Category Archives: Features

Daniels ’13 Learns to Adjust After Earthquake Abroad

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – “Experience an earthquake” was not on the list of things Joe Daniels ’13 was looking forward to when he planned to spend spring semester of his sophomore year in Christchurch, New Zealand.

But as many members of the Illinois Wesleyan community know, studying abroad can be full of surprises.

“It was going to be a whole different experience,” said the Brookfield, Ill. native, who arrived in Christchurch on February 10 to study through the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) at the University of Canterbury. “The earthquake pretty much changed everything for me.”

On February 22 at 12:51 p.m., Daniels was packing up after class in a second-floor lecture hall in the University’s forestry building. “The room just started to shake all of a sudden,” he said. “It started as a little shudder, then quickly escalated into something that moved the room what seemed meters side to side and up and down, all pretty violently. It was honestly probably one of the strangest things I’ve ever felt—like one of those 3-D movie rides where the seats move with the movie, mixed with bad airplane turbulence.”

Daniels was experiencing a 6.3-magnitude earthquake centered only 9 kilometers from the city, which between destructive aftershocks and the damage caused by the quake itself killed nearly 200 people, according to stuff.co.nz. “I can’t recall how it sounded,” said Daniels, noting the city center is still cordoned off nearly six months later. “But a friend in the same room said you could hear the building groan with the shaking.”

Student’s Foreclosure Study Leads to Collaboration with Town of Normal

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Since 2006, there have been nearly a thousand foreclosures in McLean County.

A new study by Illinois Wesleyan University student Jake Mann and Associate Professor of Economics Diego Mendez-Carbajo is helping government officials understand more about the impact of those foreclosures.

Mendez-Carbajo and Mann, a senior economics major from Jacksonville, Ill., spent three months compiling data from the county recorder’s office on foreclosures and lis pendens – pending foreclosures in the court system that result after an owner is delinquent on mortgage payments for 90 days. Mann said he hopes the study will “provide a deeper understanding of complexities of the local housing market.”

The information is being utilized by the Town of Normal, which will use the data to generate a report on area trends in foreclosures. “We have been aware of foreclosures on a national level, but have not had the staff or the time to invest in a study on the local level,” said Geoff Fruin, assistant city manager for the Town of Normal. “This will give us a better understanding of how housing market has changed over the past few years.” The results of the collaborative effort are expected in September.

For the study, Mann collected data from more than 2,000 local families and individuals who have gone through the foreclosure system over the past five years. Fruin is working with Mendez-Carbajo and Mann to plug the data into software to examine foreclosures throughout the county. “They did the hard part by gathering the raw data,” said Fruin. “With our tools, we can use that data to see how foreclosures are spatially moving across the county.”

Mendez-Carbajo is pleased Normal officials will use the information to track the geographical trends of foreclosures. “People are aware of foreclosures in the county, but this can provide them a more comprehensive look at the data, and may help them develop a plan of action,” he said.

Mann’s data gathering began as part of Mendez-Carbajo’s Time Series Analysis class, which teaches students to look for trends in data. “We study anything from unemployment rates to crime statistics to health department scores for restaurants,” said Mendez-Carbajo. “The key is to engage students with data in a meaningful way.”

After taking a spring class, which focused on the real estate market, Mann continued his work with Mendez-Carbajo through an independent study funded by a grant from IWU’s Action Research Center (ARC). “Through the grants, ARC has found a new way to be a resource for the campus and the community,” said ARC Program Coordinator Deborah Halperin. “The city, the town and the county, as well as local banks and the revitalization project on the west side of Bloomington, all have an interest in Jake’s research.”

Summer Internship Provides Perfect Fit for Patel’s Dual Interests

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Sameehan Patel ’12 is all too accustomed to the reaction when he tells people he is studying both fine arts and biology at Illinois Wesleyan University: “Theatre and science? Why put yourself through all that pain?”

But for Patel, a theatre major working towards completing Illinois Wesleyan’s pre-dentistry program, combining the two seemingly contrasting disciplines isn’t about pain—it’s about passion.

“Ultimately I think of every class as a series of questions,” explained the Niles, Ill. native. “When I’m in a theatre class understanding a play, I’m exploring why we exist and how we relate to one another. When I’m in a biology class understanding a natural phenomenon, I’m exploring how we exist and why we relate to each other. While they’re extremely different in their methods, fundamentally I see both theatre and science as parts of a human investigation.”

The perception of theatre and science as complementary pieces of a larger whole is one Patel shares with Delta Dental Health Theatre (DDHT) in St. Louis, Mo., where he is spending his summer as an intern acting, organizing, writing and developing science and theatre programs. At DDHT, staff members strive to promote good oral health and overall healthy life habits by designing interactive presentations, exhibits and performances with the goal of raising awareness and combating two of the most common diseases affecting American children today: tooth decay and obesity.

Action Research Center Links Students to Community

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Students at Illinois Wesleyan are highly accustomed to enjoying an active-learning, discussion-based atmosphere in the classroom environment. The experience doesn’t end there, however, for many who choose to take advantage of one of the University’s resources for unique undergraduate internship opportunities.

For nearly 10 years, Illinois Wesleyan’s Action Research Center (ARC) has taken hands-on learning to a whole new level by connecting students with not-for-profit service, citizen groups and private-sector firms in the Bloomington-Normal area. Through internships and research projects with various local organizations, ARC allows Illinois Wesleyan students to take the initiative in making lasting community improvements.

ARC accomplishes its role as bridge-builder between the University and the community by “getting students out of their comfort zones,” said Professor of Sociology Jim Sikora, who co-founded the program with Chair of Political Science Jim Simeone in 2003. “I tell my students it’s not good enough to look at a problem and think, ‘someone should do something about that,’” added ARC Program Coordinator Deborah Halperin. “I want them to realize they are that someone.”

Supreme Court Case Highlights Challenges of Copyright

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Understanding the ins and outs of copyright laws can be as confusing as navigating a continually shifting maze. With the U.S. Supreme Court debating legislation on copyright issues this summer, Illinois Wesleyan librarians shed light on the challenges of upholding copyright in a digital world.

“We live in a copy-and-paste society,” said University Librarian Karen Schmidt, who oversees copyright compliance at the University. “The inclination in the public is to say, ‘I found it on the Internet, so it must be okay.’ There are an incredible number of resources on the web, but that amazing access also makes it foggy to understand what the obligations are for the ethical use of information.”

Copyrights can cover anything from the text of the novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to a painting by Kandinsky or a song from a Broadway musical. Use or reproduction of a copyrighted item without permission of the owner is illegal. Copyrights generally lapse 70 years after death of the creator, according to the U.S. Copyright Office. Once the copyright expires, the work enters what is called “public domain,” meaning anyone can reproduce the work without seeking permission.

Summer Reading Program to Highlight Diversity at IWU

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – “Still there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination.”

In this passage from the final installment of her 1999 Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of short stories Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri suggests knowing where you’ve been is just as important as knowing where you’re going. With the selection of Maladies as the centerpiece of this year’s summer reading program, Illinois Wesleyan students and staff hope to instill in the campus community a similar dedication to embracing your roots.

“The reading program book selection speaks to our values as a university,” said Roshaunda Ross, director of multicultural student affairs. “Here at Illinois Wesleyan, we’re committed to striving for diversity.”

Based on the idea that reading and critical reflection are central to the mission of a liberal arts college, IWU’s annual summer reading program provides an opportunity for new students to participate in a shared intellectual conversation with the campus community by expressing ideas about a common text. With past titles including Colin Beavan’s No Impact Man, Mark Haddon’s Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, the reading program helps ease the transition from high school to college by preparing new students for the discussion-oriented courses characteristic of Illinois Wesleyan.

Titans Band Together to Help Japan

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The 8.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked Japan on March 11, combined with the subsequent tsunami and nuclear reactor crisis it triggered, left in its wake thousands dead and nearly half a million homeless, according to CBSnews.com.

In the shadow of such devastating tragedy, the Illinois Wesleyan University community stepped up to the plate to provide hope and aid from the other side of the world. From on-site volunteer work to on-campus fundraising events, IWU alumni, faculty and students have spent the last few months doing all they can to bring relief to those affected by this year’s disasters.

“I am so close to everything that has happened, while lucky enough to be out of harm’s way,” said IWU alumna Margaret Kocher, ’09, who is currently teaching English in northern Japan through the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme. “I got involved because I felt that I needed to help somehow.”

Attributing her leadership skills to her experience at IWU, Kocher said there was “no question” about whether she would contribute to relief efforts in the aftermath of the disasters. “The events in March, as horrible as they were, had many positive outcomes,” said Kocher. “I think the relations between the people of Japan and many foreigners working here have strengthened. Everyone is helping rebuild Japan, and it is beautiful.”

Kindred ’63 Reflects on Journalism’s Golden Era and Changing Future

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Pulitzer Prize nominee Dave Kindred, ’63, returned to his alma mater last month to share five decades of journalism experience with Illinois Wesleyan students in the May Term course Editorial Writing and Reviewing.

An English major during his years at IWU, Kindred still recalls his days of sports editing for The Argus and working his way through school at the local newspaper, The Pantagraph. He has since become a legend in the sports journalism world, writing for respected newspapers The Louisville Courier-Journal and The Washington Post. Although Kindred received the 1991 Red Smith Award for lifetime achievement in sports journalism and was elected to the 2006 National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame, he regards his 1998 Illinois Wesleyan’s Distinguished Alumnus Award as one of the highlights of his life.

Kindred lived through the journalism revolution, witnessing the highs and lows throughout the years. “At The Washington Post, I wrote four or five times per week from everywhere in the world on every major sporting event, every time trying to make the column the best one I ever wrote,” said Kindred, a hopeless romantic for print journalism. “That era, the late ’70s to the late ’80s, was the newspaper world’s golden era, every newspaper flush with money and ambition. It was a great, great ride, perhaps never to happen again.”

The author of eight books, Kindred describes how the paper has changed with the digital age in his latest, “Morning Miracle: A Great Newspaper Fights for Its Life,” which provides an inside look at The Washington Post at the height of its glory.

Bleeding Green: RecycleMania Strengthens Sustainability at IWU

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – This semester, the Titans proved their green spirit extends beyond the athletic arena.

In January, Illinois Wesleyan University’s campus dining service Sodexo joined forces with Illinois State University (ISU) and others to participate in a composting program diverting leftover food away from the county landfill and onto an ISU farm in Lexington, Ill. for reuse. Since the effort began, it has saved over 35,496 pounds of food from the Bertholf Commons, faculty dining areas and large catering events. IWU Director of Government and Community Relations Carl Teichman, who served as co-coordinator of IWU’s environmental council GREENetwork during the 2010-2011 academic year, reported that the project could soon expand to include Tommy’s and the DugOut.

In February, the same green mindset driving the composting program prompted the Recycling Education Committee (REC), a branch of GREENetwork, to join the national RecycleMania initiative. Held at colleges across the country for a 10-week period each spring, RecycleMania aims to reduce waste production by ranking and rewarding schools based on recycling skills.

May Term Pushes Boundaries of Classroom Learning

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Business is not all business in Jerry Olson’s class. The professor of business administration at Illinois Wesleyan University is encouraging students in his May Term class to explore the convergence of commerce and social responsibility. The class is an example of what students experience during May Term, when they can take a single, intensive class designed to fit an entire semester of material into one month.

Olson’s May Term class is based on the 18th century efforts of the activist and minister Wesley – from whom the University gets its name. Students explore the ties between business and social responsibility by creating their own not-for-profit organization. “Looking beyond John Wesley’s theology and philosophy are a lot of principles that match the University’s modern mission statement, emphasizing the importance of education, sustainability and social activism,” said Olson, who co-teaches the class with Wesley historian the Rev. Mary-Kathryn Pearce.

Along with learning the business aspect of creating a not-for-profit, students are required to volunteer in the community once a week and learn about how Wesley’s efforts transcend to modern day issues from health care and immigration to oil prices. “We draw parallels between Wesley’s labors to close the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots,’” said Pearce. “His motto was ‘Gain all you can, save all you can, and give all you can’. It was a lesson in business ethics, in how to practice maintaining your identity as a business person.”

May Term classes like Olson’s are tailored to push the boundaries of the traditional classroom setting, according to May Term Coordinator and Associate Dean of the Curriculum Zahia Drici. “May Term opens up an exciting realm for students and faculty,” said Drici. “Students can delve deeply into topics, examine concepts and issues that are not part of the standard curriculum, or discover new cultures through travel. The distinctiveness of May term lies in its emphasis on immersion in learning, and as such May Term is an exceptionally enriching part of the Illinois Wesleyan experience.”

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