Behind the scenes
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Experiencing the intersection of art, architecture at Krannert Art Museum
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — As an art student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, I love how different forms of art weave together. No art form exists in isolation; each one connects and interacts with others in meaningful ways. Painting borrows precision from drawing, dance is deeply connected to music, and photography captures the drama of […]
A temporary farewell to the Altgeld bells
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A large crane is parked on the north side of Altgeld Hall on this sunny and mild mid-December morning. As I watch from near the Alma Mater statue, the arm of the crane that extends far above the scaffolding surrounding Altgeld’s bell tower lowers a cable into the top of the tower, which has […]
‘World building’ in a video games class
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A group of students gathers around a table in the basement of the Campus Instructional Facility at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, looking at boxes filled with beetles, walking sticks, spiders, dragonflies and other insects. The collection belongs to the Illinois Natural History Survey, and Tommy McElrath, the insect collection manager and […]
Putting the bee girls to bed
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – I like to encourage people of all ages to help pollinators, the insects, birds and mammals that help flowering plants reproduce. People are more willing to help if they have a chance to get to know their local pollinators. To that end, I like to invite people to visit the University of […]
Appealing to our ‘better angels’ with the Braver Angels
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — I’m sitting in the well-appointed Illini Union Ballroom on a sunny, late-October afternoon. My current mood: anxious. Sure, our 20th-ranked Illinois football team is taking on No. 1 Oregon this weekend, but that’s not on my mind right now. (Turns out my pregame butterflies were well founded.) Pre-election jitters are foremost, with […]
Excavating my own archaeology
Students excavate a structure Tamira Brennan helped build 22 years ago.
Cosplaying for science
Clad in fantasy garb, grad student Avalon Feiler and her peers teach heroes how to spot and combat invasive species.
Finding my calling as a neurosurgeon
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — As I scroll through another sheet of data, I know each entry represents the story of a high school athlete whose season — and, potentially, life — was altered due to a possible concussion. I am looking for trends and risk factors, with the goal of helping physicians and coaches better evaluate whether an athlete has sustained a concussion and when it is safe to resume activity.
Drowning tomatoes for science
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — I can barely hear Esther Ngumbi over the roar of greenhouse fans as she shows me around her rooftop laboratory in Morrill Hall. The benches are full of tomato plants, and the tomatoes don’t look good. Half of the plants are submerged in bins of water. Their leaves are yellow and withering. […]
Continuing success: Illinois wheelchair racers ready for the Paralympic Games
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The 2024 Paralympic Games begin in Paris on August 28. Head coach of the U. of I. wheelchair track and road racing team Adam Bleakney will be there — coaching for Team USA. All nine of the wheelchair racing athletes representing the U.S. have a connection to Illinois —most of them have […]
Unveiling the ancient Maya’s relationship to animals and nature
CENTRAL BELIZE — As the scorching May sun of Central Belize blazes down on us, temperatures soar to a staggering 106°F. Local farmers anxiously await the onset of the rainy season to sow their crops, but the much-needed first rain remains elusive. This property is owned by a community of Mennonites who live in the […]
The Great American Eclipse and all of its magic
MARTINSVILLE, Ill. — Crowds of people bustle about at the Martinsville Agricultural Fairgrounds on a Monday afternoon with their eyes on the sky. The air ripples with excitement as we eagerly await our chance to witness the moon consuming the sun — a total solar eclipse! I am one of many students representing the University […]