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Whatever you are interested in, we've got it covered.

Inkspot

Photo Courtesy of: Normal FFA Instragram // @normalffa
FFA chapter shines at National Convention, earns top honors
Leonor Rivas, Staff Reporter • Nov 8, 2024

Community High School’s FFA Chapter earned multiple accolades at the organization’s 97th annual National Convention & Expo held Oct. 23-26 in Indianapolis. Four Community FFA alumni—Class of 2022 graduates Juliana Bernardi and Amelia Rodriguez and the Class of 2023’s Evan Kraft and Peter Metivier—received...

Illinois Voters may still register in person at an early voting site or on election day at their polling place with two forms of ID, one including a home address.
Specimen Ballot Courtesy of: McLean County Election Commission
Community registers record number of students in voter drive
Lyra Townsend, Staff Reporter • Oct 24, 2024

Over 50 students registered to vote in the upcoming Nov. 4 presidential election during a voter registration drive at Normal Community High School on Oct. 4. The event, organized by social studies teacher Ms. LaTisha Baker, marked the highest number of students registered since Baker began overseeing the drive in 2003. Volunteers...

Image Courtesy of: Community Class Boards
Community launches philanthropy week to boost school spirit, charitable giving
Inkspot Staff Oct 21, 2024

Community's inaugural "Compassion in Action" event, a week-long philanthropic competition between the four classes, began Oct. 20. The initiative, which combines school spirit with charitable giving and is spearheaded by Junior Class Board sponsor Mrs. Karrin Hawkins, runs Oct. 20-25, with each grade level collecting donations...

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The girls basketball program won a fourth straight Intercity title on Nov. 29. 
The 4-0 start to the season extends the Ironmen's win-streak against Intercity opponents. Community has not lost to a team from Bloomington-Normal since Feb. 18, 2020. 
Photo Courtesy of: Community Athletic Dept.
4-Peat complete
Bella Green, Senior Staff Reporter • Dec 4, 2024

The Ironmen girls basketball team secured a fourth consecutive Intercity Tournament title on Nov. 29, opening the 2024-25 campaign 4-0 on the back of statement wins and standout performances. After losing last season's starting lineup and welcoming 10 juniors to the roster, head coach Mr. Dave Feeney said the team faced many...

Breaking down Ironmen boys basketball’s Intercity Championship by the numbers
Breaking down Ironmen boys basketball’s Intercity Championship by the numbers
Zachary Knox-Doyle, Sports Editor • Dec 4, 2024

The Ironmen boys basketball team captured their second straight Intercity championship on Dec. 2, opening the season 4-0 with dominant wins over their Bloomington-Normal rivals. The Inkspot takes a by the numbers look at Community in the State Farm Bloomington-Normal Intercity Boys Basketball Tournament.   Check...

Last season, Witzig said, the Iron defense was characterized by its ability to "take up a lot of space."  
This year, the team is leaning on their quickness, something Witzig felt the roster did a good job of in Intercity play. 
The Iron held three of their four opponents to under 50 points, a team goal, and recorded 35 steals in the annual tournament.
Photo Courtesy of: Community Athletic Dept.
New faces, same success: Ironmen claim 2nd straight Intercity Title
Zachary Knox-Doyle, Sports Editor • Dec 4, 2024

"The big, bad Ironmen are back." Those were the words Ironmen basketball head coach Mr. Dave Witzig heard as his team took the court at the Shirk Center for the 2024 State Farm Bloomington-Normal Intercity Tournament. And when the final buzzer sounded on Dec. 2, the remark rang true. The Iron captured their second consecutive...

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Promotional Image Courtesy of: Studio Ghibli
Top 5 Studio Ghibli films
Bryce Hickman, Senior Staff Reporter • Dec 2, 2024

Image Courtesy of: Netflix Promotional Materials
Tyson vs. Paul: Community weighs in on boxing’s generational showdown [video]
Carter Hull, Staff Reporter • Nov 15, 2024

Boxing legend Mike Tyson, 57, is stepping back into the ring to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, 27, in a highly anticipated exhibition match on Nov. 15. The bout, set to stream live on Netflix at 7 p.m., will follow a modified rule set with eight two-minute rounds and fighters wearing 14 oz gloves, as requested by Tyson. While...

Tyler, the Creator served as "Chromakopia's" producer, writer and arranger. Among some of the features on the album's 14 tracks are Daniel Caesar, Teezo Touchdown, Lil Wayne and Santigold. 
Album Art Courtesy of: Columbia Records
Tyler, the Creator’s ‘Chromakopia’ delivers bold introspection, evolution
Carter Hull, Staff Reporter • Nov 11, 2024

Tyler, the Creator’s eighth studio album, “Chromakopia,” proves that even after 15 years in the industry, the artist can still push boundaries. That is a tall task for an artist whose career has been defined by creation, innovation and reinvention, as the musician, born Tyler Okonma, adopts a new alter ego on every...

‘Alien: Romulus’ returns to franchise roots [review]
‘Alien: Romulus’ returns to franchise roots [review]
Bryce Hickman, Senior Staff Reporter • Aug 27, 2024

Casting a long shadow over the vast expanses of the “Alien” universe is the Weyland-Yutani corporation, a gluttonous mega-company that prioritizes profit over people and pursues corporate goals with little regard for the catastrophic consequences. “Alien: Romulus,” the franchise’s seventh standalone installment,...

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The Normal Marching Band went from "seed to bloom" in their 2024 show, performing a song list of: "Flower Duet" by Léo Delibes, "Singing in the Rain" by Nacio Herb Brown, "Country Gardens" by Perry Grainger, "A Road, A Path" by Roy Magunson, "Kingfishers Catch Fire" by John Mackey and "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.
Seed to bloom
Bella Green, Senior Staff Reporter • Nov 22, 2024
The Normal Marching Band cultivated success and harvested a bounty of accolades this season with their plant-themed performance, “Seed to Bloom,” culminating in a flourishing finish at the Illinois Marching Band Championship on Oct. 26, their final show of the year.
Swanson approached the Inkspot at the end of the 2022-23 school year asking if the program would be interested in reviving the livestreams the journalism students began prior to COVID. 
The science teacher has been instrumental in mentoring the Inkspot staffers in color commentary and play-by-play.
Evolution of a Voice: Mr. Joel Swanson’s journey to courtside commentator
Inkspot Staff and Ben Kerber Oct 25, 2024

When Mr. Joel Swanson steps into the broadcast booth, it’s as if he’s entering his own laboratory—a place where the unpredictable elements of live sports mix and react. Over the airwaves, the veteran science teacher’s voice becomes the nucleus around which the game orbits, holding together the action, the drama and...

The perfect Mother’s Day gift: Insights from Community’s staff moms
The perfect Mother’s Day gift: Insights from Community’s staff moms
Ali Ince, Staff Writer • May 11, 2024

The second Sunday in May, a day circled in bright red ink on the calendar–Mother's Day: a day dedicated to honoring and celebrating mothers. While Mother’s Day is a heartwarming occasion, it can also be a source of stress for sons, daughters and partners as they hunt for the perfect gift. Roses or tulips? Lindt or...

Fishing, Niekamp says, is about "25% luck, 75% skill." That skill Niekamp has worked to hone fishing a lake near his grandpa's home in Wisconsin each summer. 
Photo Courtesy: Dexter Niekamp
Niekamp’s big catch
Lucas Drengwitz, Staff Writer • May 9, 2024

Dexter Niekamp squints against the glare of the lights, a towering figure with a focused gaze. The senior’s eyes are filled with determination and anticipation as he waits to strike.  There is the snap, the jerk of the line... His movements—fluid and precise.  This is another chance for the future Division...

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Top 5: Iconic Snoop Dogg albums
Top 5: Iconic Snoop Dogg albums
Carter Hull, Staff Reporter • Sep 26, 2024

Every day, Snoop Dogg seems to make headlines for something new—whether he’s lighting up the Olympic torch, giving up smoke or joining “The Voice” as the show’s newest coach.  This “whatever” attitude has been central to Snoop’s three-decade reign as one of hip-hop’s most enduring icons. In a genre where...

Top 5 must-have expansion packs for ‘The Sims 4’ Fans: From family drama to island escapes
Top 5 must-have expansion packs for ‘The Sims 4’ Fans: From family drama to island escapes
Lyra Townsend, Staff Reporter • Sep 18, 2024

It’s been a decade since “The Sims 4” hit the shelves in September 2014. Yet, the digital dollhouse remains a staple of the simulation video game genre.  At its core, “The Sims 4” distills the essence of daily life, cranked up to 11.  It is more than just a life-simulation game; it’s a place where the mundane...

Promotional Image Courtesy of: Warner Bros. Discovery
Top 5: Most mind-bending ‘Rick and Morty’ episodes
Charles (Charlie) Faulkner, Staff Writer • Aug 30, 2024

“Insane” barely begins to scratch the surface of “Rick and Morty.” It's far too sane a word to describe the hit’s straightjacketed madness.    For seven seasons on Adultswim, the animated sci-fi comedy series has made a name for itself a concoction of utterly chaotic characters and absurdist storylines.    Since...

Top 5: Godzilla films
Top 5: Godzilla films
Bryce Hickman, Senior Staff Reporter • Apr 11, 2024

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of the King of Monsters. Since first laying waste to Tokyo in 1954, the grandfather of kaiju has been featured in 38 films, with the latest entry in the Monsterverse franchise, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” hitting theaters on April 12.  But Godzilla...

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