Artist traci kato-kiriyama reflects on trauma, healing and collective care during U of I residency
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Artist traci kato-kiriyama reflects on trauma, healing and collective care during U of I residency

A few years ago, traci kato-kiriyama found herself in an exchange with an online seller, trying to recover a trunk that belonged to their family.  The trunk was property of kato-kiriyama’s grandfather, a Japanese incarceree of World War II American concentration camps. After a year-and-a-half of back-and-forth, she and the seller came to an agreement…

Dozens of U of I students gather Tuesday night for VP debate watch party
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Dozens of U of I students gather Tuesday night for VP debate watch party

Nearly 50 students gathered at the Illini Union Tuesday night to watch the Vice Presidential debate between Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. NPR reports the candidates discussed issues including the economy, immigration and health care, keeping a tone that was largely collegial. The event was hosted by the Office of Civic Life at…

two college students hold a sign that reads "Illini Run Club"

Having trouble fighting the Sunday scaries? Illini Run Club can help

The Main Quad at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign usually stays sleepy on weekend mornings without the hustle and bustle of students walking to class. Many students are tucked away in their dorms or apartments after participating in late night activities. This year, however, Sunday mornings on the Main Quad look different.  At 10…

Braver Angels’ mission: To bridge the partisan divide and promote active listening
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Braver Angels’ mission: To bridge the partisan divide and promote active listening

With the 2024 election approaching, Braver Angels, a non-profit organization, is working to bridge the partisan divide and bring Americans together by teaching them how to listen.  Political polarization has always been part of American politics, but not enough effort has been made to ease that tension, says Chuck Stone, a blue-leaning state coordinator for…

Want to know a police officer’s job history? There’s a new tool for that from Invisible Institute
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Want to know a police officer’s job history? There’s a new tool for that from Invisible Institute

The non-profit journalism organization Invisible Institute has launched a new tool that allows people to look up police employment history.  The National Police Index, created in partnership with Innocence Project New Orleans and Human Rights Data Analysis Group, compiles data obtained from state police training and certification boards. The tool currently shows data in 17 states, including…

11th annual Immigrant Welcome Awards celebrates the work of community members in Champaign County
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11th annual Immigrant Welcome Awards celebrates the work of community members in Champaign County

The eleventh annual Immigrant Welcome Awards will be held at the Urbana Free Library this Sunday. Six awards will be presented to honor people and businesses that are working to make Champaign County a welcoming space for immigrants.  Ricardo Diaz serves on the board of the CU Immigration Forum, which is the main sponsor of…

McKinley Health Center wants UIUC students to get flu shots so that they’ll ‘never miss a memory’
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McKinley Health Center wants UIUC students to get flu shots so that they’ll ‘never miss a memory’

URBANA – With students resuming school, coughs and sneezes have become more prevalent across campus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. And the number of flu cases has been surging ever since, according to Awais Vaid, executive director of McKinley Health Center. In response to the surge, McKinley will be providing free, walk-in flu shots…