The Woods

Photo by Colleen Daum/ The Woods

Popularity: 18% [?]

Blood drive draws willing donors

Photo by Shauna Lampley/ The Woods

Photo by Shauna Lampley/ The Woods

Photo by Shauna Lampley/ The Woods

Chinese New Year 2012: Year of the dragon

Photo by Colleen Daum/ The Woods

Photo by Colleen Daum/ The Woods

Popularity: 23% [?]

By Emma Campbell
Editor-in-Chief
ecampbell3@smwc.edu

I spoke with sophomore Sherry Bube after the announcement of her landing the leading role of Maria in the spring musical. She shares her excitement and expectations on being a part of her third SMWC performance.
Emma: What was your initial reaction when you heard that the spring musical was going to be The Sound of Music?
Sherry: My initial reaction to finding out that the Spring musical was “The Sound of Music” was excitement! I couldn’t wait to tell my family because the book was a favorite of mine and my family and I love the movie. Having the opportunity to be part of a production of it is a dream I’ve had ever since I was a youngster. I understood that I would have other commitments, such as work and school, to consider, I knew that this was an opportunity that I did not want to miss out on.

When you decided to try out, did you specifically want the role of Maria?
Truthfully, I did have a preference for the role of Maria. Her character has always fascinated me as her story interweaves throughout “The Sound of Music” with the other characters. Not only that, but the setting during World War II offers an exploration of topics that were faced by many individuals during that time period (such as loyalty to country and social changes).

Photo by Colleen Daum/The Woods

What piece did you use for your audition? Why did you choose that particular song?
For the music section of the audition, I sang a portion of the song “If I Only Had Brain” (lyrics by E. Y. Harburg, music by Harold Arlen) from “The Wizard of Oz”. I had prepared and learned this piece last semester as part of my vocal studies and felt comfortable with the song. I choose this particular piece because it utilizes some of the similar musical composition characteristics found in the music for “The Sound of Music”. An additional bonus is that it is an enjoyable piece to perform!
Now that you’ve gotten the part, how are you feeling?
Excited and nervous! I am nervous about being able to meet the expectations held by the audience (as is common with more well-known theatrical selections), but I am excited about exploring my own interpretation of the role, as well as working with what I know will be a wonderful cast and crew.
How do you think The Sound of Music and your role as Maria will compare to past productions you’ve been a part of?

Photo by Colleen Daum/The Woods

In regards to comparisons, some aspects such as memorizing lines and remembering blocking will be similar to past productions, but there will be new aspects. These include having a significant musical and dance components to the production, as well as a much larger cast. With previous productions at SMWC, the environment is one of support, constructive direction, and community. In this case, I have no reservations in saying that although there will be challenges for all involved, the moments of success and validation will truly make the effort and work worthwhile!
What’s the one thing you want other student to know about taking part in the drama club or working on a production?
The one thing to know is that life itself is no dress rehearsal. If there was ever an opportunity to add another facet of meaningful experience to your life, do it! For some, it means becoming part of the drama club or a theatrical production and contributing in that way. You have the opportunity to be creative, supportive, and provide enjoyment through entertainment to others. This is a chance for one to put in time, effort, and concentration, and be able to come out with an end result that is not only gratifying for those involved in the production, but also for the audience as well.
On behalf of the cast, crew, and directors, we’ll be looking forward to seeing you there for another unforgettable performance!

Popularity: 16% [?]

By Colleen Daum
Staff Writer

I spoke with seniors Camielle Larrick and Ashley Logan about their senior art exhibition on  Nov. 16 where their art pieces are included. From the most challenging projects to advice for future students; these two share their experience with us.

Colleen: Tell me about some of the pieces that are going to be in the show? And are these pieces of art just going to be from class or are they going to be from your own personal work as well?

Camielle: I have stuff all the way from freshman year to senior year that are going to be in there. The paintings and 3-D work will be from class. I might be putting some photography in; that will be on my own, if I get it matted in time.

Ashley: Yes (some is personal, some is from class). There will be graphic design things I have done over the years, a sketch portrait of myself and maybe a couple others around it. Also, paintings; my series of eggs (paintings) and maybe two pieces that I just did.”

Colleen: What kind of media are you working with?

Camielle: It will be oil paintings; I’m going to have watercolors in it. I’ll have ceramic, photography, maybe some design work I’ve done so it should be pretty eclectic.

Colleen: Which of the pieces that is in the gallery has been one of your most interesting or challenging (or both) pieces that you worked on?

Camielle: All of them were challenges for me!  Maybe a couple ceramic pieces were easier and not too much of a challenge, but I think the most that I have learned from are gonna be the 4 x 7 neon painting and the black and white painting; red ink to clover. That one, that one was challenging, the background of that one.

Ashley: That is a good question, I really don’t know. I won’t know until everything is in the gallery the night before and then I actually look in the gallery and see which one and ‘I’m like dang I did that?!’

Colleen: Could you name any inspiration that you have had for these pieces?

Photo by: Colleen Daum/ The Woods

Camielle: Probably me battling to be better and expand what I know, and do things that I don’t know. Pretty much everything in there, minus the ceramic pieces, I had no idea how to do, I just did it. They were all pretty much experiments. A lot of experimentation.
And doing what I hate to make it so I like it.

Colleen: Specifically referring to the gallery show on Nov. 16, what were some of your challenges in creating this show and preparing for it?

Camielle: Well a few tips; all of which I did not do, so I learned the hard way. Find out if and when you are going to have a show. (Find out) which semester you’re going to have it your senior year. I was undecided whether I was going to have a show so I wish I would have made up my mind sooner. But once you do find out, and even before you find out you’re going to have one, prepare yourself the entire semester for it. Don’t just take a month out of your time because your never gonna have time.

Make it an ongoing process. I didn’t do that and now I’m scrambling. I’m losing hair.  If you’re like me and you did wait till the last minute, make sure you can con your friends or significant other into saving your butt by helping you out.

Ashley: Having people look at it, that’s for sure. I know when I did the ‘Focus the Woods’ poster I was very panicky, I couldn’t even look at people looking at it. Like, I had to go walk away. I get really bad nerves when people see what I have done because I don’t know what they are going to think about it. I’m excited. I want to do it but I don’t want to do it at the same time because I’m nervous.

Colleen: What is the most fun you had with a piece for this show? Which piece would be the most rewarding?

Photo by: Colleen Daum/ The Woods

Camielle: Hmm, I have found that none of my work has been fun. It’s been a battle and a struggle and I look at it, and it always can be fun; but I don’t think that your best pieces are fun.  I feel like you need to hate your piece at the end and that’s when you know it’s done and it’s good.  I have learned a lot from doing all the painting. The most rewarding painting? That is so hard. The most rewarding medium for me has been probably painting. I know I can do ceramics, I know I can do it, I’m glad I know how to do it but that’s not really rewarding for me. Overcoming your struggles and learning the hard way makes the piece more rewarding. So, I think either the neon painting or the black and white one; those two are probably the most rewarding.

Colleen: Is there any advice that you would like to share with future students?

Ashley: Just have fun with it. Start early, start your freshman year.

Colleen: Is there any good advice you would like to share that you have received from a professor or faculty member with this department?

Camielle: They are constantly helping and maybe when they don’t necessarily think that they are teaching, they are teaching and helping. When I’m extremely frustrated and at wits end, they probably helped tell me to quit thinking so much about it. I analyze way too much and I’m too much of a perfectionist. You need to somehow train yourself to let go and embrace your mistakes. Because things you think are complete failures and mistakes, and something that just ruined you piece, you can expand on them. That’s what I think makes great pieces of art.

Popularity: 32% [?]

Current Position at SMWC: Associate Professor, Psychology Program. I teach Psychology of Women, Abnormal Psychology, Human Sexuality, Crisis Intervention, Adolescent Psychology, Drug and Alcohol Addiction, and the Seminar in Psychology as on-campus classes as well as in the Woods On-Line program. In the SMWC’s graduate program I teach Techniques of Counseling.
Some semesters I teach one evening graduate class as an adjunct professor at Eastern Illinois University.
Past Positions:
•After graduating with my B.A. in Psychology I was a full-time outpatient counselor for clients who were drug dependent (I also worked in drug abuse prevention). During those six years I attended classes part-time, finished my Master’s Degree, and decided to pursue a Ph.D.   I remember one of my male professors saying “you shouldn’t do that, you have children!”   He never would have said that to a male student.  In fact, he had children while he worked on his Ph.D.  It made me so mad I was even more determined to get that degree.

Photo by: Colleen Daum/ The Woods

• While I was working on my Ph.D. I was a graduate assistant at the University of Illinois Counseling Center where I ran a group for students who were chemically dependent.  Also while I worked on my Ph.D. I was a part-time counselor at a program for chemically dependent women.  In that position I lead a sexuality group for the women and a play therapy group for their children.
• At the end of my Ph.D. program I completed a full-time year-long internship at a V.A. Hospital working with combat veterans in the psychiatric ward and with veterans who suffered from PTSD.   I had to live away from home while Alan stayed with our children (they were ages 8 and 14), but I came home every weekend.
• After finishing my Ph.D. I was therapist at the University Counseling Center at Eastern Illinois University for 10 years, serving as the Interim Director of the Center for one year. During that time I also taught classes in the Psychology Department and in the Counseling and Student Development Department at EIU and became a tenured faculty member.
Undergraduate and Graduate School(s):  Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree: Eastern Illinois University. Ph.D.: University of Illinois.
Interesting Facts About Yourself:
• I was born the middle child of seven children in a Catholic family in Morris, Illinois (not far from Chicago). There was a period of time when my father became ill and my family had to use food stamps. People say bad things about the government, but I am extremely grateful for government programs.
• When I worked in the substance abuse field a colleague and I created a primary prevention program that involved dressing up as clowns. Yes, I was a clown. The program caught on and we trained others to do this program throughout Illinois. We wrote a manual about it that got published and we presented the program at several professional conferences, including the Fifth World Congress on the Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• In my doctoral dissertation I studied the existence of family roles in children whose parents have alcoholism.
• Alan and I were undergrads when we got married (after my sophomore year), and we have been married for over 30 years. We have two children, both boys.  Alan and I own and live on a 34 acre farm. For a few years we raised free-range chickens and gave the eggs away to our friends.
• I have two nieces who were adopted from China.
• I once stopped an attempted rape at a campground bathroom in Sarasota, Florida.  After you learn about “the bystander effect” it is hard to just sit there when someone needs help.  I was scared, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t try to help her.
Favorite Thing About SMWC:  I love the people here.  The people in my department are some of the best I have ever worked with – both in talent and in personality.  They make me laugh every day. And the students are great—bright, engaged, and fun to be around.  I feel so fortunate to be employed here.

Popularity: 37% [?]

By Emma Campbell
Editor-in-Chief
ecampbell2@smwc.edu

While dimmed blue lights illuminated the faces of two travel-worn men, the audience in Cecilian Auditorium held a collective breath as John Steinbeck’s classic, “Of Mice and Men” performance began.
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College students, faculty, and staff, as well as the surrounding community, were treated to a performance by the National Players, the nation’s longest running classical touring company, who returned to campus after last year’s production of “Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
The play, adapted from the Steinbeck novel of the same name, follows two migrant workers, George and Lennie, and they begin working on a California ranch.
Though humorous moments are distributed throughout the performance, the play focuses on much deeper emotions and humanistic themes including happiness, devotion, racism, morality, mental disabilities, and death.
Though many could have been upset by the forwardness of the plot, sophomore Heather Ennis believed the performance to be very realistic.
“I thought that this production of Steinbeck’s Mice and Men handled the ethical issues surrounding death and dying in a very gritty, but honest way. It was a very realistic portrayal of both life and death.”
With such intense ideas being portrayed, it was very important that the actors played their parts convincingly.

Photo by: Colleen Daum/ The Woods

Junior Ashtynn Masterson believed the National Players achieved that goal.
““I thought that the actors portrayed the characters very well – the body language and facial expressions were amazing. They stayed true to the book and captured the most emotional scenes very well”.
The National Players opened to a large crowed containing everyone from students to Sisters of Providence and members of the outside community.
“I think this play can really speak to students”, said Graduate Student Assistant of Campus Life, Nicolette Cisarik. “Many of them have already read the book in high school, so it’s familiar to them. It also deals with real life topics”.
Ennis agrees, “The sadness of the play is in the realism–there are no strictly good and bad characters. The lines between right and wrong are not always clear”.
Both years’ performances were a part of SMWC’s 4 Star Series. According to the SMWC website, the purpose of this program is to “bring esteemed speakers who inspire, challenge and stimulate the imagination”. It is also used to “enhance the College’s curriculum and to enrich cultural exploration”.

Popularity: 22% [?]

By Anna Spydell
Staff Writer

One might traditionally think that the path to a career in television news lies through a degree in journalism and many years establishing oneself through internships and smaller jobs within the industry.
You probably wouldn’t guess that a job as a producer for “Good Morning, America,” a writer and director for Barbara Walters and Bill O’Reilly, or roaming the African wild for the Travel Channel would come after earning a degree in philosophy and history, and holding down jobs as diverse as working as a temp to working with Arabian horses.
But for writer, editor, producer and a short time Woodsie, Mellen O’Keefe, that’s exactly how it happened.
“Providence” was a word that O’Keefe came up more than once during her visit to the Woods.
From the unlikely path her career ultimately took, from landing a job working as the secretary for a television producer to eventually becoming one herself, at her luncheon on Nov. 2, O’Keefe said that she had always thought her career had happened in a strange sort of way.
In her presentation, O’Keefe had included a slide depicting a memento from Foley Hall which her mother had given to her, inscribed with “Providence always finds a way.”
Looking up at it, O’Keefe remarked, “I never really knew what that meant, ‘providence’. Then today, I thought, ‘Oh! Maybe this is providence.’”
O’Keefe comes from a family with a long history with the Woods.
Returning to the Woods for the first time in almost 30 years, O’Keefe marveled while standing in Le Fer ballroom before a collection of faculty and students.
“[My family] probably stood in this same room!” she exclaimed.   “That’s just crazy to me!”

Photo by: Colleen Daum/ The Woods

Altogether, she counts eight Woodsies in her mother’s side of the family, including her grandmother, her mother, and her aunt.
“When I saw her career story, I thought ‘This woman is amazing!” said April Simma, director of Major and Planned Gifts at the Woods.
After receiving O’Keefe’s impressive and quirky resume after a tip from a New York-based Woodsie, Simma passed the resume on to President Dottie King.
It was then that King, on a trip to NYC, extended the invitation for O’Keefe to make her return to the Woods.
Perhaps no one was more excited about O’Keefe’s appearance than the Journalism department.
After O’Keefe attended one of her classes as a guest speaker during her stay, Assistant Professor of Media Studies Elaine Yaw said, “Having her in the class was great because she has been a writer, an editor, and a producer for a really long time. Just having her perspective has been really interesting. We get a lot of access to reporters, but not a lot of access to producers, and they’re the ones really pulling it all together.”
Assistant Professor of Journalism Lori Henson agreed.
“It’s generally true that, in TV anyway, reporters are the ones who get the most attention, but it’s the producers who are behind the scenes, making the whole thing come together,” Henson said.
Yaw added, “I think for journalism students to see the whole process from beginning to end is really great.”
The wide range of information that O’Keefe had to share ran the broad gamut from discussing copyright issues and issues of legality with journalism classes, to her discomfort at being assigned sensationalist stories at Inside Edition, to finally talking in depth at her advocacy work she has done on behalf of inclusive education for children with disabilities in the New York public school system.
“She has so much to say and you don’t want to interrupt her because it’s such good information,” said Henson.
From journalism students to faculty, both ‘An Evening with Mellen O’Keefe’ on Nov. 1st and the RSVP Luncheon on Nov. 2nd were full of people eager to hear the unique stories and first-hand experiences that O’Keefe had to share.
“To be here, with my girls and my family,” said O’Keefe, referencing several of her fellow former Woodsies who had joined her for a reunion of sorts, “It’s just incredible.”
The Woods was equally glad to welcome O’Keefe home for a week.

Popularity: 21% [?]

By Lacey Henson
Staff Writer

From a very early age, Dottie King knew she wanted to be a teacher.
When she was in third grade, she knew she would be a third grade teacher.  When she was in eighth grade, she wanted to be an eighth grade teacher.
“Whatever grade I was in at the time was the grade I wanted to teach,” King said.
She never would have dreamed that she would one day teach math.
“It was my least favorite subject in elementary school,” King said.
But as she got older, she grew to love math.
King wore many hats in her high school. When she wasn’t practicing her math skills, she was a cheerleader and member of the marching band. But she always made time for her math competitions, which were held at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
“The girls would compete at Saint Mary’s while the boys would compete at Rose-Hulman,” King said.
Her love of math and teaching were instrumental to bringing King to The Woods.
Unknowingly, she was connected to the college long before her presidency.

The Demands of Life
King’s life is a juggling act of motherhood responsibilities and presidential duties.
On a typical day she wakes up and takes on the duties of motherhood first. She has six children – two daughters and four sons – who range in age from 16 to 30. The fun and chaotic life of a big family requires a sense of balance and excellent time management skills.
King’s role as a mother has led her to volunteer with Clay County schools’ Parent Teacher Organizations and Band Boosters. She was even president of the football parents’ group.
“I am not a first-time president,” King laughed.
But being made president of the football parents cannot compare with the honor of a day of Inauguration ceremonies in front of hundreds of people on the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College campus.
The celebration began Friday morning at The Church of the Immaculate Conception, where a Mass was performed to mark King’s installation as president of the college.

Photo by Colleen Daum/ The Woods

That afternoon, King spoke at Cecilian Auditorium to the campus community – faculty, administrators, students, alumnae and others with ties to SMWC.
King has worked diligently to reach the top position, while being light hearted and always keeping a smile on her face.
“Dottie is very grounded and down to earth,” Vice President for Student Life Vicki Kosowsky said.  “She does not see herself on a higher level than anyone else.”
King is the biggest Colt’s fanatic in her household.
All of the TV’s have to be turned on to the game when the Colts are playing and she gets very into the game, sometimes yelling at the TV.
Unfortunately, King has been struggling through this NFL season due to the loss of Colt’s quarterback Peyton Manning.
“I have been saying a lot of prayers for Peyton,” she said.

From Humble Beginnings
Born and raised in Terre Haute, King became very close to her mother and sister when her father passed away when she was very young.
King attended elementary and junior high school in Vigo County. Her family then moved to Clay County, where she attended and graduated from Van Buren High School.
School was also where King met her husband.
“We began liking each other when I was 13 and he was 14,” she said.
They developed a strong friendship while still maintaining their school activities. Their friendship continued to evolve and they soon married after high school. She was 19.
Her marriage and growing family did not stop her from furthering her education.
She attended Indiana State University and received a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in mathematics. King also holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction/educational leadership, also from ISU.
King did earn her dream job. From 1985-2002, she served as an instructor of mathematics at Indiana State University.
A co-worker at Indiana State suggested that King apply for a position at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods as assistant professor of mathematics.
Through a series of promotions, King held several positions at The Woods, including associate professor of mathematics, chair of the Sciences and Mathematics Department, assistant dean for undergraduate and international programs, interim vice president for academic affairs, vice president for academic affairs and interim president.

Photo by Nancy Hernandez/ The Woods

“She did not go seeking the role of president,” Kosowsky said.  “But being the face of the college comes naturally for her.”
King credits either providence or a series of coincidences as to why she was led to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
Her former positions have helped her develop friendships with co-workers, which she says allows for equal connection and communication from the different offices of the college.
“She is an incredibly good listener and wants to be collaborative; she creates an environment where people feel free to express opinions, even if they are not the same as hers,” Kosowsky said.
As inauguration approached, King experienced mixed, but excited feelings.
She was very busy with not only inauguration but Board of Trustee meetings as well.
Her overall goal is to make the students more marketable when they graduate by enhancing the curriculum of each course.
Promoting and encouraging women to persist the study of mathematics, science and technology is also a passion and something that King will continue doing as president.
“Dottie is able to listen and articulate,” Kosowsky said.

‘Advancing Our Legacy’
King said she is excited to move forward with the college as its new president. She wants to enhance the enrollment rate and promote SMWC by making use of what the students tell her.
“She wants to make the college better known, give it a brand and get its name out there,” Kosowsky said.
If King could put her duties as president on hold for a day, she would be back in the classroom, teaching and promoting mathematics.
“Her presidency is forthcoming,” Kosowsky said.  “She is the right person at the right time.”

Popularity: 34% [?]

By Annie Jones
Columnist
Protestors danced and sang in the streets of Columbus, Ga., Nov. 19-21 at what was once called the School of the Americas, where the U.S. government is accused of teaching “terrorism tactics.”
This year, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College’s Peace and Justice committee sent five students: junior Jordan Bedella, junior Brittany Coy, sophomore Colleen Daum, senior Danielle Sommers, and me to visit and observe the SOA Watch along with Sisters of Providence including Sister Jenny Howard and Campus Minister Malia Hoffman.
“I wanted to learn about it as much as I could. We held a prayer service for all those murdered by the hands of SOA soldiers,” said Howard when asked about her first time attending an SOA protest.

This year was Howard’s tenth attending the SOA Watch.
The SOA Watch has been going on outside the main gates of Fort Benning since 1990, but for more than 64 years the SOA has trained more than 60,000 Latin American soldiers in counterinsurgency techniques such as sniper training, interrogation tactics, commando psychological warfare, and military intelligence.
It all began in 1946 when the SOA was first established in Panama and called the U.S. Army Caribbean Training Center. The training center was established to help “professionalize” Latin American and Caribbean militaries at the time.
In 1963, President Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress led to the training center’s name to be changed to the School of the Americas. Twenty years later, in 1984, the school was forced to move from Panama to Fort Benning, Georgia because of the terms of agreement in the Panama Canal Treaties.
Many student groups, like Peace and Justice at SMWC, now participate in the three-day long Watch, side-by-side with countless faith communities, veterans groups, and national and local labor unions.
The Watch is now a large movement with more than 10,000 people that is rooted in helping the people that are the most affected by the SOA, the poor and oppressed.
We first arrived late Friday night in Phoenix City, Ala., at our hotel where we would be staying for the next two nights. The five of us girls were excited about the watch that laid ahead on Saturday.
When we arrived to the SOA Watch it seemed quiet and somewhat reserved but as we got closer the presence of the Watch grew.
As we walked towards the barricaded street that was housing the Watch it became noticeable that it led to the main gate of Fort Benning.
Soon after this realization we became swarmed with people who were handing out flyers, preaching for the cause, and looking for donations.
As we kept walking farther in the streets they became more congested. There were little souvenir shops and equal trade vendors scattered all along the sides of the road. There were also booths from different student groups, faith communities including the Sisters of Providence, and veterans groups scattered throughout the crowd.
The farther we went into the street, the more we began to discover. At the end of the street, just before the gates of Fort Benning, there was a stage set up. This stage housed speakers from all over the world who stood up in front of Fort Benning and the crowd to tell their horror stories.
The stage also housed performances from Kuumba Lynx, a hip-hop group from Chicago that works with the youth throughout the city, and Rebel Diaz, a group of three that “report from the trenches” and make music from their experiences.
Sunday, however, was as if we had returned to a different watch. The majority of the shops and booths had been shut down and there was a mass of people and groups that where all lined up for the march on Fort Benning. There was a man on stage, announcing guidelines that were to be followed for the march.
“I didn’t think it was going to be that touchy of a subject, but then they began to call out names and they started telling the stories of the survivors and what the SOA had done,” said Bedella.  “It changed everything for me.”
The march onto Fort Benning was a profound moment. All I could see was an ocean of people who were singing and holding crosses with names of people whose death had been traced back to the SOA. The sea of people were together for one reason and one reason only. Justice.
As the march began the mass of people in line and on stage began to sing.
As I looked up at the fence of Fort Benning I could see that it was covered with photos of the people who had been lost. Their names and ages were written across each cross that scattered across the fence.
On our way out of the march there was a scene of the six original monks who had been killed by SOA trainees on Nov. 16, 1989.
After that it was over and the crowds began to disperse, the vendors started to pack up, and the cops were moving in.
The line that separates the protestors from the military base is not to be crossed. Those brave enough to cross that line are automatically arrested.
“Being arrested is something that people plan,” said Howard.  “I don’t think that anyone wants to be arrested, but it is all done to make people aware about what’s going on.”
There were a total of 24 people arrested for crossing that line onto Fort Benning that weekend.
On Sunday, a local judge found 23 out of the 24 people who were arrested by the city guilty on charges including unlawful assembly, failure to disperse, and parading without a permit. The total of bonds and fines exceeded $75,000.
In 1998 more than 2,000 people crossed the gates of Fort Benning during the SOA Watch. With 8,000 supporters present at the watch it was one of the largest civil disobedience actions in the United States since the Vietnam War.
There were no prosecutions that followed.
More than 300 people have been tried as a result of nearly 200 SOA Watches throughout the country.
Human rights defenders have collectively spent more than 90 years in prison and more than 50 probation sentences ranging from six to 36 months. Most defendants have received fines that ranged from $500 to $3,000.
“I was not worried about my safety at the protest,” said Howard.  “It is non-violent and there are no weapons, no drugs, and no alcohol. The greater violence is being done to those who suffer at the hands of the SOA.”
For more information on the SOA Watch or how to participate in their upcoming events, visit www.soaw.org or call 202-234-3440.

Popularity: 52% [?]

By Colleen Daum
Staff Writer

As you walk in to the comfortable smoky hookah lounge at Smoke ‘n’ Peace you might see large Persian rugs, vintage posters, rustic walls and of course colorful hookahs.
The smoke shop houses Terre Haute’s only hookah lounge at 421 Wabash Ave.
Smoke ‘n’ Peace opened in August 2009 and the lounge opened in October of the same year.
The hookah originated in Northern India and has traveled through parts of the Middle East and Africa before becoming popular in the United States.
Hookah smoking is flavored tobacco sprinkled into a ceramic bowl covered with punctured foil. This is then attached to a long metal stem standing on a round base full of water.  A coal is then lit and put on top of the foil, while you inhale the light taste through a hose.
The seating at Smoke ‘n’ Peace is comfortable and the atmosphere is relaxing. It is the perfect place to mix with friends.
According to one of the four owners, Randy Cunning and the store manager, Ben Chaistjansen, there once had been several hookah bars in Terre Haute.
After all closed down the hookah lounge went in right next to Coffee Grounds, owned by Pete Wilson.
“There’s a need for it, there’s a want for it, so we decided to build a hookah lounge,” Cunnings said.
Smoke ‘n’ Peace and the lounge has people in and out on the weekdays and a full house on weekends.
“There’s a broad range of people that come to the lounge” said Chaistjansen.
Everyone from college age and up frequent the spot.Prices range and there are a good variety of flavors.
Single or double hose hookah for two people is $11 each additional person is $2. Refills are $5.99.
There are nearly 40 flavors available, and premium flavors are $2 extra.
A custom mix of two flavors is $3.00 extra per bowl.
Strawberry, blueberry, grape, double apple, mango, pomegranate and tropical punch are some of their standard flavors.
Their premium flavors include champagne, margarita, rose, chai, butterscotch, pina coloda, and grapefruit just to name a few.
Any of the flavors on the menu are also available for take home purchase.
Along with serving hookah, they have personal hookahs for purchase. They also provide the supplies that you would need to maintain your own hookah like hoses, extra bowls, wind covers, foils, and tongs.
For more information they can be reached at smokenpeace.com, by phone at 812-235-8057, or by email at info@smokenpeace.com
The shop also has a Facebook page. Request to join and you can receive messages about special deals.

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