The Daily Egyptian 7/12/11

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Lego camp builds interest in engineering

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Volume 96, Issue 176, 8 pages

Hiring freeze chills housing market TARA KULASH Daily Egyptian BROOKE GRACE | DAILY EGYPTIAN

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he big question everybody asks us – are we at the bottom? Do we anticipate coming back up? We certainly hope so. We don’t anticipate it getting much worse.

There are some signs that things are picking up a little. Maybe enrollment being up at SIU will help.

— Lisa Colby Real estate agent for ReMax Realty Professionals

Signs that read, “Home for Sale� have been collecting dust in Carbondale.

Home sales have dropped in the past year, and some said it may have to do with the hiring freeze and financial uncertainty at SIUC. “I just think that the hiring freeze has made it so that new folks are not coming, and so houses aren’t turning over,� Joe Young said. “Once the university gets healthy, I think the housing market will, too.�

Young, a former political science professor at SIUC, recently left the university for a similar position at American University in Washington, D.C. He said his home in Carbondale has been on the market since late February and although his Realtor has promoted the house, there hasn’t been an offer for it yet.

Teresa Busch, association executive of the Egyptian Board of Realtors, said 84 residential homes were sold in Carbondale between January and June 2010. As of July 1, 77 homes had been sold and Busch said 216 were on the active and pending list. She said the statistics are only a reflection of data provided by Egyptian Board of Realtors members, which does not include homes sold by owners, bank-owned property and homes listed and sold by non members.

The Illinois Association of Realtors Quarterly Housing Survey showed Jackson County home sales dropped by 16.2 percent in the year's past quarter.

Lisa Colby, real estate agent for ReMax Realty Professionals, said she’s seen a higher sense of inventory, the amount of active and pending homes on sale, than usual for this time of year. She said houses are being sold, but the prices are dropping. “Prior to September 2008, we had a mildly appreciating market in Carbondale,� Colby said. “We have seen nothing but a decline since then.�

The average sales price of a home in Jackson County was $116,738 in the first quarter of the year, which is a 3.8 percent decrease from last year.

Colby said she thinks the drop in home sales has correlated with the hiring freeze at SIUC. When he first moved to Carbondale three years ago, Young said he noticed houses were sold within the first few months of being listed. He said he bought his home after it had only been for sale for two months. All the other houses he considered were sold that summer as well, he said.

Please see HOUSE | 5

Samantha Bailey, 7, left, and Ella Vigardt, 7, right, both of Carbondale, construct a Lego automobile at the Intermediate Engineering Legos Camp for first and second graders in Quigley Hall Monday. Projects at the camp

include building a motorized player piano, an airplane and a conveyor belt out of Lego kits. Nick Lach, a junior studying automotive technology, heads the camp. “Not very often do kids get to play with engines on logos,“ Lach said.

Woodbox Gang film documents singer’s rise, fall KATHLEEN HECTOR ELI MILEUR Daily Egyptian The Woodbox Gang hadn’t played a gig in almost two years — with good reason — despite their cult-like following in southern Illinois.

The band’s front man, lyricist, singer and guitarist Hugh DeNeal has served time in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary for mail fraud since 2009, but that didn’t keep his story from getting out. A documentary about his journey, from lyrical acclaim to his tour with the band, to alcohol abuse, to an Internet scheme gone wrong, was shown in Murphysboro Saturday to a sold-out Liberty Theater. The band, minus DeNeal, also performed a show at the theater for the first time since his departure.

The Makanda-based bluegrass band has deemed itself “caustic acoustic,� though it has been referred to by others as “jugpunk� and “funk-a-billy,� perhaps due to the use of washboards, kazoos and random percussion instruments.

The lyrics have reccurring themes of gambling, bad loans from the devil, being broke, family troubles and life struggles. They are darkly comical and inadvertently became auto-biographical as DeNeal ended up in legal troubles out of financial desperation, according to the documentary.

According to federal court documents, DeNeal began an online high-yield investment program in 2006 called Hyippylove that sold T-shirts below cost.

He promised initial investors an 80 percent return and the second wave of investors a 30 percent return but the business did not generate enough funds to pay back investors, the documents stated.

After receiving complaints about DeNeal’s Internet business, the federal government began a mail fraud investigation of DeNeal for mailing two Hyippylove corporate checks, according to the documents.

According to the documentary, DeNeal’s guilt caused him to turn himself in and attempt to make amends. In 2009, DeNeal plead guilty to one count of fraud and was sentenced to 34 months in prison

STEVE MATZKER | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Nate Graham plays bass with The Woodbox Gang at the Liberty Theater in Murphysboro Saturday. Graham, along with members Alex Kirt, Dan Goett and Greg Edwards, played between two showings of“Confidence Man: The Story of Hugh DeNeal,� a documentary about

Hugh DeNeal, the incarcerated lead singer of The Woodbox Gang. DeNeal is finishing a 34-month sentence for mail fraud at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan. He is expected to spend the last 100 days at a halfway house in Illinois.

and three years supervised release. He was also ordered to pay over $600,000 in restitution to investors.

DeNeal left for prison three weeks after the band’s last show in fall 2009.

Actor and screenwriter Bob Streit

went to their last show and ran into fellow fan and musician Stace England. The two ended up leaving with an idea for a documentary, Streit said.

Please see WOODBOX | 5

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Daily Egyptian

News

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Gus Bode says:

“Need a job that will provide you with great

experience?”

The DE is looking for: Arts & Entertainment, campus, city, multimedia and sports reporters and copy editors. The DE also needs a web administrator with basic web programming skills.

Come to Room 1247 of the Communications Building for an application.

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About Us The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale 50 weeks per year, with an average daily circulation of 20,000. Fall and spring semester editions run Monday through Friday. Summer editions run Tuesday through Thursday. All intersession editions will run on Wednesdays.

Spring break and Thanksgiving editions are distributed on Mondays of the pertaining weeks. Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale, Murphysboro and Carterville communities. The Daily Egyptian online publication can be found at www.dailyegyptian.com.

Mission Statement The Daily Egyptian, the student-run newspaper of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is committed to being a trusted source of news, information, commentary and public discourse, while helping readers understand the issues affecting their lives.

Copyright Information © 2011 Daily Egyptian. All rights reserved. All content is property of the Daily Egyptian and may not be reproduced or transmitted without consent. The Daily Egyptian is a member of the Illinois College Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Advisers Inc.

Publishing Information The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Offices are in the Communications Building, Room 1259, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 62901. Bill Freivogel, fiscal officer.

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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

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Get your ohm on with yoga DARCE OLUND Daily Egyptian Pradnya Dharmadhikari said she believes posture and breathing exercises are only a small part of the yoga philosophy.

“The religion part comes in the sense that faith and devotion ... can be a significant factor in implementing the techniques that are part of the broad yoga philosophy,” said Dharmadhikari, a member of the board of directors at the Gaia House Interfaith Center.

While yoga is often seen as just a type of exercise and strength training, studies have shown it has a positive impact on a person’s well being and general mental and physical health.

Dharmadhikari, who conducts a yoga session once a week during the fall and spring semesters at the center, said yoga philosophy and practice is embedded in the evolution of Indian philosophical thought.

Exploring the various poses can help aid in the search for answers to life questions related to religion and faith, she said.

Some yoga practitioners link a spirituality to their lessons, but Dharmadhikari said she thinks it depends on the instructor.

“The philosophy does not require the practitioner to follow a specific religion,” she said. “One could say that both yoga philosophy and Hindu religious thought evolved together, being part of the broad spectrum of Indian philosophy.”

Unlike modern medicine, which tends to focus on a specific body part or function, yoga addresses the entire body and mind complex, Dharmadhikari said.

“At the same time, there are no quick fixes, and regular practice is needed,” she said.

Dharmadhikari said various postures, breathing techniques and meditation are all important aspects of yoga practices. She said these are also effective ways to maintain overall health and stress management.

The different postures energize and nourish different parts of the body and have a calming effect through mind and body connection, she said.

About 16 million Americans practice

some type of yoga, according to a survey by the Yoga Journal in 2008.

Nearly half of those surveyed took up yoga to improve their overall health, according to the journal.

The broader yoga philosophy includes ethical norms such as not stealing, restraint, generosity and non-violence, Dharmadhikari said. She said these are deemed significant in leading a spiritually satisfying lifestyle.

Any kind of physical fitness can help reduce stress and anxiety, but yoga has a low impact option which focuses on slow, concentrated deep breathing, said Barb Elam, stress management coordinator for the Wellness Center.

Yoga can lower blood pressure, increase concentration and improve sleep habits and digestion, Elam said.

She also said yoga performed at a light intensity focuses on breathing and inner serenity. This type of yoga can help combat depression, she said.

However, Elam said she believes yoga should be used as a complementary technique of alternative healing, not a sole solution to mental and physical problems.

“If someone is severely depressed they should see a doctor or someone that can help, but yoga and light stretching can still be done in addition,” Elam said.

More than 29.5 million Americans suffer from migraines and turn away from traditional medicinal remedies toward alternative therapies in efforts to ease the often-debilitating pain, according to the National Headache Foundation.

Elam said students who experience back pain and tension headaches while sitting in uncomfortable chairs or looking at computer screens could consider yoga to decrease these problems.

Sally Wright, associate director of programs at the Recreation Center, said she had an opportunity to meet one-onone with a restorative yoga instructor.

She said she felt supported by the instructor and focused on her breathing and posture during her session.

Wright said she believes yoga could help give individuals enough power to control anxiety.

“The focus on breathing was calming and helped clear my mind,” Wright said. “(I) let go of everything going on in my head.”

LYNNETTE OOSTMEYER | DAILY EGYPTIAN Tina Price sits in a vinyasa pose during a yoga class for SIUC employees in Davies Gymnasium Monday. The Midday Stress Buster Series includes cardio, yoga and weight training workouts available to

employees during their lunch breaks.

“Its very affordable and positive,” said Maureen Doran, who has taught the class for eight years. “We have all different levels and that’s good.”

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Tom Felton the actor who plays bully Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, saying he has a record deal with an independent label and wants to become a rapper

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Emma Watson actress, on bidding farewell to her character Hermione Granger, speaking ahead of the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the final installment of the film franchise

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More than tweets needed for change ELI MILEUR Daily Egyptian Despite its technological novelty, President Obama’s Twitter Town Hall was largely politics as usual.

The meeting, the first of its kind, was held July 6. President Obama fielded an array of tweeted questions, mostly dealing with the economy, in an hour-long discussion moderated by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.

Twitter has become the latest social networking sensation, known for its 140-character status updates, or “tweets.�

Dorsey began the meeting with a bit of unintentional irony when he referred to the “spirited debate� occurring on Twitter about various political issues around the world.

Anyone who has ever browsed the comment section of an online article or blog on any given controversial subject knows Internet debates might be spirited, but that’s often the only positive thing to be said about them. It’s not immediately clear if Twitter’s character limit should streamline these discussions or just encourage even more name-calling.

There was the risk that with the current debt crisis, the president would seem like he was wasting precious time by engaging with Twitter, which seems to have a

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here was nothing about the meeting that supported the notion that technology, particularly the Internet and social networking, is going to somehow enhance democracy. reputation for frivolity. After all, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times, Dorsey said the name Twitter was chosen because “the definition was ‘a short burst of inconsequential information,’ and ‘chirps from birds’. And that’s exactly what the product was.�

That doesn’t sound too presidential.

Of course, the carefully screened Twitter Town Hall was devoid of the kind of barely articulate vitriol which usually fuels Internet debate. Instead, it was, in most ways, similar to every other town hall meeting we’ve seen. The questions and rehearsed-sounding answers were exactly what one would expect.

What the meeting lacked, and what the form made impossible, was any personal touch. There were no tearful mothers of fallen soldiers or indignant laid-off auto workers. The tension that usually makes town hall meetings fairly interesting — because there’s actual living, breathing people in the room asking the questions — was completely absent.

There was nothing about the meeting that supported the notion that technology, particularly the

Internet and social networking, is going to somehow enhance democracy. While they may be useful tools in organizing protest, as has been seen in Iran and Egypt, there’s nothing inherently liberating about them. It wasn’t messages being sent back and forth in cyberspace that brought down Mubarak; it was the people who actually filled Cairo’s Tahrir Square every day for over two weeks.

Much has been made of President Obama’s use of the Internet. Some people, especially when he first took office, seemed to think that just by merely using the Internet he was being more transparent and open. In fact, it’s basically been just another tool for him to disseminate his message.

Obama seems eager to build an image as a tech savvy president to attract younger voters. It’s hard to say how important it was to his victory in 2008 since he was, after all, running against the much older John McCain. He didn’t have to do a lot to seem like the hipper of the two.

This is all basically to say Obama’s embrace of social media and the Internet doesn’t seem to have any real implications for the

PROVIDED PHOTO future of democracy. It’s hard to imagine politicians quaking in fear because of a bunch of angry tweets.

So long as those tweets are from voters sitting on their couches, Washington doesn’t have much to worry about.

It’s not that the new media can serve no useful function in society;

it’s just that for the most part, it will look an awful lot like what the old media have been doing for a long time.

As this Twitter Town Hall has shown, it seems likely that new media will simply be subsumed into the existing political environment instead of transforming it.

News

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

HOUSE CONTINUED FROM

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“It seems like the market is really tough, as most people are leaving Carbondale rather than coming in,” he said.

Real estate agent Lynda Martin has sold homes for 40 years, and she said although she’s seen a drop in Carbondale sales, it has hasn't happened as fast as it has in other areas.

“The good thing for people to realize is Carbondale is insulated,” Martin said. “We’re in the Midwest, so whatever is going on nationally hits us last.”

She said home sales declined on the East and West coasts before they declined in the Midwest.

“It’s always been that way, no matter what’s going on in the U.S.,” she said. “In the ‘80s when the interest rates went up, it hit us last.”

Colby said she thinks the problem relates more to the division of urban and rural areas rather than to national regions.

She said areas such as St. Louis and Chicago are in the Midwest, and have also had problems with real estate.

The National Association of Realtors reported that existing home sales in the Midwest dropped 6.4 percent in May to 1.02 million, 22.7 percent below last year. The median price in the Midwest was recorded at $136,400, 8.5 percent below May 2010. The median price dropped nationally in the past year by 4.6 percent.

Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist, said in a press release the decline in Midwestern existinghome sales could also have to do with the flooding and severe weather the area has experienced.

Colby said tightened mortgage requirements have also made it

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“(England) said ‘Well, you know, what happened with Hugh is like stranger than fiction.’ It’s a pretty wild story just as it is and … a documentary just telling the story could be a really entertaining, really interesting piece,” Streit said.

Streit said DeNeal agreed to allow the two to tell his story by noon the following day and Streit took the role of director while England, who knew the band through their recording studio, became the producer of “Confidence Man: The Story of Hugh DeNeal.” Dan Johnson, who was originally skeptical of the film, joined the crew as cinematographer and editor, Streit said.

Since DeNeal only had a few weeks until his imprisonment began, Streit said the three filmmakers interviewed DeNeal immediately.

“We didn’t know much about the story so we had to scramble to figure

LYNNETTE OOSTMEYER | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Difficult economic times have caused home sales in Carbondale to decline. Property taxes were thought to be the cause, but now

the hiring freeze at SIUC is more likely to blame, said real estate agent Lynda Martin.

hard for real estate nationally.

“Even with recent economic softness, this is a disappointing performance with home sales being held back by overly restrictive loan underwriting standards,” Yun said. “There’s been a pendulum swing from very loose standards, which led to the housing boom, to unnecessarily restrictive practices as an overreaction to the housing correction.”

Yun said this overreaction is holding back the nation’s real estate recovery.

Colby agreed that some lenders have tightened their standards. She said another issue is the amount of foreclosure homes and short sales that sell quickly for a very low price.

Both Molony and Yun said they think there will be a national increase in home sales in 2011.

Yun said recent drops in oil prices could help the market. He said the pace of sales activity in the second half of 2011 is expected to be stronger than the first half and will be much stronger than the second half of 2010.

Colby said she wants to put out a hopeful but realistic message.

“The big question everybody asks us – are we at the bottom? Do we anticipate coming back up? We certainly hope so,” she said. “We don’t anticipate it getting much worse. There are some signs that things are picking up a little. Maybe enrollment being up at SIU will help.”

Martin said sales should increase in July because it’s the biggest month for closings. She said everyone wants to be settled in

before school starts.

Young said he hopes the university becomes financially stable again so the real estate market can improve.

“It is the engine of economic growth in the town and in the region,” he said. “Hopefully, this next year will be better. Faculty will stay and new ones will join, and the market will rebound.”

out even what questions to ask, and then he was gone,” Streit said.

Streit said they ended up with only 12 hours of DeNeal footage, which became the hardest and most interesting part of the film.

The rest of the film is comprised of road footage, donated by band member Alex Kirt; concert videos, donated by over 12 fans; music videos; and interviews of friends and family members of DeNeal and the band. The end features a solo prison-themed song written and performed by DeNeal.

Lyrics include “I tried to make a living but only made a mess, I tried my best. Drink, drink, drink.”

Many fans and family members described DeNeal as a guy just trying to get by who ended up in over his head in a risky business that he lost control of.

Attendee Mandy Jo, of Carbondale, said she is a good friend of DeNeal’s and expected the documentary to clarify what

really happened.

“He really was just a guy trying to make it. There are people that did a lot worse,” she said. “He still made good music and good songs and showed up to all his gigs, no matter how f***** up he was, and played for us so we could dance.”

Streit said he made the film with an even hand.

“Here’s what happened, you make sense of it if you can,” Streit said.

Alex Kirt, guitar and banjo player for the band, agreed that the portrayal of DeNeal was fair.

“It’s not tailor-made to make him look like a saint or the devil,” he said.

Streit said DeNeal’s parents were comfortable with the film, but DeNeal has yet to see it due to prison restrictions.

“In a lot of these films, the musician describes the making of the art and one of the things I’m proudest of in the film … is that in this film, it’s the songs that tell of the

making — and unmaking — of the maker,” Streit said.

Streit said the film, along with music and poetry written by DeNeal during his time in prison, hint at DeNeal’s possible redemption.

“It’s sort of a love letter to southern Illinois, and its kind of a love story about a band and a community,” Streit said. “Despite the negative aspects of the story, there’s a really positive real life story.”

Despite DeNeal’s legal troubles, many people consider him a great lyricist whose songs are dark yet inspiring.

“It’s turning something negative in your life into positive energy — it’s transcendence,” Jo said. “We still all dance.”

Streit said he hopes the documentary can provide a second chance for the band, which in turn could redeem DeNeal.

“If there is anybody who should support this film, it is the victims who are owed restitution,” Streit

said. “I’m sure it chills some of them — the idea that (DeNeal) should have success one day — but if he doesn’t have success, they don’t get their money.”

Before the band took the stage, a prerecorded message from DeNeal was played. In it, he said he hopes to be released to a halfway house in October and encouraged fans to celebrate the music despite his absence.

The fans seemed to respect his wishes as many rushed the stage and danced in the aisle and any space they could.

“He’s here in spirit,” Jo said.

Kirt said the band will reunite to make an album when DeNeal gets out of prison, but beyond that he isn’t sure what will be next.

Streit said he plans to send the documentary to Sundance and other film festivals. He said he hopes success from the film will translate into success for the band and vice versa.

Tara Kulash can be reached at tkulash@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 273.

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Daily Egyptian

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

USG plans to modify money allocation process WHITNEY WAY Daily Egyptian Spencer Tribble said USG looks to change how it distributes money to registered student organizations for fiscal year 2012.

“We’re trying to have general funding requests for the whole year, so all organizations will have an equal chance throughout the year to receive funding,” Tribble, vice president for Undergraduate Student Government, said.

The annual budget for USG ranges from $400,000 to $450,000, an amount cut in half and distributed to RSO bi-annually.

Instead of continuing to distribute funds to RSOs at the start of fall and spring semesters, Tribble said USG would combine the allocations into an annual budget for FY 2012 distributed at the beginning of the fall semester.

Tribble said this would eliminate spring allocations and, rather than requesting money for each semester, RSOs would be obligated to request necessary funds on an event-by-event basis.

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e’re trying to have general funding requests for the whole year so all organizations will have an equal chance throughout the year to receive funding.

Tribble said the change would create an equal opportunity for RSOs to receive money each year.

Kevin Ruby, executive director of the Student Programming Council, said USG’s plan to combine budgets would hinder what SPC can accomplish. He said the decision to eliminate spring allocation funds would be more hazardous than beneficial.

“Many events SPC host require advance planning and money offers before an act can be booked,” Ruby said. “USG wants us to compete for funds with other RSOs ... SPC is a separate entity. We do a lot more than other RSOs on campus.”

The student programming council is an RSO made up of 11 committees, all of which are student-run and responsible for

— Spencer Tribble undergraduate student government vice president planning educational, recreational and social events targeted torward all demographics of SIUC’s student population, according to the SPC website.

SPC is typically given up to 40 percent of the USG budget, said former USG President Marcus King. He said USG placed a $60,000 spending cap on SPC during the fall 2010 semester, freeing up more money for USG to allocate to other RSOs. According to documents provided by Don Castle, associate director of university programming, the cap on SPC outlined how the money must be distributed: $19,000 for operating expenses, which includes board stipends, $9,000 for Homecoming event plans and

execution, $7,000 for the Sunset Concert series and $11,500 for other events in the first 45 days of the semester. The $60,000 can’t be used for other purposes.

King said the spending cap was placed on SPC because he thinks the organization did not provide quality programs with the money they had available to them.

“SPC is the only RSO account not on file at Student Development and the only RSO that does not have to return unused funds back to USG,” King said. “I cut their spending because they were receiving money and we were not seeing results.”

Ruby said the cap, in combination with no advance spring funding, would inhibit SPC functions and programs, but

Tribble said SPC and other RSOs are welcome to come back to request more money throughout the school year.

In 2011, SPC received $130,000, including the $60,000 initial funding from USG, Castle said.

“By October 15, SPC will not have any more money,” Castle said.

After the expenses of Homecoming, Castle said the council will need to request more money because their initial amount will be spent. He said SPC would be limited with the cuts and will experience a lack of money in the spring. However, Tribble said USG has no intention of lifting SPC’s spending cap.

“Student interest is top priority,” Tribble said. “We want students to get the most from their money.”

Tribble said the USG budget for FY 2012 will not be known until the first USG meeting in September.

He said funding requests are currently being accepted, but allocating those funds will not begin until the Finance Committee and Senate assemble in the first week of September.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Classifieds

Daily Egyptian

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Juniors steer the cowboy way CORY DOWNER Daily Egyptian Calf roping, goat tail-tying and bull riding were all part of the Illinois Junior Rodeo Association event held at the DuQuoin state fair-grounds on Saturday and Sunday.

The event is for kids from kindergarten to eighth grade and gives them the opportunity to show off their skills to rope and ride in the statewide rodeo circuit. The fairground was the final stop before the state championship in Peoria, and it gave the young riders a chance to corral their skills before the end of the 2011 season.

Dennis and Lynnette Speck, of Mapleton, had four sons compete in the weekend event. Dennis Speck said he participated in horseback riding competitions when he was younger, and once his kids got older, he took them to their first rodeo in Fort Madison, Iowa. “It started out when the boys were small, and we just progressed in to it,� Dennis Speck said. “They started competing with a bunch of them, and they really got into it.�

I

don’t care if it’s my kid or the next kid, I just enjoy watching the kids have fun. They can be competitive and have fun at the same time. — Dennis Speck Former rodeo contestant

It started with their 11-year-old son, Dylan, who rode and competed.

It then spread to their 8-year-old twin boys Cameron and Connor, and eventually to 6-year-old Avery.

While their favorite events may vary, the boys said they enjoy being part of the rodeo and the friends they made with it.

Sandra VanDerLeest, secretary for the IJRA, said the purpose of the rodeo association is to introduce sportsmanship and leadership qualities, but they also put an emphasis on the old values between the kids and the animals.

LYNNETTE OOSTMEYER | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Dylan Speck, 11, of Mapleton, competes in a goat-tying event at the DuQuoin fairgrounds Sunday. Speck and his three brothers are members of the Illinois Junior Rodeo Association and travel the country competing

She said the rodeo is unique for the outfits worn, traditions held, and ultimately, the close-knit group of parents and kids created. “They say it takes a village to raise a family,� VanDerLeest said. “It’s a great group of parents and children, and everybody helping everybody out.�

Dennis Speck said kids and parents alike form bonds and friendships, and it is one of the main things that keeps the sport alive in Illinois. He said the sport can be very expensive, particularly starting out, due to animal maintenance and traveling expenses.

He said the association typically retains kids from the youngest age groups and up but welcomes any older ones who want to get started in the sport. He said there is a camaraderie

in rodeo events. “The trophies, the awards — yeah, the kids like them but that’s not what they’re here for,�

Dennis Speck, father, said of the friendships his sons have built during their time in the rodeo.

in the circuit, and everyone assists in teaching the ropes of the rodeo. “I don’t care if it’s my kid or the next kid, I just enjoy watching the kids have fun,� Dennis Speck said. “They can be competitive and have fun at the same time.�

There is no prize money at the junior rodeo, only awards and belt buckles to keep the kids coming back.

While there are no cash prizes in the IJRA, Lynnette Speck said it is a good opportunity for the kids to get noticed and eventually pick up sponsorships if they decide to move on to the high school divisions and beyond. She said Illinois is not considered to be a top state for rodeo competitions, but some of the western states like Wyoming and Nebraska offer better chances for riders to get noticed.

Dennis Speck said the family has become more involved with the rodeo as the kids have developed an attachment to it, but of the five states they travel to for competitions, Illinois remains one of the least advocated states in the junior rodeo circuit. “Unfortunately to me, Illinois is not a big rodeo state,� Dennis Speck said. “It’s a big horse state with a lot of barrel racing, but when it comes to rodeo and rough stock, this probably has the lowest turnout.�

While the rodeo may not be growing in Illinois, VanDerLeest said she is convinced the sport will carry on for future generations because of its rich history. She said it is a way of life.

"Rodeo is a sport, but it also goes back to the old west cowboy tradition," VanDerLeest said.

Former Saluki gets tips from Manning family

Peyton, Eli and Archie Manning watch to see if Saluki quarterback Chris Dieker could hit the farthest of three moving targets in the Air It Out competition Saturday at the Manning Passing Academy at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La. Dieker was one of dozens who could not connect with the speeding golf cart located about 50 yards away.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY DIANA SOLIWON