The Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies program (WGSS) is accepting research proposals for its 28th annual Student Research Symposium. The deadline for students to submit proposals is Friday, Feb. 28. WGSS will host its research symposium from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 25, in the Prairie Room at the Bone Student Center. Students who participate will have the opportunity to present their research, network with WGSS faculty and attend a keynote address presented by a leading WGSS scholar. This year’s speaker is author Nada Elia. This event will be free to the public. Students can submit their proposals here.

Illinois State University’s School of Theatre, Dance and Film and the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts will host their play, “The Prom,” at the Center for the Performing Arts. “The Prom” follows four Broadway stars who unite to support a small-town high school girl who wants to take her girlfriend to prom but receives backlash from her school board and community. The showings of the play include 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 1 and Sunday, March 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 1, Tuesday, March 4, Wednesday, March 5 and Thursday, March 6. Tickets can be bought here. More information can be found on Redbird Life.

Early voting in McLean County begins on Thursday, Feb. 20, in preparation for the April 1 municipal election. Online registration is closed, but voters can still register at the polling sites. Early voters must bring two forms of identification, one of which must include a home address. Additional information on voting dates, times and polling site locations in the Bloomington-Normal area is available online.

Illinois State University will hold its annual Founding Celebration on Thursday, Feb. 20. The Old Main Bell Ringing Ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. in the Prairie Room at the Bone Student Center. This public ceremony will feature 168 nominated representatives from the Redbird community to toll a replica of the Old Main Bell. Following the ceremony, there will be a private faculty and staff awards program at 12:15 p.m. in the Circus Room and Brown Ballroom at the Bone Student Center. Additional information on the awards and its recipients is available here. More details about the Founding Celebration are available on ISU's website.

Illinois State University President Aondover Tarhule issued an update Monday regarding the university's response to evolving federal directives. In an email sent to students, faculty and staff, Tarhule disclosed the Feb. 14 distribution of a "Dear Colleague letter" from the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. The letter said that race-based student programs, activities and spending are now "broadly prohibited" at K-12 public schools, colleges and universities. Tarhule shared that he convened an Institutional Resiliency Steering Team to keep university leadership informed about the potential impacts of current and future directives. Tarhule said that university administration will continue monitoring how the directives will affect ISU, while keeping the campus community updated on any changes. "I am confident that together, we will successfully navigate these developments. I thank you for your patience and resilience," Tarhule said in the email.

Illinois State University will hold two hearings for alleged wrongful conviction cases at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 25 in the Prairie Room of the Bone Student Center. The Fourth Judicial District Illinois Appellate Court will host the hearings alongside the ISU Department of Politics and Government and the McLean County Bar Association. The first case is People v. Barton McNeil at 10 a.m. McNeil was convicted in 1999 for the murder of his three-year-old daughter. McNeil has always maintained his innocence. New evidence introduced over the last decade shows that his ex-girlfriend may have been responsible. McNeil’s ex-girlfriend, Misook Nowlin-Wang, was also convicted of murdering her mother-in-law in 2012 and allegedly confessed to the murder of McNeil’s daughter, which she now denies. The second case is People v. James Snow at 11 a.m.Snow was convicted in 2001 of the murder of a gas station employee in 1991. Snow claims innocence based on an alibi and alleged holes in the investigation which resulted in his prosecution. The Prairie Room will open at 9 a.m. for the first hearing and will reopen at 10:45 a.m. for the second hearing. Only 100 seats are available. All will be required to pass through metal detectors. Electronics must be turned off. Backpacks and purses will not be allowed.

WGLT will host a series of spring election events at Illinois State University ahead of the April 1 municipal election. The events will run from 5-8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, in the Brown Ballroom at the Bone Student Center. An open house, with at least 25 candidates from the McLean County ballot confirmed to attend, will take place from 5-7 p.m.The Bloomington mayoral forum: 5:45-6:45 p.m.The Normal mayoral forum: 7-8 p.m. Co-hosts for the mayoral forums include The Vidette, the Student Government Association, the Center for Civic Engagement, the Bloomington-Normal NAACP and the McLean County League of Women Voters. Additional information about the three events is available on WGLT's website. Those interested in submitting a question for the mayoral forums can ask it here.

The seventh annual Birds Give Back, Illinois State University’s day of giving, is set for Thursday, Feb. 27. This event aims to raise money for various departments and programs through gifts from students, alumni, staff and families. Birds Give Back has raised over $6.5 million in the past six years. The goal this year is to collect at least 4,000 gifts and exceed $1 million in gifts and pledges. Senior Managing Director of Annual Giving and Philanthropy Engagement Jillian Nelson launched the event and is proud to see its annual progress. “It feels amazing to see a new scholarship awarded or a group of students head off to complete a field study trip made possible, in part, by Birds Give Back,” Nelson said. “[A] five-dollar gift will combine with thousands of dollars to make a real impact. [Students] can support their college, department or favorite campus cause.” Two highlighted causes of the program are the Red and White Scholarship, which helps students facing emergency situations, and the Food and Basic Needs Security Fund, which assists students in food and housing insecurity. Nelson said $250 will be added to the Red and White Scholarship when 100 students donate and another $250 to the Food and Basic Needs Security Fund when 200 students donate. There will be stations for students to donate at the Bone Student Center, Stevenson Hall, Schroeder Hall and the Center for the Performing Arts from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. “Students who make a gift of any size will access our coffee and hot chocolate gourmet stations complete with cookies,” Nelson said. Students can also participate by writing thank-you postcards to alumni donors. “Students who help us thank alumni will get to spin a wheel for prizes,” Nelson said. The School of Communication had the most gifts donated last year. Professor Aimee Miller-Ott, director of the School of Communication, said that the donations from Birds Give Back help fund scholarships, RSOs, classroom equipment and trips to conferences. “There are countless goals we have been able to accomplish through donations,” Miller-Ott said. “We also love feeling the support of our donors, many of whom are alumni, parents of students and current members of the School.” This year, the School of Communication plans to use the money to help their RSOs pay for events such as guest speakers and award ceremonies, as well as updating classrooms and other professional development activities. “Donations go a long way to support our students,” Miller-Ott said. Gifts and ambassador sign-ups can be found on the Birds Give Back website.

Students wrote romance-themed poetry during the English Studies Association’s (ENSTA) ad-lib poetry night last Tuesday.Participants chose from several prompts to fill in with nouns, verbs and adjectives of their choice. Some prompts included strange locations, disturbing sounds and wild animals. Humorous twists served as a theme. One group effort created the sentence: “Your big toe reminds me of women I found in Cincinnati.”Another poem revolved around events from "Twilight." Macabre art, such as poems about cannibalism, helped inspire this. Senior English major James Friedman explained why the event was organized.“We just thought it was a funny way to turn something that can be kind of daunting into something a little more accessible, and [ad-libs] are always funny," Friedman said. "Humor is always something you should bring when trying to establish a community. If people feel like they can laugh around you, maybe they can gain the confidence to, you know, write with you and explore other things like literature, politics or identity." Friedman said ENSTA hopes to create more newcomer-friendly activities. “We’ve done a lot of work with poetry and shorter-form writing," Friedman said. "It’s a lot more accessible for club meetings and also just reaches a wider range of people. It’s a lot easier to work with than nonfiction or novels." ENSTA is also promoting its second annual Gilded Gala in the spring. The event will showcase student writing and other creative work and will feature a number of guest speakers. Appetizers and drinks will be provided.Students can submit work for the gala can do so here until April 12.

Illinois State University’s Student Government Association heard from a university attorney and voted on the removal of a member during their meeting Wednesday. Students’ Attorney from the Dean of Students Office, Amanda Vasquez, gave a presentation illustrating common issues she handles with students. Vasquez shared what most typical case type she faces. “This past fall, 40% of my time was spent helping students figure out landlord and tenant issues,” Vasquez said. Vasquez said students often report problems concerning joint liability, move-out charges and punitive fees among other issues. Vasquez then broke down some of the issues, describing the nature of each one. “If you have an individual lease, it would help to alleviate the problem of joint liability,” Vasquez said. “Having roommate agreements could also help this issue.” Vasquez said poor communication could be eased with help from the university, as that is the root of many cases she sees. “It’s another campus life education issue—letting the students know how to document their communication efforts if and when they need to pose a defense for breaking their lease,” Vasquez said. The SGA also heard an appeal for the removal of a Student Senator. During her time in membership, Student Senator Paige Hofstetter missed at least three SGA events without notifying the necessary parties beforehand, which violates the membership code of conduct. In her appeal, Hofstetter admitted guilt to her absences, attributing them to her own "forgetfulness" and "completely her fault." “To be frank, this semester has been very dramatic, which has resulted in me going on mental autopilot,” Hofstetter said. “To summarize, these three absences are based on forgetfulness and are completely my fault. I do believe, though, that these three absences do not define me as a senator or chairperson, and I should be given the chance to redeem myself.” Several SGA members spoke after hearing Hofstetter’s appeal. Most of them made a point of negation, or rejecting the appeal while a small number made a point of neutrality. Student Body President Cobi Blair spoke first, making a point of negation for the appeal. “Because of the way the absence policy works, if she [Hofstetter] is reinstated, she would automatically be removed if she had even one more absence, and that would be if it is an excused absence, as she has already used up all of her excused absences,” Blair said. “She is currently in violation of our bylaws.” Student Senator Casey Leone also spoke, making a point of neutrality. “I do think her writing out that full appeal, though, does show a lot,” Leone said. After the vote, Hofstetter’s membership was revoked. The next SGA meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on Feb. 26 in the Old Main Room of the Bone Student Center.

The Bloomington-Normal area will be hosting various events for those in the community looking to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Galentine’s Throwback Fat Jacks Bar will be hosting from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 13. This event is for women who are looking to relive their favorite throwback jams. Songs from Cyndi Lauper, The Bangles and Destiny’s Child will be played. The event will include a room to dance in as well as a playlist of throwback anthems. Door prizes will be raffled throughout the night. Admission is $20 and spots are limited. Tickets can be purchased here. Valentines and Galentines Cookie Decorating Class From 6:30-8 p.m. on Feb. 12, Destihl Brewery will be hosting a cookie decorating class with Van Horn Sweets. Tisha from Van Horn Sweets will provide the essentials including cookies, icing, sprinkles and a box to take cookies home in. The event is tailored for bakers of all skill levels. It will be held in Destihl’s barrel room and attendees will be able to decorate a set of cookies to their liking. The class is ideal for everyone aged 10 and up and all children are required to be accompanied by an adult. Each participant must have a ticket and they will receive their own set of cookies to decorate at the event. Tickets are available here. Valentine’s Day Brewery Tours Destihl Brewery will be hosting a variety of tours of their production brewery on Friday, Feb. 14 starting at 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. They will also be hosting tours on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. It will include a 60-minute tour that will give a closer look at the daily happenings of the brewery. It will be followed by 4 beer tastings and a souvenir Destihl logo glass as a farewell gift for each attendee. Each tour is limited to 30 participants. Participants must bring a valid ID, wear closed-toe shoes and meet by the main brewery entrance 10 minutes prior to the start of their scheduled tour. Tickets are available here. Sweetheart Skate Bloomington Ice Center will be hosting a Sweetheart Skate on Friday, Feb. 14 from 6:30-8 p.m. It is designed for attendees to bring their significant others to the rink for a romantic skate. Admission is free and sweet treats will be served for those needing a break from skating. Backdrops will be offered to take photos. Valentine’s Dinner Destihl Brewery will host a Valentine’s celebration on Saturday, Feb. 15 from 6-9:30 p.m. The celebration will include listening to the music of Delta Blues musician Devin G. Williams while dining on a handpicked menu featuring southern cuisine and desserts. The celebration ensures an environment of warm, inviting and unforgettable tastes. Tickets start at $55 with the options of getting general admission, a private table for two or a private table for four. Tickets are nonrefundable and cannot be exchanged for other events or promotions. Tickets are transferable and can be purchased here.

The 2025 International Championship of Collegiate A Capella (ICCA) Great Lakes Quarterfinal #2 concluded on Feb. 1, with the Clef Hangers of Illinois State University coming out on top with 392 points. Voices in Your Head from the University of Chicago took second place with 373 points. The Xtension Chords from the University of Illinois took third place with 336 points. Both Clef Hangers and Voices in Your Head will now advance to the semifinals on March 29 at The Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A few members from the Clef Hangers share insight into what the win means to them and how they will prepare for the semifinals. Junior English education major Robbie Graham shared his reaction to the win during the quarterfinals. “I was very happy and was a little surprised because we are our own hardest critics. I was thinking, 'I could have done this better,' and could have been cleaner with my choreo, but the win was a breath of relief,” Graham said. The Clef Hangers performed a set titled “The Algorithm,” which was arranged in part by junior music business major, Joey Rabor. Rabor is the Clef Hangers' music director, primary arranger, co-choreographer, and the group’s vocal percussionist. Rabor explained what "The Algorithm" portrays. “The set follows a futuristic setting where advanced technology has made the human race so comfortable that over time, the human race slowly sheds their humanity, and they don’t even realize it. This set is special to me because the theme was my idea,” Rabor said. The music included in “The Algorithm” was: "The Beginning/Technologic" by Madison Beer and Daft Punk, "Time is Up" by Poppy and Diplo, "Me the Machine" by Imogen Heap and "The World We Made" by Ruelle. Each song was chosen specifically to create an overarching story in collaboration. “The main thing I always tell my group is that we are not here to win awards or move onto semifinals. I always tell them that we are here to showcase art, and show the world our beautiful set we all poured our hearts into,” Rabor said. The Clef Hangers now have until Mar. 29 to perfect their set for the semifinal competition.

Black History Month is celebrated throughout the month of February. The month is meant to commemorate the struggles and accomplishments of African Americans throughout history. The Bloomington-Normal area will have multiple events in honor of the month. Diversity Mural For the entirety of the month, the Bloomington Public Library welcomes visitors to create a self-portrait. These self-portraits will be added to a diversity mural that the library will have showcased. Prior registration is not required. Supplies for self-portraits will be provided at the Children’s Activity Room, the Help Desk as well as the Teen Zone. Bins will be at each desk for participants to leave their self-portraits. The Bloomington Public Library will also be showcasing displays of influential African American authors and illustrators. Lunch & Learn The McLean County Museum of History will be hosting a “Lunch & Learn” on Feb. 13, from 12:10-1 p.m. The museum invites visitors to lunch and participate in a discussion about the Bloomington-Normal Black History Project and oral histories. Andrew Thomas, chairperson of the Bloomington-Normal Black History Project, will be speaking about how to personalize oral histories and the efforts to document Black history in the community. Black History Month Film Series The African American Studies Program at Illinois State University will be playing two films and one play reading to celebrate Black History Month. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and shows will start at 6:30 p.m. “One Million Experiments” will be shown on Feb. 3. It is a documentary showcasing community-based projects and looking at what it would be like without police and prisons. “I Am Not Your Negro” will be shown on Feb. 10. It is a documentary that envisions the unfinished manuscript left behind by the writer James Baldwin. “For Colored Girls” will be read on Feb. 24. It is a staged reading that reflects the mental health struggles and oppression of Black women. Black Heritage Ball The Black Student Union at Illinois State University will be holding its annual Black Heritage Ball on Feb. 22 from 6-10 p.m. The Black Heritage Ball will take place in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center and will have a 1970s theme: “Supa Fly.” Students are encouraged to RSVP for food. BSU will also be presenting its annual Black Heritage Scholarship. Applications will be open until Feb. 17 and winners will be announced at the Black Heritage Ball.

With February being Heart Health Month, Event Management, Dining and Hospitality (EMDH), the Division of Student Affairs and Redbird Well have partnered to host the upcoming “We Heart ISU” event. The event will take place from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center. Students will celebrate Valentine’s Day and Heart Health Month through Valentine's card making, a conversation-heart-stuff-a-plush, a heart health station, photo booth, heart painting and snacks. EMDH Hospitality Coordinator Kacy Rader said this event is a good opportunity for students to relieve stress. “Self-care is extremely important, and we really value students prioritizing their mental health,” Rader said. “Activities like this give them an opportunity to relax, take a moment for themselves and de-stress, which can be great for (their) mental health and wellness.” Samantha Schultz, EMDH’s assistant director of marketing and communications, shared the reasoning behind this event. “We named it ‘We Heart ISU’ to showcase the heart theme, but really at the core, we want to show love to the students and provide them with an event where they can celebrate Valentine’s Day in a fun, unique way, while also taking a moment to care for their heart and others,” Schultz said. For students to show their love, the Valentine's card-making station will give them an option to make one for a friend or donate it to a local senior facility. “The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) is arranging the location these cards will go to,” Schultz said. It was important to EMDH that a wellness component was incorporated into the event. “We wanted to cover something fun, something wellness-related, (with) a civic engagement component,” Rader said. Schultz and Rader said with so many different stations,students can choose which activities they would like to participate in. “We hope students have fun, do something for another person through making a Valentine—whether for a friend or loved one or with the CCE—learn about their heart health and relax,” Rader said. RSVPs are encouraged but not required. More information is available on Redbird Life.

At 11 a.m. Wednesday in Uptown Normal, immigration policy protesters gathered to march for the rights of immigrants in America. More than 100 people joined the Alpha Psi Lambda Illinois State chapter in a movement that ended at the Schroeder Plaza. Senior geography major Marisol Nunez said she felt “very included,” “represented by her community” and that this protest meant a lot to her. Nunez said that she felt in her heart and knew that most had come to the protest with love for immigrants. “[The] events going on right now in the world are tough. I feel like [all of] us sticking together is the best thing we can do right now,” Nunez said. The protest revolved around President Donald Trump’s decision to end a long-standing policy of limiting migrant arrests in sensitive locations such as schools. Many individuals showed up in groups, many of the protesters being ISU students. The protest began at 11:15 a.m. after nearly 50 people arrived. Senior theatre major Julian Campos said that “being part of the protest” was a way to bring awareness to Trump’s negativity toward “not only immigrants, but those of Latino descent from all different countries.” “I wanted to come today to advocate for this immigration issue that’s going on with ICE and the mass deportation of many immigrants,” Campos said. “The ones who came here to make a living and live the American dream, as so many people say.” The protesters marched around the ISU Quad approximately three times, passing underneath McCormick Hall. Chants of “No hate, no fear: Immigrants are welcome here” echoed underneath the bridge. Members of the ISU faculty attended the protest in support. “I believe that immigrants are welcome here, and I’m here in solidarity,” chair of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures Juliet Lynd said. The protest concluded at approximately 12:30 p.m. after speeches were delivered in support of immigrants facing fearful futures. “My purpose on coming out here today was to have a voice for those individuals who are afraid to speak when they know of the issues and matters that are currently at hand,” junior occupational safety and health major Alekxander Rojas Montes de Oca said. “And also, for my family… I am here standing for them: standing for my family as a whole. [I am] representing, showing my background, my heritage to [not only] put my voice out there, but to put myself out there too,” Rojas Montes de Oca continued. A second protest took place at noon Thursday, beginning at the Uptown Circle and ending at Schroeder Plaza. Participants gathered holding signs with statements such as, 'Empathy is free, hate costs lives' and 'School is for education, not for deportation.' Heartland Community College student Ashanti Requena attended the protest Thursday. She discussed what motivated her to come. "I just wanted to speak what's right—about what's going on in the world," Requena said. "As someone [whose dad was an immigrant], I just wish people would just come together." Requena held a poster that read, 'We speak for the ones who can't,' which was meant to honor her father, who had passed away. McLean County Board member Krystle Able also attended on Thursday. She said she is in full support of whatever students are fighting for as well as the immigration rights cause. "Even with the Trust Act, we have issues with making sure that everyone in our community feels safe and that they're supported by our local law enforcement," Able said. "Right now, we are at a time when we need to make sure everyone in our community is coming together to protect people who are vulnerable and under attack by the oppressive forces that are all around us." Able said she wants this message to reach everyone at Illinois State, specifically. "There are over 21,000 of you at Illinois State University, and you make up 40% of our population in Normal, and it is very important for all of you to be engaged in our local elections," Able said. Able encourages students to vote in the upcoming April 1. "If students would get out to vote for our mayors, our township supervisors, our city council members--the power that you all have to make decisions would be incredible since you make up almost half of our population," Able said. "I encourage everyone to exercise your right to vote and raise your voice," Able continued.

Illinois State University will be closing at 4:30 p.m. due to winter weather conditions. All campus buildings will be unavailable for the rest of the day.

At 11 a.m. on Wednesday in Uptown Normal, immigration policy protesters gathered to march for the rights of immigrants in America. Over a hundred people joined the Alpha Psi Lambda Illinois State chapter in a movement that ended at the Schroeder Plaza. Senior geography major Marisol Nunez said she felt “very included,” “represented by her community” and that this protest meant a lot to her. Nunez said that she felt in her heart and knew that most had come to the protest with love for immigrants. “[The] events going on right now in the world are tough. I feel like [all of] us sticking together is the best thing we can do right now,” Nunez said. This story will be updated.

Illinois State University’s Event Management, Dining and Hospitality will host a dinner and a movie event featuring the highly "Popular" film, “Wicked.” The event begins at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, in the Old Main Room at the Bone Student Center. Participants will have the opportunity to watch the film while enjoying avocado toast, green goddess pasta salad, stew and a parfait. The event is free, but an RSVP is required to participate. More details about the event, including the full menu, are available on Redbird Life.