Southern Illinois University - Obelisk Yearbook (Carbondale, IL)

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Story by Mary Hogan Reading dreary textbooks and tak- ing pages of notes are not the only activities that occupy studvnts ut SIU-C. Nor, despite popular or unpopular belief, is the night life scene the nnly attraction. Many students are attracted tn the natural surroundings of rollingr hills and timberlands, dotted with lakes, of Southern Illinois. Most of the 21,000 3111- 7 students visit the nearby State Parks, lakes and National Forosts at least unm- during their stay ht-nn Ono would huvv to ho athlind hermit tn vsvupv nntiving the fiery rod and yellow of autumn foliage and spring that van ho seen won on t'nm- pus while walking to class. SIU-C's rumpus is lm-utod almost blossoming flowers uf' in the middle of tho 250,000-nvrv Shawnee National Vnrvst, Tho Shaw- m-v National Fnrvst stretches :HTUSS Southern Illinois from thv Misaissippi River 0n thv west, to tho Ohin River an the vast. It is the largest, black of public land in Illinois. thuhly hvvuusv of their nvurhy lm-utinns. thrvv purtirulur places in the Shawnee National Vnrvst :Irv pop ulnr with studvnts for their rm'rvn timml intvrosts. They :Irv, Giant t'ity State Park, Kinkuid Luke, and Crab Urvhurd Wildlife RI-l'uutx Giant Vity Htutv Park, lm'ntml IL! miles south of t Turhnmlulo in Juvksnn :md Uniun vuuntivs, Iil'S within 11,004 m'H-s nf. thv Shnwnm- National IWwvst. Numml fur its pH-uliur rm'k fnrnm tinns Whit'h many pt-nplv say rvminds tlwm 01' u t'ginnt Pity, Hizmt Uity wus unH- thv hmm- u! primitive mun. A fort, lnvutml at tho tnp nf :In 80 llmt. sundstmw rlit'f, imlirutvs thul, Indians

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lived there during the Late Woodland Period t600-900 ADJ. It is thought to have been used for ceremonial pur- poses or as defense fortifications. The main attraction for many stu- dents at Giant City is the massive rock formations that supply a peace- ful atmosphere for those who wish to climb high to think or study, or just be with friends. tt1 like the rocks? Mark Steiren, 21, a civil engineering major, said. ttYou can stick with your own group more easily? Besides its precipitous bluffs, Giant City possesses a wealth of plant and animal life, and an abundance of large trees which shade the park and add color to the area. ttIt,s nice out there in the fall? Steiren commented. ttThe colors of the changing leaves out there are fantas- tic. Giant City also has camping, fish- ing, and picnicking facilities, and even a 1,800-foot grass airstrip for those visitors who wish to fly-in and per- haps stay in the rustic lodge at the southernmost tip of the park. While Steiren enjoys the tranquil beauty of Giant City, Kurt Kennard, 23, an aviation technology major, appreciates the waterfalls of Kin- kaid Lakeis spillway. Located just west of Murphysboro, Kinkaid Lake is a 2,750-acre lake created as a reservoir, but With recre- ational uses in mind. Although boat- ing, fishing, camping, and swimming are favorite pastimes of many who visit the lake, there are others, like Kennard, who sit and enjoy the some- times torrential, sometimes trickling waters of the spillway. The force of water depends on the amount of rainfall the area has received. During rainy spring and summer months, the surging water re- sembles that of the cascading water- fall that Kennard mentioned, but the onslaught slows down to an innocent trickle during the drier, autumn months. Kennard says that he likes the sound of the rushing water because it enables him to close out the rest of the world for a while and is also very relaxing. uWhen school gets to be really stressful, you can go out there and just sit and relax and not think about anything, just let the water flowf Kennard commented.