Illinois State University is bringing back the Presidential Speaker Series after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first event will take place at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 in the Brown Ballroom at the Bone Student Center. All events in the series will be free and open to the public. The first speaker is Kevin Surace. He is known as the “father” of voice AI and is currently the CEO and chief technology officer at Appvance.ai. He has 94 worldwide patents. Surace is also chair of the Silicon Valley Forum and a Consumer News and Business Channel top Innovator of the Decade. His speech is titled “Win with AI Today: Practical Tips for Work, School and Home.” “He’s really optimistic,” Roy Magnuson, director of emerging technologies for instruction and research and professor of music theory and composition, said. “I think he is sort of a vehicle for change and an optimist through that because it is a transitional period [right now],” Magnuson continued. Director of Presidential and Trustee Events Rachel Caracci encourages all people to attend. “We truly believe it’s relevant to everyone—students, faculty, staff and community members alike,” Caracci said. “Whether [people] are curious about AI, thinking about its impact on their career or just want to hear from a dynamic speaker, this talk will offer something valuable.” “This series was created to bring thought[ful] leaders to campus who can inspire, challenge and engage our community in meaningful conversations about timely topics,” Caracci continued. More information can be found here.

Starting Monday, construction crews will work to prepare the southeast corner of the Illinois State University Quad according to an ISU media release. A two-year-long construction plan, the WKCFA renovation project, will update and expand the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts. In addition to the construction, pedestrian traffic will be rerouted for part of the project. According to the release, ISU will mark the detoured route prior to the closure as a part of the temporary traffic control permit issued by the Town of Normal. Constitution Trail traffic will be rerouted using Fell Avenue and College Avenue. An additional alternative route will include traveling north on University Street and then east on West Virginia Avenue to the Camelback Bridge trail entrance. The release said that pedestrians using the South School Street sidewalk at the intersection of Beaufort Street will be directed to the Fell Avenue crosswalk. For more information on the WKCFA’s transformation plans, click here.

As a part of the Coffeehouse Corner series, Event Management, Dining and Hospitality (EMDH) hosted artist Nelly’s Echo at the Starbucks Stage in the Bone Student Center on Wednesday. Students sat at tables and booths to talk, do classwork or listen to the performance. Freshman English major Winnie Phillips attended the event to work on assignments, get Starbucks and enjoy the live music. “The intersection of both [the environment and the music] was perfect,” Phillips said. Sophomore journalism and marketing double major Madison Jockisch enjoyed the artist’s connection with the crowd through jokes and callouts. Monalisa Lamptey, a project management graduate student and EMDH representative, believes many students have created bonds at past Coffeehouse Corner events. “Some students, they don’t know each other, but then they meet and are able to connect,” Lamptey said. Nathan Redmore, a freshman history education major and Redbird Well representative, agreed with Lamptey. “I think Coffeehouse Corner is a great opportunity to find community, and it’s also a good opportunity for us at Redbird Well and EMDH to spread the resources available,” Redmore said. The Coffeehouse Corner event concluded with Nelly’s Echo receiving a round of applause from attendees. To continue the Coffeehouse Corner series, EMDH has another event scheduled from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, with a performance from musician Alex Ahn. Future Coffeehouse Corner events also include a trivia night on Nov. 18, as well as a craft night on Dec. 2.

The Town of Normal held a meet-and-greet, an event where students had the opportunity to connect with individuals on the town council and various department heads. Parks and Recreation Director Doug Damery discussed the importance of networking with students. “A big initiative for me personally right now, and I think for my profession, is recruiting high school and young college kids and older college kids, for that matter, and [letting] them know that parks and recreation is a career, especially municipal parks and recreation,” Damery said. He also explained that there were many opportunities for students in parks and recreation, especially in the Chicago area, where departments tend to be more comprehensive. “So, depending on what [their] interest is … we kind of sometimes fit into that,” Damery said. Some local leaders gave insight into their department’s actions that students may not be aware of. Normal Fire Chief Mick Humer highlighted the fire department’s role and what it does. “I don’t think people realize how involved we are in all kinds of community activities and events and everything like that,” Humer said. “I mean, one of our things as a fire department is risk reduction and everything like that. We want accidents to not happen,” Humer continued. Humer explained specific jobs the fire department has within the Illinois State University community. “We do a lot of fire drills. We do a lot of stuff on campus with fraternities and sororities because, historically, they’ve had problems with fires,” Humer said. “Our doors are always open. If somebody has any kind of problem or issue, we tend to try to help people, whatever and whenever we can,” Humer continued. Students also talked to local politicians, including Normal Mayor Chris Koos. Sophomore political science major Peyton Albert interacted with Koos. “He’s been mayor for 23 years … he described the music scene here as it kind of went away for a while, and now it’s starting to finally come back,” Albert said. Students can learn more about town council members here.

In honor of Día de los Muertos, the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) and the Association of Latinx American Students (ALAS) held a celebration in the Multicultural Center. The event aimed to inform students on the traditions and cultural significance of Día de los Muertos. Snacks and activities were available to students, including face painting. Around 60 students participated in the event. Sophomore accounting major and ALPFA member Omar Gomez discussed the importance of the event. “With this event, we dug a little deeper. Day of the Dead is very meaningful to a lot of Latinos and Hispanics around the world, so the activities are [what] we focused on,” Gomez said. Students were able to decorate photo frames for their deceased loved ones, paint sugar skull magnets, make paper marigolds and enjoy pan de muerto and Mexican hot chocolate. ALAS president and senior international business major Emely Garces highlighted the picture frame decorating activity. “The ofrenda is special, and people who are in dorms want an ofrenda in their houses, too. I feel like we can give that resource to them so they can decorate it and put it in their dorms,” Garces said. Students were also able to utilize the Multicultural Center’s printer for photos of their loved ones. Participants left with face paint and crafts. Students who would like to participate in Día de los Muertos are encouraged to place pictures of their deceased loved ones on the ofrenda located across from the front desk in the Multicultural Center until Monday, Nov. 3.

Illinois State University’s Brown Ballroom at the Bone Student Center filled with laughter, conversation and inspiration Monday evening as students, faculty and community members gathered for a cultural dinner featuring Broadway actor Javier Muñoz. Best known for his starring roles in “Hamilton” and “In the Heights,” Muñoz shared personal stories and lessons from his journey as an artist. The evening included a pre-dinner meet and greet, a keynote dinner address and a post-dinner Q&A where attendees had the chance to ask questions, get autographs and take photos with the actor. “The journey of an artist is a solo journey. [People] cannot compare it to anyone else. They just can’t; it’s impossible,” Muñoz said. Muñoz spoke openly about his independence, his health and his determination to live authentically. “If [people] don’t drop down to listen … to know their ‘why,’ they’re not going to find where they’re meant to be,” Muñoz said. “We all find the things that belong to us, but we also have to be ready for that.” University Housing Services Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Hillary Campos said the event was meaningful. “It was great. We take a lot of pride in it,” Campos said. “It’s really rewarding when we’re able to bring someone like Javier to campus.” Campos added that cultural dinners “bring ISU’s community together … students, faculty and town residents. Having these groups exposed to powerful messages in a diverse setting is important.” Sophomore special education major Sascha Rubens said she enjoyed “collaborating with other ethnicities and backgrounds and just getting to know them.” Nia Nance-Cannon, a sophomore acting and communication double major, appreciated Muñoz’s honesty. “Something that definitely stood out to me was during the Q&A. Javier was very open about his health journey and how these things make him up as a person,” Nance-Cannon said. “I like how these events are open to everyone, not just students or a specific department.” For senior acting major Brandon Ndagijimana, meeting Muñoz was a dream come true. “I loved ‘Hamilton’—it’s one of my favorite musicals ever. When I heard about him being in ‘In the Heights’ and ‘Hamilton,’ it was a no-brainer. I had to come,” Ndagijimana said. “It impacted me because I attended the pre-dinner and talked to him about his story and his passion for theater, and it’s something I want to do.” “He’s involved in all these avenues of theater and TV, and it encourages me. I want to sing and dance and do all these things,” Ndagijimana continued. “Hearing how he worked through challenges and still stayed true to himself makes me feel like I can do the same. Learning about his story helps me believe in myself.” The cultural dinner was part of ISU’s ongoing effort to promote inclusion and celebrate diverse voices through art, dialogue and community engagement.