Keeping the city working despite shrinking budgets

With the economic downturn, the Public Works Department and the Recreation Division find ways to get the city ready for the spring despite smaller budgets.

As snowy roads and parks turn to green grass and cracked pavement the Public Works Department (PWD) brings in more employees and builds to it’s ever ending list of jobs that require their attention.

“What we do in the spring time is get ready for construction season,” said Director of Public Works, Larry Cox. “Theres kind of a mix there where we are ready to fight snow and ready to make repairs in the streets and street improvements. So they overlap, it’s not like we one day shut one thing off and get ready for another.”

“Some of the first things to get ready for the construction season are summer maintenance equipment. Street Division operates street sweeper and it is winterized ... so it’s the first thing we get out,” said Cox.

During the winter months the Street Division makes temporary road repairs. Once spring rolls around more permanent fixes are put in place.

Other parts of the PWD, work on switching over with the warmer weather. Divisions like the Parks Department as well as the City Engineers both have to change mindsets as construction season moves closer.

“We have been picking up our sod damage from our plows ... We have been checking inlets for rain and snow melt. Try to finish up picnic table repairs and getting ready to put them out in the spring,” said Parks Superintendent, Don Miles. Some other springtime duties include making sure equipment is ready and tree trimming in the parks.



Despite the lengthy list of tasks for PWD, the budget for the department has remained very stagnant over the past four years. For example, the parks operation and maintenance budget has only gone up $46,260 since the 2007 budget. That may seem like a large amount, but it is only 4.22% of the 2010 budget.

The growth comes in large part from items that undoubtedly grow due to higher prices. Items like heating and electricity are big factors. This growth is offset by cuts in other regions of the departments.

This past winter the PWD has had a large unforeseen budget increase due to the snowstorm in February. “We are looking at potentially $125,000 worth of expenses over that 24 hour period,” said Cox. “We hired some contractual services that we don’t normally hire during even a pretty heavy snow storm.” The PWD has turned in the $125,000 bill to the state to hopefully get reimbursed because it was proclaimed a natural disaster.

The Parks Department has figured out one way to save a few bucks in these rough times with less flowers and having no need to buy mulch.

“They use to plant annuals in the flower beds. As we have been going along trying to save money... on labor we have been doing a lot of perennials and so we probably don’t spend 100 bucks on annuals anymore,” said Miles. “Typically we get the mulch from our forestry division who chips brush all year long.”

The shrinking budget has forced the PWD to shrink staff size and this has caused a backlog of things needing attention. “We have one less maintenance worker in our Street Division right now,” said Cox. There is also one less staff member at the airport, growing numbers of part-time employees.

“We have several years of requests for curb and sidewalk repairs in our system,” said Cox. This backlog also affects how many roads can get repaired during the construction months.

The stagnant trend in budgets can be seen in other departments. “I think it has hurt all municipalities in the state of Illinois as far as that goes,” said Recreation Superintendent Roger Sensabaugh. “We are affected but probably no more or more less than the Street Department or the Parks Department or Police and Fire. I think everyone takes a hit.”

For the Recreation Division (RD) the troubles are the same.

“[The recession] has gone on for so long right now it really is affecting our capital improvements,” said Sensabaugh. “We really haven't done anything in capital improvements in the past few years and this year, as well as next year, we will probably be running on an operational budget alone.”

Running on a minimal budget, Sensabaugh has had list of improvements that keeps growing. He hopes to get them started at some point in the future. “One thing we wanted to do for a long time would be another play feature at the water park to try to reinvent the water park a little bit,” he said. “Some ascetic things too ... We have some insulation that needs to be basically redone ... So some energy conservation things too ... Not many things make the cut. That’s just kind of where we are at.”

The RD could have raised fees to use their services to make up for the losses, but so far increases have been minimal.

“We try not to make any major fee increases if we have too,” said Sensabuagh. “But lately we just kind of felt like we really haven't wanted to rase fees or anything if we don't have to just for the simple fact that people are having a hard enough time to make ends meet, not to cut our own throat either, we still want people to participate and take advantage of the programs and facilities.”

The adopted budget for 2011 goes against the trends from the past few years. If kept the same, this will bring much needed boost in funding to the PWD. The RD is not so lucky, with many locations receiving minimal extra cash for this year.

Despite the budget troubles both the RD and the PWD are moving forward to get the city ready for the spring.

The PWD looks towards the first of April as a change over date, but this date can change and there are some jobs that start before or after that date. The RD also sees this day as the beginning of spring, but the start of summer is a more important date.

The RD eyes Memorial Day weekend as the start of summer and a large amount of jobs for the division. This day marks the opening of pools and the beach for patrons.

“With the way the school schedule they not even letting kids out of school till the first part of June,” said Sensabaugh. This problem has caused the RD to look at changing the start date, but so far no changes have been made, due to maintaining tradition.

Charlie Gorney - Story III

How do different districts deal with statewide budgetary issues?

Illinois’ budget crisis has nearly all state-funded programs and sectors, schools included, sacrificing to make ends meet. Yet some school districts, unlike the case of Galesburg, are still not feeling the heat.

The state of Illinois has been consistently lagging on payments to school districts across the state. But since different districts receive different proportions of state funding each year, the extent to which they can get into budget trouble varies just as much.

Hinsdale High School District 86 in Chicago’s southwest suburbs runs a district in which almost 95 percent of funding is derived from local sources, mainly property taxes, according to the district’s 2010 Illinois report card. And thus, the effect of the Illinois budget crisis on this particular district has been rather mild, according to District 86 Superintendent Nicholas Wahl.

“We’ve always had a balanced budget here. We’re strong, and we have a solid fund balance,” Wahl said. “We made some tough decisions in 2005 – 2006 which did not affect student programs, but it allowed us to have a strong budgetary position going forward.”

Galesburg School District 205, on the other hand, gets almost 44 percent of its funding locally, with about 40 and 16 percent coming from the state and federal government, respectively. So when Illinois hurts, Galesburg hurts too.

According to the Galesburg Register-Mail, District 205 laid off 78 teachers, staff, and administrators, constituting the largest cut in 27 years. This move was made in light of a projected $3.3 million shortfall in state funding and uncertainty about enrollment for the coming school year.

And though some of those positions were reinstated and the administration hopes to re-hire more employees, this illustrates some of the uncertainty associated with a schools system which relies heavily on unreliable funding sources.

(Blog Post) Learning about an under-noticed area of government

Over the past few weeks I have been interviewing members of the Public Works Department as well as Roger Sensabaugh, Recreation Superintendent in Galesburg.

Originally I wanted to do a story on what the departments do to get ready for the spring. This has been reworked to its current state due to some changing information. The realization that the departments don’t have a distinct switch over, its more of a rolling timeline of changing, caused the greatest issue. Another was the importance all of my interviewers noted on the budget crunch on their departments and the effect it had. This is why my project sits as a combo of these two topics.

These interviews have provided a few realizations that I did not know before starting this project.

The first major thing I noticed was the amount of work the Parks Department does during the winter months. One would think the department closes down for the most part during the winter months, but they keep themselves busy doing many different jobs. The job that surprised me most was the fact that they shovel a large percentage of the streets in Galesburg.

The next interesting thing I learned was the importance some of the employees at the Parks Department have in keeping the city clean. Jason Asbury and Brad Theobald, both natives of Galesburg, surprised me with the work ethic they had. One might think that a somewhat menial job would prevent someone from having the sense of responsibility that these two workers stated in their interviews.

The time I spent with these two individuals (less than 2 hours) was a great experience to see what the Parks Department does first hand. Most of my time spent with them they were just cleaning inlets (gutter drainage grates), but I still got a sense of duty they have to the community. Despite Asbury telling me a fake name to begin with (later corrected by his boss via e-mail) he was never disrespectful and was eager to show me one of the utility sheds where another employee, Joe Asbury, was working on making a new sign for the Water Department.

Just to clarify Joe and Jason are related, but distant relatives and not a father son combo like I originally thought when I figured out Jason’s real name.

Another interesting thing I figured out during my interviews, that was so interesting I wrote a whole story on it, was the strange separation between the Parks Department and the Recreation Department. This blurry and jagged line between them can easily confuse anyone and had me confused through a few of my interviews, if I let you listen to the questions I asked in the videos.

Overall I have learned a great deal about this under-noticed area of government and I hope you read the three stories and view the images, videos and other pieces accompanying it and grow a the same knowledge and appreciation that I have gained in the past few weeks.

Understanding differences between two similar departments

The Parks Department and the Recreation Division normally function under the same part of government, but that’s not the case in Galesburg.

In other cities it is common to see the two departments listed as the Parks and Recreation Department, but in Galesburg the Recreation Division lies in the Community Development Department, while the Parks Department works under the Public Works Department.

With this separation comes a bit of confusion on what each department’s list of duties is.

“Basically we are in charge of everything that you don't drive on or drink out of the faucet,” said Parks Superintendent, Don Miles. “We oversee the armory building, we over see the Amtrak Depot, we mow down there. [At] City Hall and the Public Safety building we do all the mowing and trimming and landscaping. We are just spread out.”

In addition the Parks Department also mows other city owned lots, shovels snow north of Fremont Street and maintains numerous pieces of equipment, cemeteries, the airport, campgrounds, baseball fields, Bunker Links Golf Course and most of the parks in the city.

Certainly this list is lengthy, but the Recreation Division has a lengthy list itself.

“We wear numerous hats,” said Recreation Superintendent, Roger Sensabaugh. “My position here as superintendent of recreation is basically to operate the recreation division as it is, but I also do youth sports, adult sports, basically the sports for the City of Galesburg and all the concessions at the facilities, hire recreations attendants for the facilities in the evenings and basically maintain the facilities and oversee the maintenance for the recreation division.”

The Recreation Division's maintenance duties are shorter than the long list for the Parks Department. The places the department must maintain are the Hawthorn Center, Lake Storey Pavilion, Lakeside Water Park, Lakeside Recreation Facility, Lake Storey Beach and the cities’ softball fields.



In addition the Division is in charge of maintaining staff for the different programs and events the city runs.

The Rec. Division employees a larger staff than the Parks Department, but they have to run most of the recreation programs the city hosts. The Rec. Division employees 6 full time staff and up to 125 part timers depending on the season. The Parks Department has 14 full time employees throughout the Department as well as up to 45 temporary employees during the summer months.

This separation is often blurred but to benefit both departments. “We work pretty closely together when we need to,” said Sensabaugh. “When we get into a bind they help us out, if they get behind in mowing, when it rains especially in the spring, we will jump in and help them mow.”

One thing both groups share is the current budget crunch. Both departments, as well as others, have struggled to make ends meet over the past few years. “I think it has hurt all municipalities in the state of Illinois as far as that goes,” said Sensabaugh. “We are affected but probably no more or more less than the street department or the parks department or police and fire. I think everyone takes a hit.”

This budget issue has affected the abilities of both departments to make improvements on buildings or other parts of the parks. “One thing we wanted to do for a long time would be another play feature at the water park to try to reinvent the water park,” said Sensabaugh. Unfortunately the budget has been limited to an operational amount and all capital projects have been cut.

“We have been getting our budget cut every year and losing our temporary personal because we can’t spend the money, so we do what we can touching up things,” said Miles. This has kept the Parks Department on a more preventive repair schedule.

These differences may not be clear-cut, but the similarities and connections between the two departments provide a cleaner city and a better parks system.

More than 30 years at the Parks Department

(Caption for slideshow: Jason Asbury and Brad Theobald work to clean inlets around the City of Galesburg on Monday, Feb. 28, 2011. Also the slideshow ends with a few shots of Joe Asbury priming a replacement sign for the Water Department.)

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A deep connection to the city, a strong work ethic and a cleaner city despite smaller budgets is a daily routine for three Parks Department employees.

Jason Asbury, Brad Theobald and Joe Asbury, three full time employees with the Galesburg Parks Department, work to create a clean city for everyone to enjoy.

“I wanted to provide a service for my town to give back,” said Jason Asbury. Both Jason Asbury and Theobald grew up in Galesburg and feel a need to return the favor for what the city gave them years ago.

All three men have ten years of experience working full time with the Galesburg Parks Department under their belts. 

Joe Asbury worked with the Water Department for five years before that. This job has translated to his current job during the summer, taking care of the wading pools and the splash zone park for the Department.

Jason Asbury was a pipe welder and fitter before coming to work for the Department. “I always loved working with my hands,” said Asbury. “I love to see my product at the end of the day.” This has kept him from working on ‘paper heavy’ jobs and kept him happy doing what he does.

Theobald has been off and on with the department since 1986, working at the Butler factory in between. “It was something I always wanted to do,” he said. “I was happy when it finally worked out.”

Theobald knows first hand what troubles the city went through when Butler and Maytag closed their doors. “I try to do the best I can to beautify the city,” said Theobald. “We try to make it a city for businesses to come here.” 

Both Jason Asbury and Theobald feel a responsibility to make the city as presentable as possible to hopefully bring back some jobs. “If you look at the census, you can see the numbers dropping,” said Asbury. This makes their list of duties longer, but gives them less money to complete them.

As the city moves away from the industrial history the Parks Department has picked up the duties of cleaning city-owned lots. “The city purchased a lot of these properties when the companies left,” said Jason Asbury. “Its our job now to clean them up. Sometimes the grass has grown really high from years of neglect.”

During the winter months, the full-time staff is given a large range of jobs. “ We are kind of a jack of all trades,” said Joe Asbury. The list includes; picking up trash, cleaning inlets from leaves, trimming trees, repairing signs, plowing streets north of Fremont Street as well as downtown parking lots and clearing the piles of snow in the middle of streets after major snow accumulation.

During the record snowstorm earlier this month Jason Asbury worked 48 hours with only four hours of sleep and Theobald worked 31 hours straight with no break. This work ethic helped keep the access to the hospitals and the main streets clear enough for emergency personnel. During the snowstorm they helped rescue Ameren personnel west of the city on Main Street as well as rescuing someone who needed medical help from a home.

Blog (Second Side)

Covering the various aspects of I-Club was a lot of fun. I’m genuinely interested in the lives of international students. It makes you wonder how someone can travel half way around the world to a place completely unknown to him or her. Forget going to a new school and the problems associated with that think of the problems you’ll encounter if you move to a totally new continent. Culture shock, immigration issues, language barriers are just some of the problems faced by international students. As soon as I see someone international it makes me wonder, what is there story? How did they end up here? Why here – how did they find out about Knox? It’s just all really interesting to me.

I’ve also always wanted to learn about the history of I-Club. Who started it? How did they manage to start it? What were some of the initial activities they had? Despite all these questions, I failed to reach enough sources of information. The archives consisted of two miserable, flimsy folders that consisted of a few balance sheets. Cathy Walters was perhaps my biggest aid as she told me about a couple more folders stacked in the basement of the I-house. Although those folders weren’t of much help either they got me thinking of a new topic. I-club and its long-forgotten history – basically how I-club has changed over the years.

But there were times where things just got too frustrating. From the interviews to the stories, sometimes things just didn’t go your way. One of the major problems I had was scheduling interviews with the international students. Perhaps it’s the whole “International Student Grading System”. I mean I understand how important studies are to international students especially. Getting anything less than an A is considered a disappointment. I had to literally chase most of these students down. Constantly harassing them by calling and texting them. I guess one of the reasons I actually got this project done was due to the fact that most of these international students were my friends and felt obligated to answer the questions that I asked them.

I had a lot of fun making the videos. I loved using the software – it was pretty amazing. Cathy’s personality profile was a lot of fun to write too. I learnt a lot about her past and got to know her better. It was a lot of fun to cover this topic, as it is one that piques my interest.

How to make International Food (First Side)

How to make international dishes

Dish:- Kabritu Stoba (Dutch Antilles Goat Stew).

Country:- Curucao.

Recipe By :- Avi Brongersma.

Ingredients

· 4 cups cool water

· 3 tablespoons lime juice

· 2 pounds goat stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

· 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

· 1 onion, diced

· 1 red bell pepper, diced

· 1 tablespoon tomato paste

· 1 cup water

· 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

· 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce

· 1 teaspoon nutmeg

· 1 teaspoon paprika

· Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Stir together the water, lime juice, and goat meat in a large container. Let stand for 10 minutes, then drain the meat in a colander, and squeeze out as much water as possible.

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet until smoking over medium-high heat. Add the drained goat meat, and cook until browned all over, about 7 minutes. Stir in the onion and bell pepper, cook until the onion has softened, about 3 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste. Pour in the water, vinegar, and soy sauce; season with nutmeg, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed to prevent sticking.

Dish:- Chicken Chow Mein.

Country:- China.

Recipe By :- Alan Ning.

· 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

· ¾ cups crispy chow mein noodles

· ¼ cups chicken broth

· ¼ cups peanut oil

· ¼ medium white onion , minced

· 1 green onion , finely sliced

· ¼ cups fresh snow peas , trimmed

· 2 medium garlic cloves , minced

· 1 medium stalk of celery , sliced thin

· ½ cups fresh mushrooms

· 1⁄3 cups canned water chesnuts , chopped

· ¼ cups bean sprouts

· 3 hoisin sauce

· 1 soy sauce

· 1 tsp sugar

· 1 ½ chinese 5 spice powder , This is a special blend of spices found in the spice aisle of your grocery store

· 2 tsp cornstarch

· 1 tsp salt

· ¼ tsp pepper

Serves: 1

Preparation Time:

20 minutes

Cooking Time:

20 minutes

Step 1: Make the sauce

Combine the hoison sauce, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Mix with a spoon or use a whisk until properly combined. Set the sauce aside.

Step 2: Prepare the chicken breasts

Cut the chicken breasts into cubes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Step 3: Heating the pan

Heat a skillet or wok on high heat and add the peanut oil. Make sure the oil is very hot.

Step 4: Begin the stir fry

Put the garlic, white onion, green onion and 5 spice powder into the skillet or wok and cook for 30-60 seconds.

Step 5: Stir fry the chicken

Add the chicken to skillet or wok and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Step 6: Add vegetables

Add the celery and mushrooms to the skillet or work and cook for an additional 2 minutes. The celery and mushrooms should still be slightly crisp.

Step 7: Add the water chestnuts

Add the water chestnuts to the skillet or wok. Water Chestnuts are part of a plant that is cultivated in flooded rice paddy fields.

Step 8: De-glaze the wok

De-glaze the skillet or wok by adding the chicken broth. Stir until the broth is well combined with all of the ingredients.

Step 9: Bring the mixture to a boil

Bring the mixture to a boil and allow it to boil for one minute.

Step 10: Turn down the heat

Turn down the heat and add the snow peas and bean sprouts. Mix to combine all of the ingredients.

Step 11: Finish the dish

Sprinkle the chow mein noodles over the entire dish.

Serve the dish with your favorite white or brown rice and enjoy!

Dish:- Momo.

Country:- Nepal

Recipe By :- Supriya Gurung.

Description: Nepali Meat Dumplings
Serving Size: 2-3
Preparation Time: about 1 hour for assembly and 15 minutes for steaming

Amount/Measure/Ingredient

Dough for wrappers:3 cups All-purpose flour
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water
Pinch of salt

Filling:
1 lb. lean ground lamb or chicken
(Note that beef is not eaten in Nepal, the world's only Hindu Kingdom)
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup green onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon timur (Szechwan pepper)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 fresh red chilies, minced
1 cup Nepali cheese (homemade paneer), roughly crushed (optional)
2 tablespoon clarified butter
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Dough:
In a large bowl combine flour, oil, salt and water. Mix well, knead until the dough becomes homogeneous in texture, about 8-10 min. Cover and let stand for at least 30 min. Knead well again before making wrappers.

Filling:
In a large bowl combine all filling ingredients. Mix well, adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at 
least an hour to allow all ingredients to impart their unique flavors. This also improves the consistency of the filling.

Assembly:
Give the dough a final knead. Prepare 1-in. dough balls. Take a ball, roll between your palms to spherical shape. Dust working board with dry flour. On the board gently flatten the ball with your palm to about 2-in circle. Make a few semi-flattened circles, cover with a bowl. Use a rolling pin to roll out each flattened circle into a wrapper. For well excecuted MOMOs, it is essential that the middle portion of the wrapper be slightly thicker than the edges to ensure the structural integrity of dumplings during packing and steaming. Hold the edges of the semi-flattened dough with one hand and with the other hand begin rolling the edges of the dough out, swirling a bit at a time. Continue until the wrapper attains 3-in diameter circular shape. Repeat with the remaining semi-flattened dough circles. Cover with bowl to prevent from drying. For packing hold wrapper on one palm, put one tablespoon of filling mixture and with the other hand bring all edges together to the center, making the pleats. Pinch and twist the pleats to ensure the absolute closure of the stuffed dumpling. This holds the key to good tasting, juicy dumplings. Heat up a steamer, oil the steamer rack well. This is critical because it will prevent dumplings from sticking. Arrange uncooked MOMOs in the steamer. Close the lid, and allow steaming until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10-15 min. Take the dumplings off the steamer, and immediately serve. To serve, arrange the cooked MOMOs on a plate dressed with tomato achar.

Dish:- Chole Bhature

Country:- India

Recipe By:- Tanvi Madhusuddanan

Recipe:

Chickpeas

Soak 4 cups of chickpeas in water overnight or atleast 6 hours. Take them in a pressure cooker, add salt, one teabag(optional) and water and pressure cook them until they are just tender. Take care not to overcook. Drain the water and separate one cup of cooked chickpeas. Blend these separated ones into into thick, smooth paste with little water.

Veggies

2 cups of finely chopped ripe, juicy tomatoes

1 onion, finely chopped lengthwise

Seasoning

1 tablespoon of premade Chana masala powder (Badshah or any other brand from an Indian store)

½ teaspoon of red chilli powder and salt

¼ teaspoon of turmeric

Fresh cilantro and lime juice - for garnish

Preparation:

1. Heat one teaspoon of peanut oil or ghee in a large pot over medium heat.

2. Add and toast ¼ teaspoon each- cumin and mustard seeds.

3. When seeds start to pop, add the onion, and cook until translucent.

4. Add the tomatoes and cook on high heat until the tomatoes turn to soft. Press with a spatula and mush them.

5. To this tomato sauce, add the cooked chickpeas, pureed chickpea paste, chana masala powder, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric and one to two cups of water. Stir to combine.

6. Have a taste and adjust the spice levels to your liking. Keep the heat on medium and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the curry thickened. (The curry should not spread like a flooding river when served on a plate.)

7. Just before turning off the heat, stir in finely chopped fresh cilantro and lime or lemon juice to taste.

Enjoy the chana masala with rice/roti (chapati) or with puris.

Cathy Walters Profile (Third Story)

Having worked almost eight years as a Designated School Official (DSO), Cathy Walters is an international student’s lifeline in Knox College. Whether it’s about tax forms, I-20s or work authorization – Walters knows all the legal gibberish.

“My job is interesting. It’s rewarding… but it’s also a little frustrating sometimes,” says Walters. She is the advisor for international students as well as the designated school official providing a liaison between students and immigration.

Cathy Walters was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1957. She was the first child of two young parents.

“I grew up very sheltered,” she says, “but exposed to a lot of different things.”

At the age of three, Walters’ father joined the US Navy. The family moved to Hawaii and continued moving every three years. As a child she lived in Hawaii; Long Beach, California; San Diego, California; Key West, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; and Newport, Rhode Island. Walters recalls a conversation she had with her parents as a young child after moving.

“My parents told a story of me asking where all the other kids were and they couldn’t figure out what I meant. And I meant the Asian kids and the white kids that I grew up with in Hawaii because we had to stay only in black areas and only to eat -- you know -- in certain places,” she said, “Even though the law of the land was different. It was still 60–61 and the conditions were more difficult for African-Americans at that time.”

Segregation was still the rule of the land in the United States during the 1960s.

“I grew up thinking that we should all live together and interact as people,” she says.

One of the problems that she faced as a child was the double life she had to live. Life at the Navy base was very different from the life she had when she had to live with her grandmother in Atlanta. While her father was away on training, Walters stayed with her grandmother and attended a segregated school.

“There weren’t a variety of people to interact with that I was used to,” she said.

Walters majored in Psychology at Agnes Scott college, an all-woman’s college in Decatur, Atlanta.

“Sometimes you don’t know how to do things until you get through them. But, if I had to do it over again I would double major,” she says, “I would double major in Sociology and Psychology.”

Initially Walters was interested in teaching.

“I thought I wanted to teach little kids as a teacher. Special-ed actually and I did an internship during that and realized that no that was not for me,” she says.

Her first job as an adult was in Navy. She wanted to travel again and had “itchy feet” as she didn’t want to settle down.

“I joined the navy to see the world,” she said.

Her first posting was to Japan where she lived in the town as opposed to in the naval base.

“I liked it so much because I was tall,” she jokes.

After ten years, Walters left the Navy as she and her husband wanted to start a family. Previously, she worked in a two-year community college. She came to Knox in summer of 2001, as she wanted to work in a four-year college.

“No one comes to Knox by mistake,” she laughs.

Walters heard about Knox through a professor whose raffle she had won in a faculty raffle fundraiser while in college. Her professor had a biplane called “The Stearman”, the same plane that has a rally every year in Galesburg. He explained to her about the history of the planes and how they were made in Galesburg.

“[There was] something about Galesburg and Knox that stuck in my mind,” she recounts, “[Knox College] was hiring an admissions person at that time and I applied.”

Walters has been in Galesburg for almost ten years. Her husband works as the Web Editor for the Register-Mail while her son and daughter go to college.

“I’ve grown to like Galesburg,” she said. However, her only complaint is about the lack of bookstores in Galesburg.

“I want a place with a bookstore - and Stone Alley and Olden books just don’t cut it.”

QA With SJA (Second Story)

An interview with Sara Jane Ahmed, the 2010-2011 co-president of I-Club.

Tell me something about yourself.

SJA – I came to Knox in September 2009. I’m from the Philippines and Bangladesh. I’ve travelled quite a bit. I’ve lived in Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia and Bangladesh and I’ve travelled a total of six times in between those countries.

Why did you decide to join Knox? How did you find it?

SJA – Knox, well I found it in a book called “colleges that can change your life” or something like that. My guidance counselor gave it to me and I applied to Knox on the day of the deadline because I didn’t think I would come to such a secluded area. In the end I chose to go to Knox because they credited all my International Baccalaureates scores so I would be entering as a Sophomore so I’ll be graduating 2012 instead of 2013 which was a big plus because I didn’t want to stay in school for four years.

Why did you join I-Club?

SJA – Why did I join I-Club… because as a freshman they placed me here [the International house] in a triple so I had two American roommates and I guess I was obligated to join I-Club because it was just downstairs and during Orientation day they spoke a lot about I-Club and I-Fair so I was inclined to join.

What’s your role in I-Club?

SJA – Recently I’ve been displaced from presidency but I was the co-president this year. I’ve pretty much delegated tasks to my committee members and executive members and regular members and I was pretty much the link between the community and the students here on campus.

What are some of the challenges you faced as a president?

SJA – Well, I came in as a freshmen president. So I was pretty new to the whole concept of I guess carrying out event management and delegation because in high school I did a lot of sports, I stayed away from the clubs which Is why I decided to do that in Knox as I didn’t get a chance to in high school. Some issues were probably motivating people to do work, to get things done and just planning ahead. That was difficult because I didn’t have experience in planning any events as big as I-Fair. I mean at my school I had a form of I-Fair, which was a weeklong. I was never behind the wheel actually during that. I guess just coming up with things to do for I-Fair, the events, themes. I mean we had a committee for that but just trying to choose the right one was pretty difficult. Those were the difficult things really.

What advice would you give to the upcoming presidents of I-Club?

SJA – I would tell them to organize events way ahead of time, keep people motivated and I guess don’t stress yourself out and of course have lots and lots of fun.

What are your plans for this summer?

SJA – This summer, for the first part I’ll be doing the Chicago ACM program this Spring term and it ends early so I’ll be heading back home on May 25, back to the Philippines and I’ll be staying there until June 19^th and then I’ll be going to San Francisco and then recently I got into Stanford Business Summer program. It’s a program that will serve as a stepping stone between under-grad and an MBA so I prefer not to work after under-grad because I just want to go straight away finish my MBA then start working. So this will help me show my interest and I guess make me better prepared for business school. After that I will be going back to the Philippines in July and I will have to fly to Bangladesh to do an internship with an NGO that helps with- its called “Study Action fro rural advancement and security” – its pretty much helping with the rural poor secure their livelihoods and I’ll be focusing on micro-renewable energy which is a paper I’ll be writing up as part of the Ford fellowship I’ll be working on this summer. After Bangladesh I will fly back to the Philippines and then from here I will be going to Denmark to do the Copenhagen study abroad program.

I-Club (Main Story)

Since its initiation in 1976, I-Club has become one of the primary link between the international students at Knox and the local community.

I-Club began almost 35 years ago when a group of International students came together with a common goal in mind – to promote diversity within Knox College.

“I decided to join I-Club because I would like to promote cultural awareness,” said Sophomore Kevin Wirasamban.

Under the Knox College International Club Constitution written by the 2003-2004 president, Sujan Niraula, the objectives of the club are to firstly promote diversity within Knox College and the Galesburg community, and secondly to render necessary assistance to the international community of Knox.

However things have certainly changed from what they were 35 years ago. Although I-Club has seen an increase in budget from $4000 in 1993 to $5100 in 2011, the club has become relatively less active as compared to its participation fifteen years ago.

This year’s Co-President Sara Jane Ahmed explains that the turnout for I-Club is great in the beginning however as the term progresses, people stop showing up.

“[People don’t show up] because they are apathetic,” said Ahmed, “this years freshmen are the least involved. Those who are involved end up becoming part of the exec board.”

Member participation in the club has decreased significantly. Fifteen years ago there were over forty members however, these days the only people who seem to come to the meetings are the people on the executive board of the club totaling to fifteen.

“People just don’t care anymore these days,” said Co-President Supriya Kusuja, “they just don’t spend enough time on extra-curricular activities… All they care about are their grades, but they should learn that grades aren’t the only things that matter in life.”

Next year’s Co-President, Li Ann Marco aims to tackle this problem.

“One of the major things we have to focus on is the promotion of I-Club,” said Marco, “we should try to promote in other ways rather than just through the I-Fair.”

Marco explains that another problem is that most people feel that I-Club is just for international students.

“People feel that the can’t join because they aren’t international. But they should know that the I-Club Constitution states that everyone can join and they are always welcomed,” she said.

The lack of members over the years is one of the reasons why the I-Fairs held over the recent years have not been as successful as they were fifteen years ago.

“This year’s I-Fair was much better than last year’s I-Fair,” said Kusum Hachhethu, a senior at Knox, “but I still feel that since my freshmen year here, I-fair has become less exciting. Less people are involved in it. Its just not as fun as it was before.”

Next year’s Junior-At-Large, Yumna Rathore agrees with Hachhethu and adds that over the years I-Club has become less informative.

“I-Fair feels like a chore now. People just come for the food and the performances,” Rathore said, “what about the part where people learn about the cultures and traditions of different countries?”

The last piece of history in the archives about the I-club is the 1999 I-Fair. Since then, no new information has been archived. Previous records of I-Club show that I-Fair was more informative than it is now. Recipe booklets and global bingo were just some of the ways the international students tried to include the community. People were given incentives in the form of money to create the best booths and the most creative booths.

“From what I’ve heard, there used to be passports given to people,” said Hachhethu, “and people who attended the I-Fair had to take these passports and go to the different booths and get them signed by them. Nothing like that happens here anymore.”

“I-Club is in desperate need for enthusiasm,” said Ahmed, “its not a club that is likely to die out any time soon, but we need more ideas and enthusiasm when it comes to participation.”

The 1987 I-Fair, “Crossroads” is known to be one of the most successful I-Fair ever held. It was dedicated to a former international student Siang Ooi who graduated in 1984. Ooi was died in Costa Rica when he was attacked by a swarm of killer bees.

“The International students at Knox always come together in their times of need,” said Madhusudanan, “they are always there to help each other.”

Although many love I-Club, it has decreased in its size over the years and is failing to complete the objectives it was based on – to promote cultural awareness.

With Marco taking charge next year as president, she hopes to bring back I-Club to its former glory.

“I’m going to try to get more people involved,” said Marco, “next year we are going to change I-Club and make it the better than it has ever been.”

Video Montage of Roger Taylor (Multimedia Story #3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGU0R5KJd7Q

Dean of Knox College and Vice President of Academic Affairs Larry Breitborde (Multimedia Story #2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3qGwXhsA28

Q and A with Chancie Ferris Booth Professor Lane Sunderland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5HrUkIpeS8

Faculty Story on Roger Taylor (Short Feature Story #1)

“I’d give him an A,” said Dean of Knox College and Vice President of Academic Affairs Larry Breitborde grading Roger Taylor’s presidency. Knox’s faculty overwhelmingly agrees that Taylor has improved the college’s standing.

Chancie Ferris Booth professor of political science, Lane Sunderland, believes that Taylor was a dynamic president. “Energy in the executive is the leading character in the definition of good government,” said Sunderland referencing Federalist No. 70 since his main area of study is constitutional law.

Improving Knox’s standing was part of Taylor’s energy in the executive. “We’ve seen our financial picture improve dramatically and we are now in a position where we are securing our endowment without drawing out of it,” Sunderland said. Knox at the time needed an engaged leader that would fundraise to increase the endowment.

Charles W. and Arvilla S. Timme professor of economics Roy Andersen had very similar thoughts about Taylor. "He came in at a time of financial instability,” said Andersen, “this is not a rich school, we’re relatively poor.” He like Sunderland believes that Taylor helped the college to substantially increase the capital of the college.

However, Andersen believes that Taylor was not the only person who helped. Andersen referenced to the dedicated staff that contributed to Taylor’s efforts. "Roger came in and he was blessed with a very good dean and an outstanding C.F.O. so that helped him a lot," Andersen said. Yet, Taylor’s personality was overall a pivotal factor in guiding the staff to improve the college.

Taylor’s friendliness made him a successful president. "Most of all, I guess I’ll remember him for his pleasantness, his love of the college, his love of the students and that, I think, helped him," said Andersen.

Sunderland also pointed out Taylor’s personality as a positive factor. . “[Anne and Roger Taylor] do a multitude of acts of kindness to people,” Sunderland said.

Dean of Knox College, Larry Breaitborde, believes that Taylor deserves a lot of praising. Taylor, as an alumnus of the college, established his own authority. “He had a certain knowledge of the college … the fact that he was an alumnus of the college was huge given the financial fragility of the college at the time,” Breitborde said. Taylor’s personal career achievements boosted the college’s standing

Taylor’s involvement in the prestigious Kirkland & Ellis law firm showed prospective students that Knox College can make successful individuals. “For him to say ‘Knox did that for me,’” Breitborde believes this showed the positive impact that Knox can have on individuals.

However, Knox still needs improvement. “It would have been nice to make more progress on some issues … He could’ve raised even more money,” Breitborde said. Even though Taylor almost doubled the college’s endowment from $40 million to $81 million, the college still needs more resources.

Lane Sunderland agrees. “Salaries need to be increased to keep us competitive with other institutions we are compared to,” said Sunderland. Once salaries are increased then Knox will be able to overcome the other colleges more attractive benefits for qualified faculty.

Roy Andersen believes that having a higher endowment will ultimately benefit the college. “Our endowment isn’t big enough and that really underlies a lot of things,” said Breitborde.

Dr. Teresa Amott is viewed favorably. Money is a problem at Knox College but faculty believes that she will raise more money for the college. “One of the things she’ll do is strategic planning,” said Sunderland. Taylor had to act quickly in order to financially rescue the college but Sunderland believes that Dr. Amott has plenty of time to plan more fundraisings.

Breitborde sees Dr. Teresa Amott as a perfect fit for Knox. “She has a very strong record of academic leadership,” said Breitborde, “but she has also been involved in institutional fundraising.” Like Andersen and Sunderland, Breitborde also believes that more money is necessary to make Knox College and Dr. Amott will aid that effort.

Overall, faculty agrees that Taylor accomplished a lot for Knox College. “There is no question his presidency was a success,” said Sunderland. Sunderland referenced to the increase of enrollment and endowment all due to his personality and career.

Taylor’s profession as a lawyer benefited the presidency. “It’s just a mindset that you want to move forward,” said Sunderland. According to Sunderland, Taylor’s law mindset encouraged him to tackle down newer issues rather than outdated conflicts that the college had before he took office.

Breitborde talked about Taylor’s legacy. “He’s gonna get his own chapter,” said Breitborde, “Roger was the perfect person at the perfect moment.”

Student Story on Roger Taylor (short feature story)

“He’s the person that put Knox College on the map!” said Supriya Kasaju, a current junior student at Knox College.

A few Knox College students spoke up about Roger Taylor who after ten years, has finally decided to retire from his job. A lot of them had positive things to say about his administration. Kasuju said, “He brought positive changes, that is, he made the school more lively.” She explained how he was very friendly with students and occasionally, he would go to the cafeteria and have lunch with students. She also added that he was easy to talk to and would always listen when people voiced their opinions.

Freshman Marcus McGee praised Taylor for his fundraising. “Roger restored our schools financial power, I would not have been able to come here if Knox hadn’t offered many scholarships,” he said. He explained how he works for the “phonathon” of the college which consists of calling Knox College alumni to request funds and donations for the school. He added, “I realized how involved he was in getting funds for the school … and I respect him for what he has done for the school.”

Junior Celestina Agyekum pointed out that Taylor, being a Knox alumnus, was beneficial to the college. “Being a Knox alumnus plays a big role. He understands the needs of the people and always encompasses the culture of Knox in whatever he does,” she said. Agyekum had brief encounters with Taylor and described him as a very nice and approachable person.

Freshman student senate member Shelly Bhanot agreed with Agyekum. She mentioned that his administration was “student-friendly.” “I attended a board of trustees meeting and everyone liked his administration, he is a really nice guy,” Bhanot said. She described Taylor as approachable and stern at the same time.

Sophomore Tarere Eyimina pointed out that Taylor and his wife Anne host an annual Thanksgiving dinner for students that don’t leave campus. She added that on one occasion she was present, “they initiated us into the holiday, they told us stories about themselves and I got to know a lot about them.” Eyimina added that she had a lovely time with the couple and will love to do it again.

Senior Audrey Savage reaffirmed Eyimina’s statement. “The stories he tells about how he met is wife shows he's dedicated to Knox which helps with our self-confidence,” she said. She further explained the fact that Taylor shares his stories with students makes them proud to be a part of Knox. McGee stated, “Roger had a vision to make the school what it wasn’t and he did.”

Interesting Facts on Knox Presidents (Side II)

Hiram Huntington Kellog (1841- 1845)- He sold his domestic seminary at Clinton, New York to become president of Knox College.

Jonathan Blanchard (1845-1857)- As a Cincinnati minister he hated sins such as rum, Sabbath’ breaking, and free masonry.

Harvey Curtis (1858-1863) and William Stanton Curtis (1863-1868)- They had the same name but no relation and were devout Presbyterians. During their presidencies, the Civil War depleted the college of male students.

John Putnam Gulliver (1868-1872)- He made Knox College co-ed but sexes were seated separately in chapel and classrooms.

Newton Bateman (1874-1892)- He introduced a military drill on campus.

John Huston Finley (1892-1899)- He was the first Knox alumnus to become president of the college and became the youngest president of any American college at the time.

Thomas McClelland (1900-1917)- He was known for increasing Knox’s endowment and honored by City of Galesburg for bringing $50,000 of Carnegie funds to the city library.

James Lukens McConaughy (1918-1925)- As president, he wiped out the old traces of the old prairie college which had served long and well; a modernization that began with Finley.

Albert Britt (1925-1936)- He was the second alumnus to serve as president and built stimulated interest in athletic sports.

Carter Davidson (1936-1946)- His administration was shadowed by the Great Depression and WWII but despite this he raised faculty’s salaries and modernized the curriculum.

Lyndon Osmond Brown (1947-1948)-He had the shortest presidency in Knox College’s history with 18 months of service to re-enter his special field of marketing research in New York.

Sharvy G. Umbeck (1949-1973)- He was the longest serving president of Knox College with a 24 yr and expanded the college from 37 acres to 72 acres.

E. Inman Fox (1974-1982)- He was an eager participant of Flunk Day.

John Patrick McCall (1982-1993)- Under his presidency, the field house and the A.B.L.E house were built and he believed that no student should be deprived of a Knox education beyond their control.

Frederick c. Nahm (1993-1998)- He was the author of many articles and book chapters on fund-raising, strategic planning and management.

Richard S. Millman (1999-2001)- He was also a professor in the mathematics department during his administration at Knox.

Roger Taylor (2001-2011)- He was the third alumnus to serve as president and was the smallest member of the Knox football team during his time as a student.

Charlie Gorney - Feature Story

Is the sales tax increase sending business elsewhere?

Can the one percent sales tax increase passed in Galesburg last November send business away from the city?

Voters in Galesburg approved on November 2 a one percent sales tax increase to partly fund the roughly $110 million Master Facility Plan approved by the Galesburg Schools District 205. This brought the city’s sales tax rate up to 8.5 percent, the highest in the region.

The plan’s skeptics raised their concerns during the debate over its merits. One such concern was that higher rates in Galesburg would encourage shoppers or homebuyers to go elsewhere. Advocates of the plan countered that it is still cheaper to buy at home after considering the cost of traveling to Peoria or the Quad Cities, for instance.

Illinois State Representative from Rock Island Patrick Verschoore agrees. He introduced the Illinois County School Facility Tax Act in 2007. It provided for the enactment of such tax increases, pending a vote by referendum.

“With the price of gas at three and a half dollars a gallon, they’d be biting their nose off to spite their face,” Verschoore said. “It costs more to travel there than what the extra sales tax would be. … I think that’s kind of a weak argument.”

Verschoore also described sales tax increases over property tax increases, given that Illinois has high property tax rates relative to the rest of the country.

“If we can get this sales tax, it would probably hold down the property tax,” Verschoore said, adding that “the state is not able to pay these schools what they have coming. They’re really in a crunch, so they could use this money.”

Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce President Robert Maus said there were mixed feelings among the Galesburg business community as to whether the sales tax increase would be advantageous. He positively cited the exemptions from the tax, including groceries, prescribed medications and auto sales.

“From the chamber standpoint, we are huge advocates of buying local.” Maus said. “Anytime you possibly make that less competitive, that’s a cause for concern. … [But] it’s less of a burden than, perhaps, if it were done through property taxes, because all of our business owners, obviously, have property taxes as well.”

Maus explained that some more expensive purchases would be better made in Galesburg, even with the additional tax. He talked about “white goods” such as washers, dryers and refrigerators. While a consumer might save substantially in a county without the extra one percent tax, that consumer would still need to pay for gas to get elsewhere. And when a white good needs servicing, those who bought locally have an easier time getting that service in a timely manner.

School administrators and community members who supported the facility plan and tax increase also argued that while Galesburg’s sales tax rate is temporarily jumping above neighbors’ rates, our neighbors will soon follow in suit and take advantage of the new law. But it is not yet clear that this is the case.

Moline School District 40, which is in Verschoore’s district, was part of the impetus behind the original legislation allowing for these tax increases. However, Rock Island County rejected the measure in 2009.

District 40 Superintendent Cal Lee said that they encouraged the original bill. But while their first attempt did not succeed, they plan to give it another try in the future.

Chris Coplan, web and print content developer for Peoria School District 150, said that they have neither tried to make a sales tax increase, nor do they plan to do so. Coplan said that the Peoria electorate voted for a sales tax to support a Peoria museum, and the school district does not want to impose yet another increase.

Capital projects in Peoria schools, according to Coplan, have been funded for the last few years through the public building commission, but that source is not inexhaustible. He also said they are working on a space-needs facility study to be implemented in the future.

“We’re not necessarily looking at what we need to build and what we don’t need to build, but how we can use our buildings more effectively and efficiently,” Coplan said, but this project would be funded within their budget as it already functions.

Warren is the only county neighboring Knox which has passed a sales tax increase for school facility use, according to the Illinois Association of School Boards. Fulton tried and failed to do so in 2009, and Mercer has a ballot measure in the April local elections to make such a tax increase.

Overall, Maus said, there were many in the business community who ended up supporting the sales tax increase. To him, it was a matter of the facility plan’s value to the community.

“If the plan, as they saw it, made sense, they would still probably get behind it and support it. And I believe they did,” Maus said. “I think that if you can demonstrate to me that this has value, and that this will improve our community, then we will support this.”

Main Story on Roger Taylor

After 30 years of working as an attorney, Roger Taylor was ready to retire but his Alma Mater called him home.

Taylor originally planned to retire in 2001 from Kirkland & Ellis law firm in Chicago. Instead, he chose to strengthen Knox College’s institutional self-confidence. Now he’s ready to retire. “On June 30^thabout 4:35pm, I will walk out, salute and go to the farm,” said Taylor.

Born to a small farm in Fulton County, Illinois, Taylor graduated from Knox College in 1963 and Northwestern University Law School in 1971 with honors. Since 1988, Taylor was the Chair of Knox’s Board of Trustees but left in 2001 to become interim President of Knox College for 6 months. Taylor officially became president on October 11^th, 2002.

After former President Dr. Richard Millman’s unexpected leave, the Board of Trustees turned to one of their own. “It was a calling to do the job,” Taylor said. The Board believed that having an alumnus president would benefit the college. Taylor reaffirmed by saying, “All I had to do is say Roger Taylor class of 1963, and that was the end of the introduction minuet.” In fact, he stayed for 10 years because he felt that as alumnus, “you can’t just walk out or stay for a while and 10 years seemed like a nice time.”

Taylor had several challenges. In 2001, Knox College had a 43 million dollar endowment and a 16 percent spending rate. In 2010 the endowment was 81.9 million dollars and a 5.3 percent spending rate. “Everyone had become an accountant,” said Taylor. The college could not afford several necessities. Taylor added that, “the college had required students to clean their own bathrooms…that didn’t many any sense.” There was a loss of self-confidence which in result caused low enrollment and poor endowment.

To improve Knox College’s institutional self-confidence, Taylor mentioned fixing the Old Main bell. It was a “metaphor for strengthening the institutional self-confidence of the college,” said Taylor. Chancie Ferris Booth professor of political science, Lane Sunderland, agreed with Taylor. “Fixing the bell was one of the highpoints all right…it boosted institutional self-confidence,” Sunderland said.

The president relaxed the formal tone normally associated with his job. “The law firm where I practiced was open door, on a first name basis,” Taylor said. He moved out of the spacious president’s office into a joining conference room to be more open to staff and students. Moving out of this office stripped away the “status consciousness” as Taylor put it. He also introduced himself to all as Roger not Mr. Taylor or Mr. President.

His humility is one of his distinguishing attributes. “Legacy is too fancy for a farm boy from Fulton County Illinois,” said Taylor. He also denies taking all the credit for Knox’s improvement. “I can’t take credit for that myself…I happen to be at a time with gifted faculty and dedicated senior staff.”

Taylor has some regrets. The biggest challenge for Knox College is “raising money, raising money, raising money … Knox has always struggled,” he said. He also regrets not collecting enough money to remodel the Alumni Hall. Freshman senate member Shelly Bhanot stated, “Each year we don’t repair Alumni Hall it costs us a million dollars more, had we repaired alumni hall 5 years ago, it would have been much cheaper.” The current endowment is healthy but it is not strong enough to add newer academic buildings or remodel older ones. The last academic building built in Knox College was the Science and Math Center.

Money is needed for faculty. “I wish I could have raised money to increase salary of the staff,” Taylor said. One of the main concerns is losing academically attractive professors to colleges other than Knox. “[Salaries] need to be increased to keep us competitive with institutions that we compare ourselves too,” said professor Sunderland.

After these 10 years, he feels that this phase of his life is over. He will not return to Knox for two years. The first thing Taylor will do is go to his family farm located 30 miles south of Galesburg and fix his 2001 pickup truck. He and his wife Anne want to travel while still being active in non-profit organizations. He serves in Galesburg Regional Economic Development Association and is active in the Rotary Club.

In 2012, he will return for the celebration of the 175^th Anniversary of Knox College’s founding. He believes that the anniversary would be a good platform for Dr. Teresa Amott, his successor, to begin her presidency.

On July 1^st, 2011 Dr. Amott will succeed Taylor. Dr. Amott has extensive academic experience. She was provost and dean of faculty for Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. She assumed these positions for 6 year and renovated HWS’s facilities. In fact, she raised $200 million to add new academic buildings. Unlike Taylor who holds a law degree, Dr. Amott has a doctorate in economics from Boston College and a B.A. from Smith College. She held academic appointments to Bucknell University, Harvard University, University of Massachusetts - Boston and Amherst, and Wellesley College. She will be the first female President of Knox College.

Now as a builder, Taylor’s return to Knox shaped his life. “[Knox College] made me a little more patient, but not much and a little more careful of what I say, but not much,” he said. In fact, Dean of Knox College and Vice President of Academic Affairs Larry Breitborde backed Taylor’s statement. “It was like this long term, higher ed. seminar kind of thing … when he talks about learning patience he had to do that,” Breitborde said.

As Taylor recalled, being President of Knox College was more time consuming than practicing law and he is not sure whether he enjoyed the job. “I enjoyed it most of the time, but I still have not decided. I’m going to decide when I retire whether it was a good idea or not,” said Taylor. He also said that he gained more respect working in higher education. “It gave me enormous respect for people that work in higher education for peanuts…those who are called to teach in our colleges.” However, working for higher education was not always pleasant.

Taylor disliked how people brought petty issues to discussion. “My least favorite thing is that sometimes some on campus spend more time talking about petty issues than the issues really deserved,” said Taylor. He mentioned that “some people got jazzed up about the landscape; there [were] some dead trees by the Center of Fine Arts.”

However, Taylor sees positive qualities in his job. He appreciates seeing students grow from freshman year to graduation. “Being able to watch high school students who I met when they were high school juniors and seniors as prospective students coming through Old Main the watching them come to Knox. Mature, for the most part, intellectually and mature emotionally and then walk across the stage at commencement…and I get to hand them their degree,” said Taylor.