Information Beans: Steven Brown and Michael Madigan

Before being hired as press secretary for the Speaker of the Illinois House, he worked in a Southern Illinois University cafeteria.

“I learned a lot about gourmet food and fine dining,” Steve Brown said with a smile as he talked to a small classroom of SIU journalism students in the communications building. Brown discussed his various relationships with important Illinois political figures, including House Speaker Michael Madigan.

While working at the Illinois Capitol has been good to Brown, it has also made his home life a bit more strenuous. He travels from Washington, near Peoria, to Springfield several times a week. But being away from home makes him appreciate the time with his family even more.

Brown has an interesting family to say the least: he has been married twice and is in the 15^th year of his second marriage, has a son who is majoring in social justice and is in a hip-hop band, and has two more sons who play baseball and the drums.

“(Drums) are not a good thing to have when you have a home office,” Brown said jokingly.

But before ever having a family or engaging in politics, Brown developed an interest in journalism as a high school student in northern St. Louis. While he bragged that he was within shouting distance of Busch Stadium, Brown also hinted that there was very little future for him as a journalist if he stuck around.

So Brown got a modest scholarship and attended Southern Illinois University, at a time when the Daily Egyptians was being recognized for many awards. This meant Brown would have to start at the bottom and work his way up.

“Is there something I can help with?” Brown would ask whenever he sneaked away from dealing with the layout of the newspaper and into the newsroom. Eventually, Brown got his way and became a full-time reporter.

Brown loved the opportunities that journalism offered him and had a passion for the business. “I thought it was a profession where you could make a difference,” Brown said.

After getting his major in journalism and spending six months serving in the National Guard, Brown claimed there weren’t many opportunities available at any major newspapers. He began to form relationships with various political writers and started many important friendships that would help jump-start his career.

Brown got his big break when he was asked to join the administration of newly elected Chicago Mayor Byrne, the first female to head the city. It was Brown’s first look inside the operations of politics, and it gave him some notoriety in Illinois politics. It also allowed him to strike a friendship with Mike Madigan, who was working his way through the leadership of the House.

Brown needed a job after working for Byrne, and eventually Madigan hired Brown. It was originally supposed to be a three-month arrangement.

“We are now celebrating the 23^rd anniversary of that arrangement,” Brown said as he expressed his admiration for his boss. “I think Madigan is one of the best things to come into Illinois politics in a long, long time.

It is apparent that Brown enjoys working at the Capitol, and he says he will always have a passion for journalism, which he feels is the best source of news.

Brown provided further encouragement for the students on hand when he said, “I didn’t have any

math skills, which is part of the reason I got into journalism.”

Information Beans: Xuhong Shang Gives SIUC Internation Presence

After solo exhibitions in Switzerland, Japan, and Spain, an SIUC professor’s showing in China has caught the eye of NY Arts Magazine.

Xuhong Shang, a professor in painting for the School of Art and Design at SIUC, presented his project “Momentary” at the Stir Gallery in Shanghai, China from July 25 to August 30. NY Arts Magazine reviewed his work in the April/May 2009 issue.

In the article, Shang said, “My paintings in the ‘Momentary’ series seek to achieve depth and primitive simplicity, which must be able to portray hard-to-catch scenes as if they leap up before the eyes and imply meaning between the tones.”

According to Shang, “Momentary” displays various landscape paintings and photos of airports, challenging the viewer’s distinction between illusion and reality.

Shang believes the article will give SIUC some international exposure. However, it is not the first time Shang has been reviewed by a major publication. According to Shang, he has been reviewed by Asian Art News, World Journal, and Sculpture magazine.

Shang said his latest project, “A Paradise Up in the Air,” was reviewed by Glen Brown , an art history professor at Kansas State University. The project began at the Muskegon Museum of Art in Muskegon, Michigan on September 24, according to museum director Judith Hayner.

“I went to Muskegon and people say ‘Oh, you’re from SIUC.’ So there are certainly a lot of young students that notice you’re from SIUC,” Shang said. “It is always a great opportunity to talk about our program. This is why we always attract a lot of students for our student programs.”

Jerry Monteith, head of graduate studies in the School of Art and Design, says Shang’s international reputation will attract students to SIUC.

“It’s always good for faculty members to have exposure,” Monteith said. “It really reflects not only on his own work, but also reflects on the stature of the School of Art and Design and the university by an extension.”

Ed Shay, a retired professor in painting, drawing, and printmaking for SIUC, said he also recognizes the importance of exhibiting internationally.

“I’ve been here for over thirty years and I’ve always thought of us of having a very strong international presence,” Shay said. “This is reflected by our student body as well as our faculty and he represents the best parts of fine arts in the School of Art and Design.”

Shang says it is important to be aggressive when exhibiting internationally, a philosophy he also uses for teaching.

“I always try to install some kind of professional discipline to my students,” Shang said. “I will continue to be a very high demanding teacher. I will continue to be that way because I see my students going out and having success.”

Shay said he appreciates Shang as a teacher as well as an artist.

“This is a guy who has proven to be a very strong teacher and a wonderful artist,” Shay said.

Shang said he finds teaching to be a very spiritual job, which brings him a lot of joy.

“I think teaching is very much like creating art,” Shang said. “Maybe someday you’ll pass away, but someone can take your legacy and continue, so your spirit is very much forever.”

Information Beans: Should Editorials Be Signed?

There are many misconceptions about newspapers and the unsigned editorial is no exception. When some people think of editorials, they think of opinion columns written by one person. Unsigned or anonymous opinion columns are unreliable and carry as much weight as your average blogger. These columns should be signed, but this is not the issue. Unfortunately, people confuse an opinion column with an editorial opinion, which is a collection of editors’ views. Should an editorial representing a collection of opinions be signed by one person?

Many people believe editorials reflect one person’s opinion. This is untrue for most, if not all, newspapers. The age-old theory is the publisher controls the editorial page. Lee Enterprises has a daily circulation of over 1.5 million newspapers across the country. As the publisher, does Lee Enterprises control the opinion of all these newspapers? It would be easy to expose the company if all its newspapers shared one opinion. The theory is just too far-fetched. While it is reasonable to believe publishers inform its newspapers of its opinion, it would not determine the editorial opinion for every newspaper.

Another argument against unsigned editorials is they misrepresent the newspaper in two ways: first of all, how can one opinion represent the newspaper if the reporters are excluded? And second, not every editor has to agree on something, just the majority. To answer the first question, the editorial page is designed for the editors. They are usually the most seasoned reporters and are involved in every story that goes into the newspaper. While their opinions are not more valuable than the reporters’, a line has to be drawn somewhere. Do you have to include the advertising department as well? How could a reasonable debate be held with this many people?

To address the second point, it is illogical to believe every editor can agree on one opinion. The New York Times has 17 editors and can comfortably hold discussions in a single room and challenge one another. In the end, if 9 agree and 8 disagree, should the editorial represent all of them? It should because a newspaper has to draw the line. If a 9 to 8 decision does not count, than should any majority? It is also foolish to believe all 17 editors can agree on one opinion, so using the majority opinion seems the most sensible.

Another viewpoint is an editorial has to be written by one person, so does it reflect the overall opinion? The reason for the editorial meetings is to gather all sides and take notes. When it comes time to write the editorial, the writer is well-informed and can morph many opinions into one article. It may even represent the dissenting views to strengthen the majority opinion and challenge it.

Beans Wit Attitude: The Death Penalty Must End

Cameron Todd Willingham’s three daughters were killed as his house burned down in 1991, two days before Christmas.

Willingham escaped the fire, but was charged for the murder of his daughters. During trial, he was offered life imprisonment in exchange for pleading guilty. He turned it down, insisting on his innocence until he was executed on February 17, 2004.

Five years later, the Chicago Tribune released a report from Craig Beyler of the Texas Forensic Science Commission. He stated investigators did not examine the case properly and the state fire marshal had “limited understanding” of fire science.

It seems Willingham was innocent. How many innocent “criminals” are executed each year?

Proponents of capital punishment have an “eye for an eye” mentality that needs to stop. This mentality does not work when innocent people are executed.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, there have been 139 exonerations in 26 states since 1973, including 20 in Illinois. There were 12 exonerations in 2003 and 9 in 2009, showing the recent irresponsibility of our court system.

Capital punishment is also unfair to different races. While 44 percent of death row inmates are white, 42 percent are black, despite only making up 12 percent of the nation’s population.

A study by the University of North Carolina showed defendants whose victims were white were 3.5 times more likely to receive the death penalty. Another study by the Santa Clara Law Review concluded those who killed whites were three times more likely to be sentenced to death than those who killed blacks and four times more likely than those who killed Latinos.

The most troubling statistic? While 15 whites have been executed for murdering blacks, 242 blacks have been executed for murdering whites.

Another misleading argument favoring capital punishment is it deters crime. Statistics show this is false.

Michael Radelet, a sociology professor at the University of Colorado, conducted a survey of the former and present presidents of the country's top academic criminological societies and 88 percent rejected the death penalty acts as a murder deterrent.

The 2008 FBI Uniform Crime Report showed the South had the highest murder rate and accounted for over 80 percent of executions. The Northeast accounts for less than one percent of all executions and had the lowest murder rate.

Former Governor George Ryan’s moratorium was Illinois’ first step to abolishing capital punishment. Since the moratorium in 2000, the murder rate in Illinois has dropped from 10 deaths per 100,000 people to 6.1 in 2008. If the death penalty deters crime, why has the moratorium lowered the murder rate?

A majority of the public supports capital punishment, but that number is declining. Between 1994 and 1999, before the moratorium, the Chicago Tribune reported Illinois public support of the death penalty had dropped thirteen points.

In 2002, a Zogby poll showed 68 percent of Illinois residents favored the moratorium while 26 percent opposed it. In the same year, a Roper Starch Worldwide study found 75 percent of Illinois residents were concerned that innocent people had been executed.

National support for capital punishment is also dropping. A 2008 Gallup poll showed 64 percent of Americans support the death penalty, down from 80 percent in 1994.

These statistics indicate a population that is gradually rejecting the death penalty. We believe the Illinois government should follow and set an example for all states by abolishing the death penalty.

The only way to prevent people like Cameron Todd Willingham from being executed is to eliminate the source. Capital punishment must end.