From Oct. 13-19, Illinois State University’s annual Homecoming will take place. This year’s theme is “Raise the Banner.” ISU will welcome all students, alumni and family to partake in events throughout the week. Monday, Oct. 13 The Homecoming Kickoff and Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Uptown Circle. Redbirds can join ISU President Aondover Tarhule and Normal Mayor Chris Koos in lighting the trees with white and red lights. The first 500 students to show their ISU student ID will receive a free homecoming t-shirt. Giveaways, games and entertainment will also be available. Tuesday, Oct. 14 An appreciation luncheon for ISU faculty, administrative and professional staff, along with civil service employees, will take place at 11:30 a.m. in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center. Faculty and staff must show their ISU ID upon entry. In the evening, registered student organizations can participate in a friendly competition at the annual Redbird Rumble. The games will take place from 7-9 p.m. at Hancock Stadium. Wednesday, Oct. 15 Students can join April Anderson-Zorn, ISU’s archivist, from noon to 1 p.m. to take a look at historic Redbird pennants as a part of the current exhibition at Milner Library. Attendees can register to join virtually. Thursday, Oct. 16 Students can give back at the Redbirds Care Homecoming Blood Drive from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Circus Room of the Bone Student Center. Registration can be done online. Hats off to Homecoming will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center. Food will be available, as well as several activity stations. Attendees can make their own ISU trucker hat and play a full nine-hole mini-golf course. A game day button station, a photobooth and more will be at the event. Friday, Oct. 17 Cheer on ISU’s volleyball team at their white-out game. The game will begin at 6 p.m. and admission is $5 for all fans. Saturday, Oct. 18 The Hybrid Town and Gown 5K/1-Mile Fun Run/Walk will begin at 8 a.m. at the Student Fitness Center on campus. The annual Homecoming parade will begin at 10 a.m., starting at the corner of College Avenue and University Street. The parade can also be viewed online. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Horton Field House, attendees can enjoy free food and giveaways at Redbird Village. ISU’s football team will take on Youngstown State University at 2 p.m. at Hancock Stadium. Tickets can be purchased online. ISU’s volleyball team will take on Southern Illinois University at 7 p.m. at CEFCU Arena. Tickets are available online. More information can be found here.

Illinois State University’s School of Communication is bringing back COM Week for the first time since 2023. ISU’s communication majors can attend various events with guest speakers and activities throughout the week. Tuesday, Oct. 14 “Advertising and Marketing Content” from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the State Farm Hall of Business Room 147. “AI and the Future of Communication” from 12:35-1:50 p.m. in Fell Hall Room 162. “Event Planning: From the Personal to the Powerful” from 3:35-4:50 p.m. in Fell Hall Room 280. “Why Local Journalism Matters: It’s More Than a Newscast” from 5-6:15 p.m. in Fell Hall Room 280. Pizza night for the School of Communication’s registered student organizations from 6:30-8 p.m. in Fell Hall Room 148. Wednesday, Oct. 15 “Leadership Communication” from 11 a.m. to noon in Fell Hall Room 152. “Connection as a Strategy: Embracing Culture and Community in the Chaos” from noon to 1 p.m. in Fell Hall Room 280. “Understanding the Challenges of AI in College” from 1-2 p.m. in Fell Hall Room 280. “In-Town Rivalry: University Athletic Communication (IWU vs. ISU)” from 2-3:15 p.m. in Moulton Hall Room 210. Thursday, Oct. 16 “Building a Career in Media and Advertising” from 9:35-10:50 a.m. in State Farm Hall of Business Room 145. “Inside and Outside the Storm: Institution and Agency Perspectives on Crisis Communication” from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Fell Hall Room 446. “Young Alums of COM–Mass Media, PR, Journalism and Grad” from 12:35-1:50 p.m. in Fell Hall Room 162. “AI in Journalism” from 2-3:15 p.m. in Schroeder Hall Room 214. “Agency vs. Corporate vs. Institutional: A PR Showdown” from 3:35-4:50 p.m. in Schroeder Hall Room 244. Friday, Oct. 17 “Sports Communication Spotlight Panel with Honored Alums” from 3-4 p.m. in Fell Hall Room 280. “Sports Communication Roll-Out Reception” from 4-5 p.m. in Fell Hall Room 280 and the Atrium. Saturday, Oct. 18 “Hoss Homecoming Tailgate” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in lot G83 behind Hancock Stadium. Additional information can be found here.

From Sept. 25 to Sept. 28, the Normal Theater did an exclusive showing of the 28th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival. Capping in at 20 minutes, films of different genres were entered throughout the beginning of the year to be picked for one of the 10 movies shown at over 500 theaters worldwide. For the past 19 years, the Normal Theater has showcased these films to viewers. From Hans Buyse’s film “Zodiac,” a story of two friends finding refugees drowning at sea, to Mikey Altoft’s “I Have My Reasons,” centered around 9-year-old Amanda grappling with a traumatic situation and how it shapes her life, the films differ dramatically. Senior film and philosophy major Madeline Russell works at Normal Theater and discussed the process of showing the films. “Manhattan Film Festival is a worldwide festival, " Russell said. “They (judges) take their submission, and then the board, which has people from all around the world, chooses the ones that get sent to the theaters. Then, those are the ones we show. And then for the four days, people come in, watch the films and then vote, and we take all the votes. We count them, and then send it out to the director of the festival.” There were two sheets of paper given out. One was a brief synopsis of the 10 films shown, and the other was a voting sheet where participants picked their favorite film and actor. After an introduction of what the Manhattan Short Film Festival was, viewers sat down and enjoyed the first five films, had a brief intermission and then finished with the last five films. The votes were then submitted to the festival organization and tallied together. The winners of the festival, announced on Oct. 6, were “We Have Sinned Before You,” directed by Ifat Nener Orgad for best film and Henrianne Jansen in “Of Beyond Silence,” directed by Marnie Blok for best actor. For more information on the film festival, click here.

As Tuesday’s dreary skies cleared and the wind reduced to a breeze, over 30 students and administrators met at 6:45 p.m. in front of Hovey Hall to commence the fifth annual Night Walk. This walk commemorated Illinois State University professor Adam Peck, who passed away in 2022 due to a collision with a bicyclist on campus. “Adam was a huge advocate for all kinds of campus safety initiatives across this campus. Being able to bring student voices together to talk about any concerns that they have, and ways that we can address [those], is really exciting,” Emergency Management Coordinator Dan Simon said. A few brief introductions from speakers included Vice President of Student Affairs Levester Johnson, ISU’s Director of Emergency Management Eric Hodges and ISU Chief of Police Aaron Woodruff. The theme of this year’s walk centered on the fast-build projects installed to increase pedestrian safety on campus. The walk consisted of five stops where guest speakers, like ISU Environmental Health and Safety Director Adam McCrary, discussed the importance of the projects and how they would extend or dissipate depending on the feedback they would continue to receive until December. “So we're going to be soliciting feedback for the next few months. As people interact with these quick-build projects, they can continue to give feedback. We've heard mixed reviews in some of our different locations,” McCrary said. “One of the most popular ones, which actually isn't on campus, is the Broadway and Beaufort four-way. They're gonna keep that [while] still getting feedback on them, so we're still trying to figure out where all this is gonna land,” McCrary continued. Woodruff felt the event was a great way to engage and learn about safety concerns within the community. Additionally, he said the walk was an opportunity to receive feedback from students. “I hope they get to see that they have a voice, and if they have concerns, they get a chance to voice them. We've got a lot of partners, both with the town and the university here, that can help [while] addressing some of those concerns,” Woodruff said. Multiple students attended the event along with members from the Student Government Association. As an off-campus senator, Miguel Figueroa has a responsibility to oversee the safety of those on campus. Figueroa enjoyed the walk because it gave him the opportunity to identify areas that may lack in security and suggest ways to improve them. “I like that a lot of staff members, representatives from the town, our emergency management team, the police department and other student organizations are here. It's good to see the people who represent the students are here to see why the students need this or how they could better serve their constituents,” Figueroa said. Senior cybersecurity and economics major Abhijith Jannu and sophomore political science major Jamel Campbell attended the walk. After hearing about the event through their adviser, Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students Andy Morgan. “A lot of information is very vital not just [for] the leaders on campus, but also for students to know. For example, the crosswalks near Watterson and the one by CVS, right? That one, the four-way stop, I did not know that [it] was related to what we were doing here,” Jannu said. “I completely agree. It was something that I didn't really pick up on at first, and then I discovered that they were doing all these little projects. And I'm like, ‘Oh, they're doing it for us and for me,’” Campbell said. “I'm very big on campus safety. Being out here, being able to see exactly how the campus and ISU are keeping our students safe, is what means the most to me,” Campbell continued.

On Wednesday, for the third day of the Week of Rage, Illinois State University’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) held a movie night, showing Elia Suleiman’s “The Time That Remains.” “The Time That Remains” is a semi-biographical film following a family from 1948 to recent times. Suleiman balances drama and comedy to show a realistic point of view of Palestinians living through the creation of the state of Israel and the Nakba. March, a senior education major and SJP’s outreach and organization chair, discussed the importance of this movie. “When [people] are living through a disaster, they’re not solemn all the time. This feels very real, very human,” March said. The movie begins with the Israeli army taking over the city of Nazareth, followed by a string of violence that continues throughout the rest of the movie. The film balances war and daily life in a way that tries to make something foreign to most people easier to understand. March said this film shows how violence can impact everyone around the globe, and separating the current war from people’s lives is impossible. “Violence is not isolated, not selective; it hits every generation and every person,” March said. Alongside the violence in the film, the viewers also see the events leading up to the Palestinians no longer being tolerated, showing both mental and physical punishment. Despite its strong image, this showing was a chance for students to take a break while still learning and showing support. “This is an opportunity to connect with the artistic side of Palestinian people,” March said. This film has won five awards and had seven nominations in many film festivals, such as the Cannes Film Festival and the Cinema for Peace Awards. Showing an artistic film gave students the chance to see Palestinians in a way that some people have not seen them in recent years. March emphasized the ways Palestinians have been viewed differently. “How much land has been destroyed, how many people have died,” March said. “While really important, it can be dehumanizing to be reduced to data.” SJP hoped students used this opportunity to connect with humanity and realize that these are real people who are impacted. They also seek to foster a connection between students by using Rage Week and screening “The Time That Remains” as a catalyst. “When [students] are with other people, they recognize that this is a commitment,” March said. “It’s a necessary thing that needs dedication.” The film ended emotionally as the audience realized Elia Suleiman, who acted in his film, is playing himself. After the movie ended, students connected and had discussions to end the night. “Any kind of action that we can do is important,” March said. Showing “The Time That Remains” is another step SJP took in informing students of the past and present. SJP’s Week of Rage hopes to bring awareness to current events and continue its steps towards resolution.

Illinois State University’s Student Government Association (SGA) held its first meeting of October and appointed Matt Saner to the position of secretary of elections. Saner is a sophomore majoring in cybersecurity and the vice president of Turning Point USA (TPUSA). “I run the TPUSA chapter at ISU, which is a nonpartisan organization that promotes American values … through my organization, I was able to impact a lot of people’s voting habits,” Saner said. “I also am always out tabling throughout the week … I know voter student outreach is a big thing for SGA, so I am always ready to go out and talk to students [and] talk to the voters about pretty much any issue,” Saner continued. While TPUSA is a nonpartisan organization, it is intimately tied to conservative activism, especially among young adults. Saner’s affiliation with the organization prompted some questions during the debate session. Off-Campus Senator Matthew Rickey opened the debate with a reminder of SGA’s values. “As in the bylaws of last year, we are a nonpartisan association … so we only deal with issues relating to students,” Rickey said. Rickey supported Saner’s appointment. “We met with Matt during internal affairs,” Rickey said. “He spoke very professionally, detailed all of his experiences in organizations and in leadership committees, and as the previous secretary of elections, I do believe he has the skills needed for this particular position.” Student Life Senator Braden Beasley also advocated for Saner. “He’s never once, despite obviously being a part of Turning Point, shown me that he would allow that to impact his running [of] the election … he’s very by the book,” Beasley said. “I’ve seen him go from somebody who had no experience to where he is now, and I can confidently say that he would be an incredible pick for the position,” Beasley continued. However, some questioned his appointment due to his political associations. Tri-Towers Senator Hassan Hillard was one such student, “Since he’s the vice president of Turning Point, doesn’t that make it an ultimate conflict of interest, no matter what?” Speaker of the Assembly Emma Susami addressed the question. “Members of our student body are members of Turning Point, so just because he is so closely tied to a specific political organization does not mean that he’s going to bring that here,” Susami said. Student Body President Noah Montoya was in favor of Saner’s appointment. “I have already conversed with him several times,” Montoya said. “Every conversation has built up to me believing he’s the right pick for the secretary of elections.” Dean of Students and SGA Advisor Andy Morgan discussed his responsibility in ensuring that the secretary of elections stays within the guidelines. “I meet with the secretary of elections probably every other week, all the way until March, and so I make sure that the secretary of elections [is] following the election code that [SGA] approves,” Morgan said. “So, there are some guardrails there … if I have any concerns, I will bring it up to the executive board,” Morgan continued. Saner was ultimately elected. 12 voted yes, five voted no and 10 abstained. Abstention did not count toward the final tally, so Saner was appointed. SGA also passed its first two bills of the year unanimously. They allocated $1000 for the School Street Food Pantry to support the purchase of reusable bags, and $250 to Students Ending Rape Culture, which allows them to purchase roughly 555 drink testing strips and 50 reusable cup covers. The next SGA meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, in the Student Services Building, Room 130.