17.5 of Our Favorite Things ... About Knox

On February 15, 2012, Knox College will turn 175. In celebration of this milestone, Knox Magazine asked the Knox community to share what it loves most about our prairie college. As you can guess, we received A LOT of responses. So, instead of the full list of 175 items, we decided to play with the numbers a bit ... and bring you our list of 17.5 things we love most about Knox College.

See the complete list of 175 things we love about Knox.

 

1. Professor [INSERT NAME HERE]
Everyone has a favorite faculty member. A professor who inspired you or transformed your least-anticipated class to one of the best classes you ever took or whose quirks are unforgettable. Take a few minutes to think fondly of that professor.

 

2. Old Main's Hidden History
Who doesn't love Old Main? Or its steps, its smell, the Lincoln Chair, or its hidden doors? But who knew that hidden in the windows, stairwells, and doorways of Old Main is a Masonic mystery? Thanks to the detective work of George Appleton Lawrence Distinguished Service Professor Lance Factor, Old Main's hidden history was revealed when he discovered the architectural breadcrumbs left by the building's architect, Swedish Mason Charles Ulricson.

 

3. Harley Knosher's Flunk Day Pants
Our love of Flunk Day unites generations of Knox alumni and students, and around 40 Flunk Days featured beloved Coach Harley Knosher wearing his special Flunk Day pants. Who doesn't love that!

 

4. Freedom to Flourish
We know it's a tagline, but person after person told us that Knox changed their life, allowed them to be the first person in their family to go to college, opened their mind, helped them study abroad, and gave them the academic support they needed to succeed. Need we say more?

 

 

 

 5. The Bronze Turkey
It may be a bit ridiculous -- it's bronze ... it's a turkey -- but the competition to win this coveted prize of the annual Knox-Monmouth football game, is one of the longest-running college athletic rivalries east of the Mississippi. And it may very well have inspired some more recent Knox club sport mascots --  Colbears for women's rugby and Babe Lincoln for Ultimate Frisbee.

 

 

6. Green Oaks
Knox was certainly ahead of the times when, in 1958, Professor Paul Shepard established the nation's second restored tallgrass prairie site. Thanks to Shepard's visionary thinking, Green Oaks has been enjoyed by generations of Knox students and alumni, who have canoed its lakes, burned its prairies, hiked its trails, or camped under the stars.

 

 

7. Studying -- or Sleeping -- in Seymour Library
Everyone has his or her own favorite place to hit the books -- and sometimes take a nap -- in Seymour Library. What's yours?

 

 

 

 

8. Squirrels
They're cute. They're curious. They're everywhere.

 

 

 

9. Galesburg Eats
Dixie Crème Doughnuts. Uncle Billy's Spinach Bread. Coney Dogs. Landmark Spinach Bisque. Alfano's Pizza. Hungry yet?

 

 

 

10. International Fair
Knox has long been a global community -- West African Barnabus Root graduated from Knox in 1870 -- but, for more than 30 years, the College's international students have turned the last Saturday of January into a true global celebration. From international food to cultural booths to the parade of flags, I-Fair has become one of Knox's -- and Galesburg's -- favorite winter events!

 

 

 

 

11. Ice Skating on the Gizmo Patio
Alumni in the 1970s were really the only ones who got to take advantage of the Gizmo ice rink, but we can all dream about this wonderful pastime, can't we?

 

 

 

 

12. A Cozy Campus
Whether it's the size of the campus itself, small classes, wonderful life-long friends, hidden nooks and crannies in historic buildings, or the fact that faculty and staff know students by name, we all can agree that after four years, Knox feels like home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

13. Pinky Gibbons
Jo Anne "Pinky" Gibbons has worked at Knox College for more than 40 years. Starting in dining services at 16, she is now a beloved campus fixture as head of the Gizmo. Just try eating at the Gizmo over Homecoming weekend -- it's nearly impossible to get past the dozens of alumni stopping by to say hello. And if you're lucky, you may get to see Pinky on her beloved Harley.

 

 

14. Train Whistles
There is no building or room that can keep out the sounds of the train yard just south of the Knox campus. But what begins as an annoyance soon becomes one of the most recognizable sounds of our campus home.

 

 

 

 

15. Traying in the Bowl
Nothing said winter at Knox like grabbing a cafeteria tray and heading over to the Knox Bowl to slide down a few steep hills onto the football field. Now that dining services has nixed cafeteria trays and the Knox Bowl is now the Knosher Bowl, traying is no longer a winter pastime. But our memories live on!

 

 

 

16. Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Κ Μ Ν Π Σ Τ Φ Χ
Fraternity brothers. Sorority sisters. Greek life has bonded Knox alumni across generations.

 

 

 

17. 1958 Choir Tour
Everyone who's participated in the Knox College Choir has wonderful memories about tours around the country and across the ocean, but the one tour that we hear about most was the legendary 1958 tour to Europe. Led by Choir Director Creston Klingman, the Choir visited nine countries and ultimately performed at the Brussels World's Fair. The more we hear about it, the more we wish we all could have joined in the fun (whether we could sing or not).

 

17.5. Alumni Hall
Today's students love this historic building; many Knox alumni remember it as a bit of an ugly duckling. But Alumni Hall is an integral part of the Knox campus, and we hope that a renovated Alumni Hall makes its way to the top of this list when Knox turns 200.