Members of the United Faculty of Illinois State University (UFISU) officially filed the required Intent to Strike notice on Monday. With the 10-day notice filed, faculty members may go on strike as early as April 4. The filing does not mean that all UFISU faculty members will go on strike, but allows the union to do so, if necessary. The UFISU announced on March 21 that they were prepared to strike if an agreement was not made with the University. The parties are scheduled to bargain again on March 28, April 2 and April 4.

The Hire-A-Redbird online job board hosted a Zoom webinar on Friday that consisted of international alumni informing current international students about getting a job after college. They shared tips for job searching, mock interviews, networking and their personal work experiences. The panel was led by Interdisciplinary Studies and still deciding Career Advisor Shanika Green. The panel featured alumni such as Dell employee Aneel Gillan and Redbird Philanthropy Engagement Associate Director Benita Mukuna. The panelists highlighted many important topics such as resume building, networking, job interviews, as well as the application process as a whole. They highlighted the importance of mock interviews and using them as learning opportunities. “Mock interviews taught me one, how to research for companies and how to ask good questions because not only are they interviewing you, but you're interviewing them as well because you want to make sure that they're a good fit for you,” Mukuna said. The panelists also shared advice on building a resume. “You want to make sure that on your resume you are highlighting yourself. It's one-pager you know you've highlighted or you've summarized the most important points first,” Illinois Mutua Actuarial Analyst Clinton Aboagye said. The alumni emphasized starting the job search and networking process early. “Start as soon as you can. I think also I probably would have taken advantage of more in-person engagements with alumni when they're on campus, go meet them in person. I know it can be scary, but having that in-person engagement is going to go so far,” Gillan said. The overall consensus of the panelists was that it is important to network and explore social opportunities as they can lead to greater things in the future. In addition, utilizing the resources and the career fairs that Illinois State University has to offer and stepping outside of the comfort zone can further broaden career options.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU-ISU) will host a systemic racism and juvenile justice discussion from 5-6 p.m. Wednesday March 26, in Schroeder Hall Room 204. This RSO promotes and shares the goals of the ACLU while also giving back to the community as well as providing a safe space for people to discuss these issues. ACLU-ISU strives to stand up for rights and beliefs in the current political environment. Those interested in the discussion can RSVP here.

As diversity faces challenges across the country, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Expo intends to inform Illinois State University students on how to strengthen it in the workplace. Career Services will host the expo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center. The expo will be divided into three sections: a networking workshop from 11 a.m. to noon, lunch from noon to 1 p.m. and a career fair from 1-3 p.m. Author Chris Molina will be the featured speaker, as he will discuss code-switching, which refers to how people change their speaking patterns and behavior to fit within a certain environment. Career Services Program Coordinator Rachel Janicki helped organize the event and hopes the event is something students can benefit from. “While students can get the most out of the event by attending both sessions, even students who attend only one session can benefit by learning skills they can apply in the future, or by networking with employers,” Janicki said. “Employers may be seeking candidates for internships or full-time positions, so students seeking work may find a job they’d like to apply for, or students who are not yet seeking those positions may make a new connection that can benefit them when they do begin applying later,” Janicki continued. It may be easy for students to think that career fairs and expos are more essential for those about to graduate, but Janicki emphasized the importance for everyone. “Students of all class levels and majors can gain something from this event... A senior student may find a job to apply for. A sophomore or junior may make a connection with an employer that they can follow up with at a future internship or career fair,” Janicki said. “A freshman might gain confidence and lay a firm foundation of career and communication skills they can build on as they attend more events. Each student may benefit in a different way, but we hope that all students who attend will leave with more confidence, resources and connections,” Janicki continued. The EDI Expo is intended to be smaller than a career fair but still has a variety of industries represented. “Many students can feel overwhelmed attending a larger event, so we hope any student who feels that way can take advantage of this opportunity to meet employers in a more relaxed environment,” Janicki said. More information is available on Redbird Life.

Not every day is a hole-in-one for Illinois State University students, but the inaugural golf-themed “Swing into Spring” event hopes to make things a little less bogey. Event Management, Dining and Hospitality, Redbird Well and the Dean of Students Office will host the event from 5-7 p.m. Monday, March 24, in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center. EMDH Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Samantha Schultz shared how the event came to fruition. “EMDH’s Hospitality Coordinator Kacy Rader knew she wanted to partner with Campus Recreation on an event,” Schultz said. “We then thought of it being the start of spring, and golf came to mind with the fun title, ‘Swing into Spring.’” Schultz then previewed the different activities for students to enjoy. “We will have multiple stations all related to golf including mini golf putt-putt, decorate a golf ball, a photo station, putting green area and snacks,” Schultz said. Rader highlighted that this event has something to offer for all, even for students who are not interested in perfecting their golf swing. “There is something for everyone at these events. Even if you aren’t a golf lover, you can hang out with other students and have a snack,” Rader said. “Everyone is welcome and it is a great place to spend time with other students.” The Bone Student Center might sound like a challenging environment for a recreational event, but Schultz explained that it is all part of the fun. “We are excited to bring a fun [and] different event to students,” Schultz said. “It is a fun way to incorporate recreation into an event [at] the Bone.” Additional information is available on Redbird Life.

Illinois State University’s Redbird MMA, a club that teaches students mixed martial arts, will bring back the “Rage In The Birdcage” tournament which debuted in spring 2024 at Kingdom City Boxing in Normal. This year’s tournament will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 12 at Kingdom City Boxing. The tournament will have four brackets, consisting of jiujitsu, boxing, kickboxing and an MMA ending card. Executive board member of Redbird MMA, Braden Beasley, discussed changes being made to this year’s tournament. “We’re going to start doing it as a charity event, so 10% of our proceeds this year go to charity,” Beasley said. “Tickets are only $10 this year. We’re increasing quality, we’re going to have a lot more organization, better time management and a better overall showing this year.” Beasley will reclaim his previous role as emcee of the tournament this year. Treasurer of Redbird MMA, Aidan Pinto, discussed why he thinks people should attend the tournament. “It’s something different that you don’t often see on campus,” Pinto said. “You see all kinds of events like movies, concerts...the one time we had a magician dude appear, but you don’t really see live fighting events like this.” Pinto will be handling financials and also participating as a fighter. “Come check it out. We’ll also have a livestream going on for it, so come check it out either in person or online,” Pinto said. Redbird MMA partnered with other student organizations such as Calisthenics Club, Redbird Barbell and Team Dale for a field day on the ISU Quad last Friday. Members joined together to train, exercise and socialize. “It really helped us have a more of a presence here on campus,” Beasley said. “It’s a [great] way to help us build connections with the community and other clubs.” Beasley said there will be another field day after Rage In The Birdcage on April 25 also on the Quad. “We want to have a really solid last day of the semester,” Beasley said.

A "decisive majority" of the United Faculty of Illinois State University (UFISU) have voted to authorize a strike if President Aondover Tarhule and ISU administration refuse to reach a fair agreement. According to a March 21 social media post on UFISU's Instagram page, the University's unionized faculty decided that they "stand ready" to strike. ISU administration has agreed to four additional mediated bargaining sessions in the next two weeks. The post said that UFISU members want to avoid disruptions to student learning, but the administration has given them no other choice. "The choice belongs to President Tarhule: When we bargain next Monday [3/24], the members have sent the message that we expect the Administration to come to the table with a serious offer," the statement said. "Otherwise, UFISU members are poised to take the next step—onto the picket line," the statement continued.

Illinois State University's Student Government Association (SGA) held a meeting Wednesday where a new Student Life Senator was appointed. SGA chose sophomore computer science major, Neer Jain, to be a new Student Life Senator, taking the position of former member, Paige Hofstetter. “I would be great as student life senator; I lead my own RSO [Registered Student Organization]…my RSO is called [Information Technology Students of America],” Jain said. Jain said the RSO helps its members with professional skills. It also hosts workshops, and internship fairs and brings in professionals to engage with students. Jain earned praise from members of the assembly. “He has done some insane work with the school of IT,” said President of the Assembly Tyler Bever. Off-Campus Senator Joshua Sweedler also successfully moved to the vacant College of Business Senator seat. “He already had so many great ideas that he wanted to talk about,” said Off-Campus Senator Mitchell Ruffin. Ruffin also argued that Sweedler may perform better in the College of Business Senator position because he would feel more comfortable in that role. Sweedler ensured that he would attend the Student Leadership Advisory Board (SLAB) meetings. SLAB is comprised of the presidents of all RSOs within the College of Business. Attendance is mandatory for the College of Business Senator. In addition, SGA passed an amendment that mandates attendance at Association of Residence Halls (ARH) meetings for on-campus senators. Some members expressed frustration with the low attendance at ARH meetings from on-campus senators in the past. “I was actually the only on-campus senator that went to any ARH meetings,” said Student Body Chief of Staff MJ James. James described how she was sick prior to one ARH meeting and asked if one of the other on-campus senators could send her the notes from the meeting. James went to the meeting while sick; no one had responded to her message. President of the Assembly Tyler Bever also shared how zero on-campus senators attended ARH meetings while he was involved during his sophomore year. The assembly also passed an amendment that provides a one-week grace period, with the possibility for extensions, for members failing to meet the GPA requirements for SGA. “It was an issue that we ran into that was nowhere in the bylaws, which led with some issues with how to best resolve. [This] led to a back and forth which probably took a lot longer than it needed to…just in case in the future this situation does come up again, we wanted to have an actual procedure,” said Secretary of the Assembly Ella Sharp. The next SGA assembly meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. on April 2 in the Old Main Room of the Bone Student Center.

Event Management, Dining and Hospitality (EMDH), the Multicultural Center and the Graduate Student Association will host a screening of “Barbie” from 7-9 p.m. Monday, March 24, in the Old Main Room of the Bone Student Center. This event aims to celebrate Women’s History Month. Students are encouraged to wear pink or dress like Barbie and Ken. Attendees should also bring a blanket or pillow to sit on. This event is free, and students can RSVP here.

American standup comedian and actor, Brian Regan, will visit Bloomington this weekend while on a national tour. He will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 22 at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts. Regan has multiple comedy specials on Netflix and has appeared in television series such as Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” and Peter Farrelly’s “Loudermilk.” He has also had numerous interviews with talk show hosts such as David Letterman and Jimmy Fallon. Regan shared his backstory of getting started in comedy while in college. “I went to Heidelberg College in northwest Ohio,” Regan said. “I thought I was going to be an accountant…and then I realized you had to be smart and know math, so that wasn’t going to fly. I talked to my football coach, and he recommended I switch majors to the communications and theatre arts department.” Regan said he then began acting and writing speeches for his classes, which helped him to develop skills for standup comedy. Regan listed some of his proudest accomplishments from his career. “I did 28 Letterman’s [appearances with David Letterman],” Regan said. “I’m very proud of those and the work I was able to put into those, and now I’m on a TV series called “Loudermilk” which I’m very proud of because it gives me the opportunity to try some acting.” “I’m proud of everything I’ve done, but those stand out a little bit,” Regan continued. Assistant Director of Arts and Entertainment for the City of Bloomington, Mike Wilcott, said Regan’s tour presented the perfect opportunity to achieve a new goal set forth by the BCPA. “We have a relationship with his [Regan’s] company and we reached out and said, ‘Hey, we want to have a couple more comedy things lined up,’” Wilcott said. “We do about four comedy shows a year but we’re always looking for more.” Wilcott said his committee is adding new shows almost every week. Regan said he tries to travel to as many places as possible while on tour. “I’m allowed to put red X’s through places I don’t want to go to, and I’m very proud to say that I didn’t put a red X through Bloomington,” Regan said. “I’m going to be on stage trying to share things that I think are funny, and I hope they choose to agree. If they choose to agree, they can reward me with some laughter,” Regan continued. Regan said his act tries to appeal to all audiences. “I have older people who like it and some people bring their kids, not that it’s a kiddy show; I’m not on stage twisting balloon animals,” Regan said. “If they’re over 120 years old, I don’t think they’ll enjoy my act, but if someone is 115 years old, I think they’d really get into it.” Regan shared how he comes up with material for his shows. “I occasionally binge jump up and down,” Regan said. “I see things, I feel things and I experience things where I say, ‘Huh, that’s kind of funny and odd…I wonder if that would work on stage.’ I’m not the kind of person that can sit down in front of a blank piece of paper and come up with comedy.” “My best ideas come when I’m sticking a fork into a toaster and I’m getting electrocuted. For some reason my brain is alive and I start coming up with good comedy material,” Regan continued. Regan finished by offering advice to performers who want to get better with audiences. “Don’t try to figure out what other people think is funny because that’s too hard of a task,” Regan said. “But if you can figure out what you think is funny, then get on stage and share that. You want people to agree with it, but I often say, if I’m having a so-so show or a bad show, I pretend I’m in the audience and I ask myself, ‘What would make me laugh if I was sitting out there?’ Sometimes that works to convince other people that I’m funny.” Regan said he thinks the same technique could work with performers in music. “I think bands have internal disagreements with whether they should be trying to make hits or doing what they like. It’s a struggle within a band and it can be a struggle within and individual’s mind,” Regan said. "I prefer the people who stay true to what they like and what they enjoy,” Regan said.

The Illinois State University Police Department (ISUPD) announced a new addition to its Community Engagement Unit Wednesday morning, a therapy dog named Pawfficer Korg. Pawfficer Korg will arrive at ISU on March 21 and will have public service duties to provide comfort and support to students. He will serve the same role as Pawfficer Sage, ISUPD's first therapy dog who began service in 2019 and passed away in 2024. To welcome Pawfficer Korg to the family, the ISUPD will host a welcome event from 4-6 p.m. on April 11 in the Spotlight Room of the Bone Student Center. The event will be open to the public.

Students for Justice in Palestine at Illinois State University (SJP-ISU) led the "Hands Off Gaza" rally against what they called the U.S. takeover of the Gaza strip on Tuesday morning. The rally started in Uptown Circle, where attendees gathered to march from Uptown to the quad. Several ISU students and members of the community were in attendance. “I think that a lot of movements have students as a part of it,” an attendee said, “Being a college student, [we] have the ability to make change and do stuff like this.” Freshman psychology major Sam Byrd attended the rally. Byrd discussed the importance of collective action. “I don't have any individual power myself, but if we can all get together and do something, then that’s how we make a difference,” Byrd said. After the march, the group gathered on the quad to allow protestors to speak out about the Israel-Hamas conflict. The rally also addressed the end of the cease-fire agreement, which ended early Tuesday when Israel launched an attack on Gaza. SJP-ISU advocated for domestic rights during the rally as well, highlighting the deportations happening in the U.S. Byrd said he arrived at the rally early to get to know some of the people in attendance. He said he hoped his efforts at the rally will help the movement progress and encourage more people to join. “I’d like to get to know the people here and be involved in some sort of change because I feel very frustrated not being able to do anything,” Byrd said. An anonymous attendee said they want to be more proactive and that this rally was a good opportunity for that. “Not only do we owe it to ourselves, we owe it to other people to care about others and try to make as much of a change as we possibly can,” the attendee said. “Do more research about what’s going on, not just in Palestine but also in Sudan and Congo. There are a lot of things going on,” the attendee protester continued.

Health Promotion and Wellness will have a "PAWSitively Stress Free" session from 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, on the third floor of Milner Library. Students can take a break from studying to interact with therapy dogs free of charge. Other stress-relieving activities will also be available. More information about this event can be found on Redbird Life.

Illinois State Night Live Auditions will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, March 21, in Centennial East Room 224. The event's host organization, Normal Humor, brings "SNL" mock shows, sketches and stand-up comedy to the community. This is the 21st official Illinois State Live Auditions event and it is first come, first go. No preparation needed. Students are invited to come only with their best jokes. Attendees can RSVP here.

Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at Illinois State University raised $350 for OSF Children’s Hospital at a “Cups for a Cause” event last month in Stevenson Hall. The fundraiser was the fraternity’s first philanthropy event of 2025, with more on the way. Sophomore cybersecurity major and current Philanthropy Chair of Phi Kappa Psi, Lucas Racine, was responsible for the event. “The sheer number of people who donated to the cause without even getting a donut or coffee was incredible to see. It warmed every single one of my brothers' hearts to see such generosity from the ISU community,” Racine said. Phi Kappa Psi has set a donation goal of $2,000 for the semester. Racine said Phi Kappa Psi chose OSF Children’s Hospital to donate to for several reasons, including the location and how the issue hits home with the members of their organization. “We decided on OSF for a few reasons,” Racine said. “The first and main reason we chose OSF is because it supports the health of sick children. The future generations of this country deserve to have the highest quality medical care no matter the circumstances of their birth.” “As a Greek organization, Phi Kappa Psi was founded on the idea of service to others, so OSF really was the perfect choice for the donations to go to,” Racine continued. Freshman computer hardware engineering major, Matthew Johnson, explained how they selected their donation goal of $2,000. “We took our old average amount of money raised and we raised the bar further because we want to be a lot more involved in the community this semester,” Johnson said. Future Phi Kappa Psi events can be found on Instagram.

Career Services will host a photoshoot session for students in need of headshots from 3-4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, on the second-floor concourse of the Bone Student Center. Students can stop by for a free headshot photo and learn about other services, resources and programs Career Services provides. The photo will be sent directly to the email address entered into the system the same day. Students can receive a free headshot at ISU career fairs or at the next photoshoot session on April 22.

Illinois State University’s Health Promotion and Wellness will host a nutrition tabling event from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, at Watterson Dining Commons. The event aims to spread nutrition awareness with March being National Nutrition Month. After completing a survey, students can speak with a Health Promotion and Wellness graduate student to better understand their survey results. More information on the event can be found on Redbird Life.

Municipal elections for the Town of Normal and the City of Bloomington are coming up on Tuesday, April 1. Here is a full rundown of the mayoral candidates and information voters should know beforehand. Normal candidates: Mayor Chris Koos Chris Koos has been the mayor of Normal since 2003 and is running for reelection. If re-elected, this would be his sixth term. He has served on the board since 2001. Along with his position as mayor, Koos is on the Amtrak Board of Directors. He was nominated by former President Joe Biden for this role in 2023. The U.S. Senate confirmed his role in 2024. As mayor, Koos wants to raise standards for development, maintain the integrity of Normal’s older neighborhoods and improve town and student relations. Koos is also the owner of Uptown’s retail specialty stores, Vitesse Cycle Shop and Often Running. Kathleen Lorenz Kathleen Lorenz is currently serving her third term as a council member. She started in 2015. Before joining the council, Lorenz served with the Normal Planning and Zoning Commissions for more than 10 years. Lorenz is currently the director of administration for Home Sweet Home Ministries. She also has over 20 years of experience in management in the healthcare industry, where she started as a management engineer. Lorenz worked for the United Way of McLean County from 2018 to 2024. Lorenz has many goals as mayor, including working with Bloomington on a number of issues and striving to use current funding for mental health to improve those resources. Lorenz also wants to work on economic and residential development, especially improving housing development. Chemberly Harris Chemberly Harris is currently serving her second term as a council member after being elected as the first Black member in 2017. She brought the Racial Equity Summit to Normal after joining the council. Harris has served and volunteered with 13 boards, committees and organizations. She says she finds serving others to be fulfilling. In 2018, Harris graduated from the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership Training Academy. Harris currently works as a Technical Analyst at State Farm Insurance. If elected as mayor, Harris wants to focus on creating more permanent fixes to issues like the housing crisis. Bloomington candidates: Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe Mboka Mwilambwe started as a council member in 2011, where he served until he was elected as mayor in 2021. He is running for his second term. Mwilambwe has worked at Illinois State University since 1997 and currently works in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access. His work focuses on ensuring compliance with ISU’s anti-harassment and non-discrimination policies. Mwilambwe has many goals in the event he is elected, including revitalizing both the Eastland Mall and Downtown Bloomington long-term. Mwilambwe would also like to work on long-term solutions for the housing shortage and repair infrastructure. Cody Hendricks Cody Hendricks has served as a council member since April 2023. He also served on the Pekin council board from 2011 to 2015. Hendricks currently works at Olympia High School as a history teacher, where he is also union co-president.