Members of the Bloomington-Normal community got the opportunity to introduce themselves to local candidates Tuesday, ahead of the April 1 election. WGLT co-hosted the open house event, which allowed candidates to talk with students, staff and community members. The event had dozens of candidates with tables and pamphlets, eager to engage with voters of all ages. Benjamin Zimmerman, a candidate for Bloomington City Council, stressed the need for community members to get civically engaged early. “I think the youth is our future, even [voters] younger than college age,” Zimmerman said. “Preparing them to be active in the community [and] take part in elections is a big piece of this.” Zimmerman said this event is important for the upcoming election due to low voter turnout in recent years. “There are 6,000 voters in my ward, and [in] the last two municipal elections, we [saw] around 600 to 700 voters turning out to vote. So please get involved,” Zimmerman said. Bloomington mayoral candidate Cody Hendricks discussed his preparation leading up to Election Day. “We did a lot of behind the scenes work, but Jan. 2, we hit the ground,” Hendricks said. “Campaigning can be stressful, but honestly, I feel like it's the best way that you learn about your community.” Normal mayoral candidate Chemberly Harris played the long game in prepping her respective campaign. “I've actually started on a journey maybe two years ago, and I got a mentor,” Harris said. “[The mentor has been] guiding me to think about how I lead [and] what is the appropriate way to lead a community?” Many candidates often field tough questions during an open house event. Town of Normal Mayor Chris Koos is seeking his sixth term and has years of experience in handling such questions from the press and prospective voters. “My philosophy is: know your core beliefs and stand by your core beliefs,” Koos said. “So you have to walk a line of explaining why you're standing for what you stand for, but have to honor what they stand for too.” Sam Majka, a senior political science and German major, attended the event to stay informed on the local political landscape. “I want to use this opportunity to learn more about what candidates are about,” Majka said. Majka had a positive experience speaking with several of the candidates. “I thought it was very polite, and it was very inquisitive,” Majka said. “[The candidates are] very open, listening to what students are saying, and they value that.” Although tensions tend to run high in politics, the atmosphere was communal, as reflected in many of the candidates' statements. “I love Bloomington, and I care about its future,” Hendricks said. Candidates not only expressed their love for the community but also encouraged residents to get out and vote, regardless of their beliefs. “Pay attention to what's happening; it can affect your life, and just be aware of what's going on at the local and state levels,” Koos said.

Illinois State University president Aondover Tarhule announced the appointment of Jeri Beggs following a national search that began in November 2024. Beggs is ISU's 13th Director of Athletics in the NCAA Division I era and the first woman to hold the position. Beggs has served as the interim director of athletics since May 1, 2023. During her time as the interim director, Beggs grew the Weisbecker Scholarship Fund 30% for 2023 with over $670,000 raised through priority seating. Beggs' efforts aided in an increase of over 400% in NIL dollars for ISU student athletes during her time. Under Beggs' leadership, ISU athletics set a departmental GPA record of 3.45 in Spring 2024 and the second highest in Fall 2024 at 3.43.

Housing, taxes and the desire for fresh leadership took center stage at Tuesday’s Normal mayoral forum at the Bone Student Center. Candidates for Normal mayor, including the incumbent Chris Koos and Council Members Chemberly Harris and Kathleen Lorenz, first addressed the housing crisis that has plagued the community in recent years. Koos said the issue is common across the country, compounded by the cost of materials, labor and high cost of financing. “It’s going to take some time, this is not an easy issue to solve. Anyone who thinks there’s a quick solution doesn’t understand the problem. It’s very, very much a structural problem,” Koos said. While Koos concentrated on the broader national level, Lorenz pushed for local leadership to address the crisis. Lorenz has been involved with housing commissions and committees over the last five years and argued she had the “most qualifications” on the topic. “As [Normal’s] next mayor, I want to take bold action in coordination with our leadership in Bloomington, because it’s not a Bloomington issue, it’s not a Normal issue, it’s together a Twin City issue,” Lorenz said. “We’ve got to make it crystal clear to developers what the rules of the road are,” Lorenz continued. Harris hopes residents understand that the local government does understand the urgency of the crisis and is doing everything possible with the current resources available. “We do need to do a better job of communicating some of the things that we are doing so that our citizens are aware that this is not falling on deaf ears, and we are doing as much as we can at this particular time with what’s available to us,” Harris said. With prices rising throughout the community, candidates were pressed on the proposed 1% school sales tax on the ballot. The tax is expected to support McLean County schools and will reduce property taxes for at least five years if approved. Harris said she was undecided on how she will vote on the tax, but acknowledged, “this is a desperate time for our schools.” “A part of me wishes there were conversations before [this proposal] was put together, but we’re here, and so how do we move forward, how do we continue to support our education?” Harris said. Lorenz and Koos opted to keep their votes private for now. The Normal mayor admitted he is not “completely clear on the issue” and wanted to leave it up to the community to decide. Later in the forum, the candidates discussed the controversial usage of electric scooters and e-bikes. Koos stated that the Town of Normal has not formally banned the two-wheeled vehicles, “contrary to a popular rumor going around.” “My personal position on e-scooters—because I’m in the industry with things that have wheels—they can be dangerous, and sometimes dangerous to the people that are nearby [the riders],” Koos said. During closing remarks, Koos shrugged off any suggestions that new leadership is required. Koos, who has served as Normal’s mayor since February 2003, defended his tenure by citing the risk of “losing the steady hand” that has guided the town. “I’m the only candidate that has weathered storms like this. I’m the only candidate who has led during Donald Trump’s administration,” Koos said. “I’m the only candidate with the experience through these tough times because I’ve done it before, and I’m willing to do it again.” Lorenz thanked Koos for his 22 years of service but stressed the need for a new voice to lead Normal forward. “My platform is, it is time for new leadership and fresh perspective,” Lorenz said. “Serving with [Koos] for 10 of [his] 22 years, we can [still] be proud of the things we have accomplished.” Bloomington mayoral candidates tackle housing, homelessness at forum The housing and homeless crisis similarly dominated the discussion during the Bloomington portion of the mayoral forums. Participating candidates vying for mayor included incumbent Mboka Mwilambwe, Council Member Cody Hendricks and former state legislator Dan Brady. Mwilambwe said the city council has encouraged higher density housing through the exploration of an incentive package for developers and the revision of strict zoning procedures. “We definitely need to do something, we need to push forward really hard because [housing] is a problem in our community,” Mwilambwe said. Brady acknowledged that around 4,000 new homes are needed in the community, which must be affordable for all residents. However, he said zoning issues and red tape have slowed developments. “I sat through a committee hearing last month where [the proposal] was kicked over for another month just to be brought into code,” Brady said. “Those little things can cause great delays in your ability and your development.” Meanwhile, Hendricks criticized the city’s “slow approach” to tackling the housing issue. “This is a crisis and we need to treat it as a crisis. I think we need to be taking much quicker action,” Hendricks said. Hendricks proposed rehabilitating and repurposing existing buildings, an idea that resonated with his opponents, who echoed his sentiment about the housing crisis. All three candidates issued their support of a proposed shelter village that Home Sweet Home Ministries wants to build near its shelter on Oakland Avenue. Brady said the proposal is the “most immediate solution” to address the city’s homeless population, which does not call for city funding at this time. “From what I understand, the private side of this fundraising and what have you has certainly more benefits than anything else I’m seeing right now,” Brady said. Hendricks applauded Home Sweet Home Ministries’ shelter proposal and said he liked it because of the limited government involvement it would require. “It’s private property and does not have to have the city interact with it, where I’m fearful the government may slow any attempts at progress,” Hendricks said. Hendricks and Mwilambwe both voiced their support for the proposed county-wide school sales tax. Mwilambwe felt Bloomington residents would “strongly benefit from having a strong school system.” “If we do not [have a strong school system], then I don’t think we’re able to attract some of the larger companies we’ve been able to attract like Rivian and Ferrero,” Mwilambwe said. Brady said he was still researching how the sales tax would benefit the city and was not yet ready to take a position. Early voting is underway in McLean County, with Election Day set for Tuesday, April 1.

The Illini Cat Club returned for a show in Bloomington last Saturday and Sunday. This year's theme was March Madness. This is the second year the show has been in Bloomington instead of the Urbana-Champaign area. This year, more than 150 entries competed in an eight-ring show and 83 exhibitors were in attendance. One first-time participant was Margo Rodgers from Peoria. Rodgers came with her 7-month-old exotic shorthair, Einstein. Rodgers said she first attended a cat show two years ago. “When I came to my first show, I felt like these were my people,” Rodgers said. “They’re a nice group of people." The show was divided into four categories: 'Kitten' for cats under eight months, 'Championship' for cats over eight months that are not spayed or neutered, 'Premiership' for cats over eight months that are spayed or neutered and 'Household' for cats which are cared for in a home. Co-show manager Kim Webber came with her 2-year-old Norwegian Forest cat, Gabe. Webber said she has been participating in cat shows since 2022 but joined the Illini Cat Club last year. “It’s a sport where if you’re going to participate, you should join a club in the area to perpetuate it," Webber said. Another exhibitor was Mary Jane Tesdall. She brought her 2-year-old exotic shorthair, Buddy. Tesdall said she has been participating in cat shows since 1972, mainly in the midwest region. A ring event took place, during which accredited judges examined cats within each category. A new addition to the show this year was feline agility. Cats competed against the clock in an interactive obstacle course. Agility Coordinator Jill Sullivan said the importance of agility training was to help foster confidence in cats, as it helps their performance in ring events. Judge Brian Pearson has been judging for 35 years. He said he has judged all over the nation and in other countries. Pearson said the process involved with becoming a judge is quite lengthy. He said he had to breed cats for five to 10 years, followed by six to 10 training sessions throughout the country. “It was a learning process that helped me keep everything in perspective,” Pearson said. “Cats are like music and math; the love for them translates the same.”

Voting is officially underway for the 2025 student elections at Illinois State University. Voting ends at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5. The entire process is expected to take less than a minute, and students must hit submit to record their votes. Included on the ballot is a constitutional amendment that the Student Government Association unanimously supported earlier this year. The voting link is available here.

Several Illinois State University students and community members protested against President Donald Trump’s rhetoric Wednesday at Uptown Circle. Freshman history and social science education major Andrew Franson organized the protest independently but was disappointed with the low turnout. However, Franson did feel that it was a productive effort. “It’s important that we collectively stick together and organize these kinds of things because at the end of the day, collective power is how you win a genuine change for working people,” Franson said. “Being a leftist, it’s in the tradition. Leftists for about 100 years at this point have organized all sorts of social change,” Franson continued. Franson emphasized that Trump opposes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), which was especially concerning for him. He cited thatTrump blamed DEI for a plane crash involving an Army helicopter and a passenger jet about a month ago. “He’s going after DEI. Notoriously, Donald Trump said that a plane crash in Washington D.C. was because of DEI and DEI policies, and it’s important that we acknowledge that the development of his political ideology is borderline developing into fascism,” Franson said. Freshman music education major Aidan Hanley gave a short speech to those in attendance. “I’m visually impaired; I’ve never been seen as normal. I’ve been made fun of for not being normal… I need my accommodations in life, such as larger print or [a] paper menu if the menu is high up on the wall, and those have been generously offered to me,” Hanley said. “I appreciate that in my life because it shows that people care.” Hanley then connected his personal experiences to his concerns about the Trump administration. “These [are] accommodations that Mr. Trump, in power, wants to take away. He’s violating our rights, our protections, and with the stroke of a pen, our entire Constitution can be taken away. Do we want that?” Hanley said. Franson also gave a brief speech to those in attendance. “We have more of a surplus of goods than any society, than any system in human history, yet we’re not able to give people these goods and services because people are more interested in profits than actually helping working class people. This struggle is ours. We work together and stand together,” Franson said. ISU President Aondover Tarhule walked close to Uptown Circle as the protest was winding down, prompting jeers from some of those in attendance. Franson emphasized the importance of student participation in politics. “It’s important that students remain politically active and continue the working-class struggle because at the end of the day, the way capitalism functions is that it wants us to remain dormant and not challenge the system…it’s important that we just continue that kind of organization,” Franson said.