us know we qualiy.Tough chances are i you are making ends meet, even just barely, applying or scholar-ships looks like a waste o time. Ladies and Gentlemen, I dont need to tell you how evena hundred dollars can make a big dierence when your income is less then outstanding.What I can mention however, is that learning how to complete the scholarship process;adhering to checklists, writing or deadlines, and data mining, or a particular nancialreward, is a task most o us will never escape rom when our college days are over. AlsoId add nothing lls out a resume better than a line touting your scholarship rewards. Seewhat you already qualiy or at http://www.wiu.edu/qc/scholarships/.

5. Student Group Activities: Yes I know youre busy. I know you arent in the degreeprogram that a particular group caters to, and yes I know you hate ree ood, and hangingout with individuals who see the value o higher education and are willing to do anythingto attain it. Wait, you dont hate ree ood and likeminded, thoughtul, people? Tenmight I suggest that you attend a campus event hosted by one o the many student groups?Occurring throughout the semester, and only taking a couple o hours, where they willalmost always give you something, these events can enhance even the most vibrant collegeexperience. Ever heard o LASSO? Surprisingly they make very little rope, but do provideopportunities or students rom all programs to have an awesome experience, no matterthe event. Simply disregard the act that I am a member, and come prepared to think, andusually eat.

Until then, Let the Father o Waters go unvexed to the sea.

Aaron GraEditor-in-Chie

So Much Available, So Little Time

Biden the BeastThe Vice Presidents Voice

Te September 28, 2012, Letter rom theEditor o the Rivers Edge encouragedinvolvement in your student newspaper.Writing and contributing to the RiversEdge is a great way or you to expressyour social responsibility as a member othe WIU-Quad Cities community.

I also want to encourage you to takeadvantage o the support WIU-Quad Cit-ies oers as you advance your academicexcellence and personal growth. ManyWIU-Quad Cities campus services areavailable to help you succeed, pay orcollege, communicate, and connect oncampus.

Western Illinois University supportsstudent scholarships and nancial aidprograms. Over three-ourths o WIUstudents receive nancial assistance, soI encourage you to explore nancial aidopportunities with nancial aid ocerCharla Pratt. Contact Charla at CK-

[email protected], 108G Riverront, or callor an appointment 762-9481.

Scholarships are nancial awards givento students by donors to the University.Tere are dierent criteria or dier-ent awards. Some are based on nancialneed, others on achievements, someon academic majors, and others are acombination o many actors. People andorganizations generously donated to helpund your college education. See whatis available or you by visiting www.wiu.edu/qc/scholarships or contacting Stu-dent Services at 60th Street or Riverront.

It is important to use your WIU e-mailaddress. Tis is the ocial source orcommunication rom the University.Faculty and sta use it to update youabout a variety o inormation, such asnancial aid and scholarship inormation,registration dates, key university dates,and more. Another source o inorma-tion is the WIU-QC Facebook page. Just

this week there were new posts about aonce-in-a-lietime lecture by Dr. ArunGandhi, and details about an upcomingWQP Public elevision rivia night. Iyou need help with nding your WIUe-mail address, ask the student computerlab attendant on duty at either Riverrontor 60th Street. And, be sure to like us onFacebook.

All new students beginning this all wereassigned a aculty or sta mentor. Yourmentor is committed to your success atWestern Illinois University. Mentors relyon your WIU e-mail or contact, or maytouch base with you via telephone. So iyou havent had a chance, please checkyour e-mail or voice messages. I youare not sure who your mentor is, contactLindsay Fender at [email protected] orstop by oce 207E in the Oce o theVice President at Riverront.

Make sure that you have your University

ID. University IDs can be obtained bycontacting Student Services. Your IDenables you to check out library materi-als and WIU-Quad Cities partners withMetrolink to provide unlimited access tothe entire Metrolink transit system witha WIU ID. Simply show the driver yourWIU ID each time you board, and thatsit, no are required. For more inorma-tion on Metrolink routes and schedules,

visit www.gogreenmetro.com or stop bythe Metro Kiosk located in the lobby oRiverront.

Wishing you continued success,

Dr. Joseph RivesVice President, Quad Cities and Planning


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Dr. Douglas A. Druckenmiller is a vital part o WIUs School o Com-puter Sciences. Located here, in the Quad Cities, Dr. Druckenmiller hasbeen an Associate Proessor o Inormation Systems 2004. Accordingto his WIU homepage, Dr. Druckenmiller has over 30 years o experi-ence in teaching Inormation Systems management, and his educationalbackground includes a BA in philosophy rom the University o Illinois atChicago, a Masters in Management degree rom the University o Mary inBismarck, North Dakota, and a Ph.D. in Management Inormation Systemsand Business Strategy rom Kent State University. His research ocuseson development o sotware to support acilitation processes involvingcausal mapping, agent-based modeling and simulation tools, systems dy-namics modeling and thinking, Group Support Systems (GSS) and virtualmeeting technologies.

his semester, Dr. Druckenmiller is teaching an online section o CS320: Ethical, Social and Legal Issues in the Digital World, two online sec-tions o IS 325: Global Social Networks, and one section o IS 340: Intro-duction to Inormation Systems (which meets at the Riverront campus).In addition to this class load, the busy proessor is vital to the unction oWIUs Atlantis Program.

[he Atlantis Program]started in 2006, says Dr. Druckenmiller,[with] grant[s] rom the Department o Education and rom he Euro-pean Union on Education and Culture. he grants provided $676,000 tobe used or European Study Abroad. Atlantis Programs students hail romWIU-QC, Chicagos DePaul University, he Ecole de Commerce Euro-penne (ECE a French post-secondary business school with locations inParis, Bordeaux, and Lyon), and Swedens Linkping University, and travelto partner schools abroad or their third year o study. he Americanstudents attend ECE during the Fall semester o that year and then attendLinkping University during the Spring semester.

Initially, the program gave students the opportunity to earn a bachelorsdegree rom Sweden and then return to the U.S. to inish their bachelorsdegree rom WIU. But in 2011, the program transitioned into a 3-plus-1dual degree program. American students return rom Linkping with abachelors degree ater their third year o school, and then begin an M.B.A.at WIU in their ourth year. European students enter their ourth year asM.B.A. students in Supply Chain Management.

According to Dr. Druckenmiller, the year abroad gives Atlantis studentsan edge, as their language skills and proven ability to work with diversebusiness partners in a competitive global environment make them moreattractive to potential employers. It also broadens students understandingo their world.

Dr. Druckenmiller, himsel, has a strong ainity or travel. He alsoenjoys singing and playing the guitar. hough its hard to imagine how heinds the time, both he and his wie WIU-QC Business Communicationsinstructor Patricia Druckenmiller sing in the choir at their church. Inaddition, Dr. Druckenmiller stays involved in local community service.His scholarship and his many activities outside o the classroom demon-strate his passion or his ield, his commitment to his students, and hismultiaceted personality.

October 26, 2012 3RIVERS EDGE WIU-QCFAMILIAR FACES

W est ern I l l i n o i s U n i vers i t y - Q u a d C i t i e s d ra w s i n m a n y s t u d en t s , n o t

ju s t r om t h e Q u a d C i t i e s prop e r, bu t a l s o r om m a ny o t h e s u r ro u nd -

i n g a rea s . h i s w eek s s t u d en t pro i l e o cu ses o n o n e o o u r co m m u t i n g

s t u d en t s . Her n a m e i s La u ra D evi n e . La u ra i s ro m D i x o n , I l l , a n d sh e

m a k es t h e h o u r d r i ve , t o a n d ro m t h e Q u a d C i t i e s ca m pu s , t w o d a y s a

w eek .

La u ra i s w o rk i n g t o w a rd a L i b era l Art s a n d S c i en ce d egree w i t h a m i -

n o r i n Psy ch o lo gy . S h e i s i n h er 3rd sem est er h ere a n d h a s a pro jec t ed

gra d u a t i o n d a t e o D ecem b er 2013 . Pr i o r t o a t t en d i n g W I U - Q C , La u ra

gra d u a t ed ro m D i x o n Hi gh S ch o o l i n 2007 a n d t h en w en t o n t o ea rn

h er Asso c i a t es d egree a t S a u k V a l l ey C o m m u n i t y C o l lege i n 2011 .

W h en sh e s n o t s t u d y i n g o r d r i v i n g , La u ra w o rk s w i t h ch i ld ren i n h er

a rea . S h e s t a t es , I m a n Am eri C o rps m em b er , a n d m y s i t e i s a t t h e

[ YM C A] i n S t er l i n g . I w o rk i n t h e w ee ca re w h i ch i s w h ere pa ren t s ca n

d ro p o t h e i r k i d s w h i le t h ey w o rk o u t o r sw i m .

I n a d d i t i o n , sh e w o rk s w i t h ch i ld ren a t a lo ca l gra d e sch o o l . La u ra

a d d s , I a l so d o a n a t er sch o o l pro gra m . I go t o a sch o o l i n S t er l i n g ,

a n d t h e k i d s co m e t o t h e gy m a t er sch o o l a n d I w a t ch t h em u n t i l

5 : 30pm . W e h e lp t h em w i t h t h e i r h o m ew o rk , g i ve t h em a sn a ck a n d t h en

w e e i t h er go o u t s i d e a n d p la y [ w h en t h e w ea t h er co m pl i es ] , o r i n t h e

w i n t er , w e l l ju s t p la y i n t h e gy m . h e k i d s ra n ge i n a ges ro m k i n d er-

ga r t en t o 5 t h gra d e .

La u ra h a s a lo t o ex per i en ce w i t h ch i ld ren . Her s i s t er l i ves i n t h e

sa m e t o w n a n d h a s 3 k i d s . I spen d a lo t o m y t i m e h e lp i n g h er w i t h

t h em , sh e sa y s . B u t sh e d o es ge t so m e a d u l t t i m e a s w e l l , sh e a d d s , I

a l so l i k e t o ju s t h a n g o u t w i t h m y b o y r i en d .

S h e h a s a va r i e t y o o t h er i n t eres t s a s w e l l . S h e l i k es t o rea d , w a t ch

V a n d m o vi es . I m i n t o Gri m m r i gh t n o w . I w a t ch ed t h e w h o le sec o n d

sea so n , n o w I m go i n g b a ck a n d w a t ch i n g t h e i r s t sea so n I [ l i k ed

rea d i n g] Ha rry Po t t er , a l so t h e Hu n ger Ga m es , I rea d t h e w h o le ser i es ,

sh e sa y s . h e l a s t m o vi e sh e sa w i n a t h ea t er w a s D a rk S h a d o w s w i t h

Jo h n n y D epp. I t h o u gh t i t w a s rea l ly go o d , t h e en d i n g w a s sa d t h o u gh ,

sh e s t a t es .

La u ra a l so p la y ed b a sk et b a l l a n d so t b a l l i n h i gh sch o o l , b u t sh e

la u gh s a n d sa y s , I p la y ed resh m en a n d so ph o m o re y ea r , b u t I m n o t

ve r y g o o d at sp or t s s o i t wa s mo re or u n .

L i k e m a n y co l l ege s t u d en t s , sh e h a s y e t t o d e t erm i n e a so l i d ca reer

pa t h . A l t h o u gh sh e sa y s t h a t , M y a vo r i t e c la s s [ so a r] w a s Ph y s i -o lo gi ca l Psy ch o lo gy b eca u se i t s rea l ly i n t eres t i n g t o l ea rn a b o u t w h a t

a c t u a l ly go es o n i n t h e b ra i n t h a t m a k es peo ple d i eren t . S h e a d d s , I

rea l ly d o n t k n o w w h a t I w a n t t o d o y e t . I h a ven t m a d e u p m y m i n d so I

t h o u gh t I d ge t t h i s [ d egree] , ju s t ge t i t d o n e a n d h ea d o u t i n t o t h e w o rk

orce.

Al t h o u gh sh e spen d s a lo t o t i m e o n t h e ro a d , La u ra s ex per i en ce a n d

s t u d i es w i l l cer t a i n ly pro v i d e h er w i t h a w e l l - ro u n d ed b a ck gro u n d a s

sh e en t ers t h a t w o rk o rce . B es t o lu ck t o y o u a n d y o u r u t u re , La u ra !

Student Profile: Laura Devine

Faculty Prole: Dr. Douglas Druckenmiller

Photo Provided Courtesy of Dr. Druckenmillers Website

Photo By Caressa Clearman

Interview By Patrick OlsonArticle written by Rivers Edge Staf

By Caressa Clearman

Staf Writer


4/8

4 October 26, 2012 RIVERS EDGE WIU-QC

ATTENTION WRITERS:Do you like CONTESTS?

Do you want a KINDLE?

IDEAS (the Interdisciplinary English and Arts Soci-

ety) just so happens to have a CONTEST with the

winner receiving a KINDLE! How serendipitous for

YOU, dear reader!

All you have to do is submit a short story by

October 26th, 2012 in order to be entered into

the contest.

The winner will be revealed at the IDEAS Coffee

House Bash scheduled for November 9th, 2012.

The winner of the contest will receive a Kindle asa prize, as well as be published here, in the

November 30th edition of the Riveredge! Its the

love, admiration and recognition youve always

wanted!

Now, in order to be considered your story must

meet the following specications:

1) Must be ve hundred [500] words or fewer

And, in honor of everyones favorite presidential

election month, all stories should

2) Be politically themed

3) ????

4) PROFIT!

Other than these specications, your story can be

written in ANY WAY you want we will pick the

BEST, whether the best happens to be the FUN-

NIEST, the SCARIEST, the MOST INTENSE, WHAT-

EVER the best story will win, and its author will

receive a brand new KINDLE!

Send all submissions as an e-mail attachment to

[email protected], with the subject heading

Short Story Contest and remember, you only get

ONE ENTRY PER PERSON, so make sure its the

absolute BEST story it can be.

(Only WIU-QC Students are Eligible for the Prize)

PAGES

A Blast from the Past: Transmetropolitan

Dear reader, it occasionally becomes dicult toremain topical and up-to-date when the competingpulls o work, school, and an underwhelming montho comics assails me rom all directions. Admittedly, Ihave no idea whats going on with Marvel these days,as it takes enough time and money to keep up withthe ew DC series I actually like. With that in mind,DCs Month o 0 was pretty underwhelming (ex-cept or Talon and Dial H check those out i you getthe chance) and not worth an entire article. So sincetheres nothing new to talk about, allow me to takeyou on a journey to the past. Strap yourselves into thetime machine, olks, were going back to a land beoreGeorge W. Bush, a land beore iPods, a land beoretime itsel! 1997!

Tis decade, orgotten by time, saw the launcho my two avorite comic books o all time Transmet-ropolitan, written by Warren Ellis and drawn primarilyby Darick Robertson, and Preacher, written by GarthEnnis, and drawn mostly by Steve Dillon. Preacherissomething Im going to keep in my reviewer tool-beltuntil another time like this when I have no idea whatto talk about, and have a deadline to meet. So

Transmetropolitan ollows the lie o Gonzo Journal-ist, Spider Jerusalem. Spider is, hands down, the bestcomic book character Ive ever had the joy to read hes a cranky, crazy, drug-ueled curmudgeon witha heart o gold. Imagine Hunter S. Tompson mixedwith Walter Matthau rom Grumpy Old Men, and youhave a rough idea as to who Spider is.

Being a (school) newspaper man mysel,I cant help but aspire to be like Spider Jerusalem.Armed with his trusty bowel disruptor a spaceylaser-gun looking thing that literally shoots a ray atpeople that makes their bowels turn to mush (thoughit has multiple settings, such as atal intestinal mael-strom, loose, watery, and prolapse) Spider is onan endless quest to root out and report the truth, at allcosts. Te story arc that takes over about twenty issuesinto the series, and continues throughout, is the storyo how Spider is trying to bring down the presidential

candidacy o the most monstrous, corrupt politiciansince McCarthy. Somehow, Warren Ellis manages tokeep the story resh and hilarious while still deliveringabsolutely crushing moments o sadness and emotion.Because o Ellis masterul ability to cra a story andcharacters, Spider Jerusalem is the unniest, meanest,grumpiest, and most likeable

character you will ever read.

Te times when you get to see behind Spiders brashexterior, and are exposed to the man beneath, aresome o the most heart-wrenching moments Ive everread in a comic and they are usually ollowed upwith something that will make you laugh uncontrol-lably.

ransmetropolitan is well worth the time andmoney to buy and read the trade paperbacks. Its asi Charles Bukowski, Bret Easton Ellis and Hunter S.Tompson wrote a comic book together its trans-gressive, subversive, brutally violent at times, packedwith vibrant, valid, and still timely social commen-tary, and utterly hilarious. Te series ended with sixtyissues, broken into ten volumes, in 2002, leavingbehind one o the best characters ever devised in anymedium. Dear reader, nd a way, any way, to read thisseries starting with ransmetropolitain, Vol. One:Back on the Street.

By Bobby DillonAssistant Editor

The Case of the Maybe Murdered Millionaires:Part Three

Aer seeing the mysterious note directed at the Knights o Skara Brae, I knew I had to check

out the Hope Shelter or any signs o suspicious activity. I ran downstairs to hail a cab under a graysky threatening rain with Daisy trailing close behind.

Where to rst, boss? inquired my determined assistant.We need to investigate the goings-on at the Hope Shelter. Maybe we can nd some leads. I

replied, a bit distracted by the perceived absurdity o my new case.Te shelter was not ar rom my oce. Only ve minutes had passed when we pulled up in ront

o a dilapidated brick building.Tis doesnt look promising. I muttered wondering why anyone would be concerned with this

rundown piece o architecture.Appearances can be deceiving! chirped Daisy striding toward the door.I sighed and gave the driver his are. As I turned toward the crumbling aade o Hope Shelter, I

saw a man meet Daisy at the door.Dinner isnt or a ew more hours. the stocky gent peered at us skeptically rom under thick

eyebrows.Oh were not here to eat. Daisy replied amiably, We would like to speak with whoevers in

charge, please.Hi, my name is Frank Simon. I interjected giving Daisy a pointed look. Can you direct me to

your boss?I am the boss and Im busy. answered the man quite grufy.Can I have your name and perhaps set up an appointment with you? the words rushed out o

my mouth only to meet the door slamming in our aces. Daisy turned to look at me, eyes wide withshock,

What was that all about?I dont know, Daisy. I said, But this just got a little more interesting.

By Alyssa GrimesStaf Writer

GANDHIcontinued rom page 1

Dr. Gandhi eels that nonviolent relationships are

especial ly important between parents and their chil-

dren and that using violence as discipline teaches

children that violence is acceptable. As he explained,

Punishment is not important, penance is Punish-ing children is not discipline, it is control through

ear, which does not last long. Control through love

is long-lasting. He told stories o his own parents,

who, rather than punishing him and his sisters,

would punish themselves when their children mis-

behaved. According to his parents, i their children

misbehaved, they had ai led at parenting and de-

served to pay a p enance. This penance oten took the

orm o asting.

Dr. Gandhi concluded his speech with the tale o

an Indian king who sought to learn what peace was.

The king consulted a sage, who handed him a grain

o wheat. The king did not understand what the

grain meant, but took it home and locked it away ina box. He would look at the grain o wheat each day,

trying to understand its signiicance. He eventually

asked an intel lectual the meaning behind the grain

o wheat. The intel lectual explained that, i lo cked

away, the grain would whither and die without ever

being known by others, but i planted, i t would

spread. Dr. Gandhi explained that, l ike the grain o

wheat, i someone inds peace and keeps it locked

within their heart, it will perish. His speeches

around the world are his way o passing on the grain

o wh eat.

Spider Jerusalem By Mike McLarty


5/8

Tucked away on River Drive in Moline, near the oot o t he I-74bridge, sits an abandoned brick building with a clock ace above itsdoor. I youve driven down River Drive or been on the bike pathalong the Il l inois side, chances are youve probably passed thisbuilding. Built in 1900, this is Molines last standing tr ain depot,and it is in danger o being demolished.

Plans or the new I-74 bridge have put the historic tr aindepot in jeopardy. Its current location is in the projected path othe new bridge. Originally, the Moline City Council had voted tosell the train depot to the Il l inois Department o Transportation(IDOT). IDOT had planned to raze the building, which would save

some taxpayer dollars but also destroy a piece o the citys history.However, plans were changed as th e Moline Preservation Societygot on board.

According to qctimes.com, The circa-1900 building onRiver Drive stands in the way o the new Interstate 74 bridgeproject, and preservationists previously had brokered a plan t heyhoped would save it: Move the depot to the Western Ill inois Uni-

ve rs it y ca mp us , al so in Mo li ne , wh er e it wo uld be re no va te d as awelcome center.

The biggest issues now are t ime and money. At the last city

council meeting, a reprieve was granted until December 18th.Preservationists have until then to solicit pledges rom both pri-va te ci ti ze ns an d lo ca l co rpo ra ti on s to sa ve the bu il di ng . Th eyneed to raise $155,000.

President o the Moline Preservation Society, Diann Moore,told CBS news, Its not a whole lot o time to raise $155,000, buti it s something you believe in, you put your heart and soul into itand you hope you come through.

The building became a historic landmark in 1994 ater itwas purchased by the city. It was then used as a visitors center andas oices or the Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau,prior to that it had been used as oices or the Frank FoundryCompany. It served as one o Molines main train stations rom1900 to 1934.

The total price tag to move and renovate the building comes

in at around 1.2 million dollars, but most o this money has al-ready been allocated through IDOT and WIU. Its the remaining$155, 000 that needsto be mustered up tosecure the buildingssurvival.

I you would like tomake a donation orollow the progress o the Preservation Soci-ety, please visit mo-linepreservation.org.The train depot couldmake a very interest-ing addition to WIUs

growing riverrontcampus, combining agreat piece o Molinesarchitectural history

RIVERS EDGE WIU-QC Octoer 26, 2012 5

Historic Train Depot Faces Demolition or Gets New Life at WIU-QCBy Caressa ClearmanStaf Writer

Its a solemn, gray aternoon as I pull into the parking lot, easily ind-

ing a spot amongst the hal-empty stalls. he wind whips as I walk up to

the doors, blowing my hair this way and that; suddenly a door opens, and a

specter sulks past, head down a reminder o days gone by. As I slip through

the doors, I am greeted by a wall o overwhelming silence. he once vibrant

main entrance to the ormer home o hundreds o students echoes with my

ootalls the nearby couches lay bare; the television, at one point constantly

tuned to CNN, looms dark and dormant in the corner o the empty hall.

I open the door and begin my descent into the basement dungeon o

this orsaken, haunted place. he subtle, whispered conversation o a pair o

spirits reaches my ears rom the very walls o the basement. Slowly stepping

down the hall, I enter a room that rings with reverberation o the past. Once

a bustling haven or writing, research, and the completion o assignments,the room now lingers bare and uninhabited. Where once it was near impos-

sible to ind a spot to work, where once there were long lines o students

waiting or the printers, there are but unused computers, empty chairs, and a

deaening hush.

Not so long ago, this small building was ull to bursting with people,

was alive with the sound o keyboards, conversation, and resonant with

the orming and development o minds. Not so long ago, this building was

home; now, it wallows in its neglect.

3561 60th Street, in Moline, Illinois, holds, and will always hold, a

special place in my heart. It saddens me to see it as empty and lieless as it is.

While it has not, by any means, allen into disrepair, while it still

holds classes, while our new campus is gorgeous, neat, and shiny, this small

building is where my lie as a WIU-QC student began. I do not have to look

too ar into the past to remember a time when people were everywhere, yet

as I sit in the barren computer lab writing this, I have encountered a mere

our students.

heres something intimate about the 60th Street building some-

thing that makes me eel welcome. Because o its relatively small size, one

cannot help but be around other students. As it is, however, this building is

home only to graduate-level and education courses, and the occasional event

(the SOE Block Party, or instance). Its understandable that those in charge

would preer to show o the lashy new campus, but where is the love or our

humble campus-on-the-hill? he building has lost its eeling o intimacy and

connection, replaced by utter silence.

Perhaps the next time you need to write a paper, the next time you

need to use the computer lab, do it at 60th Street. We should all, rom time

to time, remind ourselves o where we come rom.

PLEASE CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING

Is 60th Street Becoming the Campus on Haunted Hill?

By Bobby DillionAssistant Editor



Does this look amiliar?


6/8

RIVERS EDGE WIU-QC6 October 26, 2012

Film reviews are an important unction o any newspaper, but with

the busy lives most o us at WIU-QC lead, getting to the theater may not

always be a priority (or even a possibility). Besides, with sites like Metacritic,

Rotten omatoes, and so on, its not hard to get a variety o opinions on the

latest Adam Sandler comedy or superhero epic.

So, well do something dierent and dig through the many oerings

o Netlix to ind movies that you may never have heard o, but might like i

you give a chance. We hope that this will be much more useul or our ellow

students than adding another review to the growing pile or the newest Para-

normal Activityilm that you already know whether you want to see or not,

anyway.

You may be amiliar with om Hardy, a British actor who has had

notable roles as Forrest Bondurant in the recent southern bootlegging epic

Lawless and ommy Conlon in Warrior. He also played the villain Bane in

The Dark Knight Rises, but since he wears a mask throughout the ilm, youre

less likely to recognize him rom that particular role.

I like Hardys work, so when I ound Bronson on Netlix, I decided

to give it a shot. Bronson is a 2008 ilm about the lie o Charlie Bronson (or

Britains most notorious prisoner, as its put in the ilms description). What

I got was a surprisingly artsy take on an almost unbelievably violent indi-

vidual that eatures a charismatic pe rormance by Hardy.

First things irst: youre going to want to stay away rom this one

i you are sensitive to on-screen violence. Bronson loves to ight, and he

spends a good portion o the ilm doing so. Some o the vi olence is quite

brutal and graphic, but i you could handle s omething like Fight Club, youll

probably be okay. heres also some (ahem) ull-rontal nudity, and since

the majority o the ilm ollows Bronsons lie as a prisoner, it is o the male

variety. Again, just a heads up.

Bronson is crazy, and not in a zany, un way, but more in a even the

most liberal individual would eel better with this guy behind bars kind o

way. Born Michael Peterson, he adopted his new moniker later on i n lie,

with the inspiration being the actor Charles Bronson, who was best known

or the Death Wish series. I Bronson was on an online dating website, under

interests he would write, punching people, being punched by people. His

pet peeves would likely include not being able to punch people or a while.

He really is that simple o a guy, or at least that is what the ilm would have

us believe.

Early on in the ilm, I thought I was just going to be watching Hardy

take on everybody and anybody or two hours, but ortunately, theres more

to Bronson (the ilm, anyway, i not the person). Dont get me wrong- Bron-

son is always looking to ight. He ights other prisoners, he picks ights with

several armed guards at a time on a regular basis. heres something clearly

wrong with the man. One o the ilms ew real ailings is that it never

really succeeds at (or attempts to, or that matter) explaining why Bronson

ended up being so violent.

he real gold here is in Hardys perormance. He wears Charlie Bron-

sons old-time mustache and bald head without a hint o irony and tackles

some really challenging scenes in impressive ashion. Bronson is a violent

guy, but according to the ilm, anyway, he has plenty o personality, and it

shows as Hardy occasionally gets to ham it up while playing Bronson with an

almost happy-go-lucky style that somehow retains the idea that Bronson is,

at best, a little psychotic.

I mentioned earlier that the ilm is a bit artsy at times, especially or

a biopic about a violent prisoner. Nicolas Winding Ren directed Bronson

with plenty o lair, including some memorable segments that depict Bron-

son animatedly narrating his own story under a spotlight on stage to a crowd

o unseen theater patrons. Moments like those add a hint o the surreal to

the proceedings and make Bronson a more interesting ilm. Ren would go

on to direct Drive, a critically-acclaimed 2011 action-thriller that is also

available to watch instantly on Netlix.

I cant promise that youll love every minute oBronson, but it is a

supremely entertaining ilm i you dont mind the degree o violence that the

ilm contains. Hardys perormance is top-notch and Rens directing shows

the promise that he has gone on to ul ill in his more recent eorts. No mat-

ter what your reaction to Bronson, you will at least have a reaction, and thats

an important part o inding a movie worth watching.

Obscure Netix Review: BronsonBy John HartleyStaf Writer

The idea behind Bargain Bin Reviews is that I buy theabsolute-worst-looking, cheaply-made mess o a ilm and review it.I am not trying to ind good movies but bad ones based on my irstimpression (looking at the cover, the title, reading the tag line andsynopsis on the back).

When I went to a local retailer and ound a ilm called TrailerPark of Terror, my choice was clear. First o, let me tell you: TrailerPark of Terror is a bad movie. That being said, I ind it hard to givethis ilm a straight-up review because within the irst minute themain character, Norma, is watching a show on television calledTrailer Park o Terror which eatures two rednecks talking about

horror movies. Right o the bat, the ilm, through t his ake televi-sion show, makes reerence to Herschell Gordon Lewis, the mindbehind myriad splatter ilmsilms that are technically in the Hor-ror genre, but ocus more on exploitative violence and gore than onatmosphere, subtlety, and actually scaring people (think Eli RothsHostel). In act, the plot oTrailer Park of Terrorpretty closely mir-rors that o Lewis most amous ilm Two Thousand Maniacs .Again, this is a bad ilm no amount o homage paying can changethat. However, this is a ilm that set out to be something very spe-ciic: a gory murder est, and I suppose, in that respect, it certainlysucceeds.

As tends to be the case in gore-est ilms, the only reason thisthreadbare plot exists is to put the characters into positions to bemurdered. In this case, we have six teenagers with easily-identiiablecharacter tropes (its basically The Breakast Club: theres the Goth

Chick Bridget, the Jock Bully Guy Alex, the Nice Nerdy KidMichael, a kleptomaniac and porn magazine aicionado whose nameI honestly cannot remember, the girl with low sel-esteem and hard-drug addict Tiany, and the Hot Chick Amber). We are literallytold who each character is ten minutes into the ilm . . . Im notkidding Alex literally bullies everyone by telling them (and there-ore the audience) their lie story to their aces. Ham-handednessabounds.

Essentially, the breakast clubs bus breaks down outside thetitular trailer park where over-the-top violence ensues, charactersare let in one-dimensional limbo, and some measure o humor

might manage to drag a chuckle out o a viewer (Ill admit I laughedat a scene where one o the undead rednecks gets blown up and hisundead redneck riend tries to put him back together using staplesand duct tape). The attempts at humor lead to massive tonal shitsthroughout the ilm rom scenes obviously played or laughs todisturbing scenes o violence and torture (and please understand:this is a very violent movie).

There are good bits to the ilm t he irst ten minutes or so isextremely well-shot, well-edited, and atmospheric (though some badacting can ruin even the best scenes). Despite that, I cannot in goodaith recommend this ilm to anyone except the most hardcore splat-ter ans because there are some pretty creative death scenes matchedonly by relatively high-budget ilms like Saw or Final Destination,but aside rom that, this ilm isnt unny enough, clever enough, orinteresting enough to waste your time onthats my job.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

Bargain Bin Reviews Is(nt) Proud to Present: Trailer Park of Terror

By Bobby DillionAssistant Editor


7/8

RIVERS EDGE WIU-QC October 26, 2012 7

Student Photo Poll Asks:What is your favorite scary movie?

Sex in the City-Chris Ebalo, English

Resident Evil-Bianca Carrillo, LAS

Any Freddy Krueger Movie!-Megan Faison, Accounting

By Alyssa GrimesStaf Writer

I dont like scary movies!-Andy Boswell, LEJA

How To Contact the Rivers Edge:

Stop by the Rivers Edge office in 268A at the 60th street campus and leave us a mes-

sage!

Via e-mail: [email protected]

RIVERS EDGE 411

PUBLISHING AND CIRCULATION

The River Edge is published bi-monthly during the regular

school year, excluding holidays, finals week and semesterbreaks.

COPYRIGHT 2012

No reproduction or reuse of material is permitted without

written consent of the Rivers Edge. All rights reserved. To

request permission to reprint any material from this publi-

cation,

please e-mail us at [email protected].

The Rivers Edge does not knowingly accept articles that

discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion,

color, handicapped status, veteran or sexual orientation,The

Rivers Edge is a free publication. One copy per student.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

Help us maintain accuracy. If you find a factual error let

us know by emailing the [email protected] subject line

should read corrections and retractions.

GHOSScontinued rom page 1

Bayliss Hall purportedly hosts the spirits o two suicidevictims, both who ended their lives by hanging them-selves rom the bar in their closets. Te ateul roomnumbers are 501 and 1117. It is speculated that the girlwho lived in room 501 sufered rom deep depression.On a weekend while her roommate traveled home ora visit, she was le alone and upset in their room. Tegirl became exceedingly distraught until she reached thepoint where she took her own lie. Her roommate oundher dead upon her return. oday, the room is said to bethe site o electrical disturbances, odd noises, and coldspots. I that account isnt distressing enough, the girlwho lived in 1117 has an even worse story. She became

pregnant and hid her condition in ear o possible con-sequences rom her parents. When the baby inevitablycame, she delivered alone in her room. She murderedthe inant, dumped the body down the trash chute, andthen proceeded to kill hersel. In the room and the hallsaround it, the girls moans o agony, as well as the cries othe child, can still be heard.

Tese stories are a ew o the better known hauntedtales associated with Western Illinois University. Teyare told over the internet in abundance, yet they are notsubstantiated by documented acts. However, whetherrooted in truth or lore, these stories are embedded intothe history o WIU. Tey contribute to the schools char-acter, and or many morbid paranormal ans, its appeal.

Bayliss Hall

Corrections and Retractions:-In the October 11th edition o the Rivers Edge Dr. II-Seop Shin was in-

correctly reereed to as Associate Proessor o Engineering. Dr. Shin is anAssistant Proessor at this time. We regret the error and thank Dr. Shin orpointing this out.

-In the October 11th edition Ms. Claire Chouinards last name was mis-spelled in the headline or the student prole. We regret the error and ap-preciate Ms. Chouinards willingness to participate in the eature.


8/8

RIVERS EDGE WIU-QC8 October 26, 2012 IN CONCLUSION

SOE BLOCK PARTY: Food, Fun, and Pirates!

Due to an editorial error the ollowing article, regarding the annual SOE BlockParty, ailed to run in the previous issue as intended. Te editorial staf o the Rivers Edgewould like to apologize to the Society o Educators Organization or this error and thanksthem or allowing us to cover their event.

Friday, September 28th was almost certainly the most un day that the60th Street Campus will experience during the 2012 Fall Semester. Childrenand adults ooded the campus or the WIU-QC Society o Educators (SOE)annual Block Party. With the assistance o Quad Cities PBS station WQPand other WIU-QC student organizations including the Student GovernmentAssociation (SGA), the Student Recreation Association (SRA), oastmasters,the Association o Latin American Students (ALAS), the Counseling Associa-tion (CA), and the Interdisciplinary English and Arts Society (IDEAS) SOEed and entertained over 150 people.

A variety o activities were oered both outside and inside the buildingat 60th Street. Outside, kids could burn o some energy in a bounce house andthrow themselves against a Velcro wall. ALAS hung a pin

ata in a tree in ront

o the building, and ALAS members tried to dance the candy-lled decorationaway rom the wild blows delivered by block party guests. While waiting orthe inevitable shower o candy, people enjoyed hot dogs, chips, and soda.

SOEs block party is a themed event, and the 2012 theme o Pirates!was amply displayed in many o the games and activities held inside the 60thStreet building. Te rst thirty kids in the doors received WIU-QC gi bagscontaining school/art supplies and pirate necessaries, such as gold coins andeye patches. A clown named Zany Janie drew caricatures and made pirate-themed balloon art, SRA read aloud childrens books about pirates and guidedchildren through pirate arts-and-cras projects, and a jar with an unknownamount o pirate treasure tempted olks to guess how many jewels it contained.

Aiden Hardeen had the keenest pirate-eye his guess o 1,769 was the clos-est to the number o beads in the jar. He went home with a backpack burstingwith school and art supplies, and two tickets to the Putnam Museum.

Tere were alsoplenty o pirate-reeindoor activities, orthose guests whowerent into swash-buckling. Teseincluded cookiedecorating led bymembers o CA, X-box games, a scienceactivity called oysthat Kids Make byDr. LaVerne Logan(College o Educationand Human Servicesproessor o Curricu-lum and Instruction),and a communica-tion game developedby oastmasters.

And Cliord the Big Red Dog was in attendance throughout the night,much to the delight o kids who heard books rom the Cliord series readaloud by members o SRA.

Te varied contributions rom so many organizations and individu-als, and the hey turnout o guests, clearly show that SOEs 2012 Block Partymet its goal o building community amongst those o us who learn and work at

WIU-QC. It was a great party, and hopeully the event will continue to bringun and rivolity to our campus or at least as long as the twenty years it hasalready been held.

A young lady at this years SOE Block Party gets a big hug from

the big red dog.

Despite inclement weather, Monday night ootball, and a game seven in theNLCS , twenty students, and a ew aculty members, made time to attendedthe Presidential Debate Party hosted by LASSO on the 22nd. Ater grabbingsome coee and a bagel, the WIU audience settled down to watch the eventas it was broadcast over internet by IPV, and projected on to the overheadscreens in room 118.

he topic or the third and inal debate between President Obama, and theormer Governor o Massachusetts Mitt Romney, was oreign policy, but theevent, billed as he Battle in Bocca Raton, clearly struggled to stay on this

topic. It was a struggle or many in Moline to understand how the

candidates diered in their polices. Frequently the seeming ailure to havea substantive debate about issues related to the impact o U.S. oreign policydevolved into political sniping.

Just as in the previous two debates the struggle to determine who could ap-pear to be more aggressive while still appearing to be Presidential, providedthe debate with its most memorable tag line. his occurred when Gov. Rom-ney in an eort to explain what he would do to enhance U.S. strength in theworld, pointed out that the United States Navy now has ewer ships then it d idin 1916. o this President Obama replied, Well, Governor, we also have ewerhorses and bayonets because the nature o our militarys changed.

Another disappointment was experienced by those who came expecting tohear a topics like global warming, or plans or making the nation energy in-dependent. While both the President and Romney were willing to argue aboutaspects o their Middle East platorms, neither strayed ar rom the topicwhich has dominated this entire campaign season, the economy. ime andtime again, both debaters circled back to explaining how their policies wouldallow Americans to come back rom the great recession and lead the nation tomore prosperous times.

his ailure to stick to the task at hand wasnt lost on the audience in Moline.As the debate wore, on remarks questioning how the topic never seemed tohandle matters that would all under the heading o oreign policy, becamethe norm. his went as ar as trying to determine i the President had actuallymade a oreign policy comment when discussing the Moon. he ollow updiscussion, moderated by LASSO aculty adviser Dr. Everett Hamner, ocusedon what wasnt said by either candidate, and trying to determine i their was aclear winner. Ater twenty minutes o talking the general consensus seemed tobe that while neither candidate did anything to lose the election, neither didmuch more than appeal to their party base.

LASSO Hosts Presidential Debate Party

:PLENTY OF BAGELS, AND COFFEE, FEWER HORSES, AND BAYONETS

Photo By Aaron GraMembers o LASSO and their guests enjoyed the the nal Presidental debate o the 2012 electioncampiagn.

By Cait BodenbenderAssistant Editor

By Aaron GrafEditor-in-Chie

river's edge 10-26-2012 vol 5 issue 3

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