Illinois State University President Aondover Tarhule was among numerous university and college presidents nationwide who co-signed a letter denouncing recent actions by the Trump administration. Over 150 university and college presidents co-signed the April 22 letter, orchestrated by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. The signers ranged from large public universities to each of the Ivy League institutions, excluding Dartmouth College. The letter urged leaders to unite against "the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education." "We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight. However, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live and work on our campuses," the letter said. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has paused federal funding to several of the country's top universities including Columbia and Harvard. NBC News reported the move was made to pressure those universities to change its admissions processes and penalize student protesters.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Students Ending Rape Culture at Illinois State University (SERC) is hosting several events throughout the month to show support and raise awareness. SERC hosted its Consent Day event last Wednesday at Schroeder Plaza. Several campus organizations came together to share and explore the different ways consent plays in a student’s daily life. SERC representative Lauren Bounds shared what the organization does for the campus community. “It can mean so much for so many different students[and] it can be really comforting for survivors,” Bounds said. Consent Day is one of the many events SERC hosts throughout April. Different campus RSOs and local organizations attended and discussed the importance of consent. “It is so integral is our daily lives…it can be as small as how we interact with our loved ones, our friends, but also people we’ve never met before,” Bounds said. SERC representative Evan Carr noted that consent is sometimes misunderstood. “There are a lot of misconceptions about when consent is needed and when it’s not. Oftentimes, it is framed around sex in particular, but consent is just the bare minimum requirement for most of our interaction between people,” Carr said. Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, MERGE, Pride at ISU, Queer Coalition, Student Counseling Services, Black Girl Code, the YWCA, OSF Healthcare, Bobzbay Books and Mid Central Community Action were some of the on-campus and local organizations in attendance. Teal ribbons, the official color for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, were available to students. Additionally, OSF Healthcare had a sample test kit for students to learn about the process of sexual assault testing. More information on SERC’s upcoming events for its Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign is available online.

Illinois State University's Office of Sustainability will host its annual Earth Day Breakfast this week to help raise awareness of environmental issues and promote change around the world. The event will take place from 8-10 a.m. Tuesday in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center. Attendees will be provided with a breakfast buffet with local, organic and Fair Trade certified foods. Beverages and vegan options will also be available. This year's keynote speaker will be author and climate activist Zahra Biabani. Assistant Director of the Office of Sustainability Christine Bruckner shared why Biabani was selected for the breakfast. “Zahra was selected as the speaker for this year's breakfast after the Office of Sustainability staff read her book, ‘Climate Optimism: Celebrating Systemic Change Around the World,’” Bruckner said. “She brings a very positive and uplifting message of ‘climate wins,’ [or] examples of people and places around the world that are addressing climate change.” Biabani will discuss how communities are creating unique solutions to the climate crisis. Copies of Biabani’s book will be available for purchase, and there will be a book signing following her address. This event is co-sponsored by the College of Business, Leadership, Education and Development (LEAD), the Department of Health Sciences and the Department of Geography, Geology and the Environment. Additional information is available here.

University of Illinois professor and historian Peter Fritzsche presented “Brown Vibe: How Hitler Won Over the Majority in 100 Days” Thursday in Schroeder Hall. This lecture was a part of the Robert G. Bone Distinguished Lecturer Series hosted by the Illinois State University History Department. Fritzsche, who focuses mostly on modern Europe, the revolution, the Third Reich and World War II, walked attendees through the first 100 days of Adolf Hitler’s rule and what it was like to be in Germany then. One of Fritzche’s key points was the Reichstag Election that took place on March 5, 1933, and how the Nazis dominated election crowds while the government took over the remaining German states. “It is the March 5 elections, with the slim majority, but a strong majority in many, many places, that prompted a wave of violence from above and from below against the republican institutions,” Fritzsche said. Along with this election, Fritzsche discussed how the community turned on each other and how there was a lot of tension between citizens in Germany. Fritzsche’s point stuck with the Department of History’s Clinical Assistant Professor Kelly Keogh. “This idea of how quickly people will turn on each other and turn on their supposedly deep-held beliefs to chase after someone like Hitler or this promise of a better tomorrow is scary,” Keogh said. Keogh believed there were a lot of parallels between what Fritzsche discussed and the current U.S. government. “100 days is all it took for [Hitler] to dismantle [Germany], and [I] see how quickly things are deteriorating in this country. There's some really frightening parallels,” Keogh said. Freshman psychology major Ksenia Peric was interested in how Germany’s citizens felt during this period. “One part [of the lecture] was a guy's diary talking about his family's internal relationships politically and how his family interacted with each other, and I found that really interesting,” Peric said. Keogh was impressed with Fritzsche’s storytelling. “I think he was very calculated in how he weaved the narrative so [attendees] could make the connections to the obvious parallels without beating people over the head with it,” Keogh said. Keogh hoped this lecture would inspire people to make themselves aware and stand up for what they believe in. “Some people are too reluctant to call things out as they are; if it looks like fascism, it is fascism. People need to get more educated and aware, and people need to not give up,” Keogh said. Peric thought the lecture was well-organized and would like to see similar events on campus in the future. “I would attend a lecture like this again, I would appreciate it if we had more opportunities to have these lectures,” Peric said.

Illinois State University's Student Government Association (SGA) held its last general assembly meeting of the semester this past Wednesday in the State Farm Hall of Business. The meeting proved to be a busy night for SGA as six legislative items passed the assembly. The passage of the 13th Amendment removed outdated committees and established three internal committees: civic engagement, internal affairs and external affairs. It also established vice-chairperson roles and allows for subcommittees. “We kind of thought that a vice chairperson would be useful…they would kind of help with event planning…it would be kind of like a second hand in the committee,” President of the Assembly Tyler Bever said. Bever explained that subcommittees would be created at the discretion of the committee chair. He said the planning of the Redbird Market could be a subcommittee under external affairs. The assembly also passed a 12th Amendment, which updated the bylaws to align with recent changes made to the SGA constitution following approval by the student body. SGA allocated $1,100 from the Civic Engagement Committee to the School Street Food Pantry to purchase sustainable and reusable canvas shopping bags through bill #11. “I think this is going to be our third year doing this…that goes to show that the bags are being used, and they are needing more,” said Chief of Staff Megan James. “We made a way to figure out how to get that money to them, obviously not in monetary funds, but in a productive way that helps not only students but also them.” SGA urged ISU to continue pursuing fair trade certification through Resolution #8. “For those of you who may not know, fair trade is a system that values people and fair labor practices with an understanding that the capitalist, neocolonial world market often unfairly disadvantages the global south. This can have severe economic consequences for small farmers, making it nearly impossible to plan their futures, secure their wages or reinvest in their own businesses,” said graduate assistant for the Office of Sustainability Ryleigh Hickman. The direct input from a member of the ISU community garnered praise from Secretary of Governmental Relations Sam Majka. “This is the way that I wish SGA worked more often. Having contact with constituents and being more motivated and energized from constituents,” Majka said. SGA also passed bill #10, which approved a $680.45 allocation for the annual Passing of the Gavel ceremony. “So, we had allocated $600 to Passing of the Gavel…and then I remembered I didn’t get drinks. So, originally it was supposed to be $440, so under that $500 threshold, but then I got drinks for everybody…and so with that it increased the total up to $680 rather than $440,” said Chief of Staff Megan James. James further said that appetizers were included in the total cost of the bill. The Redbird Market was briefly discussed, including an overview of the results of a survey completed by the vendors. Of the 100 vendors that attended, 40 responded. They rated their experience 4.77 stars out of five. More than 50% sold over $200 and 74% of the vendors gained social media followers.

Illinois State University’s Student Government Association (SGA) opened the Redbird Market on the Quad on Tuesday. Over 100 vendors sold at the market. “This event is meant to give students an easier way to break into the personal business world. This gives them the chance to showcase and sell their products in a high-traffic area with no cost to participate since the Student Government Association is covering the expenses,” said SGA President of the Assembly Tyler Bever. Bever and his colleague, Ella Sharp, said they devoted countless hours to creating this event as “their last hurrah” before graduation. Items such as gym supplements, custom art and clothing were sold at the market. Both vendors and shoppers said that this event was more successful than they imagined and that they hope it returns. Senior psychology major and owner of Vintage Threads Midwest, David Knipp, was a vendor at this event. He sells at a booth called Antiques and Uniques in downtown Bloomington “I was a little hesitant, but I was hopeful. I’ve had a great time and sales have been very humbly good,” Knipp said. Senior finance major and co-founder of TNT Evolution, Tyler Scheck, was another vendor at the event. The company sells creatine capsules online. “We primarily sell online, so it has been nice to have an event set up by the ISU community and student government,” Scheck said. Turnout has been great. We have gotten a good amount of sales and really [gotten] our brand name out there.” Freshman film and digital media major Angeline Manalo expressed fascination with the unique products from the vendors. “I really enjoyed this one artist’s work who published their own graphic novel. So far, I have bought a small bracelet and a bandana,” Manalo said. “It is super unique, so I wanted to see what it was all about, and I was not disappointed. I got these shorts for free at the share shop and TNT Evolution’s booth is my favorite so far because they are giving away free products in a push-up competition,” said junior accounting major Dylan Ginalick. Due to the strong attendance of both shoppers and vendors, the SGA has expressed hopes to hold this event each semester. “This event is run by students, for students, and there are a lot of eyes on us watching on how it will go. I really hope it goes well and becomes something that continues every year,” Bever said.

Illinois State University joined 16 other universities and community colleges in launching the “Prepare for Illinois’ Future powered by Kaplan’s All Access License” program in February. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) and the State of Illinois partnered with Kaplan, an educational service provider, to make this program possible. Illinois is the first state to provide this type of program to students. The program provides free graduate admissions test prep and other courses for both graduate and undergraduate school, licensing and skills development. Over 40 courses are available at no cost to ISU students, including preparation for the GRE, LSAT and MCAT. “The ‘Prepare for Illinois’ Future’ program presents a transformative opportunity for students in Illinois,” said Illinois State Sen. Dave Koehler. “It helps remove financial barriers and creates pathways to high-demand careers in fields such as healthcare, education and technology.” Kaplan Vice President of University Partnerships, Kim Canning, further discussed the impact of removing the financial barriers to these resources for students. “By removing this barrier across the public school system in Illinois, it’s really leveling the playing fields for all students,” Canning said. “As students transition from university, regardless of what steps they’re making, they have these resources and they have the understanding of what these resources can do,” Canning continued. Koehler expressed the importance of Illinois funding this program. “By investing in [students’] futures, we are also building a stronger and more resilient workforce that benefits every community across our state,” Koehler said. Since launching the program, there have been over 3,000 enrollments, saving students almost $6.5 million. “Something important to know about that number is that as we go through the year, students will have access to these resources during the summer too,” Canning said. Canning said the enrollment process is quick, easy and that students can gain access to the provided resources almost immediately after enrolling. “This is really a year-round resource that can support students at multiple times throughout their college career,” Canning said. “We’d love to see more students take advantage of this.” Students can register here.

Illinois State University students and staff gathered April 11 to give a tail-wagging welcome to the ISU Police Department’s newest member—Pawfficer Korg. ISUPD’s therapy dog program began in 2019, with the late Pawfficer Sage—an honorable black lab who upheld the law around campus. Following Sage’s retirement in 2024, the department had big paws to fill. ISUPD Sergeant Michael Gardner said that Korg has already brought enough “love, support and happiness” to campus and the surrounding community. “You would expect there would be some growing pains or things like that, but I’m here to tell you that Korg has done very well with adjusting to his new handlers and his new surroundings,” Gardner said. During his official welcome event, Korg sat in the middle of the room, eager to receive pets and give love to all visitors. Angel Shrader, a freshman music therapy major, enjoyed stopping by to see ISU’s new four-legged friend. “The event was super open and there was enough room to meet Pawfficer Korg,” Shrader said, “They had everything fun like the merch and coloring books off to the side as well.” Reina Violette, a junior special education major, was “very excited” for Pawfficer Korg’s debut. “I was a big fan of Pawfficer Sage, and I was very sad when she retired. I thought Korg was very friendly,” Violette said. “There were some little kids who came in to say hi, so I thought it was great how anyone could come and meet Korg.” Through Korg’s position as ISUPD’s face of the Community Engagement department, he will provide emotional support, stress relief and companionship to students in need. Gardner shared the benefits Korg will bring to the therapy dog program. “The continuation of this program with Korg coming right behind Sage is going to help keep our campus emotionally safe, stress-free and at least a little bit happier,” Gardner said. “Sage was the first, and she was very successful for us on the social media side of things with gaining an audience,” Gardner continued. “When something really important happens, we now have an audience to reach out to.” With Korg’s wagging tail and loveable personality, he is a vital part of ISU’s commitment to mental wellness and community connectivity.

Excitement ran through campus as a tentative contract agreement was reached on April 4 between the United Faculty of Illinois State University (UFISU) and the ISU administration. With concerns of a potential strike looming over the heads of all members of the Redbird community, there were debates as to whether they wanted classes canceled. “I was pretty confident a strike would happen if a resolution wasn’t [met],” said Mallory Fairbanks, a sophomore special education major. “I had heard quite a bit about it [and] spoken about it with some professors after class, so it seemed pretty likely.” “There’s always a part of you that doesn’t want class to happen, but ultimately, I wanted a resolution for the teachers to reach a point of agreement,” Fairbanks continued. Throughout the madness, many education majors said the University’s misrepresentation of professors hit particularly close to home. “I want my professors to be happy in their jobs. Before I came here, I was a teacher in an elementary school,” said Rachel Goodman, a first-year master’s student. “Being fairly compensated as educators, it really affects how we show up for our students.” “As a student, I would want my professors to feel like they’re compensated fairly for what they’re doing so that they can show up for us as students and we can have a better education,” Goodman continued. Lexi Woods, a sophomore middle education major, echoed the sentiment. “It was a very sticky situation, but I can see all different sides of it, especially going into education and having my teachers talk about it from their experiences,” Woods said. “Overall, I’m glad they came to an agreement.” Despite education majors being the most personally impacted, other students expressed similar opinions. “I did not want [a strike] to happen,” said Charlotte Mahalla, a freshman animal science major. “But if my professor did strike, I would’ve gotten to take my test at a later date, which I was kinda hoping for.” “I want them to get all that they want because I want good teachers who are willing to teach,” Mahalla continued. For many, the agreement brought a sense of relief, but also a reflection on the effort it took to get there. “Big picture: I don’t want strikes. I feel like it’s really difficult, just because it does put students in a very weird situation,” Woods said. “Especially if you look at how Chicago Public Schools are right now.” Freshman special education major Briar Zimmerman felt a similar mix of concern and hope. “I’m glad they came to an agreement,” Zimmerman said. “If they didn’t get what they wanted in the end, then I did see a strike happening. I think in the end, everyone deserves a fair contract.” The arbitrations drew hundreds to protest on the Quad throughout the spring semester. Domenico Lacamera, a freshman business administration major, pointed out common issues with strikes in general across the country. “Personally, I don’t like strikes because usually in America, we don’t know if people will protest peacefully,” Lacamera said. “I just want everything to be peaceful. If it were more peaceful, we could have more protests.” Fortunately, UFISU demonstrated peacefully and respectfully on the Quad amid ongoing negotiations. The new agreement has reignited optimism among ISU students. “We always look to the future and want to make more positive change, but it’s up to us as the people to make that future happen,” Lacamera said. “We have to make a positive future instead of a negative outcome.”

Euphemism is a student-led online creative arts journal at Illinois State University. They will be hosting a fundraiser from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16, on the Quad near Schroeder Hall or on the first floor of Stevenson Hall if weather does not permit outdoor operation. Euphemism will be selling pre-loved books and spring knick-knacks to raise funds for their publications and events. They will accept payment through cash, Venmo, PayPal and Zelle.

With juggling acts and jazz hands, Illinois State University’s Gamma Phi Circus came back for its 96th year. This year's theme of “A Journey Through the Fine Arts” incorporated elements of various multimedias including old and new Hollywood film and historically popular artists. The stories were all told via poetry, as a little girl in a pink tutu journeyed through the colorful eras. Between each era of fine art, clowns provided a silly skit following a central theme of mischief, playfulness and amusement–from fighting to pulling silks out of the breast pockets on their shirts. The various acts worked together to create visual art, which gave the effect of art coming to life through the performances. One of the main acts was about the painter Frida Kahlo and featured traditional Spanish songs with maracas and flor del muerto, or “flowers of the dead.” Another main act was titled, “The Vitruvian Man" and was based off a drawing by historical figure Leonardo da Vinci. One last act was a classic red carpet that was rolled out for infamous celebrities like Janet Jackson, Audrey Hepburm and Judy Garland as she was seen in “The Wizard of Oz.” “The people hanging from vertical bars in the air by just their upper body strength. It was a really memorable act and the amount of sheer strength it requires is so admirable from the performers,” said freshman psychology major Donovan Pope, describing his favorite act. Freshman psychology major Gio Casamento attended the circus for the first time this year. “My favorite act was during the movie star and Hollywood theme. They jumped on a board and flipped into a sheet of aerial silk,” Casamento said. Freshman psychology major Madelyn Kunesh praised the same act as Casamento. “It could have been so dangerous and they were so brave and executed it perfectly,” Kunesh said. The Gamma Phi Circus is expected to return again in April 2026.

Illinois State University’s mixed martial arts (MMA) team, Redbird MMA, held its second annual Rage in the Birdcage tournament at Kingdom City Boxing Saturday. Redbird MMA has partnered with Kingdom City Boxing, a faith-based boxing gym in Normal, multiple times in the past. There were 15 fights throughout the night in four brackets: jiujitsu, boxing, kickboxing and MMA. “It’s going to be loud. If you have something you want to say to us or to the fighters, you need to yell,” said emcee and promoter Braden Beasley before the fights began. Jiujitsu Freshman business major, Tyler Dahlstrom, fought in the jiujitsu bracket. “I started training jiujitsu about a year before I came to ISU,” Dahlstrom said. Dahlstrom said he is glad Redbird MMA can continue training on campus in spite of health and safety risks. “There’s really no risk of injury. If you think about MMA and you think about UFC, people are getting bloody, but nobody gets bloody when we train,” Dahlstrom said. Freshman physical education major and Dahlstrom's opponent, Jose Aviles, reflected on his loss in the jiujitsu match . “I let the adrenaline get to me. I wasn’t able to think clearly to escape the position I got in,” Aviles said. “I want to get good at everything, but I do wrestling the most,” Aviles continued. Jared Gahm was the referee for the jiujitsu fights. Gahm is also the owner and operator of the partnering gym, PSF Legacy, in Bloomington. “This year, there’s a lot more people doing jiujitsu, and you can see that the level of it has increased. It’s a lot more exciting than last year,” Gahm said. Gahm said he trained about three-quarters of the jiujitsu fighters and that it was difficult for him to be a referee; he couldn’t coach his students simultaneously. Boxing “Just this semester I decided to join Redbird MMA and I thought a boxing match like this would be a great first experience,” said freshman actuarial science major Cyrus Czyz. Czyz won his match in the boxing bracket. “I’ve only been boxing for about two months with Redbird MMA,” Czyz said. “I wish I would have worked on my conditioning more. My opponent and I were both pretty gassed.” Emcee Braden Beasley quickly changed out of his formal attire and into athletic gear to fight in the boxing bracket, as well. “I think it could have gone better, but it definitely could have gone worse,” Beasley said. “This was my first time doing boxing by itself, so it was a new art for me. Overall, it was a great experience.” Beasley said he sprinted, ran and lifted weights almost every day to train. Beasley said he hopes to have the third “Rage In The Birdcage” tournament on ISU’s campus next year. “Braden Auditorium is the goal, of course,” Beasley said. “With 'Rage' being a big charity event, I think it would be better to have it closer to the school so more students can be there. I would also expect there to be more fights and better fights.” Kickboxing Freshman anatomy major at Heartland Community College, Gus Schreiber, used an aggressive kickboxing style during his match. “I did football for 10 years and then I wrestled—including freestyle and Greco-Roman style—for seven,” Schreiber said. Schreiber said he trains at PSF Legacy currently. “PSF is a great place; they accept everybody. [Gahm] got me out of a bad place—at least mentally—and he is great,” Schreiber said. Junior business major and Schreiber’s opponent, Mikael Cedeno, said he was originally supposed to fight someone different. “I was actually in camp for this fight to fight MMA against an opponent from [University of Illinois], but he ended up dropping out about a week ago,” Cedeno said. “So entering the ring—and obviously Gus and I talked about how we’re going to approach it—we knew that we were going to go in there, go to war [and] try to take each other’s heads off. I would be disrespected if he didn’t try to.” Cedeno praised Schreiber on his skills. “He was a wrestler in high school, so his cardio was really good,” Cedeno said. “So I knew I had to try to take out his base for sure. From what I remember, he was very good at baiting my punches and countering.” MMA President of Redbird MMA, Logan Bennett, fought against Treasurer Aidan Pinto in the final match of the night. “I tried to build myself up for this fight,” Bennett said. While Bennett was the winner, there were things he wished he had done differently. “I should have worked on my cardio. He’s a better grappler than me,” Bennett said. Audience members had similar reactions to the fights. “I love MMA. If I had to pick second, then jiujitsu,” said freshman elementary education major, Liv Purcell. Another freshman elementary education major, Nola Carr, also said the MMA bracket was her favorite. “I really like watching MMA; I think it’s really cool,” Carr said. “I love Logan…I also had some money on Mikael.” Redbird MMA will have a field day on the ISU Quad on April 25. “This is really one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. I can’t recommend it enough,” Beasley said.

United Faculty at Illinois State University (UFISU) announced Monday that it had "overwhelmingly" voted to ratify its first union collective bargaining agreement. The announcement came after the union reached a tentative agreement with University administration on April 4. UFISU posted to Instagram that the full text of the tentative agreements will remain on its website for now. The union will begin working with ISU to finalize the order and format of the contract, which will then be posted to both ISU's Human Resources website and its own website. UFISU organizers will begin writing the union's constitution and bylaws over the summer and have elections for leadership positions during the fall semester. Anyone interested in getting involved are encouraged to email unitedfacultyISU@gmail.com.

Illinois State University’s Parks and Recreation Society (PARS) offers unique opportunities for recreation and sports management majors through leadership and professional development training. Associate of ISU’s School of Kinesiology and Recreation, Lindsey Nicholson, has been teaching for 14 years and is very involved with PARS. “We meet once a month, and so those are all student-led. I don’t think our students realize how valuable it is to have those peer relationships outside of the classroom,” Nicholson said. President of PARS, Megan Golbeck, joined in Fall 2023. Golbeck said she was a volunteer coordinator in Fall 2024 and took the role of president in February. “My key takeaway from being involved in PARS is seeing how important being a part of something is, especially if it has a community of people who are in the same major program as you. I feel like if I didn't have PARS, I wouldn't have the great relationships with my peers and my professors that I have right now,” Golbeck said. Golbeck shared her favorite professional event that she attended with PARS. “One of my favorite events that I enjoyed most was our cookout in the park and the bags tournament,” Golbeck said. “That was the very first PARS meeting that I attended. I'm excited for our new members to experience that.” “I also enjoyed going to the IPRA/IAPD Conference in Chicago. This is held annually in January, and I have attended both last year's and this year's conference,” Golbeck continued. Treasurer Kaitlyn Koenigstein joined in Fall 2024. Koenigstein highlighted her positive experiences with PARS through networking and development opportunities. Koenigstein said she is excited for the future of the organization with expanded career prep workshops during their meetings. Nicholson, Golbeck and Koenigstein welcome students to reach out to them to learn more.

On April 1, the McLean County municipal elections set records for student voting at Illinois State University’s Bone Student Center. Center for Civic Engagement Associate Director Paige Buschman said there were 381 voters in the elections, with the majority of them being students. This was the highest number of voters ever for municipal elections on campus. “My goal was 200 [voters], and that was not necessarily ambitious, but it certainly is on the higher end of some of the engagement we’ve seen, so I’m actually very pleased with how many students we saw come through,” Buschman said. This year, voter turnout reached 25%. This was a notable increase from the typical 15% seen in previous municipal elections. Buschman explained the possible reasons behind the rise in voter participation. “We may have seen some increased engagement because of a diversification of folks running,” Buschman said. “We had two major mayoral races, and they both had three candidates, so that might have encouraged people to vote because they felt like they had more choices.” Buschman believes there is a trend of increased engagement, as November’s election similarly broke ISU records, with over 6,000 people voting in the presidential election. “I’m hopeful that this trend continues, and we can keep folks engaged and continue to build a culture of voter engagement on campus,” Buschman said. Caitlin Bradford, the CCE’s civic education and political engagement program assistant, said that student voters were excited to perform their civic duties. “Students seemed very motivated to come and vote and often came with friends and encouraged their friends to cast their vote,” Bradford said. Bradford highlighted the importance of students engaging in local politics. “Local politics have such a direct impact [on] everyone’s lives, and voting allows students to have a more direct say in who represents them and what policies they want to see implemented,” Bradford said. Buschman said that students should still vote in municipal elections, even if they only plan on living in Bloomington-Normal for the duration of college. “[Students] never know how long they’re going to be here because I didn’t expect to make Bloomington-Normal my home, but I did,” Buschman said. “Also, voting is just a means by which you tell the world what kind of community you want to live in, even if it’s not permanent.” Students can visit the Redbird Voter Guide for voting resources and information on future election events.

An open mic discussion with American political activist Charlie Kirk created a stir on Illinois State University’s campus Tuesday afternoon. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, held an open discussion with students at Milner Plaza as part of his “American Comeback Tour.” The tour consists of Kirk visiting several college and university Turning Point USA chapters across the country. Kirk covered ground at other schools in Illinois as well, with a stop at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign scheduled after his ISU visit. Kirk fans and protesters attended the open discussion at ISU. Fans wore hats reading President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again” (MAGA). Some also wore hats with the number 47 written on them, in reference to Trump being the 47th president. Various topics were discussed, such as government morals and artificial intelligence potentially overtaking future career opportunities Kirk began the open discussion expressing his Christian faith. “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life,” Kirk said when he first approached the microphone. Junior business management and entrepreneurship major Pat Shadid appreciated Kirk for sharing his faith. “Charlie Kirk brings up Christ, and that’s something that I really love,” Shadid said. “He tries to keep Christian values in the world, which is very crucial to have [in] any sort of society. Whether we disagree or agree on everything with each other, I love that Charlie Kirk can come out here and preach Christ.” Shadid is also a member of the Turning Point USA at ISU chapter. Shadid said the group had been setting things up for the event since 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Shadid said he joined the Turning Point USA at ISU chapter after a friend of his, Matt Saner, became the organization’s vice president. “Our biggest mission is to open up conversations between different political parties or people who believe something different than us with this event,” Saner said, sharing his organization’s objectives. The event had a large number of attendees. Haters and lovers of Kirk crowded together within the barricades surrounding Milner Plaza, with some protesters remaining in a group of their own behind the crowd. The increasing volume of the crowd often overshadowed discussions between students and Kirk. Many attendees cheered or said vulgar phrases in response to Kirk’s comments and people’s questions directed to Kirk. An event titled “Free John Pork Rally,” inspired by a popular internet meme that emerged in 2018, was organized by protesters in the same location as Kirk’s discussion. Protesters held signs with anti-Kirk messaging while chanting, “Free John Pork.” Senior English major Emmanuel Reed was among the protesters at the “Free John Pork Rally.” Reed expressed a dislike for Kirk’s past comments. “Charlie Kirk is a racist,” Reed said. “He has a direct quote saying that if he sees a Black man flying a plane, then he’s going to pray to the Lord because he feels that Black people [are not] competent. There’s no evidence saying that a Black man has less qualifications than a white man to fly a plane–he just made that up.” On the topic of AI, Kirk said AI will soon replace many jobs due to its superior speed and accuracy compared to humans. “Artificial intelligence will replace 99% of all the jobs you’re getting degrees for. We’re going to have to re-train the entire country to use AI and to find other jobs,” Kirk said. “For example, in healthcare, there’s an entire profession where cardiologists read heart scans. But now AI does it quicker and more accurately,” Kirk continued. An anonymous attendee challenged Kirk on AI. He explained why he chose to enter the discussion. “Me being an industry professional, I didn’t feel comfortable letting him give that insight to the youth; it’s not something to worry about,” the attendee said. “AI is certainly not going to take jobs. I don’t think it will replace millions of jobs and certainly not [entire] workforces.” Regarding higher education, Kirk stated that it is useless for obtaining future career opportunities. Senior special education major Amanda Stringer said she was confused by Kirk’s statement. “I don’t understand why a man who hates higher education takes a [stance] against it, saying it's not useful for getting jobs, [and comes] to a college campus,” Stringer said. Senior history education major Matthew Ganson asked Kirk about his stance on college being unnecessary. “I ended up asking about the role of secondary educators,” Ganson said. “I ended up agreeing with a lot of what he said. I tend to be more left-leaning–I like to call myself an old-school liberal.” Ganson agreed with Kirk on other topics such as his views on antisemitism. “The most interesting thing is [that] Charlie Kirk [is] really into outing antisemitism. I think he does a good job finding the nuances,” Ganson said. An attendee named Jeffrey asked Kirk about his opinions on the legalization of recreational marijuana. “Legalization has made it more proliferated,” Kirk said. “Can you also acknowledge that some people who use marijuana also have increased depression and anxiety? Should the government make something that is terrible for your mind and brain legal?” Jeffrey explained why he believes marijuana should be legalized in all 50 states. “It may be the gateway drug to all other drugs, but if you can stick to weed–Snoop Dogg is someone who can advocate for that–if Snoop Dogg can advocate for just sticking to weed, it’s fine,” Jeffrey said. During his discussion with Kirk, Jeffrey said he turned to weed as a distraction after he lost his mother. He later said that God was who brought him through it. Attendees dressed in different costumes, including someone dressed as the devil. Jeffrey expressed disapproval of this costume choice. “That is terrible for the young minds to see. I believe everyone should follow God,” Jeffrey said. When the event ended, junior legal studies and criminal justice studies double major Abby Ortiz shared her takeaway from the discussions and thoughts about the behavior of other attendees. “My takeaway was that America has a serious problem right now,” Ortiz said. “We’ve become too comfortable in being stagnant in a set identity and its expected beliefs. So when someone challenges our personal ideologies, we can no longer have adult conversations and instead shut down and berate those who disagree with us, or even cancel them.” Ortiz added that it is important to hear other opinions even if one may disagree with them. “Most people at that event that screamed hateful things, or were rude to others or said things about Charlie Kirk did so just because everyone else on their side of the fence was doing it,” Ortiz said. “The amount of students who were booing and cheering, not even knowing what was being said just because the crowd was doing it, provided an ample demonstration of the lack of independence not only college students but American citizens everywhere have.” Ganson expressed satisfaction with the discussion. “There’s no better place to have this debate than outside of Illinois State. I’m happy with how the Illinois State student body handled it,” Ganson said. Kirk’s next on-campus visits include Purdue University, Michigan State University and Boise State University.

Illinois State University’s American Civil Liberties Union chapter (ACLU-ISU) will host an “LGBTQIA+ Film Night” from 5-6:45 p.m. Wednesday, April 9, in Schroeder Hall Room 204. Jennie Livingston’s “Paris is Burning” documentary will be the featured presentation. The film was selected to showcase drag-ballroom culture in 1980s New York City. A discussion about the importance of protecting LGBTQIA+ spaces and honoring trailblazers in the community will follow the screening. Additionally, ACLU-ISU will hold its executive board elections for the 2025-26 academic year at the film screening. More information is available here.

Concerned students participated in an “ICE off our campus rally” on Monday, organized by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at Illinois State University. About 25 attendees marched from Uptown Circle to the Quad, chanting phrases like “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.” “We have been working for a long time, a few months now, in trying to get the University to listen to our pleas, listen to our stories, “ said Anthony Zarate, a junior Spanish education major. “We deserve to be heard. That is why we shout. We hope that the University will start to listen to us a little bit more,” Zarate continued. Normal Township Advisor Krystle Able shared the importance of local politics regarding immigration issues. “The way we got here is because not enough people in our communities fight on a local level. Immigration is not just a national issue, it is an issue with every single level of government, including townships, city councils, mayors, and with your state representatives,” Able said. “We’ve seen the power that the state of Illinois has in being able to be a sanctuary state, and we also see the attacks that we’re under because of that,” Able continued. Anthony Tamayo, a freshman Spanish education major and representative for the Coalition Assisting Undocumented Student Achievement (CAUSA), also spoke at the rally. “I’m here with the Coalition Assisting Undocumented Student Achievement [where] we work to protect the students here on campus, whether they’re undocumented, mixed status, or anything between or beyond,” Tamayo said. “It is our goal to ensure the safety and well-being of these students, as well as all students here on campus. This can only be achieved by the University promising to uphold its DEI values and in turn, protecting and valuing its students,” Tamayo continued. Additionally, Tamayo said that ISU must revise its budget, ensuring that students, faculty and staff profit instead of the administration.

Full Disclosure: This coverage was published on WGLT by the same author. One of more than 1,000 “Hands Off!” rallies across the country took place in downtown Bloomington Saturday afternoon to oppose the government's agenda regarding cuts to the federal government and concerns about human rights under President Donald Trump's leadership. Hundreds of protesters filled the south lawn outside the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts. “Hands Off!” is a nationwide effort that seeks to give power to U.S. citizens who oppose joint efforts by Trump and billionaire Elon Musk to make policy changes which would affect citizens’ rights. Crowd members of all ages held signs with written messages such as, “Don’t Turn Your Back on Humanity” and “Make America Moral Again.” "I'm seeing history repeating itself right now where real fascist ideals are being pushed on a democratic country," said attendee Todd Peterson. "I really feel we're going to have to take a stand on this." Peterson said the large crowd size was what he had hoped to see. The progressive advocacy group Voices of Reason, a local chapter of Indivisible, organized the rally, which included several speakers. “There are corporate-backed politicians and billionaires trying to gut the programs that keep our families and communities afloat. They are doing it behind closed doors with lobbyists whispering in their ears while telling the rest of us, ‘There’s not enough to go around,’” said McLean County Board member and newly-elected Normal Township Supervisor, Krystle Able, a Democrat. Able called out Republican U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood for “voting in favor of policies that would weaken Social Security and Medicare while protecting tax breaks for the wealthy.” Democratic State Rep. Sharon Chung for the 91st House District said Trump’s first four years in office were only a warm-up for what is to come. “We’re fighting for the soul and for the foundation of our country,” Chung said. “My parents were immigrants here—to the United States. This is not why they immigrated to the United States.” Chung gave congratulations to the United Faculty of Illinois State University for their agreement reached with the University’s administration, which was announced Friday evening. President of the Bloomington Education Association, Julie Riley, spoke about threats against schools and students at those schools. “As you know, our current president nominated and has seated a wrestling promotor to be the head of the Department of Education,” Riley said. “Wrestling is not the same as public education, folks.” Riley said students in need of speech support, social work minutes and physical therapy will be in danger of losing those services if their access to Medicaid is cut off. “Although our boards have been good to us, I don’t know what they’d do if they didn’t have federal funding to pay for special educators,” Riley said. “We don’t have the kind of money in our local school board budgets to make up that difference.” President of Bloomington's Prairie Pride Coalition, Dave Bentlin, wished to call out members of the LBTQIA+ community who don’t believe they are under serious threat. “This is just the start,” Bentlin said. “None of us [are] safe. They will come after all of us if we don’t take action.” Bentlin gave thanks to local businesses, namely Lucca Grill, who have supported the local LGBTQIA+ community. Bentlin said that before he arrived at the rally, he received a text message from another member of the LGBTQIA+ community who didn’t feel safe attending. “I honor that concern,” Bentlin said. The rally ended with the crowd participating in call-and-response chants and singing two songs, “This Land Is Your Land” and “We Shall Overcome.”

Illinois State University's Student Government Association (SGA) held its biweekly meeting Wednesday. A new member was appointed, two amendments were made to the SGA's bylaws and a bill was passed to fund the upcoming Redbird Market event. SGA unanimously elected to add sophomore Sandy Berg. She will be taking on a Greek life-adjacent role. “She’s going to be the ex-officio of the College Panhellenic Council. So she will be advocating for all the sororities on campus,” said Student Body Chief of Staff Maegan James. Members also discussed the upcoming Redbird Market. The market will sell art, clothing and other items. “It's an opportunity for students to be able to have a platform to sell their services–an opportunity for all other students to see what their fellow Redbirds are working on,” Blair said. Members unanimously voted to allocate $1,200 towards the Redbird Market event. “[The money] is coming from an already allocated spot from the dean of students' office and all of that money comes from general campus funds,” James said. The SGA's bylaws were also amended twice. The First Amendment now requires applicants for on-campus IT positions to have previous IT experience to be hired. The Second Amendment saw the addition of the SGA’s oath of office into the bylaws. The next SGA assembly meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on April 16 in the Old Main Room of the Bone Student Center.