Signal eNewsletter | November 2009 | WSIU Radio

Issue 14: November 2009

Signal

An Online Newsletter from WSIU Public Radio

Tune in to Morning Conversations This month on Morning Conversations, host Jennifer Fuller will speak with guests who share details about local events and issues.

November 17: SIU Professor Liz DiLalla talks about natural cloning, or twinning, as we preview the next Science Café seminar.

November 3: Southern Illinois Symphony Maestro Ed Benyas will be in to talk about upcoming events.

November 18: Guests from SIUC’s Morris Library will talk about Open Access and OpenSIUC, an institutional repository offering free access to research and scholarly materials produced at SIUC.

November 5: Local author Josh Phillips will discuss his recent works as a continuing part of our In the Author’s Voice series.

November 9: WSIU’s Jeff Williams will host a special Morning Conversations featuring the author of The Monument Men as we prepare for Veteran’s Day. November 10: Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Director David Yepsen and Political Scientist John Jackson examine the slate of candidates for the 2009 Illinois Primary.

November 23: SIU President Glenn Poshard will be in for his monthly visit. Funding, enrollment, and other University issues will be on the docket.

Don’t miss your Morning Conversations. Tune in at 8:30am on Tuesdays and other weekdays, as scheduled. If you miss the live broadcasts, you can listen to our podcasts at www.wsiu.org and also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Photo: Monica Tichenor.

Chris Sullivan, also known as Shock from the PBS children’s series The Electric Company, stopped by to talk with Morning Conversations host Jennifer Fuller on Monday, October 12.

Sullivan spoke about his role in The Electric Company Circuit Tour, which was also held on October 12 at the Rent One Ballpark in Marion, IL. During the tour, Sullivan led area youngsters through vocabularybuilding and comprehension drills featuring elements of hip-hop, spoken word, and storytelling.

WSIU Radio Programming Updates requests for upcoming shows and share their favorite jazz stories with host, John “Doctor Hoch” Hochheimer, by emailing Jazz@wsiu.org. Rhythm in Bloom was launched on October 11 and airs Sunday nights at 7pm.

Robert Edsel, author of The Monuments Men. Photo: Provided.

Please make note of these upcoming enhancements, special features, and changes issued by WSIU Radio.

Rhythm in Bloom Fans of WSIU Radio’s new jazz program, Rhythm in Bloom, can make musical

Veteran’s Day Feature In honor of the national holiday, Veteran’s Day, join WSIU Radio on Monday, November 9 at 6:33am, 8:33am and 5:29pm for a special feature with author Robert Edsel as he talks about his new book, The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History. The book details how art objects were secreted away in hidden storehouses carved into mountains, buried deep in salt mines, and concealed in chalets and fairy-tale

European palaces for the purpose of creating Hitler’s vision of a Germanic Über-museum.

December Programming Change Beginning Sunday, December 6, WSIU Radio will slightly alter its afternoon program line-up. Listeners will still hear the same great programs – just at a different time.

• • •

Travel with Rick Steves - Moves from 3pm to 2pm on Sundays Planetary Radio - Moves from 2pm to 3pm on Sundays State Week in Review - Moves from 2:30pm to 3:30pm on Sundays

Weekend All Things Considered will continue to air in its current afternoon spot at 4pm on Sundays.

SIRIS Volunteer Profile: Melinda Woker Melinda Woker is a native of Centralia, Illinois, but has lived in Carbondale for about 10 years since her move south to attend college at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC). During her time at SIUC, Woker pursued an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice, followed by a master’s degree in Administration of Justice, focusing on crime mapping and drug use.

Several years after moving to Carbondale, Woker began searching for volunteer opportunities. After reading a newspaper article about the Southern Illinois Radio Information Service (SIRIS), a service of WSIU Radio, she immediately became involved with the organization. Woker has been with SIRIS for two years.

“My time with SIRIS has helped me forget about the fears attached to speaking to crowds,” says Woker, who credits her volunteer experiences at SIRIS for her success in several public speaking engagements. Woker believes that SIRIS’s mission not only helps to build confidence in its volunteers, it also fills an important community need.

“SIRIS supports a community that is often forgotten, which includes the blind, nursing home residents, and others,” she says. “Even though SIRIS is behind the scenes, it still reaches out in an effective manner to those who need assistance.”

Woker feels that her volunteer hours with SIRIS constitute an ideal time commitment, considering her busy career at Jackson County 911 where she maps areas for the system.

Woker’s career skills have also proven to be an asset to SIRIS. Currently, she is conducting a geo-coding project for SIRIS in which she maps the organization’s clients according to their geographical location. The geo-coding includes approximately 245 individual homes and 27 institutions that have radio receivers in their facilities to hear SIRIS broadcasts. In total, the mapping scheme will represent approximately 800 listeners.

When Woker is not working or volunteering with SIRIS, she enjoys

Screening and Discussion of The Right to Risk The Southern Illinois Radio Information Service (SIRIS) is partnering with SIUC Disability Support Services, SIUC Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation (AIR), and the Bureau of Blind Services - Illinois Department of Rehabilitation to host a screening and forum of the film, The Right to Risk on Wednesday, November 4 at 7pm in the Alumni Lounge at the SIUC Recreation Center.

trip down 225 miles of the Colorado River. The film captures the group’s trials and triumphs as they traverse the most inaccessible and awe-inspiring sections of Arizona’s Grand Canyon.

Watch the Film Filmed in May 2005, The Right to Risk follows eight individuals with significant physical disabilities as they participate in a 15-day whitewater rafting

Hear Local Experiences Following the screening, a discussion will be led by SIUC students in the Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation program who will share their personal experiences and insights gained from a similar whitewater raft trip on the Ocoee River in Tennessee.

Working together to weather the hot sun, cold water, and windstorms, the group proved that people with disabilities can be active participants in our society and independent in their own lives.

Melinda Woker. Photo: Rachel Snow.

reading, planting flowers, taking trips to regional wineries, and visiting close family. She incorporates other WSIU programming in her day, as well, listening to NPR news and information on WSIU Radio and watching the River Region Evening Edition for non-biased coverage. Woker avidly encourages others to become involved with SIRIS. “It is a rewarding experience and the time commitment is not overwhelming but, rather, just right.”

Learn how you can give back to your community as a SIRIS volunteer by calling (618) 453-2808 or clicking on the SIRIS tab online at wsiu.org.

National Day of Listening 2009 StoryCorps is gearing up for its second annual National Day of Listening, which will take place on November 27.

The National Day of Listening is an invitation to people across the country to explore the past, appreciate and connect with someone close in a new way, and to capture it all in a recording to keep as a lasting memento.

This year, NPR will again feature the National Day of Listening across its news and information programming in the week leading up to Thanksgiving.

Hosts will honor loved ones, including parents, children, friends, and others through intimate interviews that explain how radio has changed them and the art of listening.

Underwriter Profile: University Mall other food-and-beverage providers, University Mall also houses the corporate headquarters of Southern Illinois Healthcare and affiliated breast care center.

University Mall. Photo: Provided.

S

ince 2008, the University Mall in Carbondale has hosted the Classic Vinyl and Media Sale that raises important funds for WSIU Radio’s Southern Illinois Radio Information Service (SIRIS), a reading service for people who are blind, visually impaired, and print-disabled.

According to General Manager Debra Tindall, University Mall is a regional shopping center that serves about 350,000 residents in the tri-state region within a 40-75 mile radius of Carbondale. In addition to 52 retail stores, Garfields restaurant, and

Thank You, Underwriters!

Together, our members and underwriters make public radio possible! Please join us in thanking the underwriters who recently began or renewed their partnerships: F-W-S Solid Surface Specialist Greenridge Landscaping Long Forestry Consultation Marion Subaru Southern Lights Entertainment, a program of SIU Event Services Old Town Liquors Southern Recycling Center To see a complete list of WSIU underwriters and information about underwriting WSIU programming through your business, group, or organization, please visit us online at www.wsiu.org, or call (618) 453-4286.

Debra states that the mall works to facilitate community organizations, bring quality businesses to this region, and provide quality community events. “When I think of WSIU I think of quality, and an organization that’s there to help the community… a natural partnership for us. We connect one another with our respective customers.”

Debra reports a positive response to the partnership. “We’ve received kudos from many people for opening our doors and supporting the SIRIS record sale, and our customers enjoyed having this eclectic event take place in the mall.”

“WSIU sponsorship is mutually beneficial. It brings a lot to the business in terms of promotion and public relations, plus the quality and professionalism of the people who work and volunteer at WSIU. I believe that we are a ‘Class A’ shopping center and WSIU is a ‘Class A’ operation to work with. And, it is a rewarding feeling to be involved with projects as successful as the SIRIS Vinyl Sale.”

Debra listens regularly to WSIU Radio.

“My clock radio is set so I wake up to NPR…I really enjoy getting the news to start my day. It’s the only news station I listen to, due to the quality and balance of the news. I also enjoy Fresh Air.” University Mall is located at 1237 E. Main, Carbondale, (618) 529-3681, and online at myuniversitymall.com.

Pulse of the Nation

I

t’s election time again for some in the U.S., and NPR News is featuring an in-depth look at the process.

Tune in to these election reports on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition:

Wed, Nov 4

NJ and VA Results • Mara Liasson reports on the results of Tuesday’s elections in New Jersey and Virginia.

Ballot Measures: Maine • Susan Sharon reports on the status of Maine’s same-sex marriage law.

The Obama Effect • Mara Liasson looks at Tuesday’s mid-term election results and what they mean for Barack Obama and the 2010 election.

Thu, Nov 5

The Opposition • The environment could hardly be better for Republicans; the ‘out’ party typically scores big in off-year elections, particularly when the economy is flagging. What is the GOP doing to be sure they grab the brass ring? NPR’s Don Gonyea reports.

NPR’s Mara Liasson. Photo: Steve Barrett.

Fri, Nov 6

What’s At Stake In 2010? • Mara Liasson looks at the 36 Senate elections, 36 gubernatorial contests, and House races coming up next year.

Sat, Nov 7

Campaign Money • The Democrats rewrote the playbook for raising campaign cash in 2008. NPR’s Peter Overby looks at fundraising in the offyear and ahead for 2010.

Saturdays at 3pm and Sundays at 6pm Nov 7 • New Releases Tune in to find out what’s exciting in the Celtic music world as we sample new and recent releases.

Nov 14 • Guinness at 250 The Guinness company celebrates their 250th anniversary this year, and we’ll join in the celebration with songs and tunes that fit the occasion!

Nov 21 • Songs of John Spillane Cork singer/songwriter John Spillane has become one of the most iconic voices among contemporary Irish singers. This week, we will devote a special program to his rich musical output.

Nov 28 • Highlights of the 2009 Southern Illinois Irish Festival The Southern Illinois Irish Festival takes place in Carbondale, Illinois, the last weekend of April each year. This week’s program features highlights of the 2009 concert by the Scottish 4-sister band Give Way, and the Nashville Irish family band The Willis Clan.

WSIU Radio and NPR in Your Pocket Don’t forget you can hear local headlines on your cellphone or any phone by calling 618-319-4071.

Plus, use your internet-enabled cellphone to browse the top stories from WSIU Radio and NPR by visiting wsiu.npr.org.

WSIU helps to mold young people into future leaders.

-Katrina Stackhouse, Carbondale, Illinois

Looking back on my years as both an undergraduate and graduate student at SIUC, I am so thankful for the opportunities public broadcasting has provided to me. Thanks to WSIU’s public service mission to provide professional development opportunities for students, not only did I graduate with a Bachelor’s degree and am on track to receive my Master’s degree, I also received valuable hands-on training during my studies.

I am thankful for the opportunities WSIU has provided and now ask that you help me return the favor. When you give generously to WSIU or your local public broadcasting station, your dollars not only help to to support vital community services and intelligent programming, they also help young people secure their futures through education and professional experience.. My name is Katrina Stackhouse, and WSIU is powered by me.

WSIU Public Radio Communications Building 1003 - Mail Code 6602 Southern Illinois University Carbondale 1100 Lincoln Drive Carbondale IL 62901 • 618/453-6101 • wsiu.org • wsiuradio@wsiu.org