217 Today: U of I dean Ruby Mendenhall is preparing to share a lifetime of writing as Urbana’s poet laureate

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Ruby Mendenhall, the 2024 Urbana poet laureate
  • Photo: Reginald Hardwick/IPM News

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • Disability rights advocates are protesting an Illinois measure that would allow patients to take medication to end their lives.
  • The next director of Illinois’ Department of Children and Family Services is telling state Senators why she’s right for the job.
  • Illinois’ Senate Democratic Caucus has introduced several proposals to help with food accessibility across the state, especially in schools and food deserts.
  • Illinois lawmakers are considering rules to govern how carbon emissions are captured and stored.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll hear a conversation with Urbana’s new poet laureate Ruby Mendenhall about her life and poetry.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting contributed by Alex Degman, Mawa Iqbal, Jade Marceau and Reginald Hardwick. 

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Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.