Guest Commentators Pitch Their Parties

See Western Wall

Rivers Edge
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2
race and other social issues. As West put it, I want to say something that unsettles you. West feels that the current climate of race in America is one of indifference. He explained that Americans would rather be content than open their eyes to the problems in front of them. He implored the audience, not only to face the problems around them, but to look inside of themselves and critique what they find. No one is pristine, West asserted, all of us must grow. He defined a human catastrophe as any time a group is faced with inequality. West addressed race, religion, gay rights, and womens rights. He also addressed the economic issues that face our country, and more specifically, that disproportionately face black Americans. He urged the audience to take a stand and mobilize against the American culture of sleepwalking. West went on to discuss the crime epidemic facing low-income, black youth. West cited feelings of being unloved and uncared for as the cause of crime among the lower class. West blamed social neglect, drugs, firearms brought into lowincome communities, and a lack of quality education as contributors to the problem of violence and crime. West feels that a solution can be found in showing at-risk youth that they are loved and cared for by people outside of their own family. America can show these youth that they have not abandoned by providing quality housing, jobs with a living wage, and a strong education. Dr. West is a self-proclaimed extremist for love. . . militant for tenderness [and] radical for sweetness. He feels these things will save our youth.

Western Illinois University - Quad Cities The Public Choice for the Quad Cities
October 12, 2012

WIU-QC Students and Faculty Trek to Davenport To Hear Dr. Cornel West
By Hayleigh Covella
Staff Writer

On Friday, September 28, Dr. Cornel West spoke at St. Ambrose University in front of an audience so large that audience members resorted to sitting on the floor and standing along the perimeter of the room. West is the author of nineteen books, as well as a regular guest on CNN and C-Span. He has also made appearances on The Bill Maher Show and The Colbert Report. He has his doctoral degree in philosophy from Princeton. Wests lecture, Race Still Matters is part of a year-long series of race-related lectures and performances presented by St. Ambrose Universitys College of Arts and Science. West, an American philosopher, author, critic, and civil rights activist, focused on the importance of having difficult conversations about

Photo By Nigel Parry

Johnathan McGee Resigns as WIU Student Trustee

By Bill Welt
Editor in Chief, Western Courier

Board of Trustees student member Jonathan McGee resigned from his position last Thursday. McGee said he voluntarily stepped down for personal reasons. He also said he was not asked to resign by any members of the Student Government Association and Western Illinois Universitys administration. McGees resignation follows after SGA announced on Sept. 25 that it would investigate McGees reported Aug. 26 arrest for resisting and obstructing a Macomb police officer. SGA will release an official statement during its Tuesday meeting, which begins at 7 p.m., according to SGA President Caleb Markey. McGee said he will probably attend the gathering. SGA Attorney General Greg Boidy led the investigation and according to Markey last Tuesday, was waiting on information to come from various

legal agencies. Markey also said on Tuesday that the SGA Cabinet could have voted to impeach McGee with three-fourths majority, which would have led to a final vote in the SGA Senate. As for the vacant position, SGAs Constitution and By-Laws states, the SGA President will fill Cabinet and Senatorat-Large vacancies with advice and consent of the Senate

WIU Celebrates 100 Years of Offering Classes in the Quad Cities

By Patrick Olson Staff Writer Aaron Graf Contributing As Vice President Joe Rives sounded the Founders Bell on September the 25th, the Quad Cities celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of WIU extension classes being taught in the area. According to Dr. Rives, Starting in 1912 classes were offered with a variety of subject including teaching in biology and sociology. The next major milestone came in 1969 when Western became a charter member of the Quad Cites Graduate Studies Center. Subsequently, in 1974 the degree program which would eventually become the board of trustees degree program was created. Following this in 1987, the regional undergraduate center was opened at BHC. Ten short years later Western taught its first classes at the 60th campus. Dr. Rives closed his remarks by saying, The future of WIU is bright. It is a time to reflect on what is to be a member of Western Illinois in the Quad Cities. I cannot wait to see what the next year brings. Following Dr. Rives at the podium was Board of Trustees member Caroline Fuller. After thanking the gathered dignitaries present, Mrs. Fuller commended the community for its support of WIU-QC, We are most appreciative of the communities support for an extended public university in this location. It is easy to understand why the growth of Western is a priority for the area as the faculty and staff are known for providing a caring learning environment. Shortly after Mrs. Fuller, President Thomas stepped forward to deliver his State of the University speech entitled, Let Us Not Forget. Throughout the speech President Thomas emphasized the importance of the mentoring students throughout their time at Western, citing that while WIU is capable of producing fine students, considerable responsibility rests with the faculty to ensure no student is allowed to go unguided.

Image Courtesy of WIU Media Relations WIU President Jack Thomas delivers the State of the Universtiy Address in Macomb

Johnathan McGee, Former Student Trustee

He also made special note of how WIUs forefathers would be pleased to see the university still operates under the guidance of their examples. He noted that, Our founders would be proud of our growth, from 1899 to 2012. They would be proud to know that we continue to be an epicenter for education and a fortress of activity regionally, nationally, and internationally. Following Dr. Thomas speech guest viewed a video depicting where Western has been, where it is today, and where it is going.

2 October 12, 2012

THE WESTERN WALL

RIVERS EDGE WIU-QC

Duck and Cover, Its Time for a POLITICAL DEBATE!

Why Vote Democrat?

By Dee Robinson

Drawing by Daryl Cagle

Why Vote Republican?

By Brett Denecker

With the Presidential election a mere five weeks away, I become a little more shocked when listening to my cohorts struggle with who they will vote for. When looking at the positions taken by each candidate, there are clear differences between platforms and proposed policies that will benefit certain individuals. I am always under the assumption that people should vote in their own best interest, so lets breakdown what would be in the best interest of the average college student. First of all, I am yet to attend class with anyone who is independently wealthy. We all attend here for a number of reasons, but realistically many of us are here because were getting the best value for our education and much of that value is temporarily paid for by student loans. If it werent for student loans, many WIU students would have to postpone a college education for a number of years if they were lucky enough to pursue one at all. Numerous Republicans think student loans and Pell Grants are too generous. Romney himself even suggested that students should simply borrow money from their parents. Democrats, in clear contrast, not only understand how important student loans are to thousands of young adults, but they have strengthened the system by cutting predatory lenders out of the process of student loan disbursement. Secondly, I am a woman and I have rights along with every other female college student in America. It is ridiculous that anyone should have to think twice about who should control and maintain their own reproductive organs. The Republican House, however, has introduced over 1,000 bills telling women what they can or cannot do with their own bodies and what type of birth control these congressmen have deemed acceptable. These are silly arguments that have no place in civil political discourse, but were still having them. The House Republicans are using this and other social issues as distractions in hopes that the average citizen will forget that these congressmen promised a jobs bill which none of them have even remotely attempted. This leads me to the third and most important reason for college students to vote Democrat: economic outlook. When graduating from college, students spend a significant amount of time forecasting their economic futures. With the grim outlook of the economy, its important to know that people in the legislature are looking out for the American worker. Only one party has recently brought a jobs bill to the table: the Democrats. The President introduced a jobs bill that was co-written by House Democrats and Republicans. Unfortunately it was voted down by all House Republicans even those who helped write the bill because blocking legislation from The President and other Democrats is more important than putting America back to work. I could go on and on for days about why I think college students should vote for Democrats, but the main persuasion of this article should just be getting people to the polls to begin with. People before you, young and old, worked tremendously hard so we could all stand in line as free citizens to cast our votes. In the course of this election both skewed truths and outright lies have been presented, but its your duty as an American citizen to sort through the information, decide whats in your best interest, and then get to your polling station on November 6th. Apathy, not partisanship, is the worst enemy of a democracy.

Responsible government. It sounds like an antiquated thought, doesnt it? In a four year term where our national debt has increased by over $5 trillion, and is now surpassing a total of $16 trillion (and counting), responsibility must be just an afterthought to our president and congress. The mantra of this administration and its legislative supporters has been spend spend spend, and how embarrassing it is for those of us who recognize bad practice when we see it! If the federal government was a business, it would be a failure. If it was a summer blockbuster, it would be a box office dud. If it was a football team, it would be the 2008 Detroit Lions. You get the idea, and the same can be said about the state of Illinois. The liberal agenda has succeeded in pushing our country into generational debt. It just doesnt make sense to spend more money than what is being brought in. America has to do a 180 turn on this before it gets even more out of hand. Our grandchildren wont be able to afford the careless policies of today. This years election should be focused on one thing: the economy. This is Americas most pressing and difficult issue and should take a backseat to no other. Our nation has been struggling to right itself from a recession that began years ago and although progress is slowly being made, it has not been enough. Nationally, unemployment stands currently at 8.1%. While this number is down from a high of 9.8% in December of 2010, it should be kept in mind that over the last 60 years the national unemployment rate has averaged 5.8%. Narrowing our scope, Illinois unemployment rate is higher than the national rate at 9.1%. Locally, Rock Island County is carrying a rate of 8.0%. Across the board, these numbers are just too high. So why vote Republican in November? Because we need solutions to these important problems. Democrats have exacerbated these issues and will only continue to do so. Conservatism espouses fiscal responsibility and a less is more decentralized government. From the top down, the list of Republican candidates will create policy to dig us out of the messy hole we are in now. As the great conservative Ronald Reagan would say, freedom is not a gift from the government, it is created by the limitations on government. Republicans will deregulate so businesses wont be overburdened with taxes and can put Americans back to work. Republicans will also cut unnecessary and wasteful spending. So let us vote for the candidates who have proven and successful economic track records and have experience in the business world. The liberal plan failed. It is time to swing the political pendulum back to conservative policy making. America needs strong leadership to get us back on track now and to give our children and grandchildren a future where they can thrive. Put an end to the debacle, before it gets any worse.

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

By the time you read this October 9th will have come and gone, and with it the chance to register to vote in the upcoming election. To this realization some are likely to say, So What?, and to me this less-than-civic-minded attitude is understandable. When you stop to consider the antiquated electoral college system, one that at least once in my lifetime failed to acknowledge the popular vote, the indefensible rhetoric spewed by both parties, and the countless millions that could be better spent actually solving problems, but that are spent explaining how these problem can be solved. I admit at times, So what? makes for a pretty convincing argrument.

Why Vote at All?

political ideology put on the uniform of a member of the armed forces and served his country with distinction. Personally, I can do nothing less than honor their sacrifice by exercising a right they thought important enough to risk everything for. The second factor, the universally appreciable factor, is such because of the tangible nature of the vote. As anyone who has worked for a political campaign can tell you, voting records exist. And while they never tell how an individual votes, they express to those in office an individuals willingness to stand up and be counted. Having your name on the rolls, demands that those who would run for office pay particular attention to your voice, and the voices of others like you. When I consider these factors my voter apathy is sufficiently assuaged. So if you are registered consider exercising the right you, and others like you, have gone to the trouble to obtain. If you are notwell there is always next time. Unless of course, as some would have you believe, the wrong guy wins. Then your best bet is to learn a little Qubcois, and head north. Until then, Let the Father of Waters go unvexed to the sea. Aaron Graf Editor-in-Chief

That is until two factors come to mind. One of these is personal in nature, and the other is one that should be considered appreciable by anyone lucky enough to call themselves a citizen of the United States. The first factor may be just as appreciable as the second. It just depends on being aware of a sacrifice made on your behalf, by another individual or individuals. A sacrifice that suggest these people were willing to give up everything to ensure that the right of individual expression be it religious, artistic, or civic was available to you today. My past is replete with these figures. From grandparents who left Cuba and gave up up a fortune, one earned through back breaking labor, rather than live in a country that would force their children accept the state religion, to a brother who thinks enough of the ideals this country was founded on that, regardless of his

RIVERS EDGE WIU-QC

FAMILIAR FACES

October 12, 2012 3

Student Profile:Claire Chouinard

By Caressa Clearman
Staff Writer
I f y o u h a v e s t o p p e d i n t o e i t h e r o n e o f We s t e r n I l l i n o i s Un i v e r s i t y s computer labs, Riverfront or 60th Street, there is a good chance you have s e e n t h e s u b j e c t o f t h i s e d i t i o ns S t u d e n t P r o f i l e . H e r n a m e i s C l a i r e Chouinard. She is a lab assistant employee at both locations, and this is her first semester at WIU-Q C. Claire is here working toward a major in marketing. A recent graduate of Moline High S cho ol, Claire wrestled with the idea of going away to college or staying here in the Quad Cities. She s a y s , It s d i f f e r e n t t h a n I e x p e c t e d . At f i r s t , I d i d nt w a n t t o s t a y a r o u n d here because of the whole reputation of still being at home, and ever yt h i n g b e i n g j u s t l i k e h i g h s c h o o l . B u t n o w t h a t I m h e r e , I d o f e e l l i k e I m a t a r e a l u n i v e r s i t y. I m m e e t i n g s o m a n y d i f f e r e n t p e o p l e , p e o p l e t h a t w e r e i n t h e m i l i t a r y, o r m a r r i e d w i t h k i d s , e v e r y o n e j u s t h a s s u c h a n i n t e r e s t i n g s t o r y. I l i k e i t h e r e . I w a s n e g a t i v e a b o u t i t a t f i r s t , b u t n o w I r e a l l y l i k e i t ; a n d l o o k i n g a t a p a r t m e n t s , I c o u l d nt a f f o r d o n e a n y w a y s o i t s n i c e t o j u s t s a v e m o n e y. A l t h o u g h t h i s i s C l a i r es f i r s t s e m e s t e r, h e r f a m i l y n a m e h a s b e e n a r o u n d the WIU-Q C campus for a while. Her mom, Karin, has worked here for a b o u t f i v e y e a r s a n d i s t h e I n s t r u c t i o n a l Te c h n o l o g i e s D i r e c t o r. A c c o r d ing to Claire, She works a lot on web design. I know she works on the w e b s i t e a l o t , b u t s h es a l s o a l w a y s p u t t i n g o u t f i r e s a l l o v e r t h e p l a c e . Claire has two older sisters who also attended WIU-Q C and worked as lab assistants and a brother who is currently enrolled. They do not carp o o l ; h o w e v e r, C l a i r e s t a t e s , We h a v e E n g l i s h t o g e t h e r s o w e d o s e e e a c h other there, but he works a lot at 60th Street in the librar y so we drive s e p a r a t e l y. Claire is enjoying her classes here so far and finds her SO C-100 class w i t h D r. Ta m m y We r n e r v e r y i n t e r e s t i n g . S h e s a y s , M y s o c i o l o g y c l a s s i s m y f a v o r i t e b e c a u s e I t h i n k i t s j u s t t h e e a s i e s t t o r e l a t e t o t h e r e a l w o r l d , y o u s e e [ e x a m p l e s o f ] i t e v e r y d a y. When she is not studying, Claire likes to read, watch television or movies, play wit h her yel low L ab, Gracie, or just b eing outside. Rig ht n o w I m r e a d i n g t h e P r e t t y L i t t l e L i a r s , t h e b o o k s e r i e s , a n d t h a t s m y f a v o r i t e t e l e v i s i o n s h o w t o o I m a l w a y s o n N e t f l i x t h o u g h , w a t c h i n g m o v i e s a n d s h o w s I a l s o l o v e b i k e r i d i n g o n t h e r i v e r. I l o v e b e i n g o u t d o o r s . I c o u l d g o t o a b e a c h o r a p a r k a n d j u s t h a n g o u t f o r h o u r s , s t a t e s Claire. As for her future plans, Claire would like to find work with one of t h e b i g n a m e s i n f a s h i o n . I v e a l w a y s w a n t e d t o m o v e t o N e w Yo r k I d l i k e t o w o r k i n t h e f a s h i o n i n d u s t r y, m a y b e d o m a r k e t i n g f o r R a l p h L a u r e n o r B l o o m i n g d a l e s . S o t h a t s t h e b i g d r e a m , b u t C h i c a g o i s d e f i n i t e l y a l i t t l e b i t c l o s e r. C l a i r e m a y m o v e a w a y o n e d a y, b u t f o r n o w, y o u m i g h t r u n i n t o h e r i n t he computer lab, and w hate ver you ne e d help wit h, you can rest ass u r e d t h a t s h e h a s m a n y y e a r s o f l a b e x p e r i e n c e b e h i n d h e r, a s w e l l a s some great roots set here at WIU-Q C. Good luck in all your endeavors, Claire!

Photo By Caressa Clearman

Faculty Profile: Dr. Il-Seop Shin, Assistant Professor of Engineering

By Jason Kuna Staff Writer

D r. I l - S e o p S h i n w a s v e r y h o n o r e d t o b e f e at u r e d i n t h e R i v e r s E d g e i n t h i s h i s f i r s t s e m e s t e r at W I U - Q C . D r S h i n h a s t au g ht at t h e Un i v e r s i t y o f Ma s s a c hu s e t t s A m h e r s t w h e r e h e a l s o r e c e i v e d h i s P h . D. , a n d at t h e Un i v e r s i t y o f No r t h F l o r i d a i n Ja c k s o nv i l l e . D r. S h i ns e x p e r i e n c e i n t h e f i e l d s o f e l e c t r i c a l a n d mu l t i - d i s c i plinar y engineering go beyond the class room; with his industr y experience in the field of biomedical engineering he helped to a d v a n c e t h e s t u d y o f m i c r o e n g i n e e r i n g i n t r e at m e nt s f o r b r e a s t a n d s k i n c a n c e r. S o m e o f D r. S h i ns w o r k i n n a n o c i r c u i t r y w a s e v e n p e r f o r m e d f o r DA R PA ( D e f e n s e Ad v a n c e d R e s e a r c h P r o j e c t s Agency). B u t , m o r e f a s c i n at i n g t h a n t h i s h i s v e r y e x t e n s i v e b a c k g r o u n d i s h o w D r. S h i n b r i n g s h i s e x p e r i e n c e t o t h e c l a s s r o o m . D r. S h i n e n c o u r a g e s c r e at i v i t y i n h i s c l a s s e s a n d f e e l s t h at b r i n g i n g i d e a s i nt o r e a l i t y i s t h e f u n d a m e nt a l b a c k b o n e o f a t r u e e n g i n e e r i n g s t u d e nt . C r e at i v i t y, h e s ay s , i s t h e k e y. A s t r o n g b a c k g r o u n d i n Mat h a n d S c i e n c e h e l p s , b u t d o n o t d e f i n e t h e e n g i n e e r o f t h e future. S p e a k i n g o f b a c k g r o u n d s , D r. S h i n u s e s w h at i s a r e l at i v e l y s i mp l e b u t i n n o v at i v e t o o l t o h e l p t a i l o r h i s c l a s s e s f o r h i s s t u d e nt s . I n m a ny o f h i s c l a s s e s t h e f i r s t a s s i g n m e nt h i s s t u d e nt s f a c e i s t o s u b m i t a n au t o b i o g r ap hy s o t h at D r. S h i n c a n r e a l l y g e t t o k n o w h i s s t u d e nt s a n d b e a b l e t o r e l at e t o t h e m a n d t h e i r i nt e rests. There is no such thing as a one size fits all type of instruct i o n , h e s ay s . His classes are not strictly midterm/final style courses, but i nv o l v e r e s e a r c h r e p o r t s , c l a s s p r o j e c t s a n d i nt e l l e c t u a l p r o j e c t s t h r o u g h a l l o f w h i c h h e s t r e s s e s t h e p r a c t i c a l ap p l i c at i o n s o f w h at i s b e i n g l e a r n e d i n c l a s s . T h i s f a l l D r. S h i n i s t e a c h i n g E n g i n e e ri n g c o u r s e s i n M i c r o - E l e c t r o n i c s a n d Me c h at r o n i c s a s w e l l a s a s e n i o r d e s i g n a n d e n g i n e e r i n g i nt e r n s h i p c l a s s . I n t h e S p r i n g D r. Shin will offer ENGR 271: Engineering Electrical Circuits (which w i l l a l s o b e a C O D E C c l a s s f o r Ma c o m b s t u d e nt s ) , E N G R 2 2 0 : C o mp u t at i o n a l Me t h o d s f o r E n g i n e e r s , a n d E N G R 4 7 0 : Me c h a tronic s I. O u t s i d e o f c l a s s D r. S h i n l o v e s s p o r t s . H i s f av o r i t e i s g o l f w h i c h h e s ay s h a s t a k e n a g r e at d e a l o f p r a c t i c e t o b e g o o d at a n d h e a l s o p l ay s s o c c e r w h e n e v e r h e c a n . I n s p o r t s , h e s ay s , j u s t l i k e Dr. Shin, hard at work. in engineering, when you practice and do something you love it m a k e s i t d o e s nt f e e l l i k e w o r k at a l l .

A s f a r a s t h e f u t u r e o f t h e e n g i n e e r i n g p r o g r a m at W I U - Q C i s c o n c e r n e d , D r. S h i n j u s t s e e s i t g r o w i n g a n d g e t t i n g b e t t e r e a c h s e m e s t e r. He b e l i e v e s t h i s w i l l b e d o n e t h r o u g h c o m mu n i t y o u t r e a c h a n d p a r t n e r s h i p, a n d t h r o u g h t h e d e v e l o p m e nt o f m o r e s t u d e nt E n g i n e e r i n g o r g a n i z at i o n s . C u r r e nt l y w i t h 6 7 s t u d e nt s , t h e E n g i n e e r i n g p r o g r a m at W I U - Q C i s s e t t o e x p a n d i n n o s m a l l p a r t d u e t o t h e h e l p o f D r. S h i n a n d h i s e n e r g e t i c a n d e x c i t i n g ap proach to the field of engineering.

Photo By Jason Kuna

4 October 12, 2012

PAGES

RIVERS EDGE WIU-QC

The Case of the Maybe Murdered Millionaires, Part Two

by Jason Kuna
Staff Writer

So lets take this back a few steps and give us all a chance to pick up where we left off in the last issue the door to my office, which read FRANK SIMON, Private Detective and Writer of Fine Plays burst open, and in stormed a portly looking, gray haired gentleman, in a five hundred dollar suit, who blew right past Daisy and slammed his hands on my desk and shouted, Mr. Simon! I absolutely must hire you! I am about to be MURDERED! We all are! Ahhhh, Mr. ...? Pinderton Augustus Pinderton, He replied. Mr. Pinderton, we charge two hundred a day plus expenses, but first youd better sit down, have a whiskey, and tell me who this We is. Daisy hurried over to my desk and pulled up a chair for Mr. Pinderton. After storming in, he just now seemed to have noticed her presence in the office, and after wiping the sweat from his brow that was beginning to form in a small puddle on my desk, he found his seat. Money is of no concern to me Simon, he replied. You come highly recommended and me and my brothers at the Knights of Skara Brae will have no problem paying your fees. The Knights of Skara Brae? I queried. Never heard of you. I assume then that you are a member of a secret fraternal order? The Knights of Skara Brae, Mr. Simon, are an ancient brotherhood of elders, some of which left Scotland in the 1800s to settle here in Philadelphia. We are a peaceful group that spearheads actions in our community on behalf of the underprivileged and forgotten. You can understand then that we are at a total loss after receiving this note posted on the door of our hall this last Thursday night. With that Pinderton handed me a note written on a wrinkled piece of parchment which I read aloud: To the dying order of the Knights of Skara Brae, You are hereby demanded to leave Philadelphia, disband and discontinue your actions on behalf of the Hope Shelter. For every day after Sunday that the shelter remains open a member of your order will be found dead in their beds the next morning. Signed X Mr. Pinderton, how awful! cried Daisy. How could a group as kind as yours, that supports its community so, be targeted so ruthlessly? Yes my dear, Pinderton replied, We, too, are baed by this threat. Who would oppose a shelter for the homeless? Would they rather these poor people be left to the streets? Well Augustus -- can I call you Augustus? We will take your case. And seeing as tomorrow is Sunday weve fewer than twenty-four hours to solve this mystery before you and your brothers start waking up dead. Gather as many of your order as you can and I will meet you at the hall at seven tonight. Ive got a few stops of my own to make in regards to this matter first. I instructed him. Oh Im coming too Frank, theres no way youre leaving me behind with all this on the line. Daisy demanded. Yes, my dear, I guess you are. Mr. Pinderton, we will see you at seven PM sharp. To be continued

by Bobby Dillon
Assistant Editor

Something to Chew On
reality to our own. In the world of Chew, the avian flu that dreadful, highly-hyped disease that was supposed to wipe out civilization as we know it but didnt even come close actually did wipe out a large percentage of the population, resulting in the outright prohibition of all poultry products. As a result, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have become the two most powerful law enforcement agencies in the world in order to help enforce the poultry

ATTENTION WRITERS: Do you like CONTESTS? Do you want a KINDLE? IDEAS (the Interdisciplinary English and Arts Society) 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 as a 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 specifications: 1) Must be five 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 specifications, your story can be written in ANY WAY you want we will pick the BEST, whether the best happens to be the FUNNIEST, the SCARIEST, the MOST INTENSE, WHATEVER the best story will win, and its author will receive a brand new KINDLE! Send all submissions as an e-mail attachment to DS-Malachuk@wiu.edu, 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)

Image Comics is a company that makes a reader fall in love with them. Between Spawn in the 1990s and ongoing titles such as Invincible and The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, along with numerous lesser known, yet no less interesting and intriguing short series (such as Warren Elliss Fell), Image is a company that can be counted on to put out consistently solid comic books. Their most recent sensation is a phenomenal series called Chew written by John Layman (who has also recently begun writing for one of DCs more prominent Batman titles, Detective Comics), with art by Rob Guillory (a newcomer to mainstream comics). Chew is, quite honestly, the funniest comic series since Warren Elliss [HIGHLY RECOMMENDED] series, Transmetropolitain, ended in 2002. Everything about Chew is funny the superpowers of the various characters (more on that shortly), the hilarious dialogue, the various quirks and tics of the characters, even the world in which this series takes place. All of the humor is reinforced and bolstered by Rob Guillorys artwork with backgrounds that often have funny posters and things of the like (and can easily be missed if you do not take the time to savor every panel) and characters that have a caricature-like quality to them (yet all look exactly like they should what you would imagine such quirky characters to look like). The caricature-style of presenting characters also allows the artist to draw them in hyperemotive ways to emphasize the humor of any given situation, and its all done to perfection. Chew follows the life of Special Agent Tony Chu as he uses his powers as a cibopath to solve crimes. A cibopath, as defined by Chew, is someone who can eat something and be able to see and understand everything about its past. As you can imagine, this is a perfect set-up to have Tony eating just about the nastiest stuff under the sun in order to solve the various mysteries that unfold throughout the series. The world in which Tony Chu lives is an alternate

POYO! stands victorious over vanquished foes. Art by Rob Guillory.

prohibition. The world in which this book takes place is a brilliantly imaginative and unique set-up for the hilarious events, situations, and characters, which range from espionage and spy intrigue to family strife and drama, to my personal favorite comic book character of all time: POYO! POYO! is a super fighting chicken turned mecha-robot USDA agent. If this doesnt intrigue you, dear reader, you must be jaded beyond saving. Chew, Vol. 1: Tasters Choice collects the first five issues of the series and is available through all major book retailers and most local comic book shops.

RIVERS EDGE WIU-QC

PHASE II

Octoer 12, 2012 5

Bill Brewer Discusses LEED Certification and Potential for Adjacents Properties
By Christina Sanders-Ring
Staff Writer

Recently the Rivers Edge sat down with University Architect and Facilities Director, Bill Brewer, to learn what we can expect from Phase II (and when), and discuss WIUs continued focus on green building going for ward. In engineering and design circles, LEED is the sustainability standard. The acronym stands for Leadership in Energ y and Environmental Design, and it is evident throughout the Riverfront building. Finishes made from renewable and reclaimed materials and 360-degree daylight are just what we can see; other considerations for LEED qualifications include indoor environmental quality, building orientation, water usage and landscaping. Brewer says that we are well within the requirements for LEED Silver Certification, and were only aiming higher for Phase II. Contractor bids will begin in September, and the second phase of the expansion is expected to be complete in 2014. Ultimately, the Riverfront campus will consist of 4 buildings, over 100,000 square feet, and accommodate a student population of approximately 3000. The three new buildings will be interconnected by skywalk and include science labs, a librar y and second atrium similar to Goldfarb. The expanded campus will continue to integrate spaces regardless of curriculum, Brewer says. Rather than dedicating space specifically to LAS or Business programs, classes can use the spaces interchangeably as necessar y.

Though student housing is not on the agenda currently, Brewer believes that the growing campus wont stop with Phase II or even Phase III. At this point, however, he does look for ward to seeing what happens with the development of the adjacent land; its owned by the City of Moline and they are working with private companies to develop it for commercial use, residential use, or some combination, anchored by the new Riverfront campus. To that end, installation of the future University Drive is under way - it will run along the railroad as Riverfronts south boundar y and offer easy access to future campus parking. Overall, WIU-QC is looking toward a bright future. Although Macomb will continue to be the flagship, a 3000-person student body definitely qualifies as a full campus. Tuition rates, public accessibility and stellar faculty and staff are strong attractors to WIU-QC already ; the campus expansion, proximity to the river and downtown Moline, access to award-winning public transit, and commitment to sustainability only ser ve to reinforce to current and prospective students and the community in general that WIU is a solid investment and a good neighbor.

A composite rendition of the buildings to be constructed during PHASE II at the Riverfront Campus

Image Created by Holobird and Root

Old Photo Lab To Be Demolished and Reused

By Matt Brown
Staff Writer

The demolition of the photo lab building on the WIU-QC Riverfront campus has been announced to start this week, and I had an opportunity to talk with William Brewer, Architect and Director of Facilities, to learn more about the events importance. The photo lab was constructed in the 1970s mainly for the storage of photography equipment, as well as an area for green screening various items. Over the past thirty years, it had served its purpose for John Deere. But now that the site has become home to the new WIU-QC Riverfront campus, the site donated to WIU by John Deere, the buildings future usefulness came in question. Do we remodel? Renovate? Demolish? Mr. Brewer recalled being the questions to tackle while trying to determine the buildings fate. The benefits for tearing down the building outweighed those of keeping and maintaining it, as the photo lab was not energy efficient, no longer had a useable purpose, would potentially be in the way during phase three, and detracted from the look, feel, and quality of the new campus. After much thought went into possibly making the old photo lab a daycare or welcome center, Brewer and his team decided that it would be best to do away with the building using the remaining funds from phase one. However, the building will not simply be demolished and delivered to a local landfill. All reusable materials found within its construction will likely go to other building projects, from wood and paneling to steel piping and roof shingles, as well as a majority of the concrete that served as the photo labs walls. If materials cannot be reused, they will be transported

to the local scrapyard in another effort to divert waste from the landfill. During phase one construction of the new Riverfront campus, around 94% of potential waste from the former building was diverted from landfills and reused in the new buildings construction. It is estimated that only two dumpsters of waste will come from the demolition of the photo lab. An outside agency of the state will be doing all of the work, Brewer elaborated, and will perform the process safely and efficiently. Before anything can be done with the photo lab building, the place must be rid of all contaminations and potential hazards, such as things made with asbestos that were commonly used in the 1970s during the facilitys construction. Permits will also be acquired while the teams follow strict regulations for each part of the buildings deconstruction. While the green movement has sparked much change in our society, environmental-friendly state regulations for demolishing buildings have been in place for a long time due to economic drivers and smart business practices. In cases where government regulations are not mandated, economic drivers still tend to influence building professionals to make environmentally sustainable decisions. Because of the nature of the project, in which Brewer and his team builds one phase at a time, it is not known if a new facility will replace the old photo lab. A program study, which typically consists of the administration, civil service staff, WIU-QC staff, governing groups, community members, and even students, will be used before phase three to help determine what will be built next.

6 October 12, 2012

OUT ON THE TOWNS I Want To Know What LARP Is

RIVERS EDGE WIU-QC

Assistant Editor

By Bobby Dillon

Its a rare day at Vander Veer park; the sun is shining bright, and theres not a cloud in the sky. A family has their pictures taken near the gorgeous fountain as their four boys frolic around them. Pedestrians walk along the paths, watching the people, taking in the sights and enjoying the day and twenty yards away, the pop and crack of foam swords striking foam shields rings out. The combatants are members of a nationwide Live Action Role-Playing, or LARP, group based in the Midwest and known as Belegarth. The group takes influence not only from medieval combat, but from fantasy as well, especially the various works of seminal fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien. This branch, based in Davenport, is known as Beornve an Old Norse word meaning the Banner of the Bear. In fact, just off to my left a homemade war banner sways in the light breeze depicting a noble-looking bear and a sword. The work is impressive and, as with much of the medieval garb and weaponry, looks as if it were a labor of love something crafted by hand for the sole purpose of helping to immerse oneself into the world of the game. As I stand there observing, a man who appears to be in his mid- to late-twenties is nice enough to approach me and offer to let me try it out, offers to let me join the activities. As a socially awkward person, I know that if he hadnt approached me, it would have had a hard time mustering up the courage necessary to talk to a stranger. As it turns out, this man is the co-founder of the Beornve branch, which he and a friend started way back in 2005. When I introduce myself and ask his name, he explains that each person has an in-character name the name of the person they are when they inhabit the fictional universe of this particular brand of LARP and his is Telanar. He never offers his nonfiction name. We talk for almost forty minutes. Telanar is an encyclopedia of all things Belegarth; everything from the rules of combat, the regulations of weapon construction, the history of the Belegarth branch of medieval combat, and even the political and regulatory differences between Belegarth and the other branches of the sport. Belegarth is only one organization there are two other major, nation-wide branches: Dagorhir, which is based on the east coast, and Amtgard, which is based in Texas, but is the largest and most widespread of the three. These three branches are all LARPing organizations, to be sure, but each place more emphasis and importance on the Live Action part of that phrase than on the RolePlaying. Telanar explains that while everyone here has a character name, and while some even have backstories and motivations developed for that character, it literally has no effect on what happens on the battlefield how well one performs is simply a matter of how good one is with a foam sword. LARPing has its roots in the mid-to-late 1970s and can take as many forms as the imagination will allow. There are many LARPs that, conversely to Belegarth, have no combat at all it is literally just inventing a character and then playing him/her in various fictional situations and settings. There are those that combine the story-telling and combat aspects, where one inhabits a fictional world with friends, each playing a character, each immersed in the story. While Belegarth does exist within its own universe, one does

not need to understand or even know about it in order to participate and have fun with the combat. Beornve is a Realm (essentially, a local chapter) that has grown each year since it officially became a recognized chapter of the Belegarth governmental body, the War Council. Telanar co-founded the group after graduating from Iowa State University and moving back to the Quad Cities. He explains to me that the group that preceded Beornve had dissolved by the time he returned, and having picked up a taste for the sport at ISU, he started the group that inhabits Vander Veer Park every Saturday at noon. Each year the group gets together and strut their stuff at the Celtic Highland Games of the Quad Cities, offering to show people some proper fighting techniques and letting people have a go with the mountain of weapons they carry with them. According to Telanar, the group had over two hundred people sign waivers to participate at last years festival. This is the kind of grassroots promotion and organization that presidential candidates dream of. Aside from the Celtic Highland Games, there are big annual events that bring LARPers from all over the country. Telanar says that Oktoberfest, which takes place over a weekend in Bloomington, Illinois, draws roughly 800 people every year. The sheer number of people is staggering this isnt something that is widely advertised; event information is spread on the forums and message boards of the websites of each of the local Realms (Beornve is only one such Realm). Aside from uniting people from all across the country to participate in a hobby that they all share and love, these big events serve as fundraisers for the Realms that host them. The people who participate usually pay a small fee of five dollars or so, which then goes into the costs of repairs for their foam weapons (foam degrades fairly quickly when its being used as a tool to hit something really hard, really often), the cost of maintaining an online presence, and any other expenses that may pop up during the course of a year. This is an extremely clever, self-perpetuating system of fundraising that keeps Realms in business, while also giving people a reason to gather in such huge numbers to share in a hobby they enjoy. Finally, some stereotypes need to be dispelled. When talking with Telanar, I mention that those who know what LARP is tend to have a specific type of person in mind, and I comment that I find it admirable that the people of Beornve are so willing to come out in public and just do what they like to do. Its something I personally understand completely Im not ashamed of loving comic books, or professional wrestling, but theres a reason I dont read comic books in public; theres a reason I dont talk about professional wrestling with someone unless I know he or she likes it too. He smiles and nods his head. We do get a lot of people driving by, yelling at us. One time we were at Eastern Avenue Park, we had somebody drive by and moon us, he tells me. I laugh at this and express my confusion at that persons choice of ridicule. He explains to me that there is also a bit of archery involved in the way they fight, and that when they make arrows safe to be fired at people they take the tips off and cover them with a giant round foam pad. Anytime you have that many arrows sitting

LARP
page 8

By Aaron Graf
Editor-in-Chief

LASSO and BRDGS Hear My Two Moms Author at Augustana

because of the viral YouTube video( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMLZOsObzQ), which was posted, unbeknownst to him, when he addressed the members of the Iowa House Judiciary Committee asking them to prohibit an amendment being made to the state constitution describing marriage as legally existing solely between a man and a woman. In addition to seeing the actual video, those present had the chance to learn a little about what it was like being raised by two moms in Iowa, and how his familys life and his message, have been affected since that night in January of 2010. For part of the evening the tone of the lecture was lighthearted. Mr. Wahls pointed out certain absurdities which have occurred as a result of the proposed amendment, and joked about some of the more humorous reactions he has seen when people learn he was raised by two women. One such example was made by highlighting the juxtaposition of two kinds of married couples and their civil rights throughout the country. Wahls noted that, In South Carolina first cousins can legally marry. Im not passing judgment it is just how it is. In Iowa, this is not that case. In Iowa, same-sex couples can marry, but in South Carolina that is not the case. However, if two first cousins, legally married in South Carolina, come to Iowa their marriage is legally recognized as valid by Iowa. But if my moms, who are legally married in Iowa, go to South Carolina the government of South Carolina will not recognize their marriage. Later in the lecture, the mood became considerably more serious when Zach explained how the legal ambiguity surrounding his mothers marriage nearly cost his self-described, Tall-Mom, Terry, her life. As a result of her diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis, Terry Wahls can experience debilitating facial pain. He explained that frequently she is rendered speechless, and that the condition is exacerbated by stimulation from sound and light.

Less than a week after his appearance at the Democratic National Convention, 21-year-old LGBT civil rights activist, Zach Wahls arrived in Rock Island to speak to the group gathered in Olin Hall on the campus of Augustana College. Members from WIU-QCs Liberal Arts and Science Students Group (LASSO) and the newly formed Building Respect for Diverse Genders and Sexualities (BRDGS) group were in attendance out of interest for Wahls message, and to uphold the LASSO fall semester tradition of treating students to a meal. This years event was held at Oriental Express in Rock Island, followed by the lecture at Augustana. Many audience members were familiar with Mr. Wahls and his message

Photo By: Aaron Graf BRDGS and LASSO enjoy a great meal before attending the Wahls Lecutre on September 25th

WAHLS
page 7

RIVERS EDGE WIU-QC

WESTERN 411
Wahls
from page 6

October 12, 2012 7

What Do You Most Look Forward to about the Fall Season?

Staff Writer

Student Photo Poll Asks:

By Alyssa Grimes

The cool temperatures. -Kyle Sullivan, Engineering

Photo By Aaron Graf Author Zach Wahls addresses the audiance gathered at Olin Hall on September 25th

I love football. I cant wait for football to start! -Holly Barnes, English

Unfortunately during a particularly severe bout with her MS, and despite being given a neurologists approval a half hour prior to arriving in the emergency room, Zachs Short-Mom, Jackie Wahls, was unable to order the senior Doctor to treat Terry as the neurologist had prescribed, because he refused to recognize that Jackie had the legal authority to do give that order on Terrys behalf. Terry Wahls was denied the necessary pain medication and was subjected to an emergency MRI because the ER was convinced that she was a stroke victim. Zach used his moms experience that night to highlight the importance of a legal civil marriage, and the nearly twelve hundred legal rights, privileges, and protections at the federal level, and between three hundred and six hundred at the state level, depending on where a couple lives. Near the end of the evening Wahls acknowledges that while the presence of same-sex couples in main stream media is growing and is largely responsible for a gradual shift towards social tolerance and respect among younger generations, he hopes his audiences recognize that while acceptance is increasing, the importance of total recognition of the civil rights of LGTB couple cannot be overlooked or underestimated in our nation.

Thanksgiving. -Robert Crinklaw, BGS

The weather is not too cold and not too hot and I love all the colors. Also, Fall signifies transition and change. -Temia Rice, Counseling

PUBLISHING AND CIRCULATION The River Edge is published bi-monthly during the regular school year, excluding holidays, finals week and semester breaks. 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 publication, please e-mail us at RiversEdge@wiu.edu. ADVERTISING POLICY 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, nor does it knowingly print ads that violate any local, state or federal laws. The Rivers Edge is a free publication. One copy per student.

How To Contact the Rivers Edge: Stop by the Rivers Edge office in 268A at the 60th street campus and leave us a message! Via e-mail: Riversedge@wiu.edu Like us: www.facebook.com/RiversEdgeNewspaper

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS The RE needs your help to maintain accuracy. If you find a factual error let us know by emailing the Riversedge@wiu.edu subject line should read corrections and retractions.

8 October 12, 2012

IN CONCLUSION

RIVERS EDGE WIU-QC

SOE/WQPT Block Party a Hit with the Little People in the Neighborhood

Whether they were having laugh with Zany Janie and Clifford the Big Red Dog, or trying not to squirm too much as their caricatures were drawn by local artist Leo Kelly, the girls and boys who attened this years Society of Educators Block Party never lacked for entertainment.

LARP

from page 6

around, you have some that you havent put heads on yet, he tells me the flat tips arent lethal by any means, but they hurt like hell. He laughs and says, the guy was lucky that I couldnt get to a bow in time, conjuring up the inevitable image of an arrow protruding from the mooners bottom. Joking aside, this is a hobby that people find engaging and fun no different than video games, reading, playing basketball, or what have you. As a gamer, I find myself huddled in a corner of the couch, holding a beer between my legs so I can have quick access to it while still being able to use both hands to hold the controller, isolated from the world in my cave of an apartment this is the very epitome of lazy. When Telanar and his friends engage in their recreational activity, they

are outside, with people around them, the sun shining down on them on a gorgeous day in a gorgeous park, performing a physical activity (and dont be fooled just watching these folks fight is exhausting), yet as you read this article what were you imagining? Probably some super nerd who lives in his parents basement, right? If not, then youre a better person than I, dear reader. In fact, as Telanar tells it, Beornve is a group that cuts across the artificial borders we erect for ourselves when determining our place in society; there are people who make close to six figures a year, and there are people who are homeless, with everything in between, and all of them are united by one common love: whacking each other with foam swords and a smile across their face.

Some folks just take their exercise more seriously than others.

Photo by Antoinette Brown