Some people take photos, or make scrapbooks to record their history or story. International Representative Marcellus Barnes has collected more than 500 political buttons that tell for various his political support of politicians over the years.
He began collecting political pins and buttons in Chicago, IL at the early age of 22. While involved in the political campaign office of 8th Ward Congressman Ralph H. Metacalfe, he ended up working at Jimmy Carter’s campaign for president of the U.S.
“My first button was collected in 1972. It was a Jimmy Carter button and then after that was Congress Ralph H. Metacalfe,” said Barnes. Of his 500 buttons, his favorite is one for Ralph H. Metacalfe. “I was very close to him, that’s why it’s my favorite button,” said Barnes.
Barnes, however, soon moved beyond didn’t just collecting buttons of the politicians he supported; he began collecting them to see how many he could acquire. “I wanted to see how many buttons I could get and someday they’d be worth money if you trade them,” said Barnes.
Barnes got into politics at the age of fifteen while working with a family member. he said,” I started off in politics with my Auntie, who was a Precinct Captain who worked for the Alderman;" "I used to pass out papers for money. That's how I got interested in politics and I got into it myself."
One of his most significant buttons was for Harold Washington; Barnes obtained it while working in his campaign office when Washington was running for Mayor of Chicago. "This button is significant because Harold was the first black elected mayor in the city of Chicago, nobody thought he was going to win," said Barnes.
Harold Washington’s campaign button however isn't the only one Barnes has with some history behind it. Another button with a story is for Alderman Timothy C. Evans, who ran for Mayor Washington's post against Alderman Eugene Sawyer following Washington's death in November 1987. The election was significant because the city was divided between the two; both were long-standing Aldermen. "There were rallies and wars in the City Council and the city was divided between the two black Aldermen," said Barnes. "It was a tough time in Chicago because the black community was split." Barnes was right there in the middle of the action, as a for Alderman Evan supporter. “I was there with Tim Evans to get him elected,” said Barnes. We would go campaign for Evans, some wanted to argue, some wanted to fight, it was a bad time in Chicago politics. He came to my house to strategize, his bodyguards were sitting in the driveway.”
Alderman Evans didn’t win the campaign; instead Alderman Sawyer was elected to be Interim Mayor. "The same people that voted for Sawyer later voted for Richard Daley for the position and he’s been in office ever since,” said Barnes. The political buttons range from Harold Washington, to Mayor Richard Daley, to President Bill Clinton. As for his most recent acquisition it's a Barack Obama button, of course.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
More Than a Librarian
You hear about professors publishing books or writing journal articles, but what about a librarian? At first glance the Physical Science Librarian, Kathleen Clauson seems like a typical librarian here at Western, in her office on the computer busy typing away replying to emails and daily memos surrounded by piles of chemistry and physics books with papers every where, displaying her busy schedule. But Kathleen finds time to write books, publishing her first one last year. Surprisingly her first novella, Eva Galuska and the Christmas Cargo had nothing to do with science. It’s about a young successful polish man with wife and children who unlocks a forgotten door in his childhood memories and is seduced by a young seductive polish girl.
What was your first book you’ve written?
Kathleen Clauson (KC): Eva Galuska and the Christmas Cargo, it’s based in an old polish neighborhood in Chicago.
What was your inspiration to write the book?
KC: To be honest I was a freshman in college and my Professor had the class write a short story my 1st semester, one day after class the professor said he needed to talk to me, Ithought oh no what did I do, but he said “This is good, with a little work you could publish this.” After that all these years I’ve liked to write. Then I met my favorite writer Stuart Duirkek from Chicago and talked about my story I wrote in my class and he thought the ideas was good. Somehow I thought that I was going to revise it and publish it.
How did you feel when your novella came out last year?
KC: I was excited, really excited, wish it had come out in December instead of October because it is a Christmas book. The book coming out was very exciting, one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.
What is your next book about?
KC: My next book is a novella; I still haven’t decided what the title will be. The novella is a series of short stories that are apart of one big story. It’s about a girl or woman and some aspect of their life that intertwines with another character so it’s a thread that goes through all the stories. It’s like the movie 9 Lives where they have profiles of the characters lives and in some way all of them are connected to one another.
What was your inspiration for this book?
KC: First of all I like to write stories about women and personally I’ve been through stuff, I know women that went through stuff. I like to include something that reflects real life and real problems.
Where do you find the time to write?
KC: Oh this is very difficult; normally I get up really early and write the stories before work. I’ll wake up and come to the office 6 in the morning, to 7 at night on Saturdays and Sundays which works the best, on the weekends that’s all I do is write. At night after dinner I’ll write or take a nap and write while everyone is asleep which works, no interruptions or people asking me questions.
What types of books do you like to read?
KC: Fiction, witty essays like David Sedaris, his are funny. I don’t like anything too weird but I like magical realism.
What was your first book you’ve written?
Kathleen Clauson (KC): Eva Galuska and the Christmas Cargo, it’s based in an old polish neighborhood in Chicago.
What was your inspiration to write the book?
KC: To be honest I was a freshman in college and my Professor had the class write a short story my 1st semester, one day after class the professor said he needed to talk to me, Ithought oh no what did I do, but he said “This is good, with a little work you could publish this.” After that all these years I’ve liked to write. Then I met my favorite writer Stuart Duirkek from Chicago and talked about my story I wrote in my class and he thought the ideas was good. Somehow I thought that I was going to revise it and publish it.
How did you feel when your novella came out last year?
KC: I was excited, really excited, wish it had come out in December instead of October because it is a Christmas book. The book coming out was very exciting, one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.
What is your next book about?
KC: My next book is a novella; I still haven’t decided what the title will be. The novella is a series of short stories that are apart of one big story. It’s about a girl or woman and some aspect of their life that intertwines with another character so it’s a thread that goes through all the stories. It’s like the movie 9 Lives where they have profiles of the characters lives and in some way all of them are connected to one another.
What was your inspiration for this book?
KC: First of all I like to write stories about women and personally I’ve been through stuff, I know women that went through stuff. I like to include something that reflects real life and real problems.
Where do you find the time to write?
KC: Oh this is very difficult; normally I get up really early and write the stories before work. I’ll wake up and come to the office 6 in the morning, to 7 at night on Saturdays and Sundays which works the best, on the weekends that’s all I do is write. At night after dinner I’ll write or take a nap and write while everyone is asleep which works, no interruptions or people asking me questions.
What types of books do you like to read?
KC: Fiction, witty essays like David Sedaris, his are funny. I don’t like anything too weird but I like magical realism.
The Fight With a Spider Web
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout down came…………
Itsy Bitsy spider my ass, I hate spiders especially the big hairy ones. When I see a spider I freak out, my heart starts beating fast and my whole body begins to shake.
Arachnophobia is the most common phobia. Statistics show that nearly half of women and 10 percent of men have, to some degree, a fear of spiders. Well I’m one of those populations of women. I have not just a fear of spiders, but more of a hate towards them. The basement in my house stores plenty of them.
One day after blow-drying my hair out into a huge afro, I went to the basement boiler room to get something. About 6 steps into the boiler room I felt this sheer silky string across my face. After realizing what it was it seemed for a split second as if everything got quiet. All I could vision was a spider crawling in my hair and laying eggs in my hair and little babies crawling out of my hair, this thought freaked me out even more.
I screamed trying to remove the web from my face while bolting up the stairs like Ferris Bueller’s sister did after kicking her principle in the head in her house. When I got upstairs I ran to the living room on the carpet and stop dropped and rolled like I was on fire. All I was thinking was to get this spider off of me. After about 3 or 4 rolls on the carpet I ran into the powder room to see if there was anything on me.
To my luck there was nothing, so if you ever run into a spider web the panic, run, drop, and roll strategy works the best.
The Beginning of Change
“The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you we as a people will get there.”—President-elect Barack Obama victory speech on November 4, 2008
On Tuesday, November 4, 2008, around 11 p.m., Democrat Barack Obama's moving acceptance speech acknowledged the fact that he had been elected the 44th President of the United States as well as the first African-American President of the United States. This day wasn't just a victory for Barack Obama, but a victory for the American people.
The 2008 presidential election marked an historic event not only in America’s history but also in the history of African-Americans. Barack Obama’s historic journey to the White House was the beginning of an important change in the country—one that started with him and one that will be carried on by future generations.
Obama has made Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream reality. For many black Americans, Obama’s victory finally broke through the boundaries of racial issues giving hope to not just African-Americans but all Americans.
In winning the election, President-elect Obama accomplished things that no candidate for president had ever done before—he raised a record $700 million in campaign donations, and helped to change America’s political landscape. He won in states that had voted Republican for more than four decades, like Indiana and Virginia, as well as those that had strongly supported his Republican predecessor, President George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, such as Ohio and Florida.
“It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.”
Tuesday, November 4, 2008 was the day that America began to change.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)