Did you know that the father of modern dentistry is from Illinois? Visitors to Lincoln Park in Chicago may have noticed a statute of a mustached man sitting seriously, overlooking the walking path. The statue, designed in 1918, honors Greene Vardiman Black, the father of modern dentistry and first dean of Northwestern University’s dental school. More than 1,500 members of the National Dental Association attended the dedication of the monument at its unveiling in 1918.

Greene Vardiman Black (1836–1915), grew up on a farm near Winchester, Ill. He studied under an older dentist, Dr. J.C. Spear in the late 1850s, a time when the science of dentistry was extremely rudimentary. By the age of 17, Black began studying medicine with the help of his brother, Dr. Thomas G. Black. In 1857, he met Dr. J.C. Speer, who taught him the practice of dentistry. After the Civil War, in which he served as a union scout, he relocated to Jacksonville.  It was here that he began an active career and conducted research in the developing field of dentistry. He studied dentistry for 20 months as was common at the time, followed by an apprenticeship.  He taught in the dental department at the University of Iowa before moving to Chicago in the 1890s. In the period after the Civil War, Black made many important contributions to the profession of dentistry. These include inventing the dental drill, using nitrous oxide for extracting teeth without causing pain, and developing the method for filling cavities, which is still used today. The phrase, "extension for prevention," is still famous in the dental community today and represents Black's idea that dentists should incorporate more grooves and pits than those currently exhibiting decay as a preventive measure against those grooves and pits developing tooth decay in the future, although today ideas have changed and focus much more on minimal intervention. Black published his concepts and ideals in his text called “Manual of Operative Dentistry” in 1896. Further, he organized “Black's Classification of Caries Lesions” which is still in use today. Since that time, only one more category has been added to his classification system. When you go to your dentist’s appointment, you can thank Greene Vardiman Black for most of the procedures that you experience!

Illinois is home to the world’s largest laser tag arena. The Edge, located in Belleville, is officially the world’s largest laser tag arena. In addition to the world’s largest laser tag arena, The Edge also has two arcades, mini-golf, five movie theaters, and a family friendly sports pub. The Edge also hosts hundreds of birthday parties and events each year.

Laser Tag is a recreational shooting sport where participants use infrared-emitting light guns to tag designated targets. Infrared-sensitive signaling devices are commonly worn by each player to register hits and are sometimes integrated within the arena in which the game is played. Since its birth in 1979, with the release of the Star Trek Electronic Phasers toy, laser tag has evolved into both indoor and outdoor styles of play, and may include simulations of close quarter combat, role play-style adventure games, or competitive sporting events including tactical configurations and precise game goals. Laser tag is popular with a wide range of ages. Indoor laser tag is typically played in a large arena. The packs are tightly integrated with the devices inside the arena. The arena devices, and the packs themselves may be linked into a control computer for scoring and control over the game settings using radio equipment or infrared links. The game computer often serves to control other game effects and to manage player scores.

Open since 1995, the laser tag arena at The Edge is home to over 14,000 square feet of pure adventure and adrenaline. Laser Rock is a multi-level arena featuring a variety of game formats that can play up to 60 people. Other well-known laser tag arena’s in Illinois include Laser X and WhirlyBall-both located in Chicago.

The Edge is located at 701 South Belt West in Belleville. Be sure to check out their website here. 

The American Kennel Club and the United States Police Canine Association have partnered to create the first ever AKC/USPAC K-9 Detection Dog Challenge, which will feature two Illinois K-9s. This national competition displays the intersection of the work of AKC, the world’s largest purebred dog registry, and the USPAC, the oldest and largest police canine organization in the nation.

The competition showcases the abilities and precision of the K-9s used for police activities, providing viewers with a glimpse of the training these dogs and handlers endure to ensure the protection of our country and its citizens. The event includes 10 narcotics dog teams and 10 explosive detection dog teams. Teams consist of a K-9 and its handler. The teams are scored on the accuracy of the search, the perfection of the alert, which entails telling the handler where the substance is, and the find itself, which is a combination of the ability of the dog and the handler to accurately tell judges where the substance is.
These organizations further the well-being and rights of purebred K-9s that participate in the 22,000 yearly competitions held under the AKC as well as those that are family companions and law enforcement aids.

K-9 Chaos from the Springfield Police Department and K-9 Kyle from the Charleston Police Department and their handlers will face off against 18 other teams to see which can detect their substance quickest. Teams may display police dogs with certification in areas such as General Patrol, Tracking, Protection, Arson, Fish and Game, and Search and Rescue. The competition will be broadcast at 10 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 28 on ESPN2.

It’s National Fast Food Day in the United States. Food lovers in Illinois and all across the United States have an excuse to indulge at one of their favorite fast food restaurants. Whether they use the drive-thru, dine-in, or get it to go, National Fast Food Day calls for us to sample grilled, fried, and broiled menu staples. First popularized in the United States in the 1950s, fast food is considered any meal with low preparation time served to a customer in a packaged form. The meal makes for quick dine-in, take-out or take-away- and most fast-food restaurants offer drive-thru service.  In fact, there are over 300,000 fast food restaurants in the U.S. alone. The industry is also highly profitable, with U.S. consumers spending more than $110 Billion on fast food every year. One of the most iconic fast food franchises got its start right here in Illinois. Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald’s, opened his first restaurant in Des Plaines in April 1955.

Many companies are offering deals, so people should pay attention to their Twitter and other social media accounts for pending announcements. Carl's Jr. and Hardees, owned by the same parent company, are celebrating National Fast Food Day with a special prices- including a deal on the Big Carl Small Combo, according to a statement sent to Mashed.com. Hardee's is dishing up the Big Hardee Small Combo for $5.49. According to Thrillist.com, Nov. 15 is the birthday for another major fast food chain, Wendy’s. Wendy’s is celebrating its birthday as well as National Fast Food Day with a free order of fries, any size, as long as you place an order through the Wendy's app. For University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign students, the campus good eats newspaper, SPOON  UNIVERSITY, has highlighted a number of local restaurants as well as major chains along Green Street. Students can check out the full list of options by viewing their article here.  

Give a shout out to your favorite fast-food restaurant using  #NationalFastFoodDay to post on social media.