Signal
Vol. 3, No. 10: October 2010
An Online Newsletter from WSIU Public Radio
This Month on Morning Conversations
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ost Jennifer Fuller speaks with the candidates for Illinois Governor and other local newsmakers. Morning Conversations airs at 8:30am on Tuesdays and other weekdays, as scheduled, and repeats at 5:30pm.
October 26 • Preview of October’s Science Café. Ruth Anne Rehfeldt of the Rehabilitation Institute will talk about their work with autistic children.
Decision 2010 Candidate Forums Air at 8:30am & 5:29pm
October 5 • Carbondale Chamber of Commerce Core Principles and election information for candidates.
October 20 • 12th Congressional District (Costello/Newman/Jennings)
October 7 • Tony Award Winner Alice Ripley to preview her visit to SIUC.
October 21 • 19th Congressional District (Shimkus/Bagwell)
October 12 • SIUC Chancellor Rita Cheng
October 22 • 58th Senate District (Luechtefeld/Walker)
October 19 • Preview of the Big Muddy Brewfest
October 27 • 115th Legislative District (Bost/Howe)
October 29 • 116th Legislative District (Reitz/Farley)
October 25 • SIU President Glenn Poshard
October 28 • 107th Legislative District (Cavaletto/Qualls)
Tune in to our podcasts at wsiu.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Host Jennifer Fuller. Photo: Monica Tichenor.
2010 SIRIS Classic Vinyl Sale a Success!
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A happy shopper gets ready to check out at the SIRIS Classic Vinyl Sale. Photo: Monica Tichenor.
his year’s SIRIS Classic Vinyl and Media Sale raised a total of $5900! A huge “thank you” goes to all who volunteered their time, energy, and support at the fundraiser, held on Sept 11-12.
We are especially grateful for the support of local businesses. The Neighborhood Co-op provided 300 sacks for customers. The University Mall collected and hauled donations,
furnished the event location, and provided tables, security services, and electronic sign advertising. WIDB, the University’s dormitory radio station, provided a live remote on Saturday, Sept 11. Wright’s Do-It Center in Murphysboro and the SIU Credit Union branch in Marion served as a drop-off point and brought donations to the mall.
present. One ardent WSIU listener and supporter drove from Salem on several occasions and spent many hours to help organize the classical section! Thank you to everyone involved for your support of programming that serves an important need in our region for people with visual impairments. We look forward to the next sale in September 2011!
A total of 43 people helped with the work of organizing the event, hefting heavy boxes, sorting and alphabetizing record, DVD, and VHS donations, fixing faulty stereo equipment, working at the sale inside and out in the hallway, and cleaning up. Volunteers from the SIRIS Board, SIRIS Readers, WSIU Friends Board, WSIU staff and families, SIU School of music, and a number of community members were
Shoppers crowd the classic rock section. Photo: Monica Tichenor.
WSIU Decision 2010 Election Series Friday, October 8 • 9pm Decision 2010: WSIU InFocus 107th Illinois House District • Rep. John Cavaletto (R-Salem) • Joshua Qualls (D-Centralia) Excerpts air on WSIU Radio on Thursday, October 28 at 8:30am & 5:29pm
Thursday, October 14 • 8pm Decision 2010 panelists Jennifer Fuller of WSIU Radio, Jak Tichenor of WSIU-TV, and Rob Crow of the Southern Illinoisan. Photo: Monica Tichenor.
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SIU Public Radio and TV have teamed up with regional media and public policy partners to present our Decision 2010 Election Series, both locally and on PBS stations statewide this fall. We will present live debates between the leading candidates for U.S. Senate and Governor of Illinois, as well as interviews with candidates for the Illinois General Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives.
WSIU is producing the gubernatorial debate with regional partners the Southern Illinoisan, Illinois Public Media (WILL TV/AM/FM), and the Institute for Government & Public Affairs at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. WSIU, the Southern Illinoisan, the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute and Illinois Public Media are partnering to produce the U.S. Senate debate (tentative). WSIU is also presenting interviews with candidates for the Illinois General Assembly and U.S. House of Representatives on Friday nights in October as part of the WSIU-TV series WSIU InFocus. Excerpts of the candidate interviews also will air on WSIU Radio. Panelists are Jennifer Fuller of WSIU Radio, Jak Tichenor of WSIU-TV, and Rob Crow of the Southern Illinoisan.
Friday, October 1 • 9pm WSIU Decision 2010 Election Series Decision 2010: WSIU InFocus 58th Illinois Senate District • Sen. David Luechtefeld (R-Okawville) • Jeremy Walker (D-Redbud) Excerpts air on WSIU Radio on Friday, October 22 at 8:30am & 5:29pm
Decision 2010: Illinois Gubernatorial Debate - LIVE Also carried live on WSIU Radio • Incumbent Governor Pat Quinn (D-Chicago) • Rich Whitney (G-Carbondale) • State Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington)
Friday, October 15 • 9pm Decision 2010: WSIU InFocus 115th Illinois House District • Rep. Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) • Charlie Howe (G-Carbondale) Excerpts air on WSIU Radio on Wednesday, October 27 at 8:30am & 5:29pm
Thursday, October 21 • 8pm Decision 2010: U.S. Senate Debate - LIVE Also carried live on WSIU Radio • U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park), • Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D-Chicago) • LeAlan Jones (G-Chicago)
Friday, October 22 • 9pm Decision 2010: WSIU InFocus 116th Illinois House District • Rep. Dan Reitz (D-Steeleville) • Glenn Farley (R-Waterloo) Excerpts air on WSIU Radio on Friday, October 29 at 8:30am & 5:29pm
Friday, October 29 • 9pm Decision 2010: WSIU InFocus 12th District, U.S. Congress • U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Belleville) • Teri Newman (R-Highland) • Rodger Jennings (G-Alton) Excerpts air on WSIU Radio on Wednesday, October 20 at 8:30am & 5:29pm
Friday, October 29 • 9:30pm Decision 2010: WSIU InFocus 19th District, U.S. Congress • U.S. Rep. John Shimkus (R-Collinsville) • Tim Bagwell (D-Olney) Excerpts air on WSIU Radio on Thursday, October 21 at 8:30am & 5:29pm
NPR Special Series: Election 2010
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PR’s coverage of midterm elections focuses on more than 60 House races and 12 Senate seats in play in 2010, two years after Robert Siegel, host of All Things Considered. the historic Photo: Steve Barrett. election of Barack Obama to the presidency and Democrats made substantial gains in the U.S. House and Senate. All Things Considered will file election reports from Ohio in mid-October, while Morning Edition will provide reports from Illinois in late October. Topics explored include the economy and growing federal debt, government’s role in exacerbating disagreement between political parties, the power of voting groups such as the Tea Party and independents, races in Illinois, Delaware, and Colorado, and more. NPR News also will produce seven hours of live coverage on election night – Tuesday, November 2 – from their headquarters in Washington, D.C. All Things Considered hosts Robert Siegel and Melissa Block will anchor reporting from 7-11pm CT. Weekend Edition Saturday’s Scott Simon and NPR Congressional reporter Audie Cornish will host from 11pm-2am. NPR also has launched an extensive Elections 2010 website at npr.org/elections featuring election headlines; a brand-new blog called “It’s All Politics”; a fact-checking section called “Message Machine,” which checks the accuracy of campaign ads and messaging; an election scorecard that updates the status of candidate races around the country; and the “Fighting Words project,” which follows politicians on Facebook, Twitter, and their websites to see what political buzzwords are gaining or losing traction on the campaign trail.
Join WSIU for a Fall Campus Soundwalk
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WSIU to Salute NPR’s First 40 Years During Fall 2010 Community Support Celebration
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uess who turned the big 4-0 this year? NPR hit a milestone birthday in February, and WSIU will salute this special event in public radio history during our Fall 2010 Community Support Celebration, October 15-October 22. Tune in to hear interesting and fun historical facts about NPR and WSIU Radio on the air this October – and share your own memories with us at wsiuradio@wsiu.org. We’re also hoping to offer an NPR 40th anniversary-themed “thank you” gift for your donation during this critical annual fundraiser for WSIU Radio.
iscover how sound helps to shape your visual sense of place by joining Dave Armstrong, Dave Armstrong (center), host of leads a soundwalk on the WSIU’s local SIUC campus in July 2010. program Photo: Monica Tichenor. Sounds Like Radio, for a Fall Campus Soundwalk on Saturday, October 23 at 10:30am. Participants should meet Armstrong outdoors at the north
end of the SIUC Student Center. The soundwalk will be approximately one-hour in length. Soundwalks celebrate the practice of listening as it relates to the world around us, environmental awareness, and acoustic ecology. They can include audio tours, sound performances, and sound art installations. Sounds Like Radio is a two-hour program featuring experimental music, avant-garde works, sound art, and field recordings. Listen on Sundays from 3-5am and again from 10pm-12am.
NPR’s Michele Norris Publishes Memoir
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PR’s Michele Norris explores her family history and presents a personal observation of race in the U.S. today in her new memoir The Grace of Silence, released September 21 by Random House and available at bookstores around the country. Norris is on a nationwide book tour, which will bring her close to Southern Illinois. She will greet the public and sign copies of her book at Christ Church Cathedral on 1210 Locust Street in St. Louis on November 17 at 7pm. Visit Norris’ website at http://michele-norris.com to learn about her journey, the book, and more.
Michelle Norris. Photo: 2007 NPR by Stephen Voss.
SIRIS Profile: Karthik Tadisina
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eet Karthik Tadisina, volunteer reader for the Southern Illinois Radio Information Service (SIRIS). Tadisina became acquainted with public broadcasting when he moved to Carbondale in 1986 from Cincinnati, Ohio. He was introduced to WSIU Public Radio through a family friend who was a professor in SIUC’s journalism department.
Tadisina is in his third year as a volunteer reader for SIRIS, but has greater aspirations with the organization. “I hope to one day become part of the board,” he says. “SIRIS is an important community resource for people who rely on the radio to receive news, and I want to help it move forward and grow.”
As an undergraduate student, Tadisina did an externship at a Clear Channel radio station that was located in Marion. It was the first time that Tadisina got to know more about radio and its impact on a community.
“I know when I’m reading for SIRIS, it’s being taped for somebody who is visually impaired and is unable to read the newspaper,” Tadisina adds. “Volunteering in the community is very important; everyone should take the time to give back.”
When Tadisina was looking for summer volunteer opportunities, he stumbled across SIRIS. “I thought it sounded a little bit different than other places to volunteer, so I decided to give it a shot,” he says.
Tadisina recalls how he relied on the direction provided by others to learn about opportunities to get involved in his community. “When I was younger I depended a lot on other people to raise awareness about what was going
Karthik Tadisina. Photo: Jenna Richardson.
on around me and to encourage me to get involved in community activities. Now I’m on the other side of that relationship. It feels good to give back and to do my part to help change things for the better,” he says. Learn how you can get involved with SIRIS by calling (618) 453-2808 or clicking on the SIRIS tab at wsiu.org.
Sponsor Profile: 9th Street Grill loaves and homemade sandwich buns baked fresh on-site, as well as hand-rolled pizzas and calzones.
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Laura explains that “Our primary inspiration is Mediterranean, but we also have other global influences, such as Asian dishes and wrap sandwiches made with Indian nan bread. I think what surprises people most is that we don’t even have a deep fryer or microwave on our premises – everything is made fresh on site and prepared to order. People don’t tend to associate us with pizza, so also are surprised to see that on the menu.”
Menus feature steaks, seafood, salads, pastas, sandwiches, and a wide array of appetizers and desserts. House specialties include Italian-style seasoned bread
9th Street Grill helps to underwrite almost every genre of WSIU Radio programs. Laura muses that “We believe that culture is alive and well in southern Illinois, that sensationalism shouldn’t trump good sense, and that quality is worth supporting. We decided to become underwriters because this is a family business and our mutual families have always supported public broadcasting. After opening the restaurant, it was a natural way to reach like-minded people while supporting a cause we believe in.”
9th Street Grill. Photo: Provided.
ccording to owners Laura Thacker and Rob Lupa, the 9th Street Grill offers casual fine dining for lunch and dinner. Laura says, “Our goal is to provide excellent meals in a relaxed, sophisticated atmosphere. We also display local artwork and play music created for us by a local musician.” The Grill is located in historic downtown Mount Vernon, Illinois in a beautifully restored building circa 1910-1915.
She adds that, “The response has been very positive – we’ve had people leave notes behind on their tables that read ‘we appreciate your support of public broadcasting.’ We’ve met more people from surrounding communities, and we even have people who were driving through southern Illinois on the interstate, heard our names, and pulled off the road to come find us!” “Our whole family listens to WSIU Radio. We’re very excited to have This American Life now, and we listen daily to Morning Edition, Fresh Air, and All things Considered. Really, they are the most in-depth, well-researched, eclectic news programming available in any medium. Our daughters, ages 10 and 14, also love This American Life and all the news.” 9th Street Grill is open Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations are accepted. Menus, hours, and other information are available at www.9thstreetgrill.com, 222 S. Ninth Street, Mt. Vernon, Illinois, (618) 244-1190.
Sponsor Profile: SIU Credit Union
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he SIU Credit Union is a full-service financial institution, housed in Carbondale and having branch facilities in Marion and Metropolis, as well as online banking. The SIU Credit Union offers all traditional banking services, such as loans, credit cards, mortgages, checking accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and a network of ATMS nationwide.
Chris notes that a WSIU partnership seemed natural from the start. “We, too, are a not-for-profit organization, and we, too, operate with a membership base. We strive to have the best interest of our members in mind with every decision we make.”
According to Chris Sievers, Marketing Director, “A lot of people still are surprised to learn that membership in our credit union is open not just to people affiliated with SIU, but also to anyone living or working in 11 Southern Illinois counties. We serve a wide range of customers, of all ages and from all across the region.”
“We’ve been an underwriter for years because we feel our members align well with the WSIU audience. We’ve recently expanded our underwriting to WSIU Public Television’s BizKid$ program. This weekly financial literacy series for tweens and teens helps us to fulfill our mission of financial education for young adults.” CEO Dennis Schaefer and several other SIU Credit Union staff members also have been enthusiastic volunteers at WSIU financial literacy events for kids.
The SIU Credit Union is a longtime supporter of WSIU, helping to underwrite WSIU Radio news programs, including Morning Edition, Fresh Air, All Things Considered, WSIU’s regional news coverage, and weekend news.
Chris reports that the SIU Credit Union believes their annual WSIU partnership is very successful. “We’ve had nothing but positive feedback. People constantly tell me they hear us on WSIU. Our BizKid$ underwriting has helped us connect
with young adults throughout the region. I would definitely recommend WSIU sponsorship to other businesses and institutions. It’s effective -- WSIU has loyal listeners, and it’s a great way to build awareness of your brand and your services. It’s also important – WSIU meets both educational needs and cultural needs in our communities. We feel as if our sponsorship helps to make WSIU available to the people.” In addition to all the news programs, Chris also personally enjoys Car Talk on the weekends. He admits, “I’m not a car enthusiast at all, but I think Car Talk is just really good and really funny.” More information about SIU Credit Union services, membership, and locations is available at www.siucu.org.
Celtic Connections Sat @ 7pm • Sun @ 6pm October 2 • New Releases Join us for a sample of some of the best vocal and instrumental tracks from new and recent releases. Bryan Kelso Crow. Photo: Rachel Snow.
October 9 • Bands of Brothers Enjoy bands featuring brothers who have grown up singing or playing music together, including The Clancy Brothers. October 16 • Eponymous Albums Enjoy songs and tunes from debut albums with no title other than the name of the singer or the band.
October 23 • Celtic Cello We don’t often think of the cello as an instrument used in Celtic music. This week we focus on cello players like Natalie Haas and Caroline Lavelle. October 30 • Samhain Celebration Celebrate the beginning of the Celtic new year with music for the harvest season, Halloween, and the ancient festival of Samhain.
Thank You, Underwriters! Please join us in thanking the underwriters who recently began, renewed, or expanded their partnerships to make public radio possible: Advanced Energy Solutions Group, Inc., Carbondale Arnold’s Market / Arnie’s Sandwiches, Carbondale Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, Mt Vernon Changing Seasons Landscape Center Company, Marion Division of Continuing Education, SIUC Harbaugh’s Café, Carbondale Dr. Linda Hostalek, Holistic Wellness Institute, Carbondale Murphysboro Apple Festival Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, SIUC Saline County Tourism Board Shawnee RC&D Area, Inc., Marion SIU Credit Union, Carbondale/Marion/Metropolis SIU Foundation SIU School of Law SIUC Theater Department Southern Illinois Chamber Music Society Southern Illinois Metalsmiths Society, SIUC The Stage Company, Carbondale Synergy Therapeutic Group, Carbondale/Mt Vernon/Herrin Thomas Publishing, Carbondale For a complete list of WSIU sponsors and information about sponsoring WSIU programming, visit us online at www.wsiu.org or call (618) 453-4286.
“... (WSIU is) a resource that everyone needs to support.” Ed Benyas • Director, Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra
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think WSIU Public Radio is an incredibly important community resource. It gives you tremendous news programs, such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. It’s also the only place in the region where you can hear classical music in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Many of my music students are up in the middle of the night working, so they can hear great classical music to inspire them, before and after the news. There’s really no other place on the radio dial where you can hear classical music in Southern Illinois. I’m Ed Benyas from the Southern Illinois Symphony, and WSIU is powered by me and my wife, Kara.
What do you love about WSIU? Tell us and we’ll share it on the air, online, or in print!
Online • www.wsiu.org/you Email • you@wsiu.org
W S I U i s P o w e r e d b y Yo u ® WSIU Public Radio Communications Building 1003 - MC 6602 Southern Illinois University Carbondale 1100 Lincoln Drive Carbondale IL 62901 • 618/453-6101 • wsiu.org • wsiuradio@wsiu.org