This summer, three broods of cicadas emerged at the same time in parts of Illinois. Cicadas lay their eggs in the bark of small trees, which can damage or stunt their growth. The volume of cicadas varied from town to town.
A new gender-affirming closet on the University of Illinois campus opened Monday at the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center. The Q-Closet will be filled with a variety of secondhand clothing, shoes and accessories for students to select from during the center’s hours of operation. Soon, the closet will also have brand-new makeup products. Priscilla Martinez…
NPR is kicking off its fourth annual College Podcast Challenge. The contest gives students an opportunity to share their stories with the NPR audience and beyond, and compete for a $5,000 cash prize. The NPR Student Podcast Challenge began six years ago, with submissions open to grades 4 through 12, and more recently, opened up…
With fall in full swing, pumpkin sales are up. But in Illinois, the production of pumpkin products is a year-round effort. Illinois is the nation’s largest pumpkin-producing state, and produces nearly all the nation’s canned pumpkins. Mohammed Babadoost, a plant pathology professor at the College of Aces, said the significance of pumpkins in Illinois is…
The Station Theatre in Urbana is set to open its newest production tonight. “The Minutes” focuses on power structures within a small town council. It is the latest installment in Station Theatre’s 52nd season, “The Hopeful and Broken Pieces of the American Dream.” The show centers on a nervous new councilman and his growing suspicion…
At first glance, Main Street in Arcola doesn’t appear to be much different from the several other small town main streets that can be found east-central Illinois. It’s still a brick road lined with two-story brick facades. There will soon be one major difference: The Arcola Broom Palace. “We decided that perhaps a palace, similar…
The climate in the Midwest is ever-changing — and that’s what makes it fascinating, says Jim Angel. Angel is a climate scientist with the Illinois State Water Survey. He served as Illinois State Climatologist for more than two decades until 2018, and has been studying climate extremes in Illinois and the Midwest for almost 40…
Local band Captain Rat and the Blind Rivets has been entertaining crowds for over four decades with their repertoire of 1950s and 1960s pop rock standards and zany on-stage props. This 40-plus year reality was thrown into question after both longtime drummer Jeff Evans and founding member Mark Rubel passed away within months of each…
Prior to high school and as a freshman, Robert Gao was really into math. He dabbled in math competitions, like the AMC and Math Counts. It made sense because Gao comes from a family of doctors: His father is an internal medicine physician, and his sister and brother-in-law are both medical residents. When the COVID-19…
A display outside of the Illini Union on the University of Illinois Urbana campus Monday featured artwork calling for awareness of Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas one year ago. The exhibit was first shown during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago earlier this year. The Israeli American Council, a non-profit organization, organized it. Since then,…
This election, Champaign County residents are voting on whether to eliminate the elected position of county auditor. If the referendum passes, the results of the auditor election will effectively be overridden, and the county will begin the process of hiring for the position, according to local officials. “Regardless of who wins the election, [if the…
With back-to-back hurricanes canceling hundreds of blood drives in Southeastern parts of the United States in recent weeks, the American Red Cross is calling for help from other parts of the country, including Central Illinois. The Red Cross will host numerous blood drives in Champaign County over the next month., Dozens of students attended a…
What does a true democracy look like? And what does it take to achieve that? The speakers at this week’s Friday Forum at the University Y in Urbana hope to provide some guidance on those questions. Harry Boyte and Marie Ström, cofounders of the Institute for Public Life and Work based in Minneapolis, will give…
With the election less than a month away, deepfakes are a growing concern. AI-generated images, videos and audio recordings are being used to spread misinformation, at a time when voters are relying on digital media to learn about candidates and their campaigns. University of Illinois digital humanities librarian and assistant professor Mary Ton said she…
The Champaign Park District hosted its 8th annual Halloween costume giveaway on Saturday, offering people of all ages the chance to find something fun for the fall season. Throughout the past month, community members donated their old costumes to the drive, resulting in over one hundred options to choose from this year. Lynne Franco, program…