Illinois State University students made their voices heard Tuesday during this year's McLean County municipal election. On the ballot for the April 1 election were Bloomington and Normal mayors, city councils, school boards, township leaders, community college boards and other local offices. The elections were sponsored by the Center of Civic Engagement, where voting commenced in the Founders Suite of the Bone Student Center. Celeste Brennan, a volunteer for the Center of Civic Engagement, shared the importance of voting for politicians who keep the public in mind. “Mayors are really important, especially in our town where there are two towns together and each is different,” Brennan said. “Each mayor has a different outlook, and just like any other election, you hope to have a mayor in office who is looking out for you.” Voter turnout in local elections is historically lower compared to the presidential and congressional elections, yet many students understood the importance of making their voices heard. “As a citizen of the United States, that’s my civic duty,” said Julia Gancarz, a sophomore French educational major. “It is my job to make sure the town I live in gets my vote, and I can get what I want.” “Local elections are important since it’s the fact that you live in that neighborhood that affects you the most,” said Estefani Lopez, a senior history and political science major. “You need to make your voice heard.” “If you want local change, going out and voting in local elections is what’s going to do that,” said Ari Palma, a senior social work major. Despite recent on-campus political turmoil following November’s presidential election, Center of Civic Engagement staff member Caitlin Bradford was satisfied with the student voter turnout. “The interest really seems to be there this year, which I’m happy about because oftentimes with consolidated elections, the turnout is usually lower than general or even midterm elections,” Bradford said. “I’m happy with how it went and we’re just happy to see students here and voting.” At the polling booths, students voiced their opinions on what needs improvement with new leaders at the helm. “I definitely think more money needs to go out to our roads. We’ve got a lot of really bad streets in town,” said Nate Eagles, a sophomore English education major. “I live out west too, so on my drive home near Rivian, there’s a lot of bad [roads].” Palma said she desires enhanced resources for immigrants and people of color in McLean County. “There’s so many different populations in this area that could definitely be built upon,” Palma said. “A lot of places and services only speak in English, [so] being able to have that diversity and showing that [you care] is important.” Students also highlighted the importance of voting as college students since legislative representation can have a direct impact on their field of study. “With my major, I’m going into education and I’m from here in town,” Eagles said. “I think the 1% sales tax increase is probably a good idea for our public schools, so I wanted to support it.” “I want to support the school boards here in town,” said Julie Webb, a freshman elementary education major. “I wanna be a teacher, so obviously it’s important for me to vote.” Tuesday’s election saw many students perform their civic duty, proving that local elections continue to matter, especially when they hit so close to home.

The Illinois State University Queer Coalition hosted its fourth annual Transgender Day of Visibility Sashay on Monday. The sashay was co-sponsored by Pride for the second time with support from McLean County’s Prairie Pride Coalition. Transgender Day of Visibility is celebrated on March 31. The Human Rights Campaign describes the day as “a day to celebrate and honor the resilience of transgender and non-binary people.” Attendees were made up of students, faculty and community members. “Trans Day of Visibility is a day of celebration to highlight the trans people in our community and to support them,” Queer Coalition Co-President Karmine Beecroft said. Senior psychology major and Pride President Abby Odelson described what message they want people to take from this effort. “It's about remembering how far we’ve come. Even if it’s just a personal progress [and] even if there are some things that are going backward, there are things that are progressing, and I think it's important to remember that,” Odelson said. An anonymous student expressed satisfaction with the event in regards to their career path. “As a special education major, I work with kids who are discriminated against. I have a trans student, and I think it is very important for me to be a voice for them,” the student said. Attendees gathered back in the Watterson Towers Rosa Parks Conference room to hear from Interim Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Byron Craig, Queer Coalition Co-President Brie Byers and Odelson. “Here at ISU, we’re committed to ensuring that visibility is not just symbolic because to be visible, one should also be supported,” Craig said. Odelson and Byers also made testimonies. “I encourage you all to be allies and advocates wherever you go because if we don't have each other's back, who will?” Byers said.

The Center for Civic Engagement at Illinois State University will hold its annual Bring it Back to Normal volunteer event on April 4 and 5. The Center for Civic Engagement will team up with local organizations like the Ecology Action Center and Normal Parks and Recreation to provide students with volunteer opportunities. More than 10 organizations will be hosting groups to participate from noon to 3 p.m. on April 4 throughout Bloomington-Normal. Students can RSVP via RedbirdLife and can find the waiver of liability required to participate. Students can engage in activities such as cleaning at Anderson Park and assisting at the Fell Arboretum. The Center for Civic Engagement and the Ecology Action Center have a farm clean up from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 5 at the ISU farm. Transportation will be provided to and from the farm. Lunch will also be provided. Students interested in participating can RSVP and find the required waiver of liability in RedbirdLife.

Ewing Manor will host its annual architecture tour from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 5. Tickets cost $25 per person. Those interested in rich history are encouraged to attend. The tour will be available at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. Reservations are required. Space is limited to 12 people per tour. Guides will show all 44 rooms of the manor. The tour will last approximately two and a half hours. All details can be found here.

Students could be affected by the possibility of the United Faculty of Illinois State University (UFISU) beginning to strike as early as Friday, April 4. Here is a full rundown on how a strike might impact students: Classes Unless notified otherwise, students should still attend classes and are advised to check their ISU email inbox and Canvas for updates. Some classes may be modified, moved online or canceled for a short period during the strike. The University stated on its Frequently Asked Questions website that it prioritizes academic continuity and expects students to complete their coursework. According to ISU’s website, the University might also implement substitute instructors or combine class sections if needed. Students will earn course credit at the end of the semester regardless of a strike. The departmental units and supervising faculty will assign grades accordingly for each course. Summer classes are intended to run as scheduled. Graduation Seniors and graduate students graduating in May will still be able to participate in spring commencement. The strike will not affect spring graduating students receiving their degrees. Housing and dining services/events Housing and dining services will be unaffected by a strike. Performances, productions and similar events will be reviewed individually to determine whether they can continue. How to support UFISU Those interested in supporting UFISU are encouraged to follow the union’s Instagram and Facebook accounts for updates. UFISU also regularly updates its website with bargaining updates and other information. Students can write a letter to President Aondover Tarhule to bring in a fair agreement in support of UFISU. Attending future rallies is another way to support the faculty. According to their website, UFISU’s next rally will be at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 3, starting at the Old Main Bell on the Quad. Additional information is available on ISU’s website or by contacting StrikeQuestions@ilstu.edu.

Frustration grows, and a strike is imminent as demands remain unmet. On Friday, Special Education Associate Professor Mark Zablocki and assistant history professors Taylor Soja and Camille Cole collaborated to provide updates on the United Faculty of Illinois State University (UF). At the end of February, UF announced that there would be discussions of striking due to the slow progress in reaching an agreement. Some members displayed signs outside their office doors indicating their readiness to strike. Significant steps have been taken toward action. In early March, Cole said UF had taken a strike authorization vote, which authorized their table team to file with the Illinois Labor Relations Board. “There was another mediation session immediately after, where the administration made a little bit of movement but really not the kind of movement that we need to see,” Cole said. “After, the table team did choose to file it with the board this past Monday.” UF members are currently undergoing the state-mandated 10-day cooling-off period. According to Soja, the earliest potential strike date would be April 4. Cole added to the discussion by reminding that UF will continue to hold sessions throughout this period. Sessions sometimes last for hours, with one even being held during bad weather. “The last mediation session, they were there for 11 hours–that day of the tornado–they all had to go inside the building. That's just to say that however long they would need to be in that room, that's what we're gonna do,” Cole said. In the event of a strike, students should anticipate that a professor participating in the strike will not conduct classes, update Canvas, check their email, do service work for the University or engage in other related activities. “There are also people who teach classes who are not part of our unit, so people who are non-tenure track faculty are not allowed to strike because of the way that U.S. labor law works. Those classes presumably will still happen,” Cole said. On Friday, a University-wide email was sent to all students and faculty. The response included tentative agreements reached by the parties during the session on Friday. It was stated that these agreements pertained to non-economic issues. “We're just focusing on the bargaining and on trying to make movement for the faculty at the table,” Cole said. According to the email, negotiation sessions are now scheduled for April 1-4. As a strike looms, rallies increase in numbers. On Thursday, over 200 individuals attended the UF rally on the Quad. Pressure was applied to the University as members chanted and marched around campus, continuing to demonstrate their willingness to fight for a fair contract. Illinois Representative Sharon Chung and Illinois State Senator Dave Koehler attended the rally to show support for UF. They gave speeches alongside many others who were there in support. “What really stuck out to me is what Camille was talking about: how this has kind of gotten people from different departments together who normally wouldn't get together,” Zablocki said. “For the past four years, we've been having conversations with people all across campus. We tried to talk to every single faculty member–650 of them–so we made every attempt to talk to everybody. I think yesterday was really a show of unity," Zablocki continued. Zablocki, Soja and Cole agreed that they have seen more interest from students due to the rallies growing in numbers. “I think a lot of faculty have been talking to students outside of class and answering the questions that they come to us with about what the union is and how it all works, but also what we're fighting for,” Soja said. “And I can speak for myself and say that, when I've talked to students outside of class, there's real frustration. I feel like they're very much in it with us," Soja continued. Cole said that students are able to contribute to UF’s efforts in numerous ways. Students can write to President Aondover Tarhule through the link on UF’s Instagram to urge him to direct his table team to work on an agreeable offer for everyone. “Follow us on socials… But also, talk to your friends, talk to your parents. The more that the community knows and that people who have a stake in the University, and the more that those people are also reaching out to the administration, the more likely it is that they settle a fair contract with us,” Cole said. At the end of the discussion, the three shared a few thoughts that summarized the emotions within UF. Zablocki shared that among the frustrations, he felt uplifted by the interest from students. “I teach pre-service teachers, and most of them will join a union. Talking more about unions and what they mean for the country has made me feel pretty good,” Zablocki said. Soja agreed with Zablocki’s statement and said the feeling was mutual. Cole also shared similar feelings. “I feel similar. Tired, frustrated, a little bit anxious. But I am also ready; I am ready to fight if that's what they're gonna insist on,” Cole said.